A born-and-raised Calgarian, our source is a 25-year-old graduate of the U of C and SAIT. Upon spending two years at each institution, she graduated in 2014 with a degree in broadcasting and communications — a vocation that took her to a small Albertan town for around six months. Deciding she was ready to return to YYC, this city girl moved back home with her mother for one year; before breaking out on her own once more, moving to the city’s southeast with her boyfriend, and starting a new career in marketing.
Earnings
Occupation: Marketing and Proposal Coordinator
Industry: Oil and Gas
Age: 25
Neighbourhood: MacKenzie Towne
Yearly salary: $52,000
Monthly take home pay: $3,200
Marketing freelance (per month): $500 to $1,000
Income from basement renters: $500 per month per each renter, totaling $1,000
Total monthly income: $3,950 to $4,450*
*Income from basement renters is split; $500 goes into a joint savings account between our source and her boyfriend, $250 goes to our source, and $250 goes to her boyfriend
Savings
Income from basement renters: $500 per month
Monthly Payments
Mortgage (split with boyfriend): $1,340 total, $670 solo
Electricity and water (split with boyfriend): $250 total, $125 solo
Heating (split with boyfriend): $50 total, $25 solo
Internet and TV (split with boyfriend): $130 total, $65 solo
Phone (split with boyfriend): $200 total, $100 solo
Property tax: $220
Car: $460
Car/house insurance: $260
Credit card: $300 to $400
Line of credit (to pay off credit card): $300 to $400
Total monthly payments: $1,730 to $1,930
Monthly Expenses
Gas: $200
Parking stall at work: $450
Groceries (split with boyfriend): $300 total, $150 solo
Eating out (split with boyfriend): $800 total, $400 solo
“Funnily enough, we eat in more than we go out,” our source says. “But when we go out we go downtown, so then we are eating and drinking and cabbing.”
She added one way the couple saves money is through bringing their lunches to work.
Netflix (family account): $0
Gym (split with boyfriend, corporate plan): $100 total, $50 solo
“We only joined the corporate plan because it ended up being cheaper than the plan we had been on before. I would probably go the same amount either way — which is sometimes not very often,” our source said with a laugh.
Clothing and makeup: $200 to $300
“Clothing and makeup are big for sure — because I like to look cute,” our source says, listing her biggest game players as Aritzia, Sephora and Lululemon. “I have been shopping at Dynamite a lot more lately though, because it is quite a bit cheaper.”
Nails: $80 per month
“Hair I don’t get done every month, when I do it’s around $250.”
Brows: $36 per month
Swim classes: $40 per month ($80 for eight weeks)
Spin: $240 for 20 classes, $48 per month
Softball: $35 per month, $70 field rental for two months
Total monthly expenses: $2,039
A Week in the Life
Sundays start slowly for our source — as it should. Waking up around 9 am, while her boyfriend snoozes in until closer to 1 pm, she’ll head to a hot yoga class ($18 drop-in) and detox the adventures from Saturday night away. After getting her sweat on, it is time for brunch with the boyfriend ($40).
Brunch wraps up in the late afternoon, and the evening is spent with family as the couple head to her mother’s house for Sunday dinner.
Monday morning comes far too early. Up at 5 am, after a shower and breakfast, our source grabs a coffee ($5) or tea ($2) and makes it to the office by 7 am.
Her morning routine repeats Monday through Fri-yay, ringing in two coffees and three teas ($16). After eating a packed lunch in the afternoon, she’ll spend her break at the gym ($50 per month).
Yes, she is that virtuous.
But not on Mondays. On Mondays, lunch is spent indulging with either phô or ramen ($14) — and the gym is Tuesday’s concern.
Yet, after a Monday night swim class ($40 per month), we imagine our source heads to bed guilt-free.
While Tuesday brings a gym day, every-other-week it also brings a wing night ($40). Meanwhile, Wednesday evenings are reserved for some QT with her honey, making dinner, going for a walk, or watching a movie ($0).
While love is free, Thursday evenings spent on the softball pitch are not ($35 per month). Neither is the occasional post-game drink with our source’s team ($10).
Celebrating the end of the workweek takes our source to her mother’s for catching up and drinking wine ($20). If the weather is nice, they head for a walk; however, “if it’s too hot we have to drink,” our source says, with a laugh.
Saturday kicks off at 9 am with a spin — class, that is ($12). Afterwards, our source heads home to relax, before enjoying a quintessential summer activity: a barbecue ($50). Afterward, one warm weather staple follows another, and she and her boyfriend find a friendly patio ($100).
A cab ride ($25) split between the couple winds down the pair’s night at home, where they order everyone’s favourite midnight snack — pizza ($20).
By Sarah Comber
