A Week In Boise, ID On A $48,946 Salary

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: a world language teacher who makes $48,946 per year and spends some of her money this week on kalimotxo and croquetas.

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Occupation: World language teacher
Industry: Education
Age: 24
Location: Boise, ID
Salary: $48,946 (about to increase to $50,017 during the next school year).
Assets: PERSI retirement: $6,866.26 (I put in a little over 7% of my paycheck and the district puts in a little over 12%); HYSA: $1,500 (I just opened it); regular savings: $400.
Debt: $700 credit card; $24,351 car loan; $17,448 student loans.
Paycheck amount (monthly): $2,832.58
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: $850 for my portion of a rented apartment that I split with my partner, S., and roommate, N. This includes utilities and wi-fi.
Loan payments: student loans: $0 while I’m getting my master’s; car loan: $500 (the monthly payment is $300 but I’m trying to pay it off more quickly).
Groceries: $200 and then my partner pays for groceries after that because he makes significantly more than me.
Car insurance: $180
Car wash: $19.99
Apple: $0.99
Savings: $100-200
Streaming services: We all mooch off our roommate’s parents because they have it all and are happy to share.
Union dues: $12
FSA: $42
Medical/dental/vision: all covered by my work.
Pet insurance: $17 for my half (for three cats).

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, my dad was adamant that I get a college degree in something that made sense to him. Originally he wasn’t very happy that I wanted to pursue world languages but it all worked out in the end. (My siblings did not have the same expectations of them, fyi.) I had to take out loans my first year of undergrad to cover housing, to study abroad my senior year and for my first semester of my master’s program. I could cover the rest of my schooling with scholarships. I worked part-time throughout college so that I could afford to live off-campus. I used my mother’s income so that I could receive the best financial packages and a Pell Grant. I’m also a first-generation student, which helped in terms of scholarships.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I wasn’t really educated about finances. My dad emphasized the importance of saving when I was younger. I wish he had spoken with me more about it because he is very good at budgeting and saving. We talk a little bit more about money now that I’m an adult. I called him when I was setting up my FSA and retirement account and he was super helpful throughout that process.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at a local supermarket where I grew up when I was 14. My dad made it very clear that he would not be able to support me through college so I needed to start saving then. I also used some of the money for fun to hang out with friends.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, especially after my parents’ divorce. My mom did not make a lot of money and had terrible spending habits. It caused me a lot of anxiety growing up. We would be struggling to buy food and she would be buying things that weren’t needed (toys, new clothes etc.) to try to keep us happy. My dad didn’t make a lot of money and had five kids to support but he was very good at budgeting. I never felt like I had to worry about food or housing when we stayed with him. It was much more stable.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes and no. Day to day I feel secure but I stress when I think about long-term goals like savings and retirement. I feel like every time I get my savings to a good place, I have to fix something in my car or I need some medical care or our cats have an expensive vet visit. That’s just life. I also constantly worry about my retirement and plan to open another account to feel more secure once I finish my master’s and get a significant pay bump.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I was on my dad’s car insurance plan and he paid my car registration until I finished school, so 22. I would say I’m mostly responsible for myself, even though my partner’s company pays for my phone bill (it’s super cheap for them so they didn’t mind adding me when I was struggling with money during student teaching). I’ve offered to remove myself now that I have a full-time job but they keep me on it. I would say my partner is my financial safety net. He supported me a lot financially after I studied abroad because I didn’t get paid until about two months into teaching (I started at the start of August and didn’t get paid until the end of September).

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When my great grandmother died, I received her car. My dad occasionally sends me money ($100-$200) and frequently tries to pay for things that I need for the apartment/my car. I think sometimes he feels bad that he couldn’t financially support my education and tries to make up for it.

Day One

6:30 a.m. — Ugh. I’m trying to start waking up earlier before I go back to work. I’m still in summer mode. I get up anyway because I’m helping S.’ mom, P., walk her dog and it needs to happen before it gets too hot.

7:15 a.m. — Walking the dog. He’s very cute and very excited every time he sees me. I see P. and say hi briefly before she has to leave for work. We make plans to hang out soon. She and I are very close and I feel fortunate to be so close to S.’ mom.

8:15 a.m. — Dropping my car off at the dealership because it needs an oil change. I don’t think I owe anything because it’s under warranty. S. meets me there and I will go to work with him until my car is ready. My roommate, N., offered to pick me up when the car is ready so I will text him when it’s done. S. takes us to get coffee. I get an iced London Fog and he gets a mocha and a raspberry scone to share. It’s about $15 plus tip. He buys.

9 a.m. — At S.’ place of work. We talk about what our days look like over the scone. I open my laptop to do some prep work before I’m back. I’m rewriting assessments for the first unit and roughly planning the first week back. I get a text message from the dealership about recommended work. I don’t know anything about cars so I show it to S. I’m worried because one of the recommended services is $1,200 and it seems to be the most important. S. calls the dealership to ask some questions and decides that the service isn’t needed now. Yay! I’m very fortunate to have a partner who understands cars and knows the right questions to ask. He tells me that he has a mechanic he trusts who will fix it for a more reasonable price.

10 a.m. — One of S.’ coworkers comes in with a little kitten. I’m so excited. I’m walking around with it and playing with it. Everyone here brings in their animals — dogs, cats and a ferret — and now there’s a new little addition to the business. I get a text that my car is done so I text N. I let him know that I’m in no rush so he can pick me up whenever he’s ready.

11:30 a.m. — N. picks me up and drops me off. I pick up my car and there is no charge for the oil change since the car is still under warranty. Yay! Once home, I reheat some leftover creamy pasta with shrimp and zucchini that S. made for my lunch and give the cats their wet food. I also snack on some baby carrots and bell peppers while watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. I check my banking app and see that an adjustment has been made to what I paid for a procedure about two months ago. I’ve been reimbursed $180. Sweet.

2 p.m. — I wake up from a nap with our cats not realizing I fell asleep. Oops. I scroll on social media for 15 minutes before getting back to work. I’m continuing on what I was working on this morning with Forensic Files on in the background. N. gets back from Costco and shows me his purchases. I mildly regret not asking for a slice of pizza.

4:30 p.m. — I start making dinner: a one-pot recipe with fish and bok choy served over rice. It’s super quick to make and super delicious. S. calls to let me know he’ll be home a little late since he has to run some errands after work. I keep the food warm for when he gets back.

5:30 p.m. — One of my friends calls letting me know that she has COVID-19 and asks if I feel okay since we went to the lake together a few days ago. She offers to drop off some tests but I have some. Take a test just to be sure and it’s negative (when S. comes home, I let him know, but he wasn’t hanging out with us).

6:30 p.m. — S. gets home and we watch Love Island UK together. We talk about which couples will make it outside the villa now that we’re nearing the end of the season. We go to the gym when the episode finishes. N. comes with us. Once I’m back home, I shower, do skincare, brush my teeth, watch Detective Pikachu and read until I fall asleep around 10 p.m.

Daily Total: $0

Day Two

7 a.m. — Wake up. Struggling to get up. I woke up at around 4 a.m. because one of my cats was…screaming? Singing? Once they learned I was awake, they all snuggled in for some love and I struggled to fall back asleep with all three of them on me. I get up to brush my teeth and do my skincare (Cetaphil gentle cleanser, Good Molecules caffeine eye cream, CeraVe moisturizer and Glow sunscreen from Sun Bum). I make myself a black tea with some honey and head out the door to walk the dog.

9 a.m. — When I get back, I see S. is home. I ask why he’s working from home and he said a lot of employees are falling ill. He takes a COVID-19 test and it’s negative. We both take an Emergency vitamin C packet just to be safe. I make us a quick breakfast of avocado toast and yogurt with granola. I read while I eat.

11:30 a.m. — S. has to leave on a service call. He asks if I have any masks. I hand him my keys so he can grab some from my car. When he leaves, I head down to the pool at our complex to read. I’m currently rereading a book for a professional development course that I’ll be attending in a few weeks. It’s really interesting and it’s a good refresher before I head back into the classroom. It’s focused on second language acquisition and ways teachers can modify some of our practices in the classroom.

1 p.m. — I’m craving a sandwich so I go to pick up one for myself and for S. I go to a new local spot downtown. I get S. their tuna melt and I get a chicken bánh mì. YUM. It’s $25.26 including tip. I get back home and start some work again. I anxiously wait for a consultation call from a potential new therapist. My last one had to close her practice a few months ago and I’m finally reaching out to new providers. When I haven’t heard anything from her about 15 minutes after she said she’d call, I send an email. $25.26

6:30 p.m. — Watching old seasons of MasterChef with N. when we get a text from our apartment that there are snow cones downstairs! First 100 residents get a free snow cone but we’re an hour late so I’m nervous we won’t get one. We both get one for free and I buy one for S. since he doesn’t feel like coming down. It’s only $4 but I tell him that he owes me a coffee. Once back up, I play with the kitties for a little bit. $4

7 p.m. — S. and I watch a couple of episodes of Evil while eating leftovers for dinner. I eat the leftover fish from yesterday and he has leftover pasta from a few days ago. Then I shower, brush my teeth and do skincare. Cats come to snuggle in with me. I fall asleep around 10 p.m.

Daily Total: $29.26

Day Three

7 a.m. — I’m awake but slow to start because I have kitties all snuggled around me. After a few minutes I get up, do some morning Yoga with Adriene and read The Covenant of Water. Around 8 a.m. I get ready to leave to walk the dog. S. is up so we have a cup of coffee together and talk about our days. He has to run on a service call but lets me know he’ll work from home the rest of the day. I tell him that I plan to go grocery shopping and he asks if I’ll pick up his prescription from the pharmacy while I’m there. The therapist I reached out to replies, asking if I can do the consultation at 1:30 p.m. today. I can! She had accidentally put me down for the wrong time.

10 a.m. — I pick up S.’ prescription from the pharmacy. It’s $5 after his insurance. I just pay for it, since he pays for mine if he picks it up for me. I don’t know how this started but I think it’s just a nice thing we do for each other occasionally. $5

10:30 a.m. — Yay, grocery shopping. I actually don’t mind it, especially when I get to the store before noon because there tend to be fewer people. I pick up a few things to help finish off some odds and ends in the fridge. I grab milk, butter, Greek yogurt, ground beef, black beans, peaches, mangos, cherries, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocados, kimchi, queso, dryer sheets and a doughnut (a little sweet treat). I get home and realize as I’m unloading the groceries that I forgot ramen noodles, ughhhhh. $56.53

12 p.m. — I turn on the oven to make TJ’s frozen orange chicken. While I wait for the oven to heat, I do a quick clean-up of the house. Unload the dishwasher, wipe down the kitchen, take the laundry out of the dryer and organize the living room. I make some rice to go with the chicken and then make a little snack plate of veggies and fruit to eat with it.

2 p.m. — Off the consultation call with the potential therapist. She seems like she could be a good fit but she’s not sure where I can fit into her scheduling. She works with a lot of college students and they’re all starting to come back. Towards the end of the phone call, we plan to do one introductory session for insurance, scheduling and to learn a little bit more about what I want out of counseling. I really need to have a therapist set up before I go back into work so I reach out to some other recommendations that my last therapist sent me. S. comes home shortly after the call. We briefly catch up before he has to join a few meetings for the afternoon. I continue reading the book for the professional development course in a few weeks.

5:30 p.m. — S. and I make tacos together while we watch Love Island. N. comes home right as we finish so I tell him that he should eat some. We assemble our tacos and watch the Olympics opening ceremony. We all do a quick kitchen clean-up. Boys go to their desks to play games. I take a gummy and start a new book in my second language. After a while, I decide I want to rewatch One Tree Hill and I play Stardew Valley on my Switch while watching. My stomach drops when Lucas says, “I’ll be seeing ya.” I feel like I’m in high school again. LOL. S.’ aunt asks if I want to come over Sunday evening for dinner. Yes I do.

10:30 p.m. — The boys come to hang out with me so we pick something to watch together. We settle on Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. It’s the only romcom S. will watch and I’ve never seen it before. It’s really funny. After a few episodes, we head to bed. We brush our teeth and do our skincare routines. S. and I have a little more fun before calling it a night.

Daily Total: $61.53

Day Four

7 a.m. — Wake up naturally and get out of bed. I make myself a cup of Earl Grey and continue reading The Covenant of Water. Lots of snuggles from the kitties. After a few chapters, I play with them a little until S. wakes up. He makes us coffee and asks me to put on Evil. I’m a little bummed because we usually watch Love Island with coffee on the weekends.

11:15 a.m. — P. (S.’ mom) picks us up to go visit his grandma and aunt in Ontario. We all test for COVID-19 before we leave since so many people around us have had it. We are all negative! We stop at the store so I can grab a snack (a protein bar) and take out some cash. We’ll also stop by a specialty goods store once we’re there. $4.15

12:30 p.m. — At the specialty goods store. I only need a few things so I don’t end up buying a whole lot. After, we visit his grandma and aunt for a couple of hours. It’s nice to catch up. We grab a late lunch from a local burger place after visiting. P. treats us. I get a chili dog with fries. S. shares his shake with me. $25

6 p.m. — Home for a few hours before we head out to the Basque Festival. S. and I take a shower among other things. After, I watch an episode of One Tree Hill before we head out. I text our friends to let them know we’re leaving and they let us know where they are so we can easily find them. We walk over since it’s not very far from us.

8:15 p.m. — At the Basque Festival, I get two kalimotxos for N. and myself, and a beer for S. It’s $15 including tip. My friend, M., is doing community service so I stop by and say hi to her. She’s super busy so it’s a quick hello and check-in. We make tentative plans to go to bingo or scary movie night next week. I go back to my group and we listen to some live music for a little bit. S. buys me a Tiger’s Blood shaved ice. At around 9 p.m. we go into the Basque Museum for cocktails. We’re packed in there like sardines. The boys put cash together and get this round. S. gives the bartender a $12 tip (about 50%) since she’s so great. I get a tequila soda. I’m hungry so I buy croquetas for myself and a chorizo hotdog for S. ($15 including tip). We share our food. The group wants to move to a bar but I have only sipped my drink. S. and N. help me finish it. I ordered a single but she definitely poured a double. $30

10:30 p.m. — We head over to a small, newer bar. Half the group sits at a table and the other half sits at the bar. I’m at the bar with S., N. and our friend B. S. offers to get this tab and I’ll cover the next bar. I get a water and a Topo Chico hard seltzer. S. orders a vieux carré. B. and I chat for a while about life. I turn to S. and we talk/watch the news on the TV. We see an ad for urine collection and can’t stop laughing. I know, I know, but it’s funny when buzzed. N. buys S. a Coors Banquet. We decide that after this drink, we’ll head to the next bar. S. closes his tab.

11:30 p.m. — We head to a rooftop bar. The weather is perfect now that the sun is down. We order our drinks. S. tells me that he only wants one so I don’t open a tab. I order a spicy paloma and he orders an old fashioned. The total comes to $36.68 including tip. S. also gets me a glass of water and one for himself. After settling in, we play Heads Up with my phone. S. says he wants to go to one more bar; I ask if we can call it a night. He agrees and tells me that he probably does not need another drink and that we can go home. $36.68

1:30 a.m. — On the way home we stop for food. I get a hotdog ($5 including tip) and S. gets a burrito. The hotdog is so yummy, I have no regrets. We tell everyone that we’re heading home. We get home and decide to start watching the Olympics. We watch some beach volleyball for an hour before heading to bed. S. and I do some other things before falling asleep. $5

Daily Total: $100.83

Day Five

8:40 a.m. — I wake up 20 minutes before we’re supposed to get up for our breakfast. I find my purse and my phone, which is dead. I plug it in and read The Covenant of Water for a bit. Once it’s alive, I see a text from my friend from last night, letting me know they made it home. I say thank you and apologize for not responding more quickly.

10 a.m. — Breakfast with our couple friend and another friend! I’m covering this as a birthday present for our friend. I’m not super hungover but I haven’t had a lot of water so I get a big glass of water, an orange juice and a coffee. The holy trinity to recover from a night out. They bring us an order of Dutch babies pancakes to share. I order a half serving of biscuits and gravy with eggs. My friend D. orders huevos rancheros and I snag a few bites because it looks so yummy. He has some of mine as well. I pay for S. and D. It comes to $80.31 including a 20% tip. We all make a plan to see Deadpool & Wolverine at 1:50 pm before leaving. $80.31

1:50 p.m. — We arrive just on time, get our tickets and some snacks. S. covers this since I got brunch. We order a large diet Coke, a small popcorn and frozen cookie dough bites. I like the movie! It’s a fun watch. S. and I discuss it thoroughly as we walk back home. He asks if I will go to Home Depot with him so he can buy supplies to replace his mom’s dishwasher. I say yes but only if he brings me to his mom’s house so that she and I can go to his aunt’s together. A deal has been made.

5:30 p.m. — We get to P.’s house and S. gets right to work on her dishwasher. P. and I head over to S.’ aunt’s and uncle’s place. S. was implied invited (I think) but he was never texted so it’s just P. and me. S.’ cousin G. is also there. G. and I hang out frequently because he’s like a brother to me and we all lived together for a while. We have a lovely feast of ribs, tomato salad and potato salad. So delicious. We chat for a while and G. and I make plans to grab coffee this week. I let him know that it’s my last week for midweek morning coffee chats before I go back to work. Summer break is almost over. I’m so bummed.

9 p.m. — Back home. I’m exhausted so I get ready for bed. Once in bed I start reading to wind down but I’m feeling so anxious. I stop and do some breathing exercises. I eventually fall asleep but only for a little while. I wake up and hear S. showering in our bathroom. My mind is running and I’m having a hard time calming down. I start reading again. S. comes out eventually and is surprised to see me awake. He joins me in bed and we co-read. I stop and then he stops. We get a little handsy and have a bit of fun. After, we cuddle until I fall asleep.

Daily Total: $80.31

Day Six

7 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm. I get out of bed and turn it off, then go right back to bed. I decide that I will wake up with S.’ alarm. At around 8 a.m. we wake up together and get ready together. I leave to walk P.’s dog and he leaves to go to work. I have so many new podcast episodes to listen to. Yay! I decide to listen to the episode on Hamilton from Rehash. I do not like Hamilton and I’m very interested to hear what these women have to say about it.

10 a.m. — Back home and I make avocado toast with a cup of black tea. After eating, I instantly fall asleep.

12 p.m. — Wake up from my nap surrounded by cats. I get up and start picking up so the place looks more tidy. I start the dishwasher and a load of laundry. I make a taco bowl for lunch. After eating, I put on the Olympic Games in the background and start working. I’m planning the first two weeks for each language level. I watch men’s beach volleyball, women’s basketball and women’s fencing. While working, I realize that I’ve been paid! (The district I work in pays teachers all year.) I pay my car insurance and car payment.

3 p.m. — N. comes home from work and tells me about some work drama. He doesn’t say names (lame) but G. works with him and I’ll be seeing him later this week so I’ll get the rest of the details then. We continue watching sports. US women’s beach volleyball beats Australia! I text my friend M. about scary movie night and we invite two more people. N. makes us green tea. He makes it in a kettle and then serves us in little cups.

5 p.m. — I start prepping tofu for dinner and switch the laundry. We will be eating spicy tofu bowls tonight. I also get ready to go to the gym since we haven’t gone for a few days. S. and I will go when he gets home from work.

6 p.m. — S. is actually too tired for the gym so we decide to catch up on Love Island instead. I make dinner and S. cleans up. I gasp at the last episode we watch. Those producers are mean sometimes!

9 p.m. — I’m tired so I get ready for bed. Shower, skincare, brush teeth. I read on the couch for a little bit before going to bed.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

7 a.m. — I’m kind of awake but I need to get up and walk the dog. I have to rush this morning and get back home before the fire alarm drill for the entire apartment complex. The dog and I go on a nice, cool morning walk. I listen to an episode of And That’s Why We Drink. I love this podcast because I feel like I’m right there in the conversation with them.

8:30 a.m. — Back home. I rush to set up the bathroom/closet for the fire alarm testing. S and I had a very long discussion about what we wanted to do with the cats during the drill. They are very anxious and skittish so I didn’t want to take them somewhere in the car. Since we don’t have any alarms in the bathroom/closet, we decided to set up a space for them in there and do our best to soundproof it. S. gave them some kitty Xanax about an hour ago and I will stay with them because it’s not fair for me to leave them. Once the alarms start, I realize we made the right decision. The kitties are a little spooked at first but they calm down pretty quickly and sleep through the entire hour and a half of fire alarms.

12 p.m. — Make another taco bowl for lunch to use up some produce that is about to go bad (cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers and avocado). My day isn’t too exciting today. I’m mostly rotting on the couch reading, playing games on my Switch, playing with the kitties and watching the Olympics. I feel a little guilty about the rot but I’m going back to work next week. I think I deserve some rot time before I become incredibly busy this fall.

5:30 p.m. — S. comes home and we get ready for the gym. I’m on a time crunch because I’m meeting my friends for scary movie night around 7:30 p.m. and I want to walk to them. We decide to do leg day at the gym because we do less cardio on leg day. I do 10 minutes on the stair stepper and some leg workouts that I saw on Instagram. I hurry back so I can eat some leftovers for dinner and freshen up a little bit.

7:30 p.m. — I arrive to scary movie night at a bar. Tonight we are watching The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). I have never seen it before tonight. We do a little trivia before we watch the movie. I order a boozy lemonade slushy and a light beer ($19.20 including tip). After the movie, we check the vibe and everyone wants to go home. Thank goodness because I am tired. I decide to scooter home ($4.37). $23.57

10:30 p.m. — I get home and S. offers to make me a cocktail. We don’t really have a lot of mixers but he’s feeling creative so I say yes. He makes me a cocktail of Malibu rum, grapefruit gin, lime, simple syrup and club soda. It’s actually pretty yummy. N. and S. both make Manhattans. S. makes me try a sip and I still don’t like it. We watch two episodes of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. Then S. and I do our bedtime routines and go to bed together.

Daily Total: $23.57

The Breakdown

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