A Week in Brooklyn on a $48,000 Salary

Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.

Today, a writer who makes $48,000 a year at a newspaper company in Brooklyn, New York, tells us about her week’s expenses and investments.

Occupation: Writer

Age: 29

Location: Brooklyn, New York, US

Salary: $48,000 (approx. $1,800 per pay period)

Day One

I just started working at this newspaper company in Brooklyn about a month ago, and management wants to do a fun activity for the staff to congratulate them on their excellent performances. They've asked each of us to pitch in with ideas for activities or games we'd like to have for that day. I know a lot of my coworkers love classic arcade games, so I found a company called Clowns4Kids that rents out the Ms. Pacman arcade game. I told my boss, and he loves the idea so much, he's going to contact the company today.

Total: $0.00

Day Two

I was speaking to my friend F. the other day, and they mentioned that they're investing in a gold company. I didn't know this was possible, so I looked up the company, Alamos Gold (TSX: AGI, NYSE: AGI), and I must say I'm impressed with what they've done so far. They have three gold mines in North America, including the Island Gold Mines and Young-Davidson in Northern Ontario, Canada, and the Mulatos Mine in Sonora, Mexico. They also embrace principles of sustainability throughout their organization and have a low-cost production growth, which is great. I'm taking the leap right now and investing $100 in Alamos Gold so they can continue developing their sustainable mining projects.

Total: $100.00

Day Three

Today, I'm attending a writing workshop at Lost Lit to use the Amherst writer’s method to further my career. This will allow me to gain constructive feedback on my writing and express myself in ways I can't at my job. It's important I keep my writing fluent and creative so I can find other ways to implement my skills.

Total: $17.99

Day Four

It's Thursday, and my new co-workers just invited me to a rooftop bar and restaurant in Brooklyn called Cherry on Top. I don't usually hang out with people from work, but since I'm the newbie here, I might as well take the chance and get to know my peers on a fun night out.

Total: $46.77

Day Five

It's finally Friday, which means it's a fun day for me. I also just got paid today, which means I can buy myself a new outfit for work. I come to the mall after work, and I try out a couple of blouses to see which one fits best. I find two flowy blouses I love, so I buy them and take them home with me. On my way home, I decide to stop by my favorite sushi place, Ki Sushi, and buy myself two delicious rolls and a miso soup to eat at home.

Total: $76.53

Day Six

On Saturdays, I usually go to Yoga Tribe Brooklyn to stretch out my body and replenish my mental energy. So I'm cleaning up my apartment a bit before heading out, and putting on my favorite blue yoga pants with a groovy tye-dye tank top. I nailed my yoga class and am heading back home to finish cleaning.

Total: $43.00

Day Seven

Finally, it's Sunday morning, and I'm gathering some things for my self-care day. I start out by journaling how I'm feeling, what I'm expecting to accomplish during the week, and what I'm going to do today. This helps me get in the right mood for the day so I can enjoy it as much as possible before the new work week begins. I also went out to the grocery store to buy some fresh ingredients for tonight's dinner, which will double as tomorrow's lunch.

Total: $19.40

Total for the week: $284.29