Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.
Today: a marketing director who makes $90,000
Occupation: marketing director
Age: 39
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Salary: $90,000 (approx. $3,462 per pay period)
Day One
I have a pretty standard day ahead of me, primarily focused on reconciling our marketing budget. After work, though, I have a much larger project to tackle: figuring out how to update our worn-out master bathroom. My wife, S., has complained about that room for years, but our last contractor ghosted us before finishing the remodel. I grab a bite to eat since S. is working late, then sit down at the computer to see what I can find. Like any search for the right pros, it takes a bit of research, but I find a well-reviewed company specializing in bathroom remodeling in Minneapolis. I send the information to S. to check out, then head up to take a shower in the bathroom that’s, for now, at least, functional.
Total: $23
Day Two
Today’s a busy day at the office. In particular, we have a few meetings taking up most of the workday, each with one of the C-level big-wigs. Our company is looking to expand into an untapped bilingual market we’ve identified in the West St. Paul area. This means they want those of us in senior management roles to have a working knowledge of the language. They recommend some different resources for getting started, but the Belatone language app stands out as particularly enticing. Its focus on connecting with native speakers catches my eye, plus Belatone has a Mexico-focused Spanish course with a Spain-focused iteration on its way. I order a Spanish business phrasebook, too. I have a long way to go from refreshing my eighth-grade español, but I’m excited to see what I remember!
Total: $17
Day Three
After work today, I head to my weekly yoga class, then grab a shake with a friend who joins the same session. Then, we take our drinks to a nearby park and walk a while while we catch up on each other’s lives.
Total: $47
Day Four
My Spanish phrasebook arrives today, so I spend my lunch break paging through it. I’m a long way from conversational fluency, but I recall more than I thought I would between this and the Belatone app! In the spirit of these lessons, I grab some Mexican food for lunch. After work, S. and I finally get to spend a bit of time together. We chat a bit about our prospective bathroom remodel, then curl up on the couch to continue our rewatch of Merlin.
Total: $40
Day Five
Today, my number one goal is to finish up my work for the week to focus on projects around the house this weekend. Some sort of work-life balance is key to a high quality of life, right? So I make my way through my to-do list, then meet S. at our go-to pizza place.
Total: $36
Day Six
For our Saturday, S. and I are spending some time tidying up the house, then heading to an art exhibit in the late afternoon. Afterward, we stop for a snack at our favorite Thai spot and visit the grocery store to stock up for the coming week.
Total: $219
Day Seven
S. and I agreed to a lazy Sunday, so we rent some movies on one of our various streaming services and spend most of the day on the couch. We join forces to make lunch but decide to order in for dinner. We stay up a bit later than we should on a work night, but it’s worth it.
Total: $42
Total for the week: $424
