Mamamia’s What My Salary Gets Me asks Australians to record a week in their financial lives. Kind of like a sex diary but with money. So not like a sex diary at all. We still find out the best-kept secrets though. We discover what women are really spending their hard-earned cash on. Nothing is too outrageous or too sacred.This week, a 30-year-old from Sydney shares her money diary.
Age: 30
Salary: $70K + super
Job: Working in PR.
Housing: Living with partner and kids.
Watch: Simple budgeting with a banana. Post continues below.
Outgoing Monthly Expenses:
Transport (Uber, Opal, and Fuel): $280
Eating Out: $160
Shopping (Clothes, electronics, online, gifts other): $800
Health Insurance: $165
Phone: $87
Music instruments and subscriptions: $191
Fitness Membership: $20
Therapy: $154
Groceries and Rent: $1200
Savings for Parents: $2200
Lifelong Savings: $9500
Holiday Savings: $400
*Note that these spendings are from my personal everyday transactions account. I have another joint account with my partner which we use for shared expenses- some of which are mentioned below.
Monday- Day One
I get up at 8am, drop the kids off to school, then head to work.
On my way into the office, I buy a skimmed latte, $3.54. I make toast with the bread provided at work and I've brought my own lunch from home, like a good girl.
At around 4pm, I decide I’m in the mood for some hot chocolate so I buy myself one, $3.54. My travel to and from work costs $8.96.
Daily Total: $16.04
Tuesday - Day Two
I get up, drop the kids the kids at school then drive to pick up some coffee and breakfast for my partner and I, $19.
I park for five minutes thinking I’ll get away with it but I get a parking ticket! $115!
Later that night (to self-soothe), my partner and I order takeout from a Lebanese restaurant for $55.99. Fortunately, I have a $50 Uber gift card which I use so we only pay a total of $5.99 for our meal.
Daily Total: $139.99
Wednesday - Day Three
On my way to work, I pick up a free latte as I had stamped out my 10 coffees on the cafe’s loyalty card.
On the way home from work, I see a fundraising post supporting the cause of asylum seekers in Australia and I donate $21.80.
The kids have football practice that evening and my partner wasn’t feeling too good so I Ubered to fetch them, which cost $21.98.
My work travel costs $8.91. My partner and I also pay $160 to have our house sprayed for bugs.
Daily Total: $212.28
Thursday - Day Four
I work from home and eat all of my meals in my house which means I spend $0!
Daily Total: $0
Friday- Day Five
$43.90 is debited from my account for my Fitness Passport (a government fitness pass for select gyms around Sydney).
I head to work and pay $3.54 for my skimmed latte and $4.00 for a blueberry muffin (because it’s Friyay!).
My partner and I order another round of Uber Eats for $27.49 and I pay $1.37 as a tip to the driver. My work travel costs me $22.20.
Daily Total: $102.50
Saturday- Day Six
Our friend and her kids came to visit, so we all grab some coffee and breakfast together - our friend pays!
On the way home I buy a few groceries we need, $7.50.
Daily Total: $7.50
Sunday - Day Seven
It's a rainy day so we take the kids to a climbing place in Alexandria and pay $64.00 for the two of them.
As I scroll through my phone, I see that my friend has designed some Beirut merch and all proceeds were going to the Lebanese Red Cross so I buy a jumper for $52.34.
Daily Total: $116.34
Weekly Total: $594.65
Reflection:
Wow did I spend more than usual this week!
First of all, I’m not usually such an active donor but with the disaster in Beirut and the plan to re-open Christmas island, I thought some of my bucks were due.
Also, I usually aim to order takeout once a week. But, given the unpredictable mini-catastrophe of the parking ticket, I self-soothed with food. To give myself a pat on the shoulder, I have to say that I am getting better at utilising gift cards and loyalty cards which ultimately help decrease my daily expenditure.
Feature Image: Getty.