Food Diary: What a 36-Year-Old Tattoo Artist Making $50,000 Eats in Minneapolis

Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.

In today’s Receipt, a 36-year-old tattoo artist makes $50,000 in Minneapolis. Keep reading for their receipts.

Skip ahead

1. The finances
2. The diet
3. The expenses
4. The diary

The finances

What are your pronouns? They/them

What is your occupation? Tattoo artist

How old are you? 36

What city and state do you live in? Minneapolis, MN

What is your annual salary, if you have one? As a self-employed artist I work on commission, which means the amount I make can vary widely from month to month. This past January, I made about $5,533 plus tips. Last year, I made roughly $50,000. I’ve also started selling stained glass art and I made around $2,000 last year from it. The supplies are expensive and it’s time-consuming to make, so at this point it’s basically a glorified hobby that pays for itself.

How much is one paycheck, after taxes? No paycheck, just whatever cash I leave with at the end of the day.

How much money do you have in savings? I have about $3,200 in cash hidden in my apartment somewhere and a savings account with a whopping $2.27.

What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.e. rent, subscriptions, bills)

• Rent: $1,000 (This is my share of the rent, which I split with my partner.)
• Internet: $60
• Health and dental insurance: $220
• Criterion Channel subscription: $10.99
• Gym: $67
• Total: $1,357.99

The diet

Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? I try to avoid coffee, spicy foods, and alcohol when I can because they give me acid reflux, but I generally eat whatever I want.

What are the grocery staples you always buy, if any? Lemons, onion, garlic, ginger, green onion, arugula, feta, canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, lemon Spindrift, tortilla chips, and hummus. I also make sure to have canned tuna and spaghetti noodles on hand, in case I want to make 3-Ingredient Tuna Pasta.

How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? I usually dine out once or twice a week. I love to cook and enjoy my routine of cooking dinner every night. Feeding others is how I show love, and my partner is a great person to cook for because they think everything I make is outstanding. They do the dishes, so we have a good setup.

How often in a week did you dine out while growing up? Rarely. When we did go out to eat it was usually to a fast-food restaurant or for Chinese takeout.