Hi, ya'll!
I am finally on holiday and can write as freely as I can without the pull of class assignments pulling me away from my creativity.
I am a big fan of Refinery 29's Money Diaries, so I decided to keep track of my own expenses to see how healthy my spending habits are.
A little bit about me:
I am a fourth-year at UCSB and I live off campus with a group of my gal pals. I pay for rent, wifi, and other utilities, buuut I didn't track these expenses for the week (I probably should have, but forgot. I'm sorry!). I work on campus, so that is how I afford rent and the treat-yo-self moments. But I am not going to lie, I am ecstatic when that financial aid comes through (love you FAFSA and the work you do <3).
Anyways, let's see what a typical week in my life is. Also, this money diary is from last month (again, apologies) because this quarter was meh and I never could sit down to write for pleasure. But I am back!
Sunday 3 November 2019
-$5.95 slice of pizza
-$10 for dinner at a local Santa Barbara Co-Op
Sometimes, I do not have enough time to pack lunch for the day, which means that when it is time for my shift at work, I am one hangry individual. My customer service becomes sub-bar because all I want to do is eat. So, during my fifteen minute break, I occasionally grab a slice of pizza from Woodstock's and scarf it down.
I try not to eat out that much, but on this day I also ate at a local Santa Barbara Co-Op and donated $10 for the meal one of their tenants made me. I wrote a story about students in the Santa Barbara community who made meals for extra cash, which will be published in Isla Vista's Magazine, WORD. One of my interviewees was kind enough to cook for me, so I could document the experience and I don't know if it's bad journalism that I paid them for the meal...But I felt obligated because they cook for the Co-Op all the time, so this donation was for their next grocery run.
Monday 4 November 2019
-$0 SPENT, WOOOO!
Tuesday 5 November 2019
-$10.95 salad from South Coast Deli
-$7.50 for The Lighthouse movie tickets
Again, I did not have time to pack a lunch. I grabbed a big salad to go from my favorite lunch spot off campus then rushed home to change for a movie night with a friend. We bought tickets to see The Lighthouse and let me just say, Robert Pattinson, you have redeemed yourself from the Twilight days. He and William Dafoe were illuminating on screen. I thought I lost my keys in the theatre after the film, rushed back in there when everything was closed, but they weren't there. Long story short, they fell on the floor of my friend's car. What a night.
Wednesday 6 November 2019
-$16 for vegan chocolate chip cookies
-$16.75 for ramen
Is it bad journalism to purchase your interviewee's famous treats when writing a story on them? Welp, I did that again, and these vegan chocolate chip cookies were so worth the 16 bucks. I begged for the baker's recipe, but it's a tip-top secret.
I was too lazy to cook tonight, so I bought ramen out with a friend. It was our middle-of-the-week treat!
Thursday 7 November 2019
-$4.85 for a yogurt parfait
-$0.99 for La Croix
-$121 for groceries
On Thursday morning, I grabbed yogurt with granola, which is the only good thing at our mini eatery on campus. Staying hydrated sounded boring, so I bought a La Croix which motivated me to drink something other than coffee.
I also finally went grocery shopping today. Sprout's is my favorite grocery store. Whole Foods is out of reach and almost too fancy for me. Sprout's is a slow dive into the realm of organic food and wellness, so you can find me there bi-weekly. Anyways, I bought plenty of food for the next couple weeks, so yay me!
Friday 8 November 2019
-$15.43 for a six-pack
-$3 for an improv show
I finished all my journalistic work and I bought a six-pack to celebrate. It's dangerous to live in between two liquor stores...
I also went to watch an improv show with my gal pals! $3 for good, clean FUN!
Saturday 9 November 2019
-$4 for laundry
-$7 for a pitcher of beer
The worst part about living in an apartment complex is that most likely you will have to do laundry off-site. That's what I did and I swear the laundry machines do not wash my clothes. This week seemed so long, so my friends and I went out for some beer and split a pitcher.
This week's total: $223.42
This number seems like a lot, but it is because I buy a ton of groceries to last me two weeks. I definitely could have created some meals at home instead of eating out, but when kale and eggs are the only things in your fridge, I'm sure you would want to eat out as well.
I still have so much guilt when I spend money, especially if it's for eating out out. But I have to remind myself that right now I am in college and I will not be able to casually eat out with my friends or go to the movies when I have a job and live alone. So, while I still can, I'll continue to eat out and enjoy it.
Cheers, everyone! xo
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