A Week In Atlantic Canada On A $62,000 Salary

Editor’s Note: All amounts are listed in Canadian Dollars.

Occupation: University manager
Industry: Academia
Age: 39
Location: Atlantic Canada
Salary: $62,000
Joint income: We don’t have a joint income per se, but my partner and I share everything 50/50 (rent, car payment, bills, groceries). He tends to “treat” me more — dates, presents, and so on. He makes more than me, so when we travel he usually foots most of the bill. We aren’t going to be joining our incomes until after we get married, so that’s why I kept his income out of the money diary.
Assets: HISA (high interest savings account): $8,000; TFSA: $54,000; home equity: $190,000. B. owns two rental properties and I own one (we live in the city and pay rent). We aren’t currently married (but we’re heading in that direction!), so as of right now, that one property is 100% mine — ie. the $1,400 I get after my mortgage, bills, etc. are paid comes directly to me (that’s where the extra $1400 comes into my paycheck amount below). When we get married we will combine all of our rental income, savings, and salary into one pot. Obviously this diary is anonymous, but for privacy reasons I prefer to give topline info only on our properties and mortgages.
Debt: $230,000 (my mortgage); $23,000 in student loans at 0% interest; $21,000 in car debt at 2.99% interest (B. and I own the car together).
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $3,600 + $1,400 in rental income (this is profit after everything is paid).
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $2,000 in rent (split with B.).
Loan Payments: $620 for car (split with B.); $180 for student loan.
Power/Hydro: $100
Cell Phone: $40
AppleTV: $15
NYT Subscription: $2
Globe & Mail Subscriptions: $2
SiriusXM: $7 (we drive a lot!).
Apple Storage: $5
Prime: $12
TFSA contribution: $500 (B. pays the same).
HISA Savings: $500 (B. pays the same).
Spotify/Netflix: B. pays.
Car Insurance: B. pays.

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 father worked a blue collar job that was very, very challenging. He worked away and it was hard on him physically and mentally. My mother went to university and had an office job. They wanted all of us to go to university — Canadians have the most secondary education of any country in the world. It was the path all of my friends were taking, so I did, too. However, I ended up starting university and quitting after a year to move to the other side of the country, then travel. I always knew I’d go back (which I did, four years later).

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Money was always a topic of conversation. My father made good money, but was very financially irresponsible. My mother was extremely frugal. It made their relationship difficult, and I can remember hearing them talk about money a lot. I was always interested in personal finance, especially as I got older, because I wanted to learn from their mistakes. My parents went through some tough financial issues later in life, but they have bounced back due to good decisions on my mother’s part, and living extremely frugally. I envy their discipline sometimes.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at an ice cream shop for $5.50 an hour. I got the job to be able to buy clothes and makeup and go out with my friends.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes and no. We were very comfortable, and I didn’t grow up in a place that had a lot of wealth (small-town Canada). I didn’t know that behind the scenes my parents were struggling, even though they had great jobs and multiple sources of income. My mother shielded us from it.

Do you worry about money now?
Every day. Although I know I am fortunate to have assets (especially in Canada where the housing situation is grim for so many) I still worry. Everything has doubled in price — food, utilities, gas, etc. I took a massive pay cut with my current job. I was in the tech field, but lost my job a year ago. I had six months of expenses saved up, which I used while I was looking for work, so my savings took a significant hit. I am working on building it back up now.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
In my early 20s my parents were still helping me with rent and taking care of me a bit, but I always worked full time. I would say I was completely independent by 23-24.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No. I expect to receive some inheritance later in life from an aunt who never had children and who is like a second mother to me, and most likely my parents. My partner will also receive inheritance, but this isn’t something we look forward to.

7 a.m. — Monday morning, feeling good! Wake up feeling refreshed after a great sleep. I walk to my office and stop by a coffee place to get a double Americano. I worked from home for the past four years, so starting back to the office has been a change. About twice a week I get a fancy coffee on my way to work (hey, I saved on purchasing coffee since 2020!). $5

12 p.m. — B. meets me for lunch. We usually pick one day a week that we eat out at lunch. Today, as it is cold and grey (Canadian winter!), I needed the pick-me-up. We go to a local Thai place that has great lunch specials. I get the panang curry, B gets a pad Thai — delicious! We’ve been daydreaming about our next getaway. I’m turning 40 next year in February, so we spend lunch throwing out ideas, eventually deciding on Mexico. Total for lunch is $34.50 — B. pays.

8 p.m. — Everyone has been telling us to start Disclaimer on AppleTV. It’s not a streaming service we always keep, but we bought it for the month so we can watch it and a few other shows. FWIW, Disclaimer is great!

6 a.m. — Wow, what a difference in sleep! Tossed and turned, did not wake up feeling refreshed. Ahhh well, the day must go on. I get in the shower and use my favourite body wash, Ouai St. Bart’s. It smells like summer, so even when it is chilly out like today I can picture a margarita on the beach. Another change I’ve encountered with the move back to an office is putting on makeup every day. When I worked from home it wasn’t a big concern, but now that I’m out in the world again I pull myself together. I use my holy grail foundation (Estée Lauder Doublewear), L’Oréal mascara, Merit blush and Benefit brow gel and pencil. I always think of switching up my products, but these are my tried-and-trues.

8 a.m. — Another day, another refreshing walk to work. I have been discovering so many new podcasts for my walk. Even though WFH life has its benefits, getting out into the world first thing has been great for my mood. I usually do intermittent fasting from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. Today, I broke that fast with a sweet treat — a cookie dough croissant from a bakery by my office. I usually don’t eat rich food on an empty stomach, but I couldn’t resist. Although, $8 for a croissant is a little crazy, right? $8

5 p.m. — These workdays are kicking my butt. I get home to B. already making dinner. We both lived in South Korea in our early 20s teaching English, and we share a love for Korean food. He is making kimchi jjigae, which is just about the most satisfying thing after a cold winter day. It comes out SO good. We sit down to enjoy and throw on The Valley — the only Bravo show B. will watch with me!

12 p.m. — Work has been CRAZY this week. A couple of meetings + events after work mean I haven’t been able to cook as much as I like to. I end up going to a great sandwich shop by my office to have a solo lunch. I stream the new Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (I’m obsessed with Bravo) while I eat in the empty restaurant and enjoy my lunch — a kale and chicken caesar wrap and soup. Heaven. $21

5 p.m. — No more lunches out! I stop by the grocery store on the way to pick up a few things — apples, cheddar, wraps, eggs, deli turkey, grape tomatoes, Diet Coke. Packing my lunches has been kind of fun: I try to plan and eat well throughout the week so my weekends I can enjoy myself. Some days the only exercise I get is my walk to and from work, so it’s nice knowing I have been eating well all week. Total for the groceries was $28.80; I used a gift card.

8 p.m. — We’ve done it! We’ve booked our plane tickets for Mexico! Lucky us, we end up getting a pretty good deal on them. B. surprises me and tells me in honour of the big 4-0 he will get my plane ticket. I am very, very lucky to have someone as thoughtful, romantic and considerate as him — even if he wasn’t buying. 

6:30 a.m. — My sleep chronicles continue. I try not to take anything to help me sleep, but eventually I cave and eat a melatonin gummy. Surprisingly, I wake up and don’t feel too terrible (sometimes when I take one I wake up and I’m sooo groggy). I get out of bed and make an espresso and scroll on my phone. B. sleeps in later than I do, so I enjoy my morning quiet time. Shower, make-up, hair up in a bun — now to venture into the cold!

2 p.m. — I’ve been so good with my spending this week — until today! I have another work event all day; I run around, don’t have time to eat and am ravenous. 

6 p.m. — My best friend, D., is in town for the night and picks me up from the event. We grab a late dinner at a local chicken place: two fried chicken sandwiches, lots of sides, two beers. Everything is DIVINE. I pay ($88 with tax and 25% tip). We catch up then go back to my apartment and watch more Housewives. We don’t get to see each other as much as I’d like, so I try to soak up these dates. We have been best friends for 30 years (!!) and always have the best time. $88

8 p.m. — Another friend, S., reminds us that her birthday party is going to be at a show at a local venue. I totally forgot to buy the tickets, so I get two for B. and me. We have both agreed to get out of the house more — as the days are shorter, we’ve been hanging inside a lot. Gotta beat the seasonal affective disorder! $60

7 a.m. — Friday! Get up early to go to a Pilates class by my office ($20). I have a gym in my building that B. and I use, but it’s always good to switch it up. The class is intense, but great. I feel like a million bucks when I leave, ready to take on the day. I am going to sign up for a package. I missed a promotion they had recently and I’m kicking myself. I’m trying to adopt my mom’s frugal mentality. Having said that, I grab a coffee on my way into work ($5). $25

5 p.m. — My girlfriend R. texts me to see if I want to meet up for drinks after work. The answer is always a big yes, as we have the best dish sessions and I haven’t had the chance to catch up with her in weeks. She’s been dating someone new after a really long and drawn-out relationship. I’m so, so happy for her. She’s the best and I hope she starts to see that. We go down to the waterfront to a great wine and cocktail bar. She orders a martini, I order a Japanese whiskey cocktail, then we each have a glass of wine. I pay $47 for the two drinks (including tax and tip). $47

7 p.m. — I get home from drinks and B. orders Domino’s (when’s the last time I ate Domino’s?!). We hang out and watch Blink Twice (started off great, but what a terrible ending). I browse Victoria’s Secret and order two pajama sets. Do I need them? Definitely not. We finish off the night snacking on chocolate-covered pomegranates and cuddling on the couch. Big Friday night! $112

11 a.m. — B and I wake up, make espressos and chill on the couch catching up on the news. I love a slow Saturday. The weather isn’t great, so we decide to go upstairs to the gym to do a quick workout before we *officially* start our day. There isn’t a lot on the go, so we make a plan to run some errands then come home and do some cleaning. Once we leave, we go to a new café we’ve been hearing lots of good about. We get coffees and pastries to share — an Earl Grey cardamon danish, a yuzu custard danish, and a crème brûlée cookie. All were excellent. $22

12 p.m. — The other big disadvantage to going back to the office is having to grocery shop at peak hours again, haha. This morning we venture in to get our big(ish) order: chicken, broccoli, feta, cilantro, pomegranates, salmon, potato chips, bananas, sundried tomatoes, butter, club soda, and Epsom salts ($70, split with B.). We try to always buy healthy and on sale — neither of us are picky eaters and it’s just the two of us, so we can usually keep our grocery bill to $150 for the two of us. For Canadians, this is really, really good! $35

1 p.m. — Come home and unpack all the groceries and get to cleaning! First things first: I am obsessed with keeping our fridge clean and tidy. Once a month I pull out everything, throw away any old food, reorganize, and wash everything down. This way I can see what we have to cook with and I put our “new” groceries into a clean space. I do this, then get started on the laundry... Soooo much laundry. B. vacuums the floors — he is the best at it! Once our apartment is back in shape, we do a bit of phone admin; I order a pan from Amazon for making brownies (I use an Amazon gift card and pay the balance of $11). $11

8 p.m. — We spend the evening lounging and talking about all of our future plans: how much are we going to save, where we want to travel, etc. I make us a yummy dinner of Marry Me chicken with pasta and a big side salad. 

10 a.m. — Wake up and make an espresso. Most Sundays I meet up with a close friend for brunch, but they are out of town so I thought I’d make B. his favorite breakfast: shakshuka. I get started on that and it comes out perfect. B. is pumped. It’s another rainy day, so our big plans to go hiking aren’t going to happen. I order a Athletic Greens kit for B. for his upcoming birthday. We had a big idea to only do one birthday present to “save money" this year, but I am certainly not saving money — the kit cost $141. $141

2 p.m. — B. is going to make dan dan noodles for dinner, so he ventures out to get a few things he needs. I check my work email and respond to a few things — I feel zero pressure to work on my off days, but I am enjoying my work and don’t mind. I also peruse the Aritzia website and see two sweaters that are 50% off that would be perfect for work. I ordered both for $167. They’re both merino wool and so, so pretty. Need to stop buying work clothes! $167

4 p.m. — B. is doing Dry January, I am not. I’m not a big drinker anyways, but I decide I want a glass of white wine with my noodles, so I run out and buy a bottle of French white I’ve been wanting to try. It’s yummy and goes perfectly with the tangy, spicy noodles. Another peaceful weekend that I am so grateful for. We end up in bed early and watch an episode of Disclaimer and snuggle. $21