{"id":1664,"date":"2025-06-13T11:00:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T11:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/?p=1664"},"modified":"2025-06-15T08:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T08:29:28","slug":"a-week-in-georgia-on-a-85000-joint-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/13\/a-week-in-georgia-on-a-85000-joint-income\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week In Georgia On A $85,000 Joint 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 administrative assistant who has an $85,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on toilet bowl cleaner.<\/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

Occupation:<\/strong> Administrative assistant
Industry:<\/strong> Construction
Age:<\/strong> 30
Location:<\/strong> Georgia
Salary:<\/strong> $31,500
Joint Income\/Financial Setup:<\/strong> $85,000. My husband J. and I share everything equally \u2014 all paychecks go into the same account and all bills come out of the same account. (To note: I used averages for our salaries, after tax\/401k contributions, and not including overtime. So it\u2019s like what we bring home on average if we both work 40 hours).
Assets:<\/strong> IRA\/401(k) accounts: $60,000 (combined); savings account: $5,000; house value: $330,000
Debt:<\/strong> Mortgage: $310,000
Paycheck Amount (Weekly):<\/strong> $1,650 (combined).
Pronouns:<\/strong> She\/her<\/p>\n

Monthly Expenses<\/strong>

Housing Costs:<\/strong> $1877 (mortgage).
Monthly Loan Payments:<\/strong> $0
Private School Tuition:<\/strong> $890
Medical Insurance:<\/strong> $275
Dental Insurance:<\/strong> $95
Home\/Auto Insurance:<\/strong> $185
Internet: <\/strong>$105
Power:<\/strong> ~$250
City: <\/strong>~$70 (water and trash).
Phone Bill:<\/strong> $180
Kids\u2019 Extracurriculars:<\/strong> $50
Security System & Subscriptions:<\/strong> $75 (SimpliSafe, Netflix, Disney+, two apps on the kids\u2019 iPads).
Tithe:<\/strong> 10% of our income.<\/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 necessarily. My mom made it clear that she wanted all of us to go to college or even technical school, but there was no major push. I went to a private college for one year (paid for with student loans) and dropped out. I always hated school!<\/p>\n

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)\/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
<\/strong>There was no education or discussion on finances growing up, sadly. My parents were not good with money. My father was an addict and spent a lot of our money very impulsively. My first and only education on money came from my economics class in high school.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and why did you get it?
<\/strong>I worked as a cashier at a grocery store at 17. I got the job so I could have my own money and buy cute clothes, lol. It was fun though. It was all high school kids in the evenings so we goofed off A LOT \u2014\u00a0I\u2019m not sure we deserved the $7.25 and hour we made!<\/p>\n

Did you worry about money growing up?
<\/strong>Absolutely. Our phones and lights were shut off from time to time. My parents fought a lot about it so it caused a lot of anxiety and shame.<\/p>\n

Do you worry about money now?
<\/strong>Yes, it is something I think about more often than I should. Our mortgage is more than 25% of our income and that\u2019s not ideal for me, but the housing market is just crappy right now and I\u2019m scared of being house poor. Additionally, I would like my savings to be larger. It was $10,000 but car repairs and vet bills hit hard this year, but I am working on building it back up.<\/p>\n

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
<\/strong>I became financially responsible for myself at 18. I went off to college at 18, met my husband, and we dropped out after a year, got married, then got jobs and moved into an apartment together. From the time I moved out for college, I had no financial assistance from anyone. (It\u2019s certainly not a route I would recommend to anyone so young, haha! But we have a happy little life together.) In terms of a safety net, we don\u2019t really have anyone who could help if an emergency came up, but we do have savings, and my husband works a lot of overtime, so he could get extra hours if life popped up.<\/p>\n

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
<\/strong>I got $1,000 when my grandfather passed 10 years ago.<\/p>\n

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

7:30 a.m. \u2014 Today is beginning a little differently than most Sundays. I wake up much later than normal, but will still make it to the second half of the church service. We went to a theme park yesterday for the kids\u2019 (P. and C.) spring break\u2026 The pollen count was high and it was super hot, so we all needed some extra rest today to recharge. I realize I have almost no groceries so I set up a grocery pick up for tomorrow morning and I talk my husband, J., into Starbucks \u2014 I get a coffee and ham and Swiss croissant and the kids want cake pops with their breakfast. $16.16<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30 a.m. \u2014 After church (10% tithe included in expenses), we run by Ingles for sandwich stuff and a fruit tray I will need tonight for a BBQ. After lunch the kids get an hour of screen time. Meanwhile, I chat with J. while he packs for a week-long trip. $39.58<\/strong><\/p>\n

2:30 p.m. \u2014 I spend an hour leading a discussion on a book called You Are a Theologian<\/em> by Jen Wilkins and JT English. This group of women is so special to me. After, I realize I forgot eggs for the cookies I planned to make, as well as some cash for a love offering being taken up at the BBQ, so I run by the store again on my way home. $5.55<\/strong><\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 J. departs for his trip. I made him and the team some chocolate chip cookies for the ride to the airport. I always use Joanna Gaines\u2019 recipe and highly recommend \u2014 they get loads of compliments! Me and the children head to a going-away BBQ for some of our dear friends. I slip a small gift of $20 into the card where money is being taken up to help them out on their move. It\u2019s bittersweet but they have found a bigger farm in another state, so it is a wonderful opportunity for their family. They will be missed though! The adults mingle and the kids play. $20<\/strong><\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014\u00a0We get home late and I take the dog out, help the kids get bathed and ready for bed, and read them a story. After they fall asleep, I get ready for bed and waste a precious hour of my life on YouTube (I\u2019ve been watching a lot of Financial Audit<\/em> but Caleb Hammer is too mean sometimes \u2014\u00a0although I know that\u2019s his thing!) and fall asleep past my bedtime.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $81.29<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

7 a.m. \u2014 Sleep in! So, on an average day, I wake up at 5 a.m. for my morning routine \u2014\u00a0but this week is a little different. P. and C. are on spring break so I took PTO this week with the exception of four hours I have to work this afternoon.<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 I pull into Ingles for my weekly grocery pick up. I get milk, yogurt, apple sauce, granola bars, apples, blueberries, grapes, chips, crackers, cereal, beef, sausage, cheese, noodles, creamer, pasta sauce, fruit snacks, mini doughnuts, English muffins, string cheese, paper towels, and toilet bowl cleaner ($119.16). I just know I\u2019m forgetting stuff, but that\u2019s a problem for later. It\u2019s pouring rain and I feel so bad for the young lady putting up my groceries. I think of bringing her a gift card or something next time I come by. While we are out, we also swing by Chick-fil-A for breakfast, just because. I have a biscuit and iced coffee, the kids get minis and hash browns with chocolate milk ($19.83). $138.99<\/strong><\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 Arrive at work with P. and C. I take care of emails, phone calls, appointment reminders, and tie up loose ends for my time off. My kids spend their time drawing, typing on a spare computer, playing with puzzles, and I indulge them with a movie on Netflix\u2026 They watch Vivo<\/em>, it\u2019s so cute, I catch myself watching several times before getting back to work! We packed sandwiches for lunch. I feel bad for them because my office is so boring. I am easily talked into a \u201ctreat\u201d from the gas station next door (plus a Celsius for me). $12.52<\/strong><\/p>\n

5:30 p.m. \u2014 P. had a Little League baseball game scheduled this evening but it was canceled (it\u2019s been raining since yesterday), so instead we go to our friends\u2019 house for dinner. It\u2019s nice to chat and the kids can play for a while as well. My offer to bring a dessert or side is kindly declined, so I make a mental note to host them in the next couple of weeks. We have chicken pasta, salad, and brownies with ice cream. Yum! C. drops one of their plates and it shatters. I feel awful and jokingly offer to bring them one of mine as we have the same set. They assure us it\u2019s no big deal.<\/p>\n

9 p.m. \u2014 After I get the kids in bed, I do my shower and bedtime routine, then do a little scrolling. I find a cute dress on Amazon that sits in my cart. It\u2019s one of those cowl neck silk dresses that are popular right now. I tell myself I can wear it at least twice, when I take my grandma to the ballet in May and when J. and I go to Highlands for a \u201cfancy\u201d dinner in a few weeks, and I already have shoes to go with it. Despite my justifications, it stays in the cart. Perhaps I\u2019ll keep watching to see if it goes on sale!<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $151.51<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

7 a.m. \u2014 Our dog L. wakes me up. She misses J. (every dog has a favorite human and I\u2019m not it) and is super weird and restless without him. I miss him too! I have Greek yogurt, granola, and a blueberry English muffin for breakfast. P. has cereal and C. has mini donuts with blueberries<\/p>\n

10 a.m. \u2014 After some chores and playtime, we get ready to go out (or as Southerners say \u201cgo to town\u201d, lol.) I can\u2019t control my impulse to buy an iced coffee ($4.27), it\u2019s delish, but I feel guilty. It\u2019s the last coffee purchase this week because my Nespresso pods are being delivered today! We end up at our favorite place\u2026 the library. I am currently reading Dinner For Vampires<\/em> by Bethany Joy Lenz, Heart of the Matter<\/em> by Emily Giffin, and The Last One at the Wedding<\/em> by Jason Rekulak. My kids are bookworms like me, so they pick a few as well. I owe a fine that I take care of ($2.40). On our way out, I grab an info sheet on becoming a \u201cFriend of the Library\u201d donor to read later. $6.67<\/strong><\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 We spend a chunk of time walking around our downtown area. We peruse the antique store (the kids and I take photos of things we like and that we will save our $$ for), pop in the book shop where my SIL works (she brings her baby to work so my kids play with their cousin for a while), then I swing by the local gift store to get ideas for a graduation gift for a sweet girl at church who volunteers in C.\u2019s class! The kids ask for various items as well as lunch out. I hold tight to my original proclamation that we aren\u2019t spending money, so we head home. We jam out to the Zombies 3<\/em> soundtrack and all is forgotten!\u00a0<\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 On our way home, I stop by the store for a couple of things I need for dinner tonight: a rotisserie chicken, chopped salad mix, and sparkling water. Back at home, I make some processed mac and cheese. Mother of the year! $27.03<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 p.m. \u2014 We take a walk in our subdivision. P. and C. ride scooters. L. is so weird and territorial so I\u2019m trying to socialize her. We do a couple of laps, which is not half a mile, but feels nice and refreshing. I get an email from P. and C.\u2019s swim instructor for early sign-ups for past students. I stop what I\u2019m doing to snag five class spots on the Google Sheet ($30 each \u2014 payment is due June 1).<\/p>\n

6 p.m. \u2014 I end up keeping my niece for the evening so my SIL can visit her sister at the hospital (she had a baby!). She is soooo sweet and cute. Dinner tonight is chicken Alfredo. All the kids eat really well so I give them a scoop of ice cream and we watch my niece\u2019s favorite show, Peppa Pig<\/em>. Good news: My Nespresso pods were delivered, so no more purchasing coffee this week. Also, my exterminator left his business card on my porch, so that expense will be autodrafted soon\u2026 (Getting the outside of your house sprayed is an absolute must for summertime here.)<\/p>\n

9:30 p.m. \u2014 I do a short workout on YouTube and then I end up scrolling for a bit after my shower and bedtime routine. I look at my cart and the dress again. I determine that I\u2019m being materialistic and I delete it\u2026 I have plenty of dresses! I consider other things I should spend money on. We need new towels. I decide I will start buying one a week until we have a new set, so it doesn\u2019t feel like such a commitment. I read my Emily Giffin book for a bit, watch YouTube, then go to sleep.<\/p>\n

Daily Total:<\/strong> $33.70<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

7 a.m. \u2014 Wake up. Food and potty for my doggo; coffee and Bible for me (creature of habit). My kids wake up and request cereal. I have Greek yogurt and a blueberry English muffin. I try a strawberry and white chocolate Nespresso. It\u2019s\u2026. weird. I throw a pod in my purse to take to one of my friends, L., for her to try and see what she thinks (she got her Nespresso machine after using mine at Galentine\u2019s).<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 We have a lowkey morning. I do laundry, unload the dishwasher, and steam mop (my hack is to put a couple of drops of lavender in the mop to make your house smell good, because kids and dogs can be smelly). Then we go to the playground for an hour or so.<\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 The kids request corndogs for lunch while I have last night\u2019s leftovers. Then I play Pok\u00e9mon battles with P. and Barbies with C. Then I chat with J. I\u2019m unsure of what he is spending on his trip as he is using his credit card. We budgeted around $700 for spending money and food, but honestly I doubt he\u2019ll spend that. He is very, very frugal and doesn\u2019t spend much money on anything. So when he gets home we will get all of that paid off \u2014 we did the credit card debt thing in our young 20s and never, ever again! On another note, J. did say he got us souvenirs, so the kids are excited!<\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 Squeeze in another walk because it\u2019s gonna start raining again tomorrow. We get four good laps. Early dinner because it\u2019s church night: I make baked spaghetti (it\u2019s one of my favorites, it\u2019s so hearty and reheats good, too).<\/p>\n

9 p.m. \u2014 We get home and get ready for bed. I read with the kids before they go to sleep. C. doesn\u2019t read yet so I read a couple of chapters to her and P. will read a couple of chapters to me. However, he finds a booger in his book he checked out at the library so refuses to touch it, lol. We pick something from his shelf. He is my emotional, overthinking child so this is often the time we have our deep, life talks.<\/p>\n

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

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

7 a.m. \u2014 Morning routine. Today is payday. I check online banking to get the exact amounts of income and update the estimated amounts in my budgeting app, I just use Checkbook. Nothing fancy, literally a virtual checkbook but I really like it. I make waffles for P. and C. and have my Greek yogurt and English muffin.<\/p>\n

9:45 a.m. \u2014 I am doing a thorough deep clean today because my sister, E., is coming to town! She is a teacher in another part of the state and is on spring break as well. She will be staying the night at our house so I want to be a great host. P. is supposed to have a baseball game tonight, but it\u2019s raining \u2014 again. I\u2019m waiting to hear if it is canceled. Thursdays are gymnastics nights as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6:30 p.m. \u2014 Game is cancelled again. C. has gymnastics practice anyways. E. gets to town, and we go to my grandmother\u2019s house for dinner, some good ol\u2019 southern fried food! After dinner, we go back to my house and all play board games for a bit and snack on the brownies I made, as well.<\/p>\n

9:40 p.m. \u2014 The kids go to sleep and me and E. have a Topo Chico and sneak another brownie while we watch The Great British Bake Off<\/em>. Eventually we go to sleep.<\/p>\n

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

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

6 a.m. \u2014 Our power bill and home\/auto insurance are due today so I take care of them while I am getting stuff taken care of before the kids wake up. I switched to this insurance group a year ago to save money and it keeps going up. I make a mental note to shop around. E. slept on the couch, which is comfy, but I wish I had a spare room. I have an unfinished basement and the goal is to finish it, but that\u2019s a 10-year goal if I\u2019m being realistic. I make breakfast sliders, Hawaiian rolls, sausage, cheese, and scrambled eggs. These are super popular in our house! E. has to head out early to take her dog to the vet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 We have leftover baked spaghetti for lunch and then lounge. We end up having a very LAZY day and it\u2019s nice! We\u2019re always so busy. I also browse cars online; I\u2019m looking at a Toyota RAV4. We made dumb financial decisions early on in our lives and marriage and, thank God, now that we are debt free (less the house), life feels way more relaxed. I do feel pressure knowing my current vehicle is on its way out\u2026 We have put over $4,000 in repairs this year. J. wants me to get a new car with a trade in and down payment and aggressively paying off the loan. It\u2019s important to have a reliable family vehicle.<\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 C. has gymnastics recital pictures in her costume. It\u2019s adorable with pink, fringe, and sparkles. The photos should be edited and ready to order next week. I\u2019m super excited to see how cute they turn out! (I have this budgeted for this, I plan to order my favorite photo as a digital image.)<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 Back home. Dinner tonight is pizza we have in the freezer. Easy peasy! I text some friends and we decide to meet up for glow in the dark bowling in the next town over ($18). Complete the evening with ice cream for P. and C ($4.47). Super fun! $22.47<\/strong><\/p>\n

Daily Total: $22.47<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

7 a.m. \u2014 The kids have leftover breakfast sliders and I have an English muffin and apple slices. I clean bathrooms and change sheets today for my chores.\u00a0<\/p>\n

11:30 a.m. \u2014 I have a hair appointment today. Drop P. and C. with my mom (they\u2019ll have lunch there). I have Girl Lunch: apple and string cheese. My one vain indulgence is to get my hair done every two months. I have very fine, thin hair so I budget for it and it makes me feel more confident! We end up staying at my mom\u2019s house for a while before we head back home. $275<\/strong><\/p>\n

5:20 p.m. \u2014 We have grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner tonight. I can\u2019t believe this is the last night of spring break \ud83d\ude41 I am going to try to get them in bed a little earlier tonight so Monday morning isn\u2019t too rough. We play with L. after dinner and do showers, etc.<\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 Reading and lights out. I promised them a \u201csleepover\u201d while J. was gone and since he\u2019ll be home tomorrow, this is the night! Essentially, I just move their mattresses in my room, but they think it\u2019s awesome. I plan to read with my book light but end falling asleep while I wait for them to fall asleep.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $275<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Weekly Total $$ Spent:<\/strong> $563.97
Food & Drink:<\/strong> $248.57
Entertainment:<\/strong> $18
Home & Health:<\/strong> $0.00
Clothes & Beauty<\/strong> $275.00
Transportation<\/strong> $0.00
Other<\/strong> $22.40<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThis was a super fun week. I\u2019m so glad I got to take off work for my kids\u2019 spring break so we could have us a little staycation! We got to spend time with friends and family and it was good for the soul. I feel like keeping this diary was good for me. I enjoyed seeing exactly what I was doing and spending my money on. I have worked really hard on being more disciplined and less impulsive and I see that coming through here. It makes me proud of how far I\u2019ve come! My reflection is that I would like to spend less money on groceries and I will look into some hacks for that. I also question my hair appointments and if I can live without the vanity of extensions.\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 Washington, DC On A $120,500 Salary<\/a><\/p>\n

A Week In Central Oregon On A $68,000 Salary<\/a><\/p>\n

A Week In New York On A $190,000 Salary<\/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 administrative assistant who has an $85,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1664"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1667,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1664\/revisions\/1667"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.habitaliaimobiliaria.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}