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.
This week: a publicist who makes $116,500 per year and spends some of her money this week on a custom painting.
Occupation: Publicist
Industry: Entertainment
Age: 28
Location: Nashville, TN
Salary: $116,500
Assets: I typically keep $2,500 in my checking to cover expenses and cash flow. I also have $59,348 in a brokerage account; $44,845 in a Roth IRA; $32,338 in a traditional IRA; $30,000 in an emergency HYSA; $24,530 in my 401(k) through my employer (I get a 3% match and I am currently contributing 15%. Once I max out my Roth in a few weeks, I will up this contribution to 20%); $3,149 in an HSA account; and $1,050 in crypto (bought it a while ago to see what happens). I have a long-term partner, B. We typically split everything 50/50, but he lost his job in 2023 and I covered most of our expenses for five months — now we’re back to splitting everything 50/50. We also have a payment structure that works best for him to work up savings for investments and an emergency fund again, after being without a job for some time.
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,890
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Monthly Housing Costs: $2,480 rent for a two-bed, two-bath near downtown (B. and I split the rent and I pay $1,240 for my share).
Monthly Loan Payments: $0. I feel very lucky that I have no loan payments. I drive a 2006 Honda Civic and will drive that thing into the ground.
All Other Monthly Expenses:
Parking: $55 (for two cars; split with B.)
Trash: $18 trash fee (split with B.)
Water: ~$20/month water fee (split with B.)
Internet: $90 internet (B. pays.)
Utilities: ~$80-90 utilities (I pay.)
Gym: $109
Spotify Premium: $18 (for my whole immediate family)
Hulu: $8 (with ads)
Amazon Prime: $0 (My parents graciously let all kids use their account.)
Netflix: $0 (I use my parents’ account.)
Apple iCloud Storage: $2.99
Vision Insurance: $34.36
Medical Insurance: $23.40
Dental Insurance: $23.40
Car Insurance: $83.71
401(k) Contribution: $672.12 (plus my employer contributes 3%)
Roth IRA Contribution: $600-$800 per paycheck (post tax) automatically added.
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?
Absolutely. My dad always told us growing up that they would pay for our college education, so our number one job in school was to be a student and learn as much as possible. That was our “job”: to learn. I really appreciated that mindset and realize it was a privilege. Granted, they couldn’t afford ANY school in the country — it was either state school or we had to get academic scholarships, which is what I did. I got an almost-full ride to a small liberal arts school in the northeast and graduated debt free.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We had a weekly allowance and conversations about saving. My parents really taught us to live below our means, which I still appreciate to this day. I didn’t learn a ton about investing though, and what I know was all self-taught between me and my younger brothers. My youngest brother, who is just shy of 21, really got the best deal — he got all of my knowledge and is already maxing out his Roth from his summer internships/jobs. Compound interest really is going to be his friend. Ah, to be the youngest. Can’t relate.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
Babysitting. I was always really good with kids and figured it was a great way to make extra money. I started babysitting my brothers at age 11 and then expanded and worked the neighborhood circuit.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Oh yes. I’m the oldest daughter and I think that alone says a lot. We carry a lot of our parents’ worries and burdens sometimes, without even knowing. I remember my mom saying things like, “Oh we don’t need that,” or always wanting to bargain to get something on sale — I became hyper-aware of our money situation. We grew up middle class, but I can sense my parents felt they had to keep up with richer friends. I grew up in the outskirts of Washington, DC and those are some of the most affluent areas in the country. My parents moved there because of the excellent public schools, and it paid off since I am bilingual now (Spanish). However, it definitely came at a cost. I grew up with kids who were sons and daughters of senators and hedge fund managers, and I had a personal trainer mom and a dad who worked for the government. I feel really grateful my parents did what they could to make sure we had the best education possible. I cannot thank them enough for it.
Do you worry about money now?
I do. I feel like I’m surrounded by people online who are doing so much better than I am or who have so much more to their name — and I can’t believe I feel that way, since I’m only 28 and I know life doesn’t end when you’re 30. At least I’m self-aware. I now know you don’t have to be a millionaire by 35 to have a full life.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I considered myself financially independent at 24 when I moved out. I lived at home for three years after college and banked basically my entire paycheck when I made $45,000 in my first job out of school. I was also dealing with some health issues around that time after coming off birth control and I saw a naturopath I was able to pay for myself, since I didn’t have a rent expense over my head. I’m very grateful for this time because I was able to learn so much about my body and hormones — how to work with my body throughout each phase of my cycle, and know what foods I need to thrive — without having to go into debt to do so. My parents don’t have much, but they are the most selfless people and they would open up their home again if I lost my job or anything dire happened. That’s always been a given in my family. If you don’t have somewhere to go, or you need to get back on your feet, you’re always welcome at Mom and Dad’s. But they absolutely don’t have enough to bail me out, so to speak.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When my nana died, she left each grandchild $10,000. I asked my parents to invest that money for me to let it grow, so I could potentially use it later on in life for a big purchase. And if it’s growing at 8% YoY, it will be a nice nest egg later.
Day One
7:30 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm and decide to sleep in this morning since I’m about to be on my period and the exhaustion I feel during my luteal phase is so real. I never used to be the kind of person to skip my morning workouts, but having a better understanding of my cycle has only been beneficial for me. Brush teeth, wash face, and do skincare routine. Gentle cleanser, zinc serum, mandelic acid, moisturizer, and tinted SPF. Throw on my Thrive Causemetics mascara and comb my eyebrows. That’s it for my makeup routine!
8:15 a.m. — Take a quick walk in my neighborhood and grab my partner B. a latte ($6, he pays). It’s his first day at a full-time job after he was laid off in December 2023 — this is a great day for us!
9 a.m. — Return home from my walk and check my email, then drop off the latte in B.’s office while he’s on a call. I make an egg sandwich with ingredients we have from Trader Joe’s before hopping on calls for the morning.
11:30 a.m. — Finish morning calls and grab my packed lunch of tomato, cucumber, onion, dill and tuna (don’t knock it till you try it!), a mini goMacro bar (oatmeal cookie is the best flavor), and a La Croix, and head to my coworking space. I lucked out: There’s a local working space chain in Nashville that is a 15-minute walk from my apartment, and it really is so amazing to walk to work and have a space to connect with others and get good heads-down work done. My coworking space is covered by my employer and I got a great deal ($50 a month) because I’m a founding member of the space.
12 p.m. — Heads-down work and a couple meetings, then go home to finish up some emails. Work this week is steady, but not intense — but that changes weekly since I work in marketing and clients can change their minds veryyyy quickly about what’s a priority.
5 p.m. — Switch gears to check my personal email, and double check to make sure I sent a Zoom for my tutoring client tomorrow night. I tutor Spanish for kids in my free time — have been doing it for years and I guess I just never stopped. It’s nice to help people learn a second language and the extra money is nice. Oh and nice surprise, I see my sales from Poshmark have hit my account ($54.95). Love getting rid of clothes you don’t wear for an extra few bucks.
6 p.m. — Tonight we had Hello Fresh delivered and we’re having spaghetti and lemon chicken. Part of my trick is to leave these meal planning services after a couple of meals and wait a few months — they always give you a crazy discount to come back! For two meals for two people this week, it was $12.21 (we prepaid). Yes, you read that right. Eat dinner with B. and catch up on his work day. So, so happy he has a job and we were able to make it through an intense five months of making ends meet. Unemployment and layoffs are tough on relationships, no matter what stage of life you’re in.
8 p.m. — Walk with B. around our neighborhood together — he likes to call these walks “fart walks” for digestion and I get a kick out of this every time we do this nightly ritual. Hilarious.
9 p.m. — Get ready for bed and watch an episode of Selling The OC and enjoy a peanut butter-filled mini chocolate egg from Chocolove and a Yasso bar. Read and lights out by 10:45 p.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Two
6:20 a.m. — Wake up ready to take my strength-training class, only to see I’m still on the waitlist. So annoying. Back to bed I guess.
7:30 a.m. — Let’s try this again. Wake up (again), take a couple of Advil to calm my cramps. Aunt Flo is visiting today! She always comes in with a vengeance. Do my skincare routine and get ready for the day.
9 a.m. — Feeling groggy this morning so I take my morning emails from home, and start to dive into a couple of documents I started yesterday for work. I make my favorite coffee I make every day: steamed almond milk and Elmhurst Pistachio Crème creamer, plus a teaspoon of coconut sugar with a Nespresso coffee. I swear I prefer this combo over coffee out. So yummy!
12 p.m. — I’m caught up on all my emails for the morning so I head over to the coworking space for an afternoon of calls and focused work. I love this commute! For lunch, I packed the same thing as I had yesterday for lunch (boring but protein-dense and it works).
1 p.m. — Client calls, bleh. Grab a Rishi peppermint tea and a Stroopwafel from the coworking space to get me through (both free, included with membership).
4:30 p.m. — Tutoring client time! Take a 30-minute break from my normal work to tutor my sweet five-year-old student, M. She can be a doll, and other days, she’s the bane of my existence. Tutoring is tough. It’s a lot like teaching. Fun fact: I wanted to be an elementary school teacher but then realized it’s basically half-disciplining other people’s kids and dealing with difficult parents, even if you love teaching and kids. I settled for tutoring and a lucrative marketing career. (I make $45 for 30-minute session.)
5 p.m. — Catch up on my work email and schedule some Slack messages to go out the next morning. My team is mostly on the East Coast and I really do my best to respect their working hours. I don’t like to slack them after hours with important things — chances are 9/10 it can wait until tomorrow. Love that Slack has that feature. Afterwards, I head home and grab a quick snack, some strawberries, and a mini oatmeal chocolate chip GoMacro bar before my book club tonight.
6:15 p.m. — I see I’m low on gas so I stop at the gas station to fill up. Sometimes I like to play a silly little game where I see how far I can go with one or two bars of gas, but today is not that day. $34.60
6:30 p.m. — Book club at a trendy pizza place in Nashville. Side bar: The big problem with living in Nashville in my opinion is that this. City. Is. Not. Big. Enough. For. Us. All. I moved here almost four years ago, and it was very different then. Now, you go somewhere and there’s a four-hour wait for a mediocre table only because there’s an Instagrammable mural on the side of the restaurant’s building. Give me a break. Le sigh. We split a hot honey cheese and white pizza; I have two hot honey slices. $6
9 p.m. — I head home from book club and have two Tony’s Chocolonely chocolates. The best. Lights out by 10:30 p.m.
Daily Total: $40.60
Day Three
7:30 a.m. — Feeling well rested! Get up and do my morning skincare routine and go out for a 45-minute walk while listening to the Just a Phase podcast (my favorite podcast right now). It’s by the Beyard sisters — three women who teach you how to live in alignment with your hormones. I love them.
8:30 a.m. — Back at the apartment, I start emails early to catch up on some things. I make my signature: coconut sugar almond milk latte from my beautiful Nespresso. *Chef’s kiss* I pair this with a DIY yogurt parfait, some sliced strawberries and Chobani Zero. YUM.
9:30 a.m. — Meetings start; I’m back to back until 1:15 p.m. Normally this doesn’t happen, but every once in a while it does and it’s hard — I definitely get Zoom fatigue.
1:15 p.m. — Finally have a break; make the same lunch I had yesterday, since I meal-prepped at the beginning of the week. Dill, albacore tuna with mustard and mayo, chopped cucumber, and cherry tomatoes. It’s simple, but it keeps me satisfied and full.
1:45 p.m. — Finish up a couple more emails, but I’m still hungry. Grab a mini goMacro bar and Yasso ice cream poppables.
4:45 p.m. — Leave for my conditioning workout class at 5:30 p.m. to beat traffic and get there a little early. I call my parents while I’m waiting to get into class. It’s always so nice to speak to them. I love them dearly, and I’m so excited because they’re coming to visit us in Nashville next week to celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary.
6:30 p.m. — Conditioning class kicked my ass. I’m practically wheezing at this point. There’s a grocery store right next door to where I work out; I pop in to grab tampons that are on sale (!!!), veggie sushi that’s $5 on Wednesdays, and some more Yasso bars, since we’re running low. $13.72
6:45 p.m. — B. has dinner ready for us — man, is he the best. Chicken fajita bowls with pico de gallo, cheese, and lots of grilled veggies. We chat about how excited we are to surprise my parents with a sailboat ride and photo shoot next week when they’re in town.
7:30 p.m. — Shower and then go for our nightly walk together to catch up on our days and spend some quality time together. I love walks with B.
8:15 p.m. — I decide to finish the evening with Selling The OC and a pistachio Yasso bar (best flavor in my opinion). In bed and asleep by 10:30 p.m.
Daily Total: $13.72
Day Four
6:20 a.m. — Back on the grind of morning workouts! Today is lower body. Brush my teeth, throw on my clothes I laid out last night, and sprint out the door.
7:50 a.m. — Finish class and headed home for a full-body shower (iykyk).
8:30 a.m. — Blowdry my hair, do my skincare routine, apply mascara, and put on some gold earrings and a necklace for today. Make my favorite Nespresso drink again from home, but decaf. Hormones and caffeine do not mix for me. I also have these cute little gold coffee-stirring spoons that my friend K. gifted me and they really do make every morning feel like I’m in a restaurant.
9 a.m. — As I log on for work, I’m reminded that I have to find a gluten-free bakery for a dinner tomorrow night with some friends. I found one in town, and I make a mental note to go tomorrow morning so the pastries are fresh. I half-check emails and half-make Kodiak protein waffles for breakfast with blueberries and peanut butter. OBSESSED. Work is lighter today, so after breakfast I head to the coworking space for some heads-down work.
11:25 a.m. — Grab a Rishi peppermint tea at the coworking space. These cups of tea make me so happy. It’s the little things.
12:15 p.m. — Start my calls, I’m in back-to-backs until 2:30 p.m. today. It’s easier to be on calls you listen to, but sometimes my boss just talks for hours and there’s no break and we’re camera on and it’s just… Exhausting.
1:20 p.m. — I pull out the snack I packed — sliced bell peppers and two string cheeses. After these calls, I sprint home for a very late lunch. I’m starving.
2:45 p.m. — I actually hate waiting this long to eat, but it’s the nature of my job right now. I hard boil three eggs and make egg salad with a touch of dijon mustard and light mayo, wrapped in a tortilla. Then have another yogurt with Honey Nut Cheerios sprinkled on top. B. also got veggie sushi for lunch, so I have four pieces of his roll.
4:10 p.m. — I spent the day in documents and now I’m ready for a little sunshine. Walking breaks are so important! I’m going to take a long walk with a friend, J., who I haven’t seen in so long. Excited to see her. I leave for the park, but dread knowing I’ll likely be sitting in rush hour traffic.
4:40 p.m. — Took too long to get to my walking location, but I walk three miles with J. She just got back from Europe and we catch up on our lives while we dodge the cicadas flying around.
5:45 p.m. — I get in my car and get a text from B. that there’s ants all in his car door. We’ve been dealing with ants on the exterior of his car for a couple of days but he sent me a picture and it’s vile. They’ve started colonizing and it’s time to bring out the Raid. I tell him where the ant killer is and when I get home, I take his car to get a deep clean, car wash, and vacuum. $10
7:15 p.m. — While I was dealing with the ant-infested car, B. made us grilled chicken for dinner. We eat together and catch up on our days.
8 p.m. — We take our nightly walk together, my favorite.
9 p.m. — I text my friends to see how we can put together a gift basket for a baby shower for our friend M. I’m thinking I can go to a baby store in East Nashville and grab a few books (since M. is our friend from book club!).
Daily Total: $10
Day Five
7:30 p.m. — Wake up and see it’s raining, ugh. Gloomy day. Get ready for my 8:15 a.m. strength class. It’s a little late for me to be working out on a Friday but my team is pretty understanding and Fridays are slow enough that I can sign on a bit later than normal.
8:15 a.m. — Today is arm day, and let’s just say these chin-ups are harder than they’ve ever been and my pushups are shaky, but hey we did it!
9:10 a.m. — Walk over to the grocery store to pick up some essentials we’re low on. Good Culture cottage cheese, half and half, yogurts, and blueberries. $19.38
9:30 a.m. — Get home and answer some pressing emails from my phone then jump in the shower quickly for a rinse.
10 a.m. — Make my favorite coffee (again), and a hearty, protein-rich breakfast: Good Culture cottage cheese with a slice of sprouted Ezekiel bread, then a vanilla Chobani yogurt with a handful of blueberries and Honey Nut Cheerios on top. After breakfast, I go heads-down to build out a brand presentation deck today, but frankly, I rush through it since I have to run a couple errands today.
12 p.m. — Take a break to do the errands I’ve been putting off and need to do today. Pick up my dry cleaning ($37.11), go to a coffee shop to pick up gluten-free pastries for dinner with friends tonight ($19.66), and buy two children’s books for M.’s baby shower this weekend ($21.83). My friend J. sends me a Venmo for half of the books I bought. $67.69
2 p.m. — Come back and eat some leftover grilled chicken and tomatoes, plus a couple of vanilla thins from Trader Joe’s with lemon curd as a light lunch — I know dinner will be filling later!
2:30 p.m. — Finish up some work; we’re hiring a new employee so that takes a lot of document creation and such.
4 p.m. — Head to my friend K.’s house to drop off my gift for the baby shower. We chat for a few minutes, and catch up.
4:30 p.m. — Back at home, I squeeze in a quick 25-minute walk and put on some mascara and blush before our dinner with friends. We leave with flowers for our friends since they’re newly engaged, plus corn-in husks to grill, and the gluten-free desserts.
5:40 p.m. — We arrive at our friends’ place (J. and J.). They have quite the spread for us — veggies to snack on, marinating chicken thighs to grill, and some garlic smashed potatoes, WOW! We talk about how hard it is to please everyone when you’re newly engaged (they’re starting the wedding planning process). Don’t envy that stress. But I am so excited to celebrate them. Whatever they choose, it’ll be perfect. We have the best night, all four of us. It’s the first time B. and I have actually felt like we have true friends in Nashville. It’s a very transient city, and being from the northeast and relocating here, I can attest, it is TOUGH to meet true friends even if you’re a raging extrovert like me. J. and J. live similar active lifestyles to me and B., and we’re just really fortunate we found them.
9:30 p.m. — We (sadly) say goodbye to our friends and head home for the evening. B. and I gush about how much we love them.
9:45 p.m. — B. is taking care of our neighbor’s dog, so he lets her out while I do my skincare routine and head to bed.
Daily Total: $97.98
Day Six
6 a.m. — I naturally wake up since B. is getting ready to leave for his coffee shop job. He’s giving it up soon since he has a full-time job now, but he really didn’t want to leave them hanging and quit on short notice. I can’t wait for him to be done with this job though, I want my boyfriend back on the weekends! He kisses me goodbye and I go back to bed.
8 a.m. — I wake up again and let out the dog we’re taking care of. She eats four cicadas and I laugh hysterically. We don’t deserve dogs.
8:45 a.m. — Have a big glass of water and tidy up the kitchen after getting dressed in a tight workout set. I slick my hair back, pop a little pimple patch on my jawline and head to my kickboxing studio.
9:15 a.m. — I meet up with J. and J. (the friends from last night) and we have punching bags next to each other. The next 45 minutes is a heated kickboxing class. It’s intense and feels so good. (Class is included in my gym membership.)
10:15 a.m. — We’re out of the class and we all decide our instructor chose violence today. I am dripping in sweat.
10:30 a.m. — Head to my car and spritz my face with toner and dab my face with a clean towel. As someone who works out frequently but also is prone to clogged pores, I’ve found this routine to be very helpful.
10:45 a.m. — Shower and wash my hair. I let it dry curly since it’s summer and no one has time for the hairdryer. I make a biiig breakfast. My favorite coffee of course, a yogurt with granola and blueberries, toasted English muffin and cottage cheese on top, with ranch seasoning. Sounds weird but so good. Keeps me full for hours.
12 p.m. — Today is the dreaded day of going to five different grocery stores just to restock your kitchen. First stop is Trader Joe’s. I grab enough to last us a few days since we eat basically every meal at home: chicken breasts, ground beef, Skyr yogurt, cucumbers, zucchini, broccolini, goMacro bars, cauliflower, string cheese, Babybel cheeses, and watermelon lemonade seltzers that caught my eye. Wait! I also see Chomps at the register, so I throw a few of those in. Ah crap, I get to the register and then have to run back to the cards section to get my mom a late Mother’s Day card since she’s visiting this week, and an anniversary card for B. since our two-year is this Monday. ($138.50, B. covers half.) $69.25
1 p.m. — Next stop, Target. Great news though: I have $38 in store credit that I need to use. I beeline it straight for the back of the store — I grab Good Culture cottage cheese, Yasso bars, Heineken 0% beers (B. loves these), and some other fun snacks. Head to the check out; with my credit the total is $17.86. $17.86
1:45 p.m. — Unload all the groceries after hauling them up four flights of stairs since the elevator was reserved for people moving in. Safe to say I’m exhausted. Day isn’t done yet! I leave for my electrolysis appointment.
2 p.m. — Make it to my electrolysis appointment. I’ve been doing this since January, every 10-12 days or so. I have very dark hair and fair skin, and well, let’s just say I had a bad laser hair removal experience on my face previously, to remove that “peach fuzz.” The provider was not great and it actually made my hair on my face COARSER. It’s been really an emotional thing for me, but electrolysis is the only thing that seems to be working for me. (And before you ask, yes, I’ve checked my hormones, I do not have PCOS or another condition. Just bad luck with laser. So ladies, do you research before doing anything to your face!) I come out a little blotchy and red, but hairless. Yipee! $100
3 p.m. — I get home and immediately wash my face and cover my face with Neosporin to heal my skin. The tiny cuts from electrolysis are like wounds to my body and this has been helpful so I don’t break out after the procedure or have my skin get irritated. I throw my laundry in the dryer, take out the recycling and make an English muffin topped with egg salad, chives, tomatoes, and Dijon mustard. Delish.
5 p.m. — The apartment is filthy. We tag team on a full deep clean.
8 p.m. — We have a mismatched dinner of whatever we feel like since we’re starving from cleaning. I have Trader Joe’s chicken soup dumplings, baby carrots, Chomps, and string cheese.
8:30 p.m. — I go for a quick post-dinner walk and listen to Dua Lipa’s new album — obsessed.
10 p.m. — Watch Ocean’s 8 to decompress and relax this evening. Stay up way too late but I know I get to sleep in tomorrow, yay!
Daily Total: $187.11
Day Seven
8 a.m. — Slept in and boy, does it feel so good. I lay around in bed for a while.
9:30 a.m. — B. is a huge Arsenal fan, so he’s up and jittery before the 10 a.m. game. I make up egg white omelets with green onion and Parmesan, and my favorite coffee.
10:15 a.m. — Finish breakfast and head to the mall (ugh) to do some returns at Abercrombie. I am on a mission to finish my summer capsule wardrobe — it fits my lifestyle so well, but the returns needed to figure out your size at a new retailer are EXHAUSTING! We all should have custom tailors.
12 p.m. — Find the cutest linen dresses for summer and black tailored high-waisted pants. I return $108 worth of merchandise, but then spend $137. $29
1 p.m. — I finally leave the mall to head to pick up a gorgeous large custom canvas painting I found on Facebook Marketplace. I hit the jackpot: This canvas is a monochrome, textured beauty that the artist priced at $800, however the owner of the piece is moving and just needs it gone, so I snag it for $85. BIG WIN. It’s going to go perfectly in our living room. $85
1:30 p.m. — I see a grocery store on the way home and pick up a couple of staples I forgot to get yesterday. Eggs, deli turkey meat, yogurt, Clif Bar Minis, bananas, and some other miscellaneous items that I can’t remember because I threw the receipt away. Mom calls me on the ride home and we chat for almost an hour — man, do I love that woman. $40.64
2:20 p.m. — I get home and B. has organized the entire guest bedroom in preparation for my parents coming on Thursday. He helps me put away the groceries.
3 p.m. — B. and I spend some much-needed one-on-one time together. It’s been such a busy few weeks, but we finally have an afternoon to relax together and slow down.
6 p.m. — I start to make dinner because I’m getting hangry. I whip up our favorite: healthier crunch wraps. It’s extra-lean ground beef with Siete seasoning cooked in carb-savvy tortillas with a sprinkle of cheese, one tortilla chip, salsa, and chopped lettuce. Wrap it all up and pop it in the air fryer for five minutes. Voilà. I roast some broccolini on the side and make enough for leftovers tomorrow.
7:30 p.m. — We clean up from dinner and go for a post-dinner walk together. The cicadas are everywhere — we laugh and dodge them flying around.
9 p.m. — I fold my laundry and finish putting out my clothes for tomorrow and get ready for a full week ahead.
Daily Total: $155.64
The Breakdown
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