{"id":549,"date":"2025-05-09T11:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/?p=549"},"modified":"2025-05-12T09:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T09:52:26","slug":"a-week-in-san-francisco-on-a-449000-household-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/a-week-in-san-francisco-on-a-449000-household-income\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week In San Francisco On A $449,000 Household Income"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to<\/em> <\/em>Money Diaries<\/a> where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We\u2019re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period \u2014 and we\u2019re tracking every last dollar.<\/p>\n

Today: an advertising manager who has a $449,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on two parking tickets.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our <\/em>online form<\/em><\/a>. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we\u2019re not able to reply to every email.<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This is a follow-up diary. You can read the original diary <\/em><\/strong>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Occupation:<\/strong> Manager
Industry:<\/strong> Advertising
Age:<\/strong> 34
Location:<\/strong> San Francisco
Salary:<\/strong> $221,000 ($184,000 base, ~$37,000 bonus paid out quarterly based on achievement to a team revenue goal).
Joint income:<\/strong> My husband, P., currently makes $228,000, so our joint income is $449,000. He just started a new job after two and a half years of unstable employment (due to two layoffs, a brief midlife crisis, and a terrible job market) and this is the highest he\u2019s ever earned. We have separate finances and mostly split expenses down the middle (as long as we\u2019re in the same ballpark salary-wise; I have been covering more in the past few years, and he did the same when he out-earned me in the past). Controversial, but it works for us.
Assets:<\/strong> Checking: $500; savings: $6,500; HYSA: $23,000; investment account: $80,000; Roth 401(k): $275,000; backdoor Roth IRA: $38,000; vested company stock: ~$2,000; unvested company stock: ~$18,000; car worth: ~$26,000.
Debt:<\/strong> Car loan: $18,000; credit card balance: $4,000.
Paycheck Amount (2x\/month):<\/strong> $3,000
Pronouns:<\/strong> She\/her<\/p>\n

Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs:<\/strong> $1,572 \u2014 my half of a rented two-bedroom that I share with J.
Loan Payments:<\/strong> $400 (car payment).
Car Insurance:<\/strong> $172
Peloton:<\/strong> $44
Phone:<\/strong> $40, paid to my parents (still on the family plan). Pandora\/Splitwise\/iCloud:<\/strong> $15
Health Insurance:<\/strong> $180 (this is including J.\u2019s; I\u2019ve been covering this while he\u2019s been unemployed and he hasn\u2019t switched to his company\u2019s plan yet).
401(k) Contribution: <\/strong>$2,000 (this is high because I like to max it out early).
Charitables: <\/strong>$100 to my (nonprofit) choir; $50 to National Network of Abortion Funds; ~$50-$100 to one-off causes.
Cleaners:<\/strong> $250 (twice a month; my half).
Streaming Services: <\/strong>$30 (my half).
Spotify: <\/strong>$8 (my half).
Utilities:<\/strong> ~$80 (my half).
CSA:<\/strong> $60 (my half).<\/p>\n

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?
<\/strong>Not going to college was not an option in my family, and my parents fully paid for my tuition at a liberal arts school. It was a huge privilege that I didn\u2019t fully understand until I was an adult.<\/p>\n

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)\/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
<\/strong>Money was a pretty taboo topic growing up. I didn\u2019t get much of a financial education beyond not putting things on credit cards.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and why did you get it?
<\/strong>I babysat and nannied for neighborhood kids starting when I was 13. My first paycheck jobs were working at Limited Too (RIP) and as a receptionist for my dad\u2019s small business. I got them for spending and gas money.<\/p>\n

Did you worry about money growing up?
<\/strong>Not at all. I grew up solidly upper middle class and always had everything I needed, went to private school, participated in sports and extracurriculars, and went on one or two trips a year. My parents both got more successful in their careers over time (moreso for my mom) and by the time I was in late high school and in college they were decently wealthy.<\/p>\n

Do you worry about money now?
<\/strong>Less than I used to. I was financially unstable until I started at my current company and nearly tripled my salary six years ago, and now I feel good about where I\u2019m at. Getting through a tough couple years with J.\u2019s job situation has weirdly made me more confident financially, though it was very stressful at the time. My worries these days are more about retirement savings and whether I\u2019ll ever be able to buy a house in my very HCOL area than being destitute.<\/p>\n

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
<\/strong>I started paying my own bills after graduating from college at 21, paying for health insurance at 26, and finally, my own phone bill at 30. I am very lucky to have both my parents and my in-laws as a financial safety net.<\/p>\n

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
<\/strong>My parents gave me $30,000 following the sale of my dad\u2019s business, paid for my wedding, gave me $3,000 to help set me up after I graduated college, and covered half my rent for three months ($4,000) so I could afford to break up with a live-in ex. I have inherited $12,000 total from extended family members who\u2019ve passed away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Day One: Sunday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

9:30 a.m. \u2014 I wake up naturally and see that I have slept for 12 hours. Sheesh! I did a long trail run yesterday that had me questioning all my life choices, and my body clearly needed some extra rest. Surprised that my dog, T., didn\u2019t wake me up, too \u2014 she usually starts bugging for her morning walk by 8 a.m. at the latest. I get up and check my phone and see that Daylight Savings happened overnight and all becomes clear (though 11 hours is still a lot of sleep). Take T. outside and feed her.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 I make coffee and order a Mediterranean chicken and rice bowl for brunch ($33), then walk to Trader Joe\u2019s for the weekly shop. I buy fresh flowers, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, scallions, milk, Kerrygold butter (this is lifestyle creep), kimchi, a chicken, shallots, lemons, limes, bone broth, eggs, coconut milk, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, cheddar, coffee beans, non-alcoholic beer, and several random chocolate bars ($152). $185<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 I get a kimchi and pork shoulder stew going on the stove, then take T. for her lunchtime walk. When I get back I have to move my car, so I go to the car wash while I\u2019m out. This was long overdue and she\u2019s so shiny now! $16.00<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 p.m. \u2014 I walk T. again and then practice some choir songs for an hour or so. Sorry neighbors. Then I reluctantly do a 45-minute Peloton spin class and 10 minutes of abs. I\u2019m in the early stages of training for a 50-mile ultramarathon (my first, I am terrified) and part of the training is doing a workout (eventually a run, but at this point biking or hiking) the day after the weekly long run to get used to effort on tired legs. My legs are indeed tired.<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 P. gets home from a weekend out of town and we eat the stew. It was a new recipe for me and it turns out pretty tasty but not worth the effort \u2014 there was a good bit of prep at the beginning but it turned out kind of bland with an unappetizing texture, so I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll make it again. I have some of the TJ\u2019s chocolate for dessert while we watch the most recent episode of Severance<\/em>, and I go to bed around 10 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $201<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Two: Monday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

8 a.m. \u2014 I wake up to my alarm (I bought a Loftie alarm a year ago to get my phone out of the bedroom and I love it) and get up to walk and feed T. I do my morning skincare (Caudalie salicylic acid toner, SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF Vitamin C serum, Kiehl\u2019s lotion) and put on a Beyond Yoga spacedye set (I wear these pretty much every day) and a sweatshirt. Make coffee, a piece of buttered toast, and a couple of mandarin oranges for breakfast and log on to work at 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 It\u2019s a pretty quiet work day with only one meeting, which is a nice way to ease into the week. I heat up leftover stew for lunch, then take T. for a walk.<\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 I log off and start prepping dinner (roast chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, and a beet salad) while listening to one of my fave podcasts, Las Culturistas<\/em>. They do a segment called \u201cI Don\u2019t Think So Honey\u201d, where they each do a one-minute improv rant about something that\u2019s bugging them, and I think about what mine would be today. I Don\u2019t Think So Honey: beets. There are too many of you in my CSA boxes and I\u2019m sick of you and there are only so many beet\/orange\/goat cheese salads I can take. Please drop your best beet recipes in the comments.<\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 I do the NYT<\/em> crossword and read Severance<\/em> fan theories on Reddit while P. cleans up. We start the new season of Drive to Survive<\/em>. I\u2019m not a reality TV person or a car person, but this show fascinates me \u2014 I love the very niche rich car boy drama.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Three: Tuesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

7:30 a.m. \u2014 Tuesday is always a busy day. I\u2019m booked solid with meetings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so I log on at 8 a.m. to get some work done beforehand. I eat leftover chicken and gravy over brown rice for breakfast while I work. Chicken for breakfast twice already this week\u2026 The heart wants what it wants.<\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 Done with meetings and starving. I have chicken, gravy, and brown rice again for lunch. I have a run later so keeping my eating today simple (and veggie-less) to prevent any tummy issues. I grumpily pay two parking tickets ($225), one for not having a front license plate (now fixed) and one for \u201cblocking a driveway\u201d (that I was not actually blocking, though I was technically about one inch past the red line on the curb). I\u2019ve only had this car for a few months \u2014 good lesson to be more careful when street parking. $225<\/strong><\/p>\n

4:30 p.m. \u2014 I log off, have some chocolate-covered pistachios and a couple of mandarin oranges for a snack, and head out for my run. My legs feel like lead for the first couple miles and I start to spiral a bit thinking about the race, but I feel better once I\u2019m warmed up. When I get back I quickly shower, suck down a pre-made recovery smoothie that tastes like baby food, and race off to choir practice.<\/p>\n

9:30 p.m. \u2014 Home from choir and I eat a bunch of cheese and crackers and leftover beet salad (curse you) before heading to bed.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $225<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Four: Wednesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 Walk\/feed T., make coffee, and log on to work. I have my year-end performance review this afternoon and am already so nervous I\u2019m not hungry for breakfast. I got a new manager a few months ago (which is overall a good thing \u2014 my last manager was terrible, like: \u201cdidn\u2019t believe in promotions\u201d terrible) and have been feeling some serious imposter syndrome.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 After a few meetings, I finally get hungry and order a salad and a coconut milk matcha latte from a bougie lunch place nearby ($40), because more caffeine is what my anxiety needs. P. checks the mail and I have received a check for $450 from the dealership I bought my car from \u2014 apparently they overcharged me for some part of the car-buying process. Sweet! $40<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:30 p.m. \u2014 Suck it, imposter syndrome \u2014 my review went great! My manager said he intends to promote me later this year, and is also planning to make some org changes that would expand my scope and increase the size of my team. I did not expect this at all and am thrilled. Almost more important than that good news, he gave me the most comprehensive and fair review I\u2019ve had in years; I feel so seen in a way I wasn\u2019t sure was possible at work. He\u2019s the fifth manager I\u2019ve had since I got this role not even three years ago (the one I was interviewing for in my last Money Diary!) and far and away the best. I eat some potato chips and a few pieces of chocolate as a celebratory snack.<\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 I log off, walk T. to pick up our CSA (more beets\u2026 Kill me), and start making tomato soup for dinner. While it\u2019s simmering I do a 60-minute Peloton strength class. I make grilled cheese sandwiches and sauteed CSA kale with chili flakes and lemon juice to have alongside the soup \u2014 it\u2019s been pouring rain all day and this is the perfect cozy dinner. P. and I eat while watching The White Lotus.<\/em> So much good TV out right now!<\/p>\n

9 p.m. \u2014 I order a couple of books from a local bookstore ($60 with shipping) while P. cleans up (he does cook every once in a while, but I find it fun and enjoyable while he does not, so mostly he stays on dish duty). One is a physical copy of a book I recently read on my Kindle called A Walk in the Park<\/em>, a memoir about through-hiking the entire Grand Canyon. It\u2019s one of the best books I\u2019ve read in years, so I\u2019m buying it as a \u201cpresent\u201d for P. (aka forcing him to read it so we can talk about it together). $60<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily Total: $100<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Five: Thursday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 I\u2019m up on the early side today for a 7:30 a.m. meeting with some people in Europe. Once it\u2019s over I take a quick break to walk and feed T. (it\u2019s raining again so I dress her in her raincoat, which is adorable), make coffee and a smoothie, and throw Monday\u2019s chicken carcass in the Instant Pot for stock, then I\u2019m in meetings for the rest of the morning.<\/p>\n

12:30 p.m. \u2014 I heat up leftover tomato soup and make another grilled cheese for lunch, then it\u2019s time for therapy ($200, which will eventually be reimbursed by my FSA). We spend the whole session talking about my anxiety about work and my inability to feel satisfied even when I do well \u2014 I was happy and relieved about my good review and then immediately started worrying about work again afterwards. My New Year\u2019s resolution this year was to be less emotionally invested in my job\u2026 it\u2019s very much a work in progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m. \u2014 My therapist encouraged me to celebrate the win of the good review, so I tell P. we\u2019re scrapping the plan to cook a healthy stew tonight and going out instead. He makes a res at an Italian place we love, and now I have to hustle to walk T. and get my run in before dinner. Hill sprints today, which is a disgusting but mercifully short workout. I quickly shower and throw on an all-black outfit of an AllSaints slip dress, a cashmere sweater, and ancient Frye combat boots.<\/p>\n

6:30 p.m. \u2014 We make it to dinner right on time. We split a cheese and prosciutto plate and a fennel and orange salad to start, and I get a lamb sugo pasta dish that is absolutely perfect. We each get a cocktail (Negroni for me) and a glass of red wine ($217 total, split). $108<\/strong><\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 We\u2019re in a silly, goofy mood so we go to a fancy grocery store on our way home and get a few different kinds of IPAs and a bunch of chocolate bars with different flavors and fillings ($70, split). When we get home, we smoke some weed, have some beers and chocolate and watch The World\u2019s End<\/em>, the only Cornetto Trilogy movie I haven\u2019t seen yet. It\u2019s not quite as good as the other two (Hot Fuzz<\/em> and Shaun of the Dead<\/em>), but still hilarious and right up my alley. $35<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily Total: $343<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Six: Friday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

8 a.m. \u2014 I wake up feeling less than stellar \u2014 shouldn\u2019t have celebrated quite so hard last night. Oh well, it\u2019s Friday and I have no meetings today. It\u2019s raining again, so I suit myself and T. up in our rain gear. P. has coffee ready for me when I get back, and I have TJ\u2019s peanut butter protein granola with milk for breakfast.<\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 P. and I decide to order Souvla for lunch. We both get chicken salads and make them Greek style, which is where they put fries on top for an extra dollar ($46, split). It\u2019s payday today! I put $2,500 towards my credit card bill and $500 to my car loan. I randomly check Paypal for the first time in a while and see that I have $186 waiting for me from Rakuten; I transfer that to my bank account. $23<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 p.m. \u2014 My morning walk in the rain reminded me that my rain boots are falling apart. I do some research and order a pair of black Merry People boots as a replacement ($152). I eat some more chocolate as a healthy afternoon snack. I have been dealing with a serious chocolate craving recently\u2026 And by \u201cdealing with\u201d, I mean buying and eating copious amounts of chocolate. The Tony\u2019s Chocolonely Everything Bar is my current favorite \u2014 it has a bunch of salty fillings and is so moreish. $152<\/strong><\/p>\n

5:30 p.m. \u2014 I take T. for a long evening walk to mark the end of the work week. When I get back, I prep dinner \u2014 the once-viral Alison Roman chickpea stew, with collard greens from our CSA. While it simmers I take a 45-minute yoga class.<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 P. and I eat the stew with Greek yogurt and crushed pita chips on top. We watch the newest episode of Severance<\/em> and I have some of the aforementioned Everything Bar for dessert, then head to bed around 10 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $175<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Seven: Saturday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 Wake up, get dressed in running clothes, walk and feed T. I make coffee and a standard pre-long run breakfast: three pieces of toast, two with butter, one with peanut butter, all with plum jam.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 We drive to a trailhead in Marin. P. is taking T. on an adventure while I do my run; the cleaners are here today so we need to be out of the house.<\/p>\n

3 p.m. \u2014 Done with my long run! It was a gorgeous day and a big confidence booster compared to last weekend \u2014 I mostly felt great. P. and T. had a great day too, hiking and going to the beach. Unfortunately on the drive home I feel seriously nauseous, and have to pull over several times to get some fresh air (the windy roads don\u2019t help). We get home and I quickly shower and crawl into bed for a nap.<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 I was supposed to see a movie with friends tonight but I still don\u2019t feel great, so I cancel and invite them over for dinner tomorrow instead. I order chicken rice from my favorite Thai place, my go-to dish if I\u2019m feeling under the weather. I mess around on my phone for a couple hours and go to bed. $27<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily Total: $27<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Breakdown<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\n

Conclusion\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cOther than the parking tickets and rain boots, this was a pretty typical week of spending for me. I spend a lot on food \u2014 I am a \u2018live to eat\u2019 person, and it shows. I love to cook (with good ingredients), definitely have a bit of a DoorDash habit (though I don\u2019t pay service\/delivery fees through a credit card perk), and frequently enjoy a nice meal out with some drinks.\u00a0I typically do two or three therapy sessions per month (both couples and individual), and as long as I can afford it, it\u2019s worth it to me to pay out of pocket for the amazing therapists I\u2019m currently working with. I\u2019ve seen enough bad ones to want to hold onto the good ones. Thankfully I get a break on a good chunk of this cost through my FSA. I am still adjusting to being a car owner and all the expenses that come along with it after buying my first ever car at the end of last year. I\u2019m working on reining in my spending this year to account for those and build my savings back up after spending $20,000 on a down payment. I\u2019m also feeling nervous (understatement of the century) about the economy and the state of the country and world, so it\u2019s looking like Austerity Summer 2025 is coming right up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual\u2019s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29\u2019s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.<\/p>\n

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend \u2014 to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day<\/a>. For more Money Diaries, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do you have a Money Diary you\u2019d like to share? Submit it with us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here<\/a> or email us here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Week In Cleveland On $257,500<\/a><\/p>\n

A Week In Kansas City, MO On $261,400<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We\u2019re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period \u2014 and we\u2019re tracking every last dollar. Today: an advertising manager who has a $449,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=549"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":552,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/549\/revisions\/552"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fincahotelsantateresa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}