Welcome to The Cost of City Living, a recurring TorontoToday column that aims to tackle the ever-looming topic of money. Each week, one Torontonian details a week of their spending habits to see just how much it costs to live in the city.
This week, we follow a journalist in her 20s who spent some of her budget on hosting friendsgiving.
Location: Toronto
Occupation: Journalist
Age: 28
Salary: $62,000
Take-home pay (bi-weekly): $1750-$1800 (approximately)
Weekly allowance: $525
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly expenses:
Rent: $2,274.11, split with a roommate
Rent insurance: $32.01, split with a roommate
Hydro: Varies per month — last statement was $122.27, split with a roommate
Internet: $96.05
Subscriptions: $89.44
Day 1: I’m hosting friendsgiving this weekend so I have to prepare food that I know I won’t be making on the day of, including pie crust — which means I need to buy a lot of butter. On my lunch break, I go to Sobeys for Gay Lea salted butter and the best news is that it’s on sale for $5.29. I buy two. $10.58
I walk up the street to a Dollarama. I grab mint gum, two small scentless candles for my friendsgiving table and an ice cream scooper — because we all need an ice cream scooper in our lives. $8.94
On my way home, I pass by a Winners and realize buying a gravy boat would be useful, not just for this weekend, but for any weekend when I have a hunk of meat in the oven. I buy it with a gift card I’ve kept in my wallet for months. $11.28
I also pay $3.30 to get on the TTC.
Daily total: $22.82
Day 2: After work, I walk to Sobeys again to grab whatever else I haven’t bought for friendsgiving yet: brussels sprouts, carrots, potatoes, vegan yogurt, vegan feta, leeks, whipping cream, ice cream, wine, two bottles of soda, vinegar, dip and chips. $89.85
I figure I need focaccia bread for my rosemary focaccia leek stuffing, but it’s already past 5 p.m. I call Forno Cultura to see if they have any left — they do. I walk over and grab one. $10.00
Daily total: $99.95
Day 3: I’m busy cooking today! I wake up and sautee apples in brown sugar, cinnamon and other fall-coded ingredients. I chop, bake and assemble. I finally decide to take a break in the afternoon and go on a neighbourhood walk.
I pass by the same Winners from earlier in the week. There’s a round clay serving dish similar to a dish my old roommate broke in the past. I purchase it with my leftover Winners credit. $14.67
Friendsgiving is a hit but the only challenge is keeping everything warm at the same time. Nevertheless, the food is wiped off the table by my hungry friends. My friend Eva is not crazy about my brussels sprouts salad — I note to myself that maybe paying $10.00 for the ginormous pack of sprouts was not worth it.
Daily total: $24.67
Day 4: I get away with not spending a dime during the first half of my day. I go to the Toronto Islands with my boyfriend and he pays for our ferry tickets and beverages.
After 9 p.m., there’s nothing I like more than winding down the day with a steaming mug of tea — it’s the most enjoyable part of my nighttime routine. But when I open the cupboard, the last pack is gone. I consider walking to my closest Shoppers Drug Mart to buy more. But against my better judgement, I make a DoorDash order because I also need oat milk — for my chai latte the next morning — and organic whipping cream: $37.35
Daily Total: $37.35
Day 5: Because I often feel like my days revolve around food, I wake up and decide to make crispy rice paper salmon and tofu rolls for my roommate. We eat that tonight while catching up on The Golden Bachelorette.
I take a work break and walk to Farmboy — which I hope will be my only purchase of the day (spoiler alert: it’s not). I hop over to the salmon and there are only a few pieces left. They’re huge, so I choose the smallest one and figure I’ll freeze whatever I don’t use, even though frozen salmon is notoriously flavourless. I also get a few mini cucumbers to make Alison Roman’s smashed cucumber salad, as well as an avocado. $20.71
Later, after The Golden Bachelorette shenanigans, I see our hydro bill has been uploaded online. I add $122.27 to Splitwise so my roommate can pay her half. $61.14
Daily total: $81.85
Day 6: A family member is visiting my hometown, so I take the GO Train after work to spend a couple of nights at my parents’ house in Oakville. $8.16
When family time is over I head upstairs where I think I’m going to wind down — but instead, I’m dying to buy another expansion pack for my Sims video game. After weeks of waiting for a sale, I’m embarrassed to say that I caved. $30.50
Daily total: $38.66
Day 7: The best part of being home is having things paid for.
Today, I didn’t spend any money. I mind my own business and work the day away. I almost spend money on the bus when I decide to go visit a friend after work, but instead of taking transit, I walk the 25 minutes since it’s a nice day. We sit in her backyard and enjoy the final days of warm October weather.
When I get home, my family and I go to Scaddabush where I demolish a chicken parmesan cheese pasta and bruschetta. It tastes 10 times better because I don’t have to pull out my wallet when the bill arrives.
Daily total: $0
WEEKLY TOTAL: $305.30
MONEY LEFT OVER: $280.84
Interested in submitting a money diary? Shoot an email to [email protected].
