What My Salary Gets Me: A 29-year-old business analyst with a $100,000 salary.

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 29-year-old business analyst shares her diary.

Age: 29

Job: Business Analyst

Salary: $100k

Housing: Mortgage + Renting with husband

Regular expenses (monthly):

Mortgage $4,425 (including usual monthly incremental payments to try to pay off faster, split between my hubby and I)

Rent: $2,400 (between my hubby and I)

Phone + Music: $37

Transport: $215 (train + fuel)

Gym: $140

Hair: $100 every six weeks

Supermarket: $592 (between my hubby and I)

Utilities: $811 (on average a month – this includes strata, water, council rates, electricity and gas)

Insurance: $504 (on average a month – this includes health, car and home/contents)

Internet: $60 (between my hubby and I)

Stan: $10

Debt: $2,166 (Credit card at the moment between my hubby and I – we always pay this back and never pay interest)

Savings: $90k (Between my hubby and I)

Super: $300 (I salary sacrifice an extra $300 into my super each month)

Charity: $96 (Between my hubby and I)

Assets: 2 x Cars

MM Confessions: The fashion items we’ve blown too much money on. Post continues after video. 

Monday – Day One

An average day at work today. I eat breakfast at home (very exciting oats, walnuts and chia seeds) and make a coffee to drink on the way to work. We have a fancy AF coffee machine so I do this everyday, of course using my KeepCup. I get the train to work ($3.61), eat leftovers for lunch (delicious Israeli meatballs) and stock up on my vitamins from a nearby health food store at lunch ($17). I catch the train back home ($3.61) and on the way, pay for the deposit for a friends’ upcoming hens ($52). My hubby and I go out for dinner with some friends. They’re going overseas soon so wanted somewhere cheap – bonus for us! Dinner for my half cost $14.50 with BYO wine from our pantry.

Daily Total: $90.72

Tuesday – Day Two

Today I have an all-day work conference. I start my day as usual – breakfast at home (the same very exciting oats, walnuts and chia seeds) and get the train to the conference ($3.61) with my takeaway coffee. Thankfully we are given lunch at the conference and stuck inside all day with no tempting shops. I go out for a few drinks after the conference (on the company hosting the conference), get the train home ($3.61) and have a late dinner at home with my hubby.

Daily Total: $7.22

Wednesday – Day Three

It’s sunny today so I decide to make the most of it and walk to work. I have my breakfast at home and walk in with my coffee I made at home. I only treat myself to buying lunch once a week, so I made sure to bring a sandwich I made at home. So boring but healthy, cheap and #mortgagelife. After a non-eventful day at work, I get the train home ($3.61), do some weights and have dinner with my hubby.

Daily Total: $3.61

Thursday – Day Four

It’s sunny again today so instead of hitting snooze, I walk into work again. I have breakfast at home, this time changing things up and swapping my walnuts with almonds (living on the edge right here) and grab my coffee for the walk. Again, I take in a sandwich I made at home for lunch. But it’s a great day because I got my tax back! So I pop $3k of this straight into our mortgage. I also have to pay our energy bill, which is $80 for the month. I get the train ($5.50) and an Uber ($14.03) to my in-laws, who live out in the suburbs, for a yum salmon dinner.

Daily Total: $3,099.53

Friday – Day Five

It’s sunny again today but I’m tired, so I hit snooze and get the train to work ($3.61) – after of course having my breakfast at home and making my TA espresso. Friday is my treat day when I buy lunch (woo). Today a few of us went to the pub so lunch set me back $25. I get the train home ($3.61) and enjoy dinner and a movie with my hubby on the couch (free).

Daily Total: $28.61

Saturday – Day Six

It’s the weekend – woo hoo! Today we get the ferry ($3) to have brunch with my family and I eat lots of bacon and avo on toast. Because it’s my sister’s birthday, my parents shout us all brunch! We then have an easy day after being dropped home. We go for a walk, read at home and then catch up with some friends for dinner. They’re saving to buy a house so we opt for cheap but delicious again ($20 my half).

Daily Total: $23

Sunday – Day Seven

Sunday mornings are my favourite time of the week. We have a very chilled morning. My hubby makes me avo on toast and a coffee and we relax on our daybed in the sun talking and reading. We then get the ferry to lunch ($2.80) with my hubby’s family to celebrate my brother in law’s birthday (their shout). After getting the ferry home ($0), I drive to the shops to buy a gift for a friend and magazine to read ($31). We have a light dinner at home as we’re still pretty full from our delicious seafood lunch.

Daily Total: $33.80

Weekly Total: $3286.49

Reflection:

I’m pretty happy with my spending this week and fortunate that our weekend was full of birthday celebrations which our generous parents paid for. It meant that I didn’t spend much at all this week! I’ve always been pretty good with budgeting as I’m very goal-oriented and we’re now saving to buy a bigger house. However, it’s going to be hard in the next few months with so many Christmas, summer and New Year’s celebrations.

Please note: The feature image used is a stock photo.

Mamamia’s What My Salary Gets Me series drops every Thursday. Want to share a week in the life of your bank account with us (anonymously of course, no judgement here)? Send us your Money Diary to submissions@mamamia.com.au

For more What My Salary Gets Me:

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What My Salary Gets Me: A 29-year-old on $108,000 a year, with $455,000 in savings.

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