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: an account executive who makes $75,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on Panera mac and cheese.

Occupation: Account Executive
Industry: Tech
Age: 26
Location: Atlanta, GA
Salary: $75,000 ($57,500 base + commission)
Net Worth: $95,652 (savings: $34,509 across multiple accounts, Roth IRA: $25,765, 401(k): $34,525, taxable brokerage: $853)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,432
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,250 (I live with a roommate in a two-bed, two-bath)
Utilities: $60–$100
Hulu & Spotify Premium: $10
Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime & YoutubeTV: $0 (My family shares logins)
iCloud Storage: $2.99
CrossFit: $195
401(k): I contribute 10% to a Roth 401(k). My company contributes 4%. Phone: $67
Charitable Contributions: $10 each to ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and a local library
Taxable Brokerage: $50
Health, Vision & Dental Insurance: $236 (pre-tax)
New York Times Digital & NYT Cooking: $6
Renters Insurance: $12.75
Car Insurance: $85

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?
Yes, it was always expected. My parents started saving for my education when I was born. A combination of the 529, a local scholarship fund, and money from savings bonds financed my education and living expenses. My parents plan to use the leftover money in the 529 for a future wedding gift (I don’t know how much is left). I’m also lucky because in-state tuition was very cheap, about $6,000–$7,000 a year.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My dad always talked to us about money growing up. He opened savings accounts for me and my siblings in elementary school. As we got older, he always talked about 401(k)s, mortgages, and credit cards with us. He laid the foundation for my financial education, but I became obsessed with personal finance after reading Broke Millennial and The Millionaire Next Door during my senior year of college.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was a camp counselor at a summer camp when I was 16. I got the job because I wanted my own spending money. I would’ve gotten a job sooner, but my parents didn’t let me until I fulfilled the 100-hour community service requirement to get my scholarship. Since then, I have always had a job with the exception of my freshman year of college.

Story continues

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. My dad is very frugal, and my parents live well below their means. I always had whatever I needed or wanted in terms of new clothes, school supplies, etc., and my siblings and I all played competitive sports, which definitely was expensive. We usually went on vacation once a year, but never anything elaborate or expensive. My parents definitely made sacrifices to make sure we had the best life.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, but I know I don’t need to. I definitely overspend on food because I love cooking and eating out, but I’m working on that now. I always want to be saving more money towards retirement and in general, because I want to buy a house and a new car in the next few years, so I end up feeling guilty for spending money.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially independent at age 23 when I moved out of my parents’ house. My first job out of school involved traveling about 75% of the time, and when I wasn’t traveling I lived at my parents’ house. When I was home, they paid for my food and didn’t expect any money for rent or utilities, but I was only there 25% of the time, and when I was gone I paid for my own food. They stopped covering bills like my car insurance when I graduated, and I paid for my own phone bill throughout college. The first job I had enabled me to save a ton because I didn’t have to pay for rent or utilities. After doing that job for one year, I quit and moved to Atlanta where I pay all of my own expenses. I stayed on my dad’s insurance until I turned 26 a few months ago.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No, unless you count the 529. I do expect to receive an inheritance one day from my parents (hopefully not for a long, long time), and something from my grandma eventually.

Day One

7 a.m. — My alarm goes off at 7, but I’ve been awake longer because the workers at the construction site across the street started very early today. I get out of bed at 7:30 and get dressed so I can take a walk outside before I start work for the day. I heard about this thing called dopamine fasting on TikTok, so I don’t look at any social media or listen to anything on Spotify. I just go for a one-mile loop on the Beltline, alone with my thoughts.

8:15 a.m. — I get back from my walk and pull out my overnight oats to eat with strawberries, along with a glass of orange juice.

8:30 a.m. — I start work at 8:30 and jump right into emails.

10:30 a.m. — I take a break to pull a TJ’s ciabatta roll out of the freezer and leave it on the counter to defrost.

11:30 a.m. — I take another break to toast the ciabatta roll with mozzarella, tomato, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan, and basil and watch TikToks. I see one about an Ikea Hovet Mirror dupe. I need a new full-length mirror and have been unsuccessful in finding one at Home Goods, so I pull the trigger on this one ($255.26). I also text my friends about a trip we are planning in September, and I book the hotel, put down a deposit ($287.80), and Venmo request them for their portion. $543.06

4:45 p.m. — I get dressed to go to CrossFit and grab the items I need to return on the way. I also call my dad to talk for a few minutes. I stop at UPS, drop off my returns, and then head to the gym.

5:40 p.m. — I get to CrossFit very early, but I just talk to my friends while I wait for the 6 p.m. class to start. Today isn’t too bad, starting with heavy power cleans, and then an AMRAP with calorie row, toes to bar, wall balls, more power cleans, and ring muscle-ups (that I can’t do, nor will I get to before the time cap). I can’t do power cleans because I sprained my wrist two weeks ago, so I deadlift instead.

7:15 p.m. — I call my dad on the way home and talk to him for about 15 minutes. I get home and my roommate and her boyfriend are making dinner, so I take a shower to kill time until they’re done in the kitchen.

8 p.m. — I start by putting potatoes in a pot to boil. Then I cut up my zucchini and take the salmon out of the fridge. Today I’m making pan-seared salmon, smashed little potatoes, and roasted zucchini. While everything is cooking, I prepare my overnight oats for tomorrow, make a sandwich on another ciabatta roll, and prepare the rest of my lunch because I’m going into the office tomorrow.

9:45 p.m. — After eating, cleaning up, and talking to my roommate for a while, I get in bed to start a book that I need to finish before my book club in less than 48 hours. I’m a very fast reader so it should be fine as long as it’s a good book. I read on my Kindle, dozing off here and there, until after midnight, and I get about halfway through the book.

Daily Total: $543.06

Day Two

7 a.m. — My alarm goes off, but I hit snooze for another 15 minutes. I read for about 20 minutes before getting out of bed. I get dressed, grab my food, and leave for work. After a five-minute drive, I sit in my car and read for 10 more minutes before going in around 8:30.

8:30 a.m. — I grab my overnight oats, open my laptop, and check emails while I eat.

1:45 p.m. — I take a break to eat lunch and read my book. I end up finishing it right at the end of my 30-minute lunch.

5 p.m. — I leave the office and drive home. I lay in bed for about 20 minutes, scrolling through TikTok before I get ready for CrossFit.

6 p.m. — I get to class and talk to my friend for a few minutes while we warm up. Today is the echo bike, double unders, and burpees to target. I can’t do double unders yet so I do single unders instead and finish in 27:45, which is good because I wasn’t convinced I would finish before the 30-minute time cap.

7:15 p.m. — I stop at Publix to get something to bring to my book club tomorrow and a few other things to put in my work lunches. $15.43

7:30 p.m. — I get home and take a shower and actually wash my hair, which I only do about twice a week. I start on dinner and make chicken, air-fried green beans, and jasmine rice. I also roast broccoli so I can have leftover chicken and broccoli for dinner tomorrow after my book club. I prepare my overnight oats and my lunch for tomorrow and prep my gym bag because I have to go straight from work to CrossFit tomorrow.

10:30 p.m. — I tidy up my room and bathroom and get in bed, intending to start a new book on my Kindle, but I end up just scrolling TikTok and talking to my mom. I also contemplate deleting my Hinge profile for the millionth time because a Facebook group in Atlanta for women meant to expose shitty/problematic men has really put me off dating, plus I don’t really have any desire to carve out time to go on dates. I go to bed around 11:45.

Daily Total: $15.43

Day Three

7 a.m. — My first alarm goes off, but I snooze and lay in bed until around 7:40. I get up, do my morning routine, get dressed, and am out the door by 8.

8:10 a.m. — Get to work and respond to a few emails before grabbing my overnight oats.

12:30 p.m. — I take a 30-minute break for lunch and chat with my coworkers who also came into the office today.

4:30 p.m. — I leave work to give myself enough time to change before the 5 p.m. class starts. Today’s class focuses on front squats and push jerks. I do the jerks, but end up decreasing the weight toward the end because my wrist is hurting.

6 p.m. — I leave as soon as class is over and drive home because I have to immediately turn around and go to a book club. I have time to take a quick body shower, put on clean athleisure clothes, grab the veggie tray I bought, and drive there.

7 p.m. — This is only my second time going to this book club, and the last time was in September, so I don’t know anyone’s name except for my friend, T. I make a plate with prosciutto, chicken nuggets, veggies, and some other odds and ends.

9 p.m. — Book club ends and I had a great time, plus I’ve already read the book for next month, so that’s one less thing to do. I decide to get McDonald’s on the way home instead of eating my leftovers. I get a double cheeseburger and fries. $5.42

Daily Total: $5.42

Day Four

7:30 a.m. — Normally I would go into the office today, but my mirror is supposed to be delivered, so I stay home. I go for a one-mile walk near my apartment and eat my overnight oats. Then, I get started with work at 8:30.

12 p.m. — I walk over to my friend’s place for lunch. I have lunch with her and work from her apartment for the rest of the afternoon. I also check my email, and the mirror isn’t being delivered until tomorrow now, so I stayed home for no reason.

4:30 p.m. — I leave my friend’s apartment with the intention of going to CrossFit, but I think I overdid it yesterday because my wrist hurts so I decide to take a break and go running instead.

5 p.m. — I set an ambitious goal of running five miles because the farthest I’ve ever run is four miles, and I end up running just over six miles to make it an even 10K.

7 p.m. — I heat up leftover chicken and broccoli and make jasmine rice to eat with it. I add teriyaki sauce to the whole thing.

8 p.m. — I spend the night watching CrossFit videos on YouTube and scrolling on TikTok. I eat a Trader Joe’s cookie ice cream sandwich and go to bed around 11.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

8 a.m. — I wake up and make a quick trip to the post office to drop off two things I recently sold on Mercari.

11 a.m. — I check the front door, and my mirror is here! I open up the very large box and put it on the wall. I take a picture to put on my Instagram story and send a Snapchat to my friends because I might rearrange my room now.

3 p.m. — I can’t focus this afternoon and I need to leave in 40 minutes for CrossFit anyway, so I rearrange my room. I put my desk by the window and my mirror in the opposite corner. I like it more than I thought, so I think I’ll leave it this way.

4 p.m. — I do a bunch of burpees at CrossFit, and they irritate a floor burn on my elbow. I don’t realize it’s bleeding until my elbow feels slippery on the floor.

5:15 p.m. — I come home and take a full shower (meaning I wash my hair and shave my legs), and decide to get a burger, fries, and a milkshake from Grindhouse for dinner. My roommate texts me and asks if I want to do a wine and movie night and I say yes. $17.52

7 p.m. — We watch The Other Woman, which is one of my favorite movies. My roommate’s cat decides to be a total asshole during the movie, jumping on the counter no less than 10 times, requiring liberal use of the spray bottle.

11 p.m. — I love going to bed early when I don’t have to wake up early the next day. Normally I go to CrossFit on Saturday mornings, but my wrist needs a break.

Daily Total: $17.52

Day Six

7:30 a.m. — I wake up and lay in bed for a while. I guess this is when my internal clock wakes me up now, which I don’t mind, but it’s not fun if I’m up late and can’t sleep in.

9 a.m. — I get out of bed and get ready to go walk on the Beltline. I head out the door with my AirPods.

10 a.m. — I’m walking leisurely, minding my own business, when someone bumps into me very hard from behind. It’s my two best friends, B. and D., who are training for a half marathon and are on the last part of their 10-mile run. They force me to run the last 0.7 miles with them. Luckily, I’m wearing running shoes, but I look ridiculous running with my sunglasses and hair down.

11 a.m. — I hang out with them for a while, and we meet up with our friend, N., and then I walk home.

1 p.m. — I make lunch (ciabatta with mozzarella and tomato again) and clean up the kitchen and my bedroom. I decide I like the new layout of my room and I make it permanent by putting my plant shelf up above my bed. I FaceTime my dad to make sure I know what I’m doing, which is good because I thought I needed to use anchors but I don’t since it’s going into the studs. I drill the pilot holes, screw in the brackets, and the shelf is up. I take a few minutes to select which plants will go up there, then take a picture for my Instagram story and to send to my family group chat. I lay in bed for a while until N. calls me about our plans for later and tells me what time to be ready.

5:30 p.m. — I walk over to N. and D.’s apartment, and we hang out for a few minutes before walking to a bar to meet up with some other people. I decide not to bring a jacket because I am already wearing a sweater, which I will probably regret.

5:45 p.m. — I get a margarita, which is $13.19 with a 20% tip. We actually find a place to sit, which is impressive for this bar. The four of us hang out for a while waiting for other friends to arrive. $13.19

6:30 p.m. — Two more friends arrive, followed by another friend and a bunch of his friends I don’t know. I go to the bar with one of my friends to get another drink, and she gets this round.

7 p.m. — Some people leave, but two more friends show up. I go inside to get another drink with them and get a drink for a friend who got the last round. $26.08

8:30 p.m. — Some of my friends go to get food, and I ask them to order mac ‘n’ cheese for me, but they forget, so I eat fries off everyone’s plates.

10:30 p.m. — Everyone leaves except two of my friends and me, and we hang out for a little bit before calling a Lyft to another bar. I call it, but everyone venmos me, so my share is only $7.21. $7.21

11 p.m. — We get to the bar and immediately regret our decision because it’s so packed. One friend calls an Uber home, and we wait with her, then walk to a place next door because my friend wants chicken fingers. We walk five minutes to her house and then I walk the rest of the way home, which is definitely stupid at this hour but I have my mace in hand and my friends are tracking me so it’s fine.

1 a.m. — I take off my makeup and get into bed.

Daily Total: $46.48

Day Seven

7:30 a.m. — I wake up at 7:30 again and I’m not feeling great, but not exactly hungover. I lay in bed for two hours, then decide to get grocery shopping out of the way early. I go to Publix and spend more than expected. I get home and make a sandwich on ciabatta bread with the leftover lunch meat I need to use and it is exactly what I need to feel 100% better after drinking last night. $58.74

12:00 p.m. — I go to Ace Hardware to get two screws ($1.13). I need and stop at Kroger ($28.21) for a few things I forgot at Publix. $29.34

2 p.m. — I have a ton of frozen bananas in the fridge so I make banana bread muffins. I also make meatballs to freeze so I can just pop a few out of the freezer whenever I want to make pasta for dinner.

7 p.m. — I heat up a Panera mac ‘n’ cheese I bought at Publix earlier and cut up a whole zucchini and roast it to get some veggies in, too. While I wait for that, I prepare my overnight oats for tomorrow.

8 p.m. — I open Hinge for the first time in a week and delete my account for the millionth time because the amount of messages I need to reply to is overwhelming. I immediately feel lighter.

9 p.m. — I watch TV and then go to sleep around 11.

Daily Total: $88.08

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