- An English-language (ESL) teacher details how she spends over $200 in a week, while still paying $500 a month towards her student loans.
- Most of her money is put toward food, drink, clothing and beauty.
- The teacher also enjoys spending a lot of her free time vegging out and catching up on her Netflix binges.
Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
Industry: Education
Age: 23
Location: Ulsan, South Korea
Salary: $~23,000
Paycheck (1x/month): $1,930
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $0. (Luckily, the program I work for covers my apartment!)
Student Loan Payment: $500. (I took out a private loan my freshman year of college and I'm aggressively trying to pay it off.)
Utilities: $100
Phone Bill: $50
Savings: $400-$600. (I have a total of $3,000 in savings.)
Spotify: $10
Bus Card: $20
Day one
6:45 a.m — I struggle to get out of bed before beginning my morning routine of oatmeal, coffee, and getting ready. I talk to my friends and family who are still awake in the US, and then head off to work.
10 a.m. — Back at my desk, I swiftly put the jeans and earrings into my shopping cart and purchase. A pair of my beloved jeans ripped on vacation recently, which is how I am justifying this purchase to myself. $91.45
12 p.m. — My school offers lunches for teachers for roughly $40 per month, but I prefer to bring my lunch and avoid the questionable meats. I scurry out of the cafeteria after I eat and go back to my desk. Today is a slow day sitting at my desk working on a multicultural class lesson plan I am doing in the upcoming months. As a break, I start online shopping again. I remember I am running low on a few products that I order from the US every month or so. I restock on all my essentials. $49.66
4:40 p.m. — As soon as the clock hits 4:40, I fly out of work and to the gym.
6:30 p.m. — Finally get home. I start making pasta, check my phone, and straighten up my place. I devour the pasta in just a few minutes, and then hop in the shower.
Daily Total: $141.11
Day two
7 a.m. — I hit snooze two times before actually getting out of bed. My apartment is FREEZING because the heating system in Korea is a lot different than in the US. They use floor heating here, so the heat doesn't really stay in my apartment like it should. Despite feeling chilly, I start moving and getting ready for the day. Answer a "good morning" text from the guy I was talking to last night, but I'm unsure of how I feel about meeting up tonight.
9:10 a.m. — I get a message from one of my co-teachers about how much I owe for a dinner we all went to on Monday. I transfer her the money, and then start thinking about how great the pizza and pasta were. I might have to eat it again for dinner tonight. $10.64
12:20 p.m. — I thought I'd finished my last class of the day, but I find out that I have an afternoon class with sixth grade again. There was some drama between a homeroom teacher and my co-teacher, so the class got pushed to this afternoon. I always find out last minute about things like this. Unfazed, I start brainstorming activities we can do since we finished the book in our lesson earlier today. My co-teacher and I head to lunch, and I listen to her valid complaints about the homeroom teacher.
2:10 p.m. — Back at my desk until 4:40 p.m. There are absolutely no lessons next week, so there is no planning to do. I focus on my multicultural class materials and watch YouTube videos before I leave for the weekend. This week was unusually exhausting considering I only had 40% of my classes. I'm ready to rest.
4:50 p.m. — I get home and feel like having a night in. Flake on the guy who I talked to last night. He wanted to get dinner, but I really don't feel like socializing. I sit on my phone for a little bit and then finally get up from my bed to make dinner. I throw lettuce, lentils, and sweet potatoes in a bowl and think about how I really should have gone to the store.
7:30 p.m. — I fall into a Spotify hole and start expanding my latest playlist. There is a lot of good music that has just come out and I am really digging it. After listening for a while, I start kind of watching "Altered Carbon" on Netflix, but I'm really only paying attention to my phone.
9:30 p.m. — I talk to my mom on the phone for an hour and a half. I dish on all of my boy drama and work updates from the last week. It is extremely difficult to match up our schedules during the week, so I cherish all the time I get to spend talking to mom. Shortly after our call, I pass out.
Day three
9 a.m. — Had quite the snooze this morning. I'm happy I got to rest today because I needed it. I check my phone, get up, and make breakfast. It's also great to feel well-rested after a Friday night because I usually feel like garbage on Saturday mornings. I text my best friend in the States because I am pretty sure she doesn't have work today. We FaceTime for a while and catch up. I love when our schedules line up because I miss her so much and she gives great advice.
11:30 a.m. — I go out to get groceries, and since I didn't go out for dinner and drinks last night, I feel like treating myself at the store. I pick up hot sauce and other splurge items and then grab an Americano at a coffee shop near my house. I end up FaceTiming with another of my best friends when I get home. She catches me up on what is going on back at our university, since she is still a student there. After reminiscing for a while, we hang up and I try to get my day rolling. $29.33
1:50 p.m. — Make lunch and get ready to head to the gym. Lunch is tofu, rice, and salad — super simple. Korea has forced me to eat simply at home, as I prefer to eat plant-based, and the options here for veggies are slim; my main protein staples are lentils and tofu. I listen to my new Spotify playlist to get motivated for leg day at the gym and dance a little bit before heading out.
4:15 p.m. — Finish up my workout and walk home. I eat a quick snack and slowly get ready for dinner with a friend. I turn on the TV in my apartment, which has collected dust since I arrived in Korea. I watch some of the Olympics and get a little bummed out that I blew the opportunity to watch in person when the events are being held only a few hours away from me.
6:30 p.m. — I catch a bus to downtown Ulsan to meet my friend for dinner. I am feeling so much more sociable today. My city only has buses as its public transport, which is a bit of a bummer, because I miss the metro and am not a fan of the jarring bus adventures here. My life flashes before my eyes every time I set foot on one! The drivers here barely stop when picking up new passengers. $11.89
9 p.m. — We get dinner at a sushi place, where I order French fries (which is weird). The fries are subpar but the translations of the sushi roll names into English make up for it. Against my better judgment, we head over to where all the bars are. We drink and play darts. $9.22
11:30 p.m. — We head to another, more lively bar. We drink a few fruity drinks and play more darts. Korea is a bit behind when it comes to music and no one here actually knows how to do "The Cupid Shuffle," so my friend and I do it and the rest of the people at the bar fist pump. $11.06
3:30 a.m. — I finally leave the bar and hop in a taxi. I am impressed with the Korean taxi driver because he actually understands my Korean when I tell him my address. I get super tired in the taxi and look forward to crawling into my bed. Get home, take out my contacts, wash my face, and go straight to sleep. $14.32
Daily Total: $75.82
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