Title: I am 35 years old make $77,000-$85,000, live in Texas and work as a Sales Rep.
Note:I have a base salary + commissions. Every month is different, but I set up my budget so I can live on my base salary. Any commissions not needed for vacation/ random bills go into Brokerage Accounts.
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance - Total: $232,720. Vanguard IRA - $82,000, Etrade - $2,000, 401K (1) - $89,120, 401K (2) - $23,700, Roth IRA - $3,200 Profit Share Acct - $32,700,
Equity if you're a homeowner Approx. $100,000 - Had a real estate agent come give me a quote of what I could list it for, but the market is so crazy I decided to stay put.
Savings account balance - $39,600
Checking account balance - $2,635
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it) - Zero, pay off each month
Student loan debt (for what degree) - Zero
Anything else that's applicable to you - Bitcoin - $1,020
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working in my field for 13 years, my starting salary was $32,000, then $48,000 with my license, $72,000 (job move), $85,000 (job move). Current $62,000 Base + Commissions. Once Covid is over, I should be making close to $100,000 a year, but it’s been lean/ hard starting sales during a pandemic. However, I love the company, products and flexibility, so it’s worth it.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $2,998 + Commissions (Vary from $300-$5,000)
Side Gig Monthly Take Home: I’ll sell on eBay or Poshmark from time to time, but it’s not consistent and never more than $100 a month.
Any Other Monthly Income Here - I really try to not touch my Savings/ Credit Union. I do the zero based budget so I just slow down on the extracurriculars/ social things when money runs out.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees - Own my home with no room mates. $227,500 left on mortgage. No HOA in my neighborhood.
Home insurance - $1,300 a year.
Retirement contribution - 8% to 401K w/ 5% match. 5% to Roth IRA - About $900 a month
Savings contribution - Have my 6 months covered, so don’t contribute anymore. I probably have too much in there actually, but I will have to replace my 12 year old car in a couple years so it’s ready when that time comes.
Investment contribution - Whatever commissions I make go here (Brokerage)
Debt payments - Only have my mortgage and I am putting an extra $60 to the principal each month.
Donations - I donate little amounts here and there - maybe $50 a month.
Electricity - $70 in summer, $200 in Winter
Wifi/Cable/Landline - $45
Cellphone - $70
Subscriptions - Netflix - $17
Gym membership - Peloton - $90 a month
Pet expenses - $40 a month
Car payment / insurance - $70
Gas - $29
Water - $60
Pest Control - $30
ADT - $50
Ring Doorbell - $60 Annual x 2 Doors *Single Lady Requirement!*
Regular therapy - Not going at the moment, definitely have in the past though. Firm believer everyone should go at least once!
At the end of each day please tally up your daily expenses. Then at the end of your diary please tally up all expenses in the following categories:
Food + Drink - $200-$400 a month - Dallas is VERY into restaurants/ coffee shops/ day drinking
Fun / Entertainment - Pretty minimal since Covid
Home + Health - Clean my own house, mow my own yard
Clothes + Beauty - Maybe $30 a month - Trying to work my way through a million beauty samples I accumulated over the years.
Transport - $80 gas a month
Day 1:
7am - Woke up and did a 30 min Peloton ride before working/ sending out a few quotes for bids.
12pm - Had a work lunch at a sushi spot ($43) but will be reimbursed by work.
1pm - Ran by my sisters to pick up my dog (she watched him while I was out of town this past weekend) and my nephews are at a challenging age. I hang out for an hour to try and help give her a few minutes of calm, plus they’re the cutest so I love spending time over there.
2:30pm - Home and spend a few more hours working before cooking some pasta I had in the pantry for dinner.
10:30 - In bed and lights out - Played a Peloton meditation session to wind down (0)
Day 2:
7am - I usually do weight/ training sessions with my friend on Tuesday mornings, but she’s out of town so I do a 30 min Peloton + 30 min weights session before work.
9am - I oddly do not have anything on my work calendar, but do have a lot of follow up to do so I get after that. Throw one of my pre-made freezer meals into the crockpot (check them out on Pinterest - you buy bulk ingredients, mix in freezer ziplock bags and freeze for later use) since I didn’t do my usual Sunday Grocery trip (out of town).
12pm - Leftover pasta for lunch, work till about 5
5:30 - Have a phone date with a guy I have been texting. He’s down in Austin so it’s good to see if it’s even worth meeting up before committing to a road trip! Call was good!
7pm - Eat my freezer meal and binge The Split on BBC/ Netflix. Season 1 was really good, but season 2 is a little slow getting started.
10:30pm - In bed! Read a chapter and pass out. (0)
Day 3:
7:30 am - Wake up and do my morning journal/ Bible App Bible study - I do this every day but the time isn’t set in stone.
9am - My Carbon Monoxide detector battery was beeping when I got home Sunday so I popped in the last battery in my stash. Truly, get your friends a pack of 9 volt batteries as a House Warming Gift. The first time my battery died was around 4 am and the alarm beeping every 30 seconds was not a pleasant way to wake up. Put 9 volt batteries and a Coffee Pour Over I’ve been eyeing in my Target cart to pick up later ($23)
10:30am - I run by my work storage unit to pick up a finish bin for a local architect’s library. Run by the architecture firm and drop off the bin as well as some cookies for the few employees that are actually in the office to enjoy. (Again, work will reimburse these cookies - $25). A lot of the bigger firms are doing A/B scheduled of who is in the office because of Covid - I think everyone in the Commercial Real Estate world is a little scared to see if this is a long term trend or not. Pick up Target order and go home and work for a while longer before a HH date.
5pm- Date time. I made a new years resolution not to drink for a year, but it seems like every first meeting from an online dating platform is a drink or coffee. Oh well, Shirley Temples for the win! He pays.
6:30pm - Home, eat leftovers, watch The Split again.
10:30pm - Bed and meditation app like clockwork!
Day 4:
6 am - Friend is back in town so we do our usual Thursday morning training/ weight session + coffee catch up after ($5). I just recently got to know this group of girls, but I am so thankful for them. I’ve been praying for a new group for a while and she is so generous, not gossipy, funny and we’re both single so we can share our dating war stories.
8:45 am - Head home and do my weekly call with my boss at 9. We catch up about a few large projects I’m working on - fingers crossed they place their orders soon! Work on some cold calls/ leads. This was something I had to learn how to do as an introvert, but it’s not so bad once you get used to it!
12 pm - Eat leftovers again for lunch and take the pup for his daily walk. Get home and work for a few more hours. I love this job’s flexibility and autonomy!
5pm - Watch a few more episodes of The Split, heat up the last of my leftovers and do a face mask. The evenings can feel long during these times.
10pm - Decide to head to bed to read and finish the day listening to a meditation Peloton session to help me fall asleep.
Day 5:
7am - Friday! These weeks go so fast. I get up and do a peloton ride and arms before starting the day.
9am - Showered and at my desk setup. Work on processing a couple orders before an industry committee call at 2.
11:30 My best friend from Houston is up visiting her parents this weekend so I meet her for lunch before she heads on. It’ s nice seeing her and her baby, even if it’s not a long lingering ordeal. ($25)
2pm - Home just in time for the virtual call. Lots of talking about hopeful events that will take place this year (get your vaccines so we can get back to “normal!”). I’m hoping to the be University Student events Chair this year so we’ll find out today if that’s real or not.
4pm - Decided to try Hello Fresh this week and my first box just arrived. I’m excited to try a few new recipes this coming week and see if it’s worth the money to keep it going ($59 for first week trial)
7pm - Attending a good friend’s birthday dinner tonight. Sushi again! Ironic, because I’m allergic to soy sauce, but I’m just a guest so I go with the flow. This group of girls can drink (alot), and I split the tab with the group. These tabs can be annoying since 1- I don’t drink and 2- I’m allergic to most everything anyone orders so I’m really paying for everyone else’s nights. ($75 - Ugh).
Day 6:
8am - Boxing time! My new friends and I box every Saturday morning and then do brunch after. I love our routines! Workouts + Breakfast foods = the way to my heart. We go to Origin Kitchen and I get the shaved Brussel Sprouts Salad and coffee. So good. ($25).
11am - Head home and grab the pup for a long walk today. I tend to get way over the 10,000 steps on Saturdays so I’m usually worn out come bedtime! That industry group is “meeting” virtually all day again today so I turn it on in the background and spend time cleaning the house today.
4pm - Finish cleaning and decide to watch movies and make one of my Hello Fresh meals - Shawarma Chicken Bowls this evening.
6pm - Early bird style dinner and watch Sex and the City (Movie 1 - world’s biggest fan? Possibly!)
10:45pm - Super sleepy from very active day and head to bed.
Day 7:
8am - “Sleep in” Get up and do my journal/ bible study. I watch CBS Sunday Morning most weeks, so I turn on the CBS streaming app and see if any of the segments look worth watching.
10am - Mow the yard and chalk that up as my workout for the day. However, the dog doesn’t agree and keeps sitting by his leash so we head out for a 2 mile walk too. Lots of steps again and listening to podcasts I have saved up. Try Earn your Leisure and Crime Junkie!
12:30pm - Home, shower and decide to run over to the grocery. I only need a couple things this week since I did Hello Fresh - Greek yogurt, granola, fruit, lotion and some granola bars. ($35)
2pm - Go over and see my nephews. My sister lives about 10 minutes from my house so I go over a lot. I love it and think she does too - not sure if her husband does or not (kidding!). Since I’m a little behind the curve on ever having my own kids, I kind of fill the void with their kiddos so I’m thankful to be so close to them.
5:30pm - Head home and miss my little sister. Text with her a bit while folding laundry.
7pm - I know my weekends can be a little lame, but wrap up the day by heating up leftovers and finishing The Split.
10:30pm - In bed and ready to pass out.
Total Spent: $247
I always knew most of my fun money goes to food but I do hate those group dinners where you split tabs. All in all, this is about what I expected.
I wish I had a little more disposable income to be able to save more consistently and not stress so much about money, but until my sales/ commissions get back to pre-pandemic levels, it’s just part of the deal. I’m very thankful to have a job and a healthy savings account. As I mentioned, this job is by far my favorite I’ve had and mentally I’m so much happier, I think it's worth making less. Also, ideally, someday I’ll find a husband and together we can save and invest as a team and have more financial flexibility.
I really stress about money (all the time), so while I know I have a lot saved already, it never feels like enough. I do retirement calculators all the time and they all say I’m well on my way to being able to retire on time or even early, but I often feel like I’m sacrificing my mental health and worrying too much now for the future. Anyone have tips about how to stop worrying so much?
Also, do you have any pointers of what I should be doing better? I love all input!
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