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 pattern and textile designer in her early 30s who spent some of her budget on an oat milk latte and brunch.
Location: Toronto, ON
Occupation: Pattern and Textile Designer
Age: 32
Salary: $57,950.70
Take home (bi-weekly): $1613.35
Weekly allowance: $512.15
Pronouns: she/they
Monthly Expenses:
Rent: $1414
Student Loans: $185.43
Internet/phone: $117.42
Subscriptions: $91
Day 1: Today I’m working from home, so I make coffee and lunch, using some freshly baked bread my husband made yesterday evening.
We go for a walk after work and pick up a pizza for dinner. If we get takeout, we try our best to avoid delivery and pick it up ourselves. Since we can only buy from restaurants within walking distance, it limits our options and keeps us from going overboard. $23
Daily total: $23
Day 2: Today is another work-from-home day for me. Afterwards, I catch up on rearranging my home office space and before I know it, it’s well past dinner time. I go on a quick walk to the grocery store to grab something easy since I spent all my energy on organizing my office. $13.50
Daily total: $13.50
Day 3: This is my first day in the office this week. My commute involves transferring from local transit to the GO Train, so I’m thankful one fare covers both transit systems. $8.16
Unfortunately I did sleep in, so I have to condense my morning routine and choose between making coffee for my transit or packing a lunch. I choose to pack lunch.
When I get off the train I’m met with the start of a caffeine withdrawal headache, so I pop into Balzac's for a treat. I don’t usually start my day with a flavoured latte, but today I make an exception. Since I’m lactose intolerant, I get my latte with oat milk, making it a pricey indulgence. $8.77
As I brought my lunch for the day, my only other expense is the transit home. $8.16
I have a weak moment at dinnertime, which results in my husband and I ordering takeout. Sometimes, with two neurodivergent people, convenience outweighs our lack of energy. In this case, convenience won out. $53.03
Daily total: $78.12
Day 4: Today is another office day, but I had a much easier time with my morning routine. I head out the door with coffee and lunch made. With lunch covered, I don’t spend any money during the day. $16.32
I help my husband by running some deliveries to the post office and I stop at the grocery store to grab a couple of essentials. $42.18
Today is payday at work, and I got paid for some freelance work too!
Daily total: $58.50
Day 5: Today I am back to working from home. I am very thankful I’m only required in the office two days a week. After work, I declutter the office while my husband prepares for the craft sale he is vending at tomorrow. Yet again, we need an easy dinner, so we grab sandwiches from a little shop nearby. $36.14
Daily total: $36.14
Day 6: I’m working with my husband at a local craft sale for most of the day. We grab a few coffees and some lunch from one of the vendors while we’re there. I look around for gift ideas but nothing stands out to me. $24.15
In the evening we hop on the GO Train to a friend’s birthday party. We made our gift for the birthday girl using supplies we already have. I love giving handmade gifts because it feels more thoughtful, and the process of making things is more enjoyable when you know it’s going to a good home! $16.32
The party is a great time and the lovely hosts provide plenty of food and drink, meaning no BYOB costs for us. We end up staying a bit later than we had originally intended, making Uber our only option to get home. $45.60
Daily total: $86.06
Day 7: After a very long and busy Saturday, we plan for a lazy Sunday. One of our traditions is to get brunch the morning after a night out. So after a good sleep in, we hop on the bus to Eggsmart for a delicious meal. $6.80
After a very filling meal, we decide to take a little walk before heading home. $50.60
The restaurant is surrounded by shops and we walk off our meal by doing some “window shopping.” We usually inevitably buy something, but this time we resisted. We find a nearby nature path we hadn't seen before and take a stroll there instead.
The rest of our day is spent relaxing at home with our cats and we make a simple charcuterie board for dinner.
Daily total: $57.40
WEEKLY TOTAL: $352.72
MONEY LEFT OVER: $159.43
Interested in contributing to TorontoToday's Cost of City Living series? We're seeking submissions. Shoot us an email at [email protected]
