Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a principal supplier quality engineer who makes $140,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on renting a movie. 

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Occupation: Principal supplier quality engineer
Industry: Medical devices
Age: 37
Location: Northeast Ohio
Salary: $140,000 (plus an annual bonus of ~12%). I also receive $30,000 in rental income.
Assets: I own two homes: one in Michigan and one in Ohio. My home in Michigan I rent out for $2,800 a month. Its Zestimate is $400,000, although I know that isn’t super accurate. I also own a townhome in Ohio which I live in now (I just moved a year and a half ago). I also have approximately $155,000 in my 401(k), $10,000 in my HSA, and $7,000 in a Roth IRA. At the end of the month, I should also receive about $15,000 in company match into my 401(k). I only have about $4,500 cash right now, but that’s because my kids and I went to Hawaii over Christmas break. I will receive a bonus in March which will put me back to having about $20,000 cash.
Debt: I owe about $215,000 on the Michigan property, and about $360,000 on the Ohio property.
Paycheck Amount: $6,200 from my job (this is the total amount; I get paid twice a month); $2,800 from my rental (monthly).
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $2,800 for my Ohio townhome.
Loan Payments: $1,500 for the Michigan property.
Utilities: $200
Streaming Services: $30
Rental Management Company: $175
Townhome HOA: $125
Phone: $150
Cable: $60
Auto Insurance: $60
Kids’ 529s: $150 each.
Extra Mortgage Payment: $100 per home.

Other Expenses

Farm Basket: $41 (weekly).
Skyzone Pass: $289 for both kids (annually).

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
It was always assumed I’d go to college. I went to private school from preschool through high school, and my parents still managed to save to help me with college. In the end, I graduated undergrad with about $25,000 in student loans; I lived at home to pay them off as quickly as I could. I got my MBA a few years after I finished paying them off — I did it slowly over four years so my employer would pay for it.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents never talked to me about money. I grew up privileged (as mentioned, I went to private school my whole life), but I graduated completely in the dark on how to manage money. I married someone who was financially abusive and ended up having to start over when I turned 30 and got a long overdue divorce. I started studying Bogleheads and the financial order of operations and buckled down. Even now, I don’t talk to my parents about money at all.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
When I was 16 I got a job at an upscale local grocery store. I think my Dad made me so I could “understand the value of money”, but my parents tell me I was so motivated to work, I wanted the job. I do appreciate the experience though — the store was very focused on customer service, which has served me well my whole life. It also instilled in me a love of high-quality foods, which I carry with me to this day.

Did you worry about money growing up?
My parents owned their own business and we lived in a really nice house and went on vacation every year. Like me, my brothers all went to private school. I never worried about money.

Do you worry about money now?
I worry about money all the time. I’m a single mom and I have my kids 50% of the time. I don’t receive any child support (nor should I, but even if I lost my job he wouldn’t pay it). My biggest worry is that I feel behind in my investments, and I am working really hard to catch up to save for retirement. My goal for 2025 is to max out my Roth IRA, my 401(k) and my HSA.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I think I’d say I was financially responsible for myself when I graduated college. My parents have helped me through the years and would help me again if I needed them to, but I really would prefer never to use that safety net. Today, if I needed a financial safety net, I could sell my rental home.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When I was going through my divorce, my parents helped me with $500 a month to keep me afloat. They also gave me and my ex-husband $5,000 as a wedding present and paid for a good chunk of our wedding.

Day One: Monday

8 a.m. — I wake up and start the coffee maker, feed the dogs, and get to work. I’m an engineer who works remotely, but my son has an ENT appointment today so I’m taking the afternoon off. That means my morning is packed with back-to-back meetings. I make myself a quick breakfast of whole fat plain yogurt (which I get from a local farm share, strawberries, granola, and honey).

11:45 a.m. — Time to get my son. His appointment is at 1:30 p.m., but I want to grab him early to get lunch with him. We love trying new foods together, so we go out for Indian at a highly rated restaurant in town. I order butter chicken, garlic naan, tandoori chicken, and a mango lassi for him to drink. I can’t believe how much food comes out and unfortunately, he doesn’t love it. We pack up the leftovers and he begs me to grab him an eggroll at the Thai restaurant next door because he’s still hungry. Somehow this quick lunch is costing me more than $60! But I’m proud he tried something new and I don’t want him hungry all afternoon, so I cave. I am a sucker. $64.90

4 p.m. — WOW, that appointment went long. We race home to get my daughter off the bus, and have a quick snack of apples and pears before my son has a cooking class. My daughter is excited because while he’s cooking, we are going out for a mommy-daughter date. My daughter and I end up at an Italian restaurant and get a meatball appetizer, a Neapolitan pizza, a mousse dessert, and I treat myself to a martini ($51.17). The cooking class is long so after dinner we walk around town together and shop. I end up buying her a sweater at Francesca’s for her Valentine’s Day party at school ($38.43). Finally, we stop at the grocery store to buy some bananas, eggs, heavy cream, and yogurt ($18.66). We pick up my son who loved his cooking class and head home for the night. I had a blast spending one-on-one time with each of my kids today, but by the time we get home at 9 p.m. I’m exhausted and ready to collapse into bed. $108.26

Daily Total: $173.16

Day Two: Tuesday

8 a.m. — I wake up to get the kids out the door for school, and we have eggs and homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast. Both my kids tend to buy lunch at school, but have to pack a snack, so they both grab water and seaweed snacks and head to the bus. Once they are gone, I feed the dogs and get to work.

11:45 a.m. — I take a lunch break and walk my dog. We normally do about 45 minutes to an hour but it’s really cold out, so it’s shorter than usual. For lunch I eat leftover pizza and some Tony’s Chocolonely. In the afternoon, I run to Fedex to mail my grandma an old iPhone since her battery isn’t holding charge well. I know she’ll offer to pay for it or reimburse me for the shipping, but I’m not going to let her. I get a lot of joy in doing kind things for others. $19.97

4 p.m. — My daughter comes home and eats a quick dinner of the last of the leftover pizza before basketball, and we leave about 30 minutes later to grab my son from math club. Math club ends at 5 p.m., and basketball and wrestling start at 6, so we hang out in the parking lot in between. It’s not worth it to drive back and forth. I pack my son some leftover Chinese for dinner, and after they leave for their sports I run home and make myself eggs and skillet fried potatoes for dinner. I add salsa and sour cream and enjoy about 30 minutes at home alone before I race back out to pick them up from their sports. They both come home sweaty and happy, and they shower before we get ready to wind down for the night. My son and I watch an episode of Ted Lasso before bed. My daughter sometimes watches with us, but tonight she wants to watch Dance Moms, which I can’t stand.

Daily Total: $19.97

Day Three: Wednesday

8 a.m. — The kids have the day off school, but will head to their dad’s early this morning. I don’t set an alarm, but still wake up early naturally. I make homemade wholegrain pancakes with whipped cream and homemade raspberry jam and we turn on Ted Lasso while I multitask and do some work. Their dad ends up coming around 10 a.m. to pick them up. I feel really lucky in my career: I have a ton of flexibility when the kids are home and enjoy unlimited PTO. As long as I get all my work done, my manager never micromanages or questions me, and I am lucky enough to prioritize my family over my job. I do have to travel quite a bit for work, but I tend to schedule it for when the kids are with their dad.

12 p.m. — I walk my dog and then look at my fridge, which is running low on fresh items. I am a Costco shopper for nonperishables, so I generally am well stocked for rice, noodles, ramen, beans, and lentils but I get my fruits, vegetables, and dairy at either a local farm share or an upscale grocery store. I run to the grocery store and buy broccoli, carrots, lettuce, goat’s cheese, ground beef, hamburger buns, hummus, and berries. As I walk by the sushi section, I see a vegetable wrap with avocado, lettuce, carrot, and a rice wrapper — it looks good, so I grab it to eat while I run my errands ($50.93). Next I run to grab dog food ($53.75), and make one last stop at Costco to pick up a prescription ($37.45, paid out of my HSA though). When I get home, I have meetings, and finish out my workday. $104.68

6 p.m. — I end my day calling my grandma and chatting for a while, then I watch the new episode of Below Deck Down Under. I’m really excited about the new season: Captain Jason is awesome and I enjoy the drama. I make myself roasted carrots, broccoli, and sweet potato over wild rice and top it with hummus and goat’s cheese.

Daily Total: $104.68

Day Four: Thursday

5:30 a.m. — Even though my alarm is set for 8 a.m., my phone wakes me up at 5:30 a.m. to tell me the kids have a snow day — which isn’t useful information to me, since my kids are with my ex-husband. Now I’m awake and can’t go back to sleep, so I make my coffee and open my work laptop, just so I have something to occupy the time. Around 8 a.m. I feed my dog and eat yogurt with granola and berries. This day is going to drag if I can’t nap.

11:30 a.m. — I take a quick break to eat. I microwave leftover roasted veggies and wild rice, and top them with a fried egg and siracha. This is my favorite lunch — just the same base with different flavors added so it never gets old. I try to nap but I’m not successful. Super frustrating. Since I can’t nap, I drive to the national park for a walk, stopping on the way for Starbucks. I get a tall vanilla latte, and it keeps me warm. After the walk I sit back down to work. $4.45

6 p.m. — After work I do some cleaning around the house and take out the trash. I make myself angel hair pasta with roasted broccoli and goat’s cheese and pour a glass of wine. I don’t drink a lot, but maybe once or twice a week it just feels appropriate. After cleaning, I sit down to watch the new episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. After that’s over, I watch Shrinking. It’s my new show to watch and I’m really enjoying it! I pass out around 10 p.m.

Daily Total: $4.45

Day Five: Friday

8 a.m. — Even though the kids aren’t here, I have my alarm set for 7:30 a.m. because I am volunteering at my son’s school for swimming. I absolutely love this opportunity: I get to spend time with my son and his friends and every so often they get surprised with a free swim, and I love to see their pure childhood joy of a midday swim with your friends. I make myself oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, and before I head into the school I send a message offering coffee to his two main teachers. They accept, so I stop on my way in and grab two grande strawberry crème Frappuccinos. When I deliver them, they tell me I made their mornings. Even better, today is the last session of swimming in 5th grade, so they play water polo. The kids have a blast and it feels bittersweet because I won’t be able to experience this group of kids in this setting again. However, my daughter’s class starts swim next month, so I’m really looking forward to that. $16.95

10 a.m. — After swimming, I stop at a friend’s house and have brunch with her. She’s a stay-at-home mom who lives close to the school, so it’s convenient. She makes me an omelet and a smoothie and we have a really nice time laughing together and catching up on how our kids are doing. I head back to my house and back to work around 12 p.m.

4 p.m. — The kids get off the bus and my son immediately asks if he can have his friends over. We don’t really have anything planned, so I agree. First I have to head to a local church to pick up my farm basket though. I pay $41 a week and get an assortment of local produce, plus I have a $200 annual credit I can use for other local items they sell. This week my basket contains pasta, tomato sauce, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and apple cider. I had placed a pre-order with my credits as well and get pasteurized non-homogenized whole milk, yogurt, eggs, and English muffins. I head home with my hoard and pick up the friends on the way. When we get back I make burgers for the kids.

8 p.m. — While the boys play video games, my daughter and I make popcorn and Shirley Temples and snuggle in bed. We browse the options and decide we want to rent Wicked. I’ve seen it live in theaters several times, and we saw it together around Christmas a few years ago, so I’m excited to see what she remembers. She says not a lot, but it’s fun to watch it together. $19.99

Daily Total: $36.94

Day Six: Saturday

7 a.m. — It’s my weekend with the kids! I wake up to the nice surprise that my son is up already and has made me coffee. He says he wanted to thank me for letting him have friends over yesterday. I should have been suspicious though, because it doesn’t take long to find out he’s scheming to see another set of friends today. I tell him I’ll call his friend’s mom (who will be hosting) to discuss. My daughter wakes up a little later and we make our favorite breakfast: crepes with strawberries, bananas, Nutella, and homemade whipped cream. I walk my dog and make a call to my son’s friend’s mom and work out some details so he can hang with them while my daughter has basketball games.

11 a.m. — My daughter’s basketball game is at 1 p.m. and it’s about a 45-minute drive, so I make scrambled eggs for my daughter for some protein and she has a few carrots with hummus before we leave. We drop my son off at the friend’s on the way. My daughter has two back-to-back basketball games and she plays awesome! I’m so proud of her. On the way home we stop at Ulta so she can spend some of her allowance on bubble face wash since she recently finished a bottle.

4 p.m. — We get home and my son and his friends swing by to pick my daughter up to head to Skyzone. We have an annual pass, and they have a younger sister my daughter’s age, so they head there for about an hour while I start making dinner. I’m planning to make couscous with roasted chicken from the freezer, but while they’re jumping apparently they are also making plans and when they get home they ask about a sleepover. I agree and quickly change my dinner plans — now I have five kids here to feed, three of whom are 11-year-old footballers, so I need more food, stat! Luckily I have a few boxes of Velveeta mac and cheese and frozen chicken patties and buns in the freezer. I cut up the last of my strawberries and broccoli and carrots and put out hummus. By the time the kids are done eating I feel like a tornado has come through. I wash the dishes and settle down to read my library book How Not To Die and feel very guilty over the processed dinner I just fed these growing kids.

9 p.m. — The kids who are sleeping over have a soccer game at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning so I take some freezer bread and the leftover buns and dry them in the oven for a few minutes. I cut them up and then mix eggs and milk to make bread pudding to bake in the morning, so they have a good breakfast before their game. I find some bacon from my farm share in my chest freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost overnight. Once I’m done with that I tell the kids to get me up if they need anything, but head to bed. I feel guilty making this for breakfast because eggs are SO expensive right now, but I tell myself it’s a special treat and go to bed only regretting my choices a little bit.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven: Sunday

6 a.m. — I have to wake up early to get the bread pudding and bacon in the oven and make the custard topping. I have it ready by 7:15 a.m. so the kids all have time to hang out and eat before they leave. I text their mom and invite her to join and she accepts, so we sit and drink some coffee and catch up before everyone leaves. Once all the kids are gone, my kids clean up after the sleepover while I walk my dog and we all watch an episode of Ted Lasso before basketball.

11 a.m. — We need to leave for basketball soon so I quickly make the chicken and couscous I had intended to cook the night before for lunch. My daughter informs me that she hates both chicken and couscous, so she makes herself ramen. The deal in my house is that if they don’t like what I cook, they have to cook and clean up their replacement. After lunch we head to basketball. It’s about a 30-minute drive again.

1 p.m. — As we pull into the parking lot, my daughter tells me she feels nauseous and thinks she may throw up. I know stomach flu is going around, and she isn’t one to miss a game without good reason, so I let her coach know we’re heading home and we turn back around. I feel guilty but we have to stop for gas on the way home. We get home and unfortunately she does end up being sick. I’m very grateful she waited until she hit the bathroom. $34.29

4 p.m. — I run to the grocery store for some Gatorade. This isn’t how I expected the day to go — I thought we’d be going out for dinner with the team after winning a basketball tournament (I would have been right if she hadn’t gotten sick!), so I don’t have a plan for dinner. I grab a pack of perogies and onion for my son and I. $12.87

6 p.m. — I offer my daughter buttered noodles for dinner and that sounds ok to her except what she really wants is applesauce. Small problem: I don’t have applesauce. I wish she’d told me she wanted it before I went to the store. I look for a replacement, and find the farm share apples and make some homemade. They aren’t technically the right kind of apples, but it works for her and she appreciates the bland food. My son and I eat the perogies for dinner with some farm share lettuce on the side. I add goat’s cheese and canned beets and pecans to mine. He eats his just as lettuce. We share some Tony’s Chocolony for dessert.

8 p.m. — In my world, pudding is the best sick food, so my son and I make my daughter vanilla pudding. She eats a few bites, but my son and I eat the majority of it. I go to bed hoping my daughter feels better soon, and my son and I don’t end up sick, too.

Daily Total: $47.16

The Breakdown

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