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 program manager who makes $98,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on volleyball game fees.
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Editor’s note: All prices converted to US dollars using Google and correct at time of writing.
Occupation: Program manager
Industry: Nonprofit
Age: 36
Location: Mexico City
Salary: $98,000
Assets: I just met with my financial advisor and have some shuffling to do to reduce the amount of pure cash I’m holding, but generally speaking I have $26,000 in checking accounts, and $30,200 in savings and HYSA accounts. 401(k) is at $25,300, 403(b) sits at $39,900, Roth IRA at $83,000, and I have $85,300 in another individual investment account.
Debt: $0
Paycheck amount (2x/month): $2,693.64
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: $790 for a small one-bedroom in a very touristy area. It is a small, old, quirky spot but it has served me well for my first year here. I’ll be moving next month and my rent will be cut in half.
Utilities: Water is included in my rent and I pay for gas every few months — that is usually $35.
Gym: I pay anywhere from $80-$100 for gym classes and memberships but I’m not loyal to a single place, so it fluctuates.
Internet: $23
HYSA & 401(k): $500 and $850 respectively. I separate my deposits into two accounts — for one I deposit $500 a month (for cash access here in CDMX). The rest goes in my regular checking account.
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?
My parents were very supportive, since they were teachers, but college was always my own goal from a young age. My older sister did not attend school and they were equally encouraging towards her. I went on to earn my undergraduate degree in English and education to follow in their teacher footsteps and recently paid outright for my master’s in organizational leadership as I started a career transition.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We did not talk about finances but I knew we were not well-off for most of my childhood. Before my dad started teaching, he worked several jobs at a time, and we always had everything we needed and nearly everything we wanted. I don’t know how my parents did it — I’m sure it required significant sacrifice — but they always let me use money how I wanted. Still, because I was aware of the tight budgets, I saved almost every dollar I was given throughout childhood.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was a competitive athlete growing up so I didn’t have a job until I left for university where I had a work/study job tutoring in an elementary school. This was my first exposure to teaching in some capacity and I loved it so much I stayed in that job throughout college. Unlike my classmates though, this job was for survival. I did not get money from home and was surrounded by pretty affluent classmates so I watched my money like a hawk.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes — especially when I noticed we were receiving donations from our church or community. This was not my entire childhood but we definitely had more difficult seasons.
Do you worry about money now?
For sure. I live below my means but I was a teacher for more than a decade, under-earning compared to my peers and living abroad, so I did not feel the pressure in the same way. Spending a few years back in the States deepened a scarcity mindset that I’m trying to come out of now that I have a bit more stability. But still, I worry about getting older, unexpected expenses, and my parents’ security too.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Technically 22 — I was off my parents’ insurance by then because I had joined the Peace Corps and even though I did not get money throughout college, my parents helped pay for much of school so my loans were low and I was out of debt by 24.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No and I don’t anticipate anything like this coming my way.
Day One: Sunday
5:34 a.m. — On the heels of Día de Muertos, my partner, V., and I got home and immediately climbed into bed, popped a couple gomitas, and drifted off to sleep. I’m up way too early for a Sunday to waddle to the bathroom in my post-gummy haze. I’m hoping a return to sleep is possible if I barely open my eyes and navigate my way to the toilet solely based on touch.
7:07 a.m. — I do in fact snooze again but I’m up before the 7:45 a.m. alarm while V. continues to happily dream next to me, face down, arms and legs splayed out to the side. I’ve got two volleyball games today but I stayed with V. last night and have to go home for all my stuff. I nudge him awake and he drives me home and then to the gym where I bring a highly competitive spirit to a very recreational league. I chip in for the game fees. $2.93
11:58 a.m. — Luckily, we win both of our games and my friend drops me in Del Valle, a smidge closer to V.’s house. I decide to walk the rest of the way and grab a coffee en route. $3
2:45 p.m. — Eventually we shower and drive to the south of the city to visit the megaofrenda at UNAM. Unfortunately, the excitement is short-lived as I immediately feel ill and spend a fair amount of time in the porta potties. We get some water and turn around and head home. $5
8:56 p.m. — We spend the late afternoon finally finishing Ghostbusters and checking off any other final Halloween films before I eventually take DiDi (which is similar to Uber) home. Before I go, V. and I talk about our plans to move in together in just over a month, our relationship, and how we’re feeling in general. I appreciate how open he is to these conversations; airing out our concerns, nerves, and excitement is made simple by his warmth. $3.42
Daily Total: $14.35
Day Two: Monday
4:05 a.m. — Now this is a little early, even for me, but I signed up for an intensive month-long Spanish course that meets three days a week for 90 minutes. I’m really focused on improving over the next six months since my partner is Mexican and his parents don’t speak English. And because I obviously live in Mexico. I have some anxious anticipation for class so I toss and turn for a while before putting on a sleep meditation from the Calm app (I have a free subscription and I’m not exactly sure how it happened).
7:30 a.m. — To my surprise and horror, this is a one-on-one class. Just me and S., a fresh-faced 20-year-old with the patience of a saint. We review the function of the subjunctive and the 90 minutes flies by. I wrap up feeling like this could offer the confidence boost I really need to use everything I’ve learned over the last year. Afterwards, I dive directly into work calls, spreadsheets, and Slack messages.
12 p.m. — At some point I talk myself into a coffee. I used to be a strict caffeine abstainer but since a period of unemployment back in 2022, I’ve started enjoying an occasional latte — not really the time to pick up an expensive habit, but alas… Now, working from home, I use it as an excuse to leave my house, have some kind of interaction in Spanish, and get some sun on my face. I pay my 65 pesos for the coffee that is keeping me from buying a house and go about my day. $3.18
4:30 p.m. — After closing my laptop around 2 p.m., I nestle into the couch to watch an episode of Cold Case, and at some point I throw together a smattering of things and call it lunch. V. would tell you I just eat ingredients, not actual meals, and he is not wrong. Still, I feel good and walk to the gym for my functional training class, which I paid for as part of a summer promo on Fitpass (Mexican ClassPass) two months back so according to my girl math calculations…yes, free.
6:30 p.m. — On the way home, I need a few more ingredients for whatever kind of nonsense I’m calling dinner, so I swing by Sumesa and grab a couple sweet potatoes, bananas, coconut water, and applesauce, because why not? $13.30
10:14 p.m. — I’ve been playing a bit dumb for a few weeks leading up to Election Day but the reality is, regardless of my country of residence, the impact of the US elections is felt far and wide. I voted while I was home in October but as a California resident, I can’t help but feel that my vote really doesn’t matter. Still, I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long one. We have plans to go to a watch party (never worry alone, ya know) and I want to be clear-headed, so I let Harry Styles’ sleep story on Calm soothe me to sleep.
Daily Total: $16.48
Day Three: Tuesday
5:15 a.m. — As per usual, I beat the alarm but not by much. I get up and splash some water on my face, fill up my water bottle, and walk to a 6 a.m. Pilates class. This is not a regular part of my routine but it feels good to move my body in the morning. In the spring I ran my first half marathon and haven’t found the will to bring running back into the rotation so I’ll stick to Pilates for now. Again, I booked this through the Fitpass app so I feel like no money spent.
11:10 a.m. — I started slamming keys around 7 a.m. so I take a break for — you guessed it — that coffee I swear I don’t drink. Latte con leche deslactosada. Can the rest of the world get on the lactose-free milk train, please? Mexicans: culinary trailblazers! $3.08
4:30 p.m. — I should have mentioned that the grocery store is literally on my corner so I find myself shopping on a nearly daily basis. An avocado here. One bag of spinach there. Is this smart? Economical? Efficient? No but again, I work from home and love a reason to get up from the screen. I’m cooking dinner for V. and want to get some mushrooms for a second vegetable. I grab a few other staples to delay my return to the store by at least two days. $22.94
8:15 p.m. — Even though V. is not American, he’s joining me for the election watch party, so we Uber over. My friend is organizing and I’m happy to see so many people, both from the States and other places, come together to wail on a Trump piñata. Knowing the results will be late and I’ve got my Spanish lesson in the morning, we leave around 10 p.m. to walk the 35 minutes home. $2.79
11 p.m. — V. can’t stay because he needs to get home to A., his sweet Great Dane, so I set an alarm knowing I’ll be up early to check the election results. I feel detached and almost resigned to the result, which is not a great feeling.
Daily Total: $28.81
Day Four: Wednesday
4:15 a.m. — As predicted, I am awake. I’m checking the news, attempting to accept this new reality. What a sad sequence of events. I push calls off my calendar that are not urgent.
7:30 a.m. — In my Spanish lesson, S. asks me how I am doing. I share some of my thoughts in broken Spanish, really stretching the limits of linguistic ability, and we eventually transition to further work on the subjunctive.
10:45 a.m. — After more than two hours of calls and no mention from our leadership about the election results, I decide it is time for every millennial woman’s favorite activity: a hot girl walk. Well, this is more like getting a coffee and a cry, but I’m just waiting for that trend to go viral. $3.18
1:50 p.m. — After slacking relentlessly with other colleagues and checking in with friends back home, I decide it is time to log off. I did my best. I cancel the plans I had later with P. (my first Mexican friend who I sadly don’t often get to see) and plan to sit on my couch, literally become my couch, and continue to watch Cold Case or some mindless Hallmark-esque movie.
5 p.m. — But first. Move that damn body. My functional training classes are focused on explosive movements this week and I’m grateful to feel my body move, to feel physically strong, and snag the endorphin boost. Again, free! And thankfully some much-needed headspace.
6:30 p.m. — On the walk home I decide I deserve an overpriced acai bowl for dinner, or pre-dinner, or whatever it ends up being. I order para llevar and walk the few blocks back to my house to inhale it carefully on my beige couch. $10.42
7:30 p.m. — Finally hop in the shower, then spoon-feed myself applesauce direct from the jar while I serve up another girl dinner to enjoy on the couch. 10% Happier, The Happiness Lab, and Jay Shetty are no match for whatever the hell I’m feeling, so I start researching online counseling programs because it has been in the back of my mind for years. After another four years of Trump, we might have even more need for mental health services so maybe this is how I’m part of the solution. Eventually, I find my way to bed and tonight I let Matthew McConaughey put me to sleep. I fear for my boyfriend when we move in together and how he’ll tolerate all these men I’ve brought into my bed.
Daily Total: $13.60
Day Five: Thursday
4:50 a.m. — Determined to have a better day, I’m up at an ungodly hour and take the time to do my Wordle and Duolingo practice. Do I think it is helping my Spanish? No, but I’ve got a 421-day streak that I’m too stubborn to break. I’m running multiple calls this morning so I freshen up and plop down at my desk to commence the key-slamming.
12 p.m. — I convince V. to come over between my calls and we fool around before I hop on my last call of the day. Just the release I needed and happy to have this big, sweet man in my life. Just a Mexican lumberjack of love who in many ways breaks stereotypes and exceeds expectations.
4:15 p.m. — Sadly I don’t have in-unit laundry so I drop a hemorrhaging Ikea tote off at the laundromat around the corner before heading to writing group. My women’s writing group meets today and I use it as an opportunity to process more about the election in direct ways while letting some creative juices run loose after a few apathetic weeks — all fueled by the power of ginger kombucha. Back in February I said I would finally start my Substack, which has not happened, but I think I’m ready and want to commit to just putting shit out in the world. Much like learning Spanish, I know this isn’t just going to happen and I have to be intentional yet graceful with myself at the same time. Anyhow. We shall see. $16.14
7 p.m. — I head to Pilates and I’m talked into buying a new pair of socks even though I’ve been to this studio before and they’ve never asked me to wear socks. Am I a monster because I don’t want to wear socks? Don’t care. A hill I’m happy to die on. When did we decide we should slip and slide around on the reformer instead of just letting our little toesies grip the shit out of things? I wait in the office to pay after class but no one turns up so I decide to leave, tempting karma to come for me.
8:30 p.m. — Once I’m home, I take a quick body shower, eat leftover salmon and sweet potatoes with a side of applesauce (almost an actual meal if you ask me), before plopping down to enjoy some Cold Case before heading for an early bed.
Daily Total: $16.14
Day Six: Friday
4:50 a.m. — I wake up early again after a nightmare only I could dream up. Picture this: I’m traveling with friends (a real thing that happened back in July — we went to Argentina) but in this fresh hell I have a flight taking off in two hours and my bag isn’t packed. Even worse, it appears I have things scattered all around the hotel room and I’m having the opposite of a Mary Poppins bottomless carpet bag situation. I cannot fit all these things into my bag and I wake up still trying to cram stuff in there, with only 45 minutes until takeoff.
10:30 a.m. — Fridays are beautiful because we do not have many internal calls. I mean, technically, we are not supposed to have any but not everyone respects that rule. I enjoy some focused work before heading out to enjoy a coffee and a short break. $3.91
1:30 p.m. — I have an afternoon training class booked today and I have questions for whoever decided sprinting on a treadmill in a dark room was a good idea. Imagine the Mexican version of Barry’s Bootcamp. I generally dislike these types of classes but it was available, close, and they have nice showers so I tempt fate and join despite the fact that I have indeed flown off one of these treadmills in the past. Imagine me retelling this story in broken Spanish and miming an airplane to really cement what happened.
8:30 p.m. — We had planned to go to a friend’s going-away party (in true expat fashion, they’re moving to Tulum) but we decide to skip. Quality time is my love language and V. prioritizes our time together and I’m grateful. We go to an Argentine place and split a salad, chorizo, and a fat steak. Not the best place we’ve been to but good enough. V. pays as we are still settling a Splitwise tab from last month.
Daily Total: $3.91
Day Seven: Saturday
9:30 a.m. — I’m heading to Parque Bicentenario later for some beach volleyball but we get up early to grab a coffee (okay, I DRINK COFFEE) and then V. and A. walk me to the metro. Again, V. pays to whittle down a tab from our trip back to California.
12:30 p.m. — I play a few rounds and luckily get paired with one of the decent guys, so we sweep our games. I head home triumphantly. I take the metro back to my neighborhood for a proper scrub-down but top up my card on the way — public transportation is really cheap here. $0.98
8:30 p.m. — We arrive at a cantina in the Condesa neighborhood for Calaveritas with Cine Club. I read along and laugh along on cue but enjoy the company, V.’s patient friends, and some time out together. We order a couple sueros and something with pork but I just pick at it since I don’t have much of an appetite. V. pays and I don’t even look at the bill.
11:30 p.m. — We leave relatively early, planning for a lazy day tomorrow, some moving planning, and some kind of trash movie. I call the Uber to take us back to V.’s. $3.67
Daily Total: $4.65
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