admin Industry: Brand strategy
Age: 26
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $105,000 ($95,000 base, plus bonus).
Net Worth: $75,104 (checking: $2,423.14; emergency fund: $13,898.43; travel savings: $350.55; 401(k): $33,768.49; Roth IRA: $24,310.24; HSA: $353.18)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,276
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,750 for my half of a two-bedroom apartment rental, split evenly with my boyfriend, J. He pays for streaming services, utilities, and Wi-Fi, since he makes more.
Emergency Fund: $400
Travel Savings: $400
Employer 401(k): $948 (pre-tax).
Health Insurance: $106 (pre tax).
FSA Contribution: $20 (pre-tax).
Roth IRA: $550
Transit: $50 (pre-tax).
Cell Phone: $85
ClassPass: $65 ($45 reimbursed by work).
Gym: $20
iCloud Storage: $2.99
Spotify: $9.99
Prescriptions: $7
Lawn Mowing: $40 (I pay for this for my parents).
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?
I got my bachelor’s degree from a large state school. My dad has a bachelor’s degree and my mom dropped out of university but went back to community college when she was in her 40s, so I think it was an unspoken expectation that I’d pursue an education beyond high school. My parents had invested in a state-run education fund back when I was born that promised to pay for in-state tuition, no matter how much the cost inflated. It was a big upfront cost — I think about $10,000 — but it ended up paying off big time since the cost of higher education has skyrocketed. I’m not sure if my parents would’ve been able to fully pay for my college otherwise.
