{"id":1094,"date":"2025-05-12T11:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/?p=1094"},"modified":"2025-05-13T08:34:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T08:34:59","slug":"a-week-in-national-capital-region-on-a-241000-joint-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/12\/a-week-in-national-capital-region-on-a-241000-joint-income\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week In National Capital Region On A $241,000 Joint Income"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to<\/em> <\/em>Money Diaries<\/em><\/a> where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We\u2019re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period \u2014 and we\u2019re tracking every last dollar.<\/em>
<\/em>
<\/em>Today: an evaluation specialist who has a $241,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on a beer at a baby event.<\/em>
<\/em>
<\/em>If you\u2019d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our <\/em>online form<\/em><\/a>. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we\u2019re not able to reply to every email.<\/em><\/p>\n

Content Note: <\/em><\/strong>This diary contains reference to post-partum depression.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: <\/em><\/strong>All amounts referred to are in Canadian dollars. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Occupation:<\/strong> Evaluation specialist (currently on maternity leave).
Industry:<\/strong> Healthcare
Age:<\/strong> 30
Location:<\/strong> National Capital Region, Canada
Salary:<\/strong> $121,000
Joint income\/Financial Setup:<\/strong> $241,000 (my husband, S., makes about $120,000). We split everything 50\/50 since we make similar amounts, if this were to change we would split things proportional to income. Note: I am on maternity leave, so I am making 90% of my regular salary \u2014 about 70% of this is paid by the government, and then my work tops up the rest.
Assets:<\/strong> House: $425,000; TFSA: $31,000 (joint with S.); retirement: $105,000 (spread across work plans and personal bank plans with S.. I have a defined benefit plan with work, which means I get a percentage of my salary after I retire for life based on my salary and years of service). RESP (for my daughter): $,3700.
Debt:<\/strong> Mortgage: $170,554; car 1: $10,000; car 2: $39,000.
Paycheck Amount (Biweekly):<\/strong> $2,113.62 from the government; $817.08 from my work.
Pronouns:<\/strong> She\/her<\/p>\n

Monthly Expenses<\/strong>

Housing Costs:<\/strong> $1,624 for our mortgage and property tax. We own a three-bedroom semi-detached house.
Loan Payments:<\/strong> Car 1: $495, car 2: $618
Car & House Insurance:<\/strong> $461 (split with S.).
Security System:<\/strong> $46 (split with S.).
Wifi & Cellphones:<\/strong> $196 (split with S.; covers two cellphones).
Hydro:<\/strong> $145 (split with S.).
Donations: <\/strong>$50 to a local dog rescue.
Savings: <\/strong>$1,900 ($1,100 towards general savings; $550 to travel; $150 to a \u201cfun fund\u201d; $100 to a misc account for baby expenses).
RRSP:<\/strong> $400 (I also contribute a percentage of my salary to my work pension, which is about $600 a paycheck).
Cleaner:<\/strong> $75 every two weeks (split with S.). <\/p>\n

Annual expenses <\/strong><\/p>\n

Credit Cards: <\/strong>$150 for hotel credit card; $600 for Aeroplan credit card.
Disney+: <\/strong>$160
DAZN: <\/strong>$229
AppleTV: <\/strong>$280
Costco: <\/strong>$120
Sweat App: <\/strong>$120, covered by my work through a lifestyle spending account.<\/p>\n

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
<\/strong>I was a good student and liked school, so it was assumed I would pursue at least an undergraduate degree and likely a master\u2019s of some sort as well. I did end up getting both of these. My parents paid for my first year of undergrad, plus my rent for all four years; the rest of my tuition went on a line of credit. My parents paid the interest on this, and I paid off the debt (about $20,000) shortly after completing my master\u2019s. I paid for my master\u2019s degree with my savings from working throughout undergrad, and was responsible for my rent during this time as well.<\/p>\n

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)\/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
<\/strong>My parents set me up with a bank account when I was very young, and taught me about savings, bonds, etc. That was pretty much the extent of my education; they didn\u2019t really talk to me much about finances, and I had no idea how much they made. I\u2019ve started asking them more now that I am older and they provide some guidance in terms of retirement and savings, but most of what I know I have figured out on my own.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and why did you get it?
<\/strong>I got a job at Tim Hortons when I turned 16. My parents started shifting some bills to me, like my cellphone and gas money at this time, with the expectation that I should get a job. It also allowed me to have more spending money to do things with friends.<\/p>\n

Did you worry about money growing up?
<\/strong>No. Although I didn\u2019t know how much my parents made, it never seemed like they struggled to pay bills, and they were always able to get us things we needed, and often things we wanted, and we took at least one vacation a year.<\/p>\n

Do you worry about money now?
<\/strong>No, but I think about it often, especially since having a child. I know we have enough to meet our needs, and we could adjust our finances if we needed to, but I think about how to best set up our child to pay for her education, upcoming daycare costs, etc.<\/p>\n

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
<\/strong>21, when I started my master\u2019s. At this point I was responsible for my bills and tuition, although my parents would sometimes help me out with flights home, and they were still paying the interest on my line of credit. My husband and our savings would be my first financial safety net, but both our families would also help us out with no strings attached if we needed it.<\/p>\n

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
<\/strong>My parents paid my rent in undergrad, and also gave me $7,000 towards my wedding.<\/p>\n

Day One: Monday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1:30 a.m. \u2014 My four-month-old daughter, C., wakes up to feed. S., my husband, changes her diaper, then goes to our spare room to get some uninterrupted sleep. Feed C. and put her back to sleep around 2 a.m.<\/p>\n

3 a.m. \u2014 C. starts wiggling in her crib. I get up to soothe her and she is wide awake and ready to party. Girly, it\u2019s the middle of the night. She is super tired but does not want to go back to sleep, so I spend the next hour switching between feeding, rocking, and bouncing before finally getting her back to sleep around 4 a.m.<\/p>\n

6:15 a.m. \u2014 S. comes to relieve me so I can get some uninterrupted sleep, but C. hasn\u2019t woken up for her morning feed yet so I am not sure how long I will have. I end up getting back up at 7 a.m. to feed her, and then S. takes her until 8:30 a.m. when he starts work so I can try to get more sleep.<\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 Up for the day! Grateful to S. for the extra sleep this morning. S. brings me a coffee and I feed C. a bit more before we start the day. Do my skincare, which is just Glow Recipe Cloudberry Moisturizer and Sephora Brightening Eyecream, then put C. on her playmat and make a smoothie for S. and me, heat up a cinnamon bun from the batch I made Saturday, and put together pulled pork in the crockpot. After I eat, I put C. down for her morning nap early, since she got an early start to the day.<\/p>\n

10 a.m. \u2014 C. is awake, and it\u2019s a beautiful day (sad that above -5 Celsius is a beautiful day), so I load C. into the car and we head to the Rideau Canal to go skating! She hangs out in her stroller and takes a catnap while I do some very slow skating. Afterwards I grab myself a hot chocolate, and we head home. $3.85<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:30 p.m. \u2014 S. feeds C. a bottle while I eat lunch and pump. He goes back to work after and I take C. upstairs to cuddle and nap.<\/p>\n

2:15 p.m. \u2014 Wake C. up because I have to leave for a chiropractor appointment. She isn\u2019t pleased, but she sleeps a bit more in the car and then is happy playing with a crinkle toy while I get my neck and back fixed from carrying her around constantly. (The appointment is $60, but will be fully covered by insurance.) $60<\/strong> (Expensed)<\/p>\n

4:05 p.m. \u2014 It\u2019s snowing pretty heavily outside and traffic is absolutely brutal; it takes me an hour to get home. C. falls asleep again, so I stop for gas on my way home. Once I am home I feed C, and then she hangs in her playpen while S. and I tidy the house a bit. S. mentions he really doesn\u2019t want to shovel, so I offer to do it while he preps potatoes and broccoli to go with dinner. My arms are screaming by the end, but we have a clear path and driveway again. Hop in the shower since I got sweaty even with the cold weather. $62.83<\/strong><\/p>\n

6:30 p.m. \u2014 Play fetch with our dog, put C. in her bouncer chair, and eat dinner. Start getting C. and myself for bed around 7:30 p.m. \u2014 diaper change and feed for her, skincare (Lush Angels on Bare Skin cleanser, Glow Recipe Watermelon Serum, Glow Recipe Moisturizer, Sephora Brightening Eye Cream) and brush teeth for me. Get her to sleep just after 8 p.m. Relax in bed for a bit, then S. goes to the spare room to sleep since he is in the office tomorrow. Cross my fingers for at least four hours of sleep before C. wakes up.<\/p>\n

11:30 p.m. \u2014 Just kidding, C. wakes up at 9 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. Feed her at 11 p.m. and put her back down at 11:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $66.68<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Two: Tuesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

4 a.m. \u2014 C. wakes up. A decent stretch! Feed her, and she unfortunately has again decided it\u2019s party time. Unsuccessfully try to get her back to sleep until 5:15 a.m., when she finally goes down. The dog looks at me like she misses being an only child. She\u2019ll change her mind when C. starts solids.<\/p>\n

6 a.m. \u2014 C. wakes up again, much to my dismay. Ask S. to take her for 30 minutes so I can keep sleeping. C. rarely goes back in her bassinet after 6 a.m., so we just end up holding her until she wakes up for the day.<\/p>\n

8 a.m. \u2014 Our cleaner is arriving soon, so we are up for the day. Skincare, brush teeth, say hello to our cleaner, make a smoothie and coffee, and eat the last cinnamon bun. Feed C., and then set up with C. and the dog for a team workout \u2014 C. on her playmat, the dog playing fetch, and me following a postpartum program on my workout app.<\/p>\n

9:30 a.m. \u2014 Put C. down for her morning nap, fold some laundry, and do my hair. Once she wakes up, we head out to my eyebrow appointment. C. captures the attention of all the ladies there, and she knows it. $36.44<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30 a.m. \u2014 Come back to a clean house ($75, in monthly budget). Eat leftover pulled pork for lunch, then feed C. Get C. and myself ready to head out again, but C. needs an impromptu bath after a blowout\u2026 Parenthood is so fun.<\/p>\n

12:30 p.m. \u2014 Finally out the door, heading to a local brewery that has a baby playtime. (I go to a mom group almost weekly, and things like this about once a month. They\u2019re great: they give C. a chance to see other babies and play around, and me a chance to interact with other adults. They\u2019re also a great chance to ask questions to parents of older babies!) Get myself a shandy beer, and sit and chat with the other parents while C. stares in awe at the other babies. She\u2019s still a bit too young to play, but she\u2019s definitely interested! $9.20<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 p.m. \u2014 Head out and stop at a little shop downtown on the way home to get S. a card for our anniversary ($7.12). Also grab myself a chocolate bar that was made in Newfoundland ($6.78)! C. is fussy, so feed her when we get home and get her down for a nap. $13.90<\/strong><\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 S. gets home from work and C. wakes up. We hang out for a bit, then S. heats up chicken noodle soup I made previously and makes grilled cheeses to go along with it. We watch Last Week Tonight<\/em> while we eat.<\/p>\n

7:30 p.m. \u2014 Time to start bedtime! For me as well, since I assume I will be up for a bit in the middle of the night again. Asleep by 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $59.54<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Three: Wednesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1:30 a.m. \u2014 C. wakes up. Change her diaper, feed her, and put her back down.<\/p>\n

3 a.m. \u2014 C. wakes up, soothe her back to sleep.<\/p>\n

5:30 a.m. \u2014 Time for a feed. Put her back down and she sleeps until 6:30 a.m.! Cuddle her for the rest of her sleep, until 7:45 a.m.<\/p>\n

8 a.m. \u2014 Skincare, brush teeth, feed C, and then make myself a latte and eat overnight oats I prepped last night. S. is in the office again today, so we\u2019re on our own. Relax and read baby books until C\u2019s first nap at 9:30 a.m.<\/p>\n

10:30 a.m. \u2014 C. is up, so we head to the grocery store. I get chips, chicken broth, carrots, hummus, and canned pumpkin. I also stop by the bank to deposit cash. $22.83<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30 a.m. \u2014 Time for another team workout! I do upper body and core, C. does tummy time, and the dog plays fetch. After working out I make myself a smoothie and half a blueberry bagel with cream cheese. Someone from my \u201cbuy nothing\u201d group comes by to pick up my pregnancy pillow. S. will be so happy to not share the bed with that thing anymore, but I thought it was amazing! It\u2019s essentially a big U shape that you sleep between \u2014 I found it helpful to put my upper leg on it and my upper arm, and then I could roll over and not have to readjust the pillow. You can really only sleep on your sides later in pregnancy, and my hips hurt a lot, so this was a game changer.<\/p>\n

12:30 p.m. \u2014 Feed C. and put her to sleep for a nap. When she wakes up, have leftover chicken noodle soup for lunch, and prep an enchilada bake in the crockpot for dinner. Decide to also make banana chocolate chip muffins with bananas I have in the freezer. Then C. takes another short nap; I read a book while I cuddle her.<\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 S. gets home. Adult interaction! We catch up on our days, and then I take the opportunity to do a face mask and take a long hot shower, instead of my usual quick five-minute one. When I am done, we eat dinner. C. plays on her playmat and almost rolls over totally on her own!<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 S. tries to give C. a bottle, but she decides it\u2019s a no from her, so I feed her while S. cleans up. We try to watch a bit of TV while putting C. to bed, but she starts screaming so we turn off all the lights and she goes to sleep. We go to sleep ourselves around 9 p.m. Back up to soothe C. at 11:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $22.83<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Four: Thursday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

12:30 a.m. \u2014 Up to soothe C.<\/p>\n

1:30 a.m. \u2014 Up to feed C. S. changes her diaper and heads to the spare room to sleep; the dog bolts after him. What, you\u2019re tired of waking up every hour? Same.<\/p>\n

3 a.m. \u2014 Up to soothe C. at 3 a.m., 4 a.m., and 5:30 a.m. I fear we are hitting the dreaded four-month sleep regression. S. gets up at 5:30 a.m. to relieve me, and I head to the spare room to get some sleep.<\/p>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 Alarm goes off. I am up early because S. has to take one of our cars in to get checked. Walk into the room and C. is wide awake. Girl what the heck? Change C.\u2019s diaper, then take her to make a latte and a smoothie, and eat a muffin. Put on an eye mask as if that\u2019s going to miraculously cure my lack of sleep.<\/p>\n

8:15 a.m. \u2014 C. is already ready for a nap. I get it. Feed her and put her down to sleep, and lay down myself. End up having to pick her up and let her sleep on me so she sleeps longer.<\/p>\n

10 a.m. \u2014 Pass C. to S. so I can attend therapy. I\u2019ve been seeing my therapist for four years, and started seeing her weekly after having C. and experiencing postpartum depression. (When C. was born, I felt very disconnected and afraid to be alone with her, was totally uninterested in anything that used to bring me joy, and felt like I wanted to disappear just to get a break. My therapist flagged that this seemed to be more than just \u201cbaby blues\u201d, and I started antidepressants at four weeks postpartum, which helped tremendously. I\u2019m still on them, and they, along with therapy, help me feel much more like myself.) Feel much lighter after my session ($175; will be covered fully by my insurance). Make myself a blueberry bagel with cream cheese afterwards, and prep a chickpea curry in the crockpot. $175<\/strong> (Expensed)<\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 Take C. to feed and nap. When she wakes up, I eat some of the enchilada leftovers, and we head out to a mom group. C. has a great time watching the other babies, and I get some adult interaction.<\/p>\n

3 p.m. \u2014 Head home to get S. so we can go pick up our car. They said there were no issues with the fuel efficiency test, but changed our oil and filters, re-screwed a tray, and changed a windshield wiper. Total was $383 (we split the cost). $191.50<\/strong><\/p>\n

3:30 p.m. \u2014 Take C. home for a nap while S. stops at Walmart to get naan bread, a salad, and a different size bottle nipple ($17; $8.50 for my half) to see if it helps with C. rejecting the bottle (narrator: It did not help). C. wakes up but is still super tired and fussy. I would be too if I was up every hour overnight. Oh wait\u2026 $8.50<\/strong><\/p>\n

6:30 p.m. \u2014 Open a bottle of Lola Ros\u00e9 and eat dinner. I forgot we had this bottle \u2014 I think I bought it before I got pregnant. It\u2019s one of my favourites so I am excited to have it again after over a year without it! C. falls asleep in her bouncer, so we take the chance to play fetch with the dog and watch an episode of Last Week Tonight<\/em>. We are so behind on the show that the election hasn\u2019t even happened yet. Good times: fond memories before the dystopian horror that is today.<\/p>\n

8:30 p.m. \u2014 Put C. to bed. I\u2019m so tired I go to sleep myself and am out as soon as my head hits the pillow. S. gets up at 9:30 p.m. to soothe C.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $200<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Five: Friday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1 a.m. \u2014 I get up to soothe C.<\/p>\n

2:30 a.m. \u2014 C. gets up to feed. A pretty good stretch! S. changes her diaper and heads to the spare room with the dog, who can\u2019t get out of here fast enough. Get C. back down by 3:30 a.m. She sleeps until 5:50 a.m., then I feed her before S. comes in at 6 a.m. to relieve me. Looking forward to a nice two-hour stretch!<\/p>\n

7:20 a.m. \u2014 Just kidding \u2014 the dog jumps off the bed and throws up. I can\u2019t catch a break. Let the dog out, clean up, and get back into bed. S. hears me and tells me to set my alarm for 8:30 a.m.<\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 Up feeling relatively well rested, especially compared to the other days this week. Go see S. and C., who are playing on her playmat, and take C. to feed. S. and I decide to have chocolate chip waffles to celebrate Friday (even though days of the week mean nothing to me right now), and I make myself a coffee. S. starts work and I empty the dishwasher until C. starts getting fussy and needs her morning nap. Spend C.\u2019s naptime searching for cottages for a getaway we want to take with friends this summer.<\/p>\n

10:30 a.m. \u2014 Team workout time! Set C. up on her playmat and grab the dog\u2019s ball, and set up for a full body workout. C. gets restless halfway through so I move her to my yoga mat while I finish up. Have a banana chocolate chip muffin afterwards.<\/p>\n

12:30 p.m. \u2014 Put C. down for a nap and go eat leftover curry for lunch. She wakes up after 20 minutes so I go grab her and finish eating. I also eat two chocolate chip cookies because breastfeeding hunger is like no other. Apparently you burn about 500 calories a day breastfeeding, so it\u2019s really common to be really hungry. I crave sweets, although sometimes I will get a random craving, like French toast cereal, something I hadn\u2019t had in years! (And which my husband kindly got for me.) I feed C. and then practice rolling with her, then call my grandma to chat while she plays.<\/p>\n

2 p.m. \u2014 C. falls asleep feeding, so I cuddle with her and she sleeps for two hours! I read my book while she sleeps in my arms.<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m. \u2014 C. is up and S. gives her a bottle. She takes half of it, which is better than nothing. I pump and play with the dog while she eats, and then S. and I give C. a bath. She promptly spits up on her fresh onesie.<\/p>\n

6 p.m. \u2014 S. makes cacio e pepe for dinner with a salad, and we eat it with a glass of the wine we opened yesterday. C. amuses herself by turning on her sides while we eat. See that Nespresso is running a deal where you can get a box of chocolates and cocktail glasses if you spend over $139. We are running low on coffee and I was planning on picking some up next week, so we decide to order now to take advantage of the deal. $145.40<\/strong><\/p>\n

8:00 p.m. \u2014 Start the bedtime routine. Get C. down by 9:30pm and go to bed ourselves.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $145.40<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Six: Saturday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

12:45 p.m. \u2014 C. did a decent stretch! S. changes her diaper and I feed her, and S. and the dog go to the spare room. Put C. back to sleep by 1:30 a.m. \u2013\u2014 she wakes up at 2:30 a.m., 4:15 a.m., and then 5:15 a.m. I feed her at 5:15 a.m. and then wake S. up to take over around 5:45 a.m.<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 I got to sleep in today so I am feeling relatively rested. Get up with the dog and go see S. and C., who are playing on her play mat. Make myself a coffee and have a banana chocolate chip muffin, then feed C. C. falls asleep while feeding, so I sit and cuddle her so she gets a good nap. In the meantime S. gets ready to leave, he is going away for the night so I am fully solo parenting.<\/p>\n

11:15 a.m. \u2014 C. wakes up. I do some light makeup, and then we do some tummy time and feed. Text my SIL to see what her plan is, because I am seeing her briefly while she is in town so she can see C.<\/p>\n

12:45 p.m. \u2014 Leave to meet my SIL at a brewery. I order an oatmeal stout, which my SIL covers. She and her friend love doting on C., so I have my hands free for a bit!<\/p>\n

2 p.m. \u2014 Head out to meet my friend on the canal to go for a walk. Put C. in her stroller and she takes a good nap while we walk. Plan to hang out until 4 p.m., but C. gets fussy and hungry, so I head to the car around 3:30 p.m. and feed her, since it\u2019s too cold to feed her outside.<\/p>\n

4 p.m. \u2014 Swing by my aunt\u2019s house \u2014\u00a0my other aunt is in town and they want to see C. When you have a baby no one really cares about seeing you, they just want you to bring the baby. I don\u2019t mind though, I get some hot chocolate and cookies while they entertain C. My aunt also gives me some pulled pork to take home for dinner, so I don\u2019t have to cook!<\/p>\n

6 p.m. \u2014 Get home. C. took a nap in the car, so I put her down to play while I heat up dinner and make myself an Aperol spritz. C. does tummy time and watches the dog play fetch while I eat. We head up for bed around 8 p.m., and she\u2019s asleep by 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Seven: Sunday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

12 a.m. \u2014 C. has been up three times in the last hour, so I feed her to see if that will give me a longer stretch. She successfully goes to sleep around 12:30 a.m., and sleeps until almost 4 a.m.<\/p>\n

4 a.m. \u2014 Up for a diaper change and feed. The dog steals my spot when I get up to put C. down, so I have to carefully slide back into bed so I don\u2019t prompt a growl that wakes C. up.<\/p>\n

6 a.m. \u2014 C. has woken up twice since 4:30 a.m., so I give up and hold her for the rest of her sleep. She wakes up around 8 a.m. I change her and do my skincare. This brightening eye cream is fighting for its life after last night.<\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 Load C. in the car to go to Starbucks \u2014 I feel I deserve a treat this morning. Get myself an Oat Sugar Cookie Latte, and the dog a pup cup ($6.54, but I have a pre-loaded gift card). The dog is absolutely thrilled. Play with C. until her naptime, then put her down and lay down myself.<\/p>\n

10:30 a.m. \u2014 Still feeling like treating myself, probably as a result of the sleep deprivation. Make myself an apple dutch baby pancake with C. as my sous chef (she\u2019s not that helpful but she\u2019s cute company). I also start on a chili for dinner tonight.<\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 S. is home! No longer solo parenting, thank god. Feed C., and then go for a two-hour nap while S. hangs with C.<\/p>\n

4:30 p.m. \u2014 Up and feeling slightly refreshed. Hang out with S. while C. naps. We throw on the Superbowl pre-game and S. decides to place a bet on the game. We don\u2019t like either team, but we are definitely team Eagles tonight.<\/p>\n

6:30 p.m. \u2014 Have our chili and settle in for the game. Great start for Chiefs haters. C. starts freaking out around 7:15 p.m. so we head upstairs to start bedtime, and put the game on in our room. We plan to go watch the game after, but C. is in a mood today and does not want to be put down for bed. End up turning the game on the laptop so it doesn\u2019t disturb her \u2014 we\u2019re prisoners of our own child.<\/p>\n

9 p.m. \u2014 Finally get C. down for at least a few hours, I hope. Not seeing any way the Chiefs are winning this game, so I go to bed satisfied, hoping for a few hours before C. wakes up.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Breakdown<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\n

Conclusion\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cSeeing the figures tallied up, I spent more than I thought I would on a pretty average week, aside from the car repair. I\u2019ve also been surprised at how baby items really add up \u2014\u00a0individually they aren\u2019t expensive, but over the course of a month we spend a lot on diapers, bottles, clothes, etc. I feel lucky that I still receive a good salary while I am off on maternity leave, and can fully take advantage and get out and do things with C. without really worrying. I am also happy to report that since I wrote this Money Diary, C. is sleeping much better, normally waking up once or twice overnight, and has also moved to her own room, so we can watch TV after she goes to bed in peace! It\u2019s the little things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual\u2019s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29\u2019s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.<\/p>\n

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend \u2014 to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day<\/a>. For more money diaries, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do you have a Money Diary you\u2019d like to share? Submit it with us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here<\/a> or email us here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We\u2019re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period \u2014 and we\u2019re tracking every last dollar.Today: an evaluation specialist who has a $241,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1094"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1094"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1097,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1094\/revisions\/1097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}