A Week In Los Angeles, CA On A $170,000 Salary
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Overview
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
This week: A strategy manager working in fashion who makes $170,000 per year and spends some of it on olive oil tasting.
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This diary was written in 2026.
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Occupation: Strategy manager
Industry: Fashion
Age: 24
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Salary: $170,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: n/a
Assets:
Roth 401(k): ~$70K
Bonds: ~$20K
HYSA: ~$240K
(I get really stressed and overwhelmed trying to learn about investing, even though there are so many resources out there for it. I know I need to start investing in stocks and it is a high-priority thing on my checklist but whenever I get overwhelmed I keep pushing it back — it’s been four years now.)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $3,839
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: I pay $1,325 in rent — I live with two roommates and have the smallest bedroom, and I share a bathroom with one of them.
ClassPass: $79 (~$40 of this is reimbursed through work)
Oura Ring: $5.99
Netflix, Spotify, New York Times: $0 (I’m on a family plan)
Cell Phone: $0 (reimbursed through work)
Health Insurance: $24
Hulu & HBO Max: $0 (I’m using my roommates’)
Utilities: ~$100
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?
Yes, absolutely. My immigrant parents placed a really large importance on going to a “good” school, so I spent all of my time in high school working towards this goal. I ended up going to a top 10 university. My parents really wanted me to go to an in-state public school in California due to the difference in cost, so I ended up graduating from my college in three years instead of four to try to make up some of the cost. This was paid for out of my 529K.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
We didn’t talk a lot about money or receive education about finances except that we should try to save as much money as possible. There were certain rules that were instilled deeply in me as a child: always trying to buy in bulk; never buying from convenience stores; not buying name-brand items, etc. I’ve had to work really hard to unlearn them. I always thought my parents were not well off but they were. My dad, the primary breadwinner, was just really stingy.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was as a camp counselor and as a violin tutor in high school. I worked these jobs to try to make a little bit of money on the side to be able to get coffee with friends, go to the mall, etc., as my parents did not give me spending money.
Did you worry about money growing up?
I didn’t worry about it specifically, but I definitely felt that I sometimes couldn’t have the things I wanted. My parents were kind enough to pay for extracurriculars, and we would take one/two vacations a year, but this is what they chose to spend their money on. We didn’t go out to eat much or go to fun activities. I grew up in a very affluent town and would often get bullied for wearing clothes from Ross instead of name-brand clothes. I remember once having to ask my dad for new socks and he told me to learn how to fix my socks myself. I thought they didn’t have enough money but they were just really strict about saving. Things like this have made me develop a difficult relationship with money.
Do you worry about money now?
Yes, I do. I’m lucky to make a great salary for my industry but the cost of living, especially in LA, is skyrocketing and even seeing the bill at Trader Joe’s stresses me out sometimes. I also struggle with understanding personal finance and investing, and every time I try to get started with it I encounter some sort of setback, which makes me feel really stupid. My goal for this month is to make sure I start investing in stocks — better late than never! I don’t know if I will ever be able to afford a home, or if I choose to have kids, be able to financially support them.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I’m still not fully financially responsible for myself — I’m on my parents’ car insurance and borrowing their car, too. However, they kept the majority of the money I made through formal internships in high school so I consider this just dipping into the money I rightfully earned myself. If I lost my housing or source of income, I could go back home, but this would be very taxing on my mental health.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes, I received $50,000 from my grandfather after he suffered a severe stroke two years ago. He passed away earlier this year and it was really, really sad for me, as we were close growing up and I was lucky to have him until so late in my life. I plan to use this money to pay for graduate school as education was really important to him, and give back to charity later in my life.
Day One: Thursday
7:30 a.m. — It’s my roommate’s birthday today! She’s going to be at work and school all day so I want to get her something before she heads out. There’s a small cafe right across the street so I run downstairs to get her favorite drink from there: an iced strawberry macadamia milk matcha. I ask the barista to write happy birthday on the cup and then I make a card, and leave it on the dining table for her. $8
8:00 a.m. — I make some palak paneer by defrosting leftover spinach gravy, putting a paratha on the stove to warm up, and crisping up some paneer in olive oil. I mix the gravy and paneer together and eat it with the paratha. I love warm, savory breakfasts most days and it’s really overcast and cold out today (LA June gloom!) so it hits the spot. Then I take my meds and settle in for a WFH day. I’m usually in the office five days a week but most of my team is traveling today and tomorrow, so luckily I get to WFH for those two days as well.
12:10 p.m. — Normally, I would have eaten lunch or more snacks by now but it’s been a really busy and stressful day. I got into a car accident last weekend, and between dealing with insurance, needing to renew our apartment lease by tomorrow, work, and grad school applications, the stress is giving me a stomachache. The peach tea energy drink I chug as I’m working is definitely not helping. Lunch ends up being some vegan chicken nuggets around 2 p.m. — not what I was craving, but I’m almost out of groceries and trying to avoid making a grocery trip until Sunday since I know I’ll be eating out all day Saturday.
6:00 p.m. — Finally log off for the day. I snack on an apricot and mango Greek yogurt from Trader Joe’s while I rot on the couch. I’m debating if I should go out tonight or take it easy on my foot since I injured it last week. I want to do one thing and know I should do the other. I end up reading a book and then the guilt of not having invested my money kicks in, so I finally go and make a Fidelity account and invest some of my money. I end up going to Trivia and then leaving after 20 minutes because I’m feeling overwhelmed. Eat a handful of random snacks for a ‘girl dinner’.
Daily Total: $8
Day Two: Friday
08:00 a.m. — I wake up hangry after yesterday’s sad rummage of snacks so I know I’m not lasting until Sunday without groceries. I go to Whole Foods and get Greek yogurt, tofu, mini cucumbers, mini sweet peppers, a maitake mushroom, vegan chicken, ravioli, and a couple of snacks. The total comes to $46.61 and I use the last of a gift card I had leftover from Christmas to cover most of the cost. I make a big snack plate for breakfast (I realize this is ironic given that eating snacks last night is what made me go to the grocery store today anyway, but this plate was way better!). $7.78
1:30 p.m. — I try a new brand of protein mac and cheese for lunch. I don’t have any milk so I use a mix of ricotta, heavy cream, and pasta water for the sauce. I add salt, pepper, chili flakes, and parm on top. It’s not bad but I think my usual brand of protein mac and cheese is much better than this one. Then back to work! I’m hoping to log off early today.
4:00 p.m. — My friend comes over to pregame; we’re going to a Dodgers game tonight! I make us spiked peach mango iced teas with vodka. She calls us an Uber to the train station (this is as good as LA public transit gets sometimes) and then I tap on to the train. We meet up with her boyfriend a couple stops down and he buys us Gatorades with shooters. $1.75
7:20 p.m. — I buy my friend and I plant-based Dodger dogs. I have mine with mustard, ketchup, and relish, while she has it with onions instead of relish. I’m not usually a fan of hot dogs, but this one hits so hard. The ticket for the game itself was $100, which I had sent via Venmo to my other friend a couple of weeks ago. I also buy us popcorn to share from my seat. It ends up being $17 (???), and I wish I had asked the price before I gave the guy my credit card, lol. The game ends up being boring because no one scores until one run in the very last inning. After the game, we walk to Chinatown to go to a bar. My friend’s boyfriend buys us a round of drinks and we hang out for a little bit before taking an Uber home. $34.28
Daily Total: $43.81
Day Three: Saturday
10:30 a.m. — My friend A., and I are doing a day trip to Ojai today! I’m super excited because we’ve been trying to plan this for several months now. It’s going to be a treat-yourself day of good food, drink, and window shopping. I start the day off with a veggie Italian sandwich from a local shop. Unfortunately, I really hate this sandwich. The entire filling is pickled cauliflowers and onions (both caramelized and raw), plus a bit of lettuce and cheese. It’s also dripping with oil everywhere. I’m disappointed, especially given the price but I still eat the whole thing — my mom taught me to never waste food, lol. $22.52
12:00 p.m. — I get a pina colada matcha from another local cafe. It has a coconut cold foam top and dried pineapple, and it is SOOO good. I could have had three of them. $8.08
1:05 p.m. — We stop buy a bookstore that is run by volunteer Friends of the Library. I really like supporting places like this. I buy my mom an Indian Vegetarian Cooking in the Instant Pot cookbook. $3
1:30 p.m. — We go olive oil and balsamic tasting! This is a super unique experience and we try over 20 flavors, and it’s fun to sit and yap with my friend and rank the various flavors, sitting under the olive trees and dipping bread into the oils. It’s $20 for a tray between two people, so $10 for my share. $10
3:00 p.m. — We stop by a really cute wine store that has a gorgeous back patio and split a flight of wine and a tangerine Hugo Spritz. I don’t really like any of the wines but they do their job; I’m tipsy and outside, and life is good. The spritz is delicious, though. It’s $44 total, so $22 for my share. We spend the next 2.5 hours before dinner walking around a beautiful hotel property and doing some window shopping. My friend ends up finding a cute maxi skirt but everything I try on either doesn’t fit right or is too expensive. This is probably for the best, though. $22
5:45 p.m. — We head to a Burmese-inspired restaurant for dinner and eat outside, really trying to take advantage of the weather. We split a crispy rice salad and I get a coconut chickpea curry for my main. Dessert is a passionfruit orange guava sundae that we also split. $55
7:30 p.m. — The last stop of the trip is at a mezcal bar and listening room, where I get a mango margarita. The vibes inside are IMMACULATE and I feel so content. Finally, we head back home (my friend is the one driving) and stop by the beach to catch the remnants of the sunset. Life is so beautiful and I’m full of gratitude that I got to give myself a day of just fully treating myself. My friend stops by my place briefly to borrow a couple tops for a birthday party she is going to next weekend. Then I shower and start a new movie on Netflix but turn it off about 30 mins in to go to sleep. $17
Daily Total: $137.60
Day Four: Sunday
10:15 a.m. — I accidentally cut off a little bit of my eyebrow yesterday when I was trying to trim them so I know I’m way overdue for an appointment. My eyebrow lady is my favorite, and I haven’t found a new one despite moving apartments a year ago, so I drive back to my old apartment. She cleans me up so quickly. I then walk around the farmers’ market for a little bit but don’t get anything. $10
11:00 a.m. — I meet up with an old coworker who I haven’t seen in over a year for coffee. I get an Earl Grey matcha with a sea salt cold foam top and it is also super yum. I will definitely be coming back to this coffee shop! It’s fun to catch up with her and hear how things at my old job are going, and to fill her in on my life. Then it’s back home to do lots of chores. $7.68
2:00 p.m. — Lunch is the leftovers of my protein mac and cheese from the other day. I also had a breakfast of leftover coconut chickpea curry and rice earlier in the day. I do a couple loads of laundry, make myself a drink and chill on my balcony in my underwear since neither of my roommates are home. My friend S. calls me so I end up chatting with her while I do some meal prep. I make a cold soba noodle salad with edamame and fresh veggies with a spicy peanut sauce, mini bell peppers stuffed with a sun-dried tomato ricotta mix, and yogurt-marinated paneer tikka and bell peppers. I snack on some Hippeas while I’m doing this and then my friend A. calls, so I yap with her too. I was supposed to see my friend for dessert later today but it’s inconvenient for both of us since he needs to take care of his dog and my car is still messed up from the accident, so we decide to just reschedule.
6:00 p.m. — I take a shower since I’m all sweaty from tanning and then put fresh sheets on my bed. I only tanned the front of my body since we have chairs on the balcony and nothing to lie on, but I doubt I tanned enough for it to be noticeable. For dinner, I put the paneer tikka into a Thai roti that I heat up and add green chutney and pickled jalapeños. I have calls with two more friends, which is really fun, but I am so drained by the end of all of the calls. I end the night with some Drizzilicious and TV in bed.
Daily Total: $17.68
Details
Day Five: Monday
5:30 a.m. — One thing about me is I’m a terrible sleeper, unfortunately. I’m up super early and end up just reading a book in bed and doing some online window shopping for Asian groceries. I don’t end up buying anything but bookmark some ideas for later. End up dozing for another 15 mins before I’m up for real. I pack my soba noodle salad for lunch and some blackberries, and cheddar cheese as a snack. I do my Tatcha skincare and throw on light wash jeans, a long-sleeve yellow shirt, and white mesh ballet flats. I don’t usually wear makeup to work unless I have plans after work that I want to look nice for.
8:45 a.m. — I drive into the office and grab a peach energy drink, chocolate protein shake, and fill up my water. Need to be beverage-maxxing at all times. I log into my platforms to see how all the metrics are from over the weekend. I’m a bit blocked on my main activities today so I end up doing a few small tasks. I also eat my snack around 10:15 a.m. since the protein shake isn’t substantial enough to be breakfast.
1:00 p.m. — I spend most of the afternoon setting up products for our website, which requires picking out photos, writing about each photo, and writing the features of each product. Once I have all the products in for a particular collection, I rearrange them to put what I think will be the bestsellers up front. Then I work with our graphic designers to create a cute banner and hero image to announce the collection launch next week. I also prepare an email to go alongside the launch.
5:00 p.m. — I get my nails done after work. I convince myself I’m going to try something out of my comfort zone, but as soon as the first layer of teal polish goes down on my pinky nail, I realize that I actually am not ready to jump quite that far lol. We end up just doing a darker shade of pink than the month before. I already paid for the appointment through ClassPass credits so I tip $5 on Venmo. I’m ravenous when I get home so I make some fresh guac as a snack and eat it with tortilla chips while I wrap up some more work things. $5
7:00 p.m. — I call both of my grandmas since I haven’t spoken to them in too long and I have really been missing them and feeling guilty. I also make dinner of some premade vegan butternut squash ravioli that I throw in a quick alfredo sauce. Then there’s a good amount of doomscrolling and crashing out over text to my friend before I go to bed.
Daily Total: $5
Day Six: Tuesday
6:30 a.m. — I wake up sweaty from tossing and turning a bunch in my sleep and waking up many times, so I take a shower. I’m doing a project pan/pantry before I move out in six to nine months (I know I will need to buy some things again after using them up but I at least want to use up all my mini products, duplicates, etc.), so I get excited about using up a hair mask and being able to throw it away. Today’s filling breakfast is another Thai roti stuffed with the rest of the paneer tikka but I use guac this time instead of green chutney. Would def recommend just using the chutney next time but it was fun to try something different. I also throw together a quick salad dressing with Thai basil, black bean sauce, almond butter, and miso to eat with the rest of yesterday’s salad for lunch.
7:45 a.m. — I’m going to a business school admissions event after work so I have to dress a bit nicer than usual. I opt for all black — Reformation satin pants, an Old Navy tank top (that I will swap out for a long-sleeve for the actual event), and an oversized lightweight Uniqlo blazer. The statement piece in the outfit is a pair of leopard print loafers. For makeup, I do the e.l.f. Halo Glow, Tower 28 Concealer, Tarte Cream Blush, Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Pomade, and Hourglass Mascara. I’m not a big fan of this tubing mascara but trying to use it up as part of my project pan.
8:00 a.m. — I take my car to the body shop to have it appraised and they told me they need to add several hundred dollars to the estimate insurance gave me. I have no idea if I’m being taken advantage of or not, but I don’t think I have much leverage in this situation, so I just agree and tell them I will come drop my car off in two weeks’ time once the parts come in.
11:15 a.m. — I eat an early lunch — today’s dressing turned out very strange and it’s not good compared to yesterday’s salad but it does the job. I also grab a dark chocolate-covered quinoa crisp from the office after as my sweet treat. My afternoon is slow with a handful of meetings and trying to project manage a few different tasks across graphic designers, copywriters, and leadership. Later, I snack on some gluten-free pretzels. I’m not gluten-free, but these pretzels are so much crunchier than the regular ones — it just tastes like biting into a really satisfying twig.
3:45 — I head out really early to try to make it to my MBA admissions event around 5:30 on the other side of town. As I’m about 20 minutes away, I realize I grossly miscalculated and will not be able to make it until the end of the event, let alone getting home to eat some kind of dinner. I was trying not to eat out tonight since I have plans with a friend tomorrow but I decide it is not worth showing up to the event hangry. I decide to pull over and order online from a local small plant-based chain I have been wanting to try. To my happiest surprise, they have a rewards program where you get a free burger for signing up, so I only pay the convenience fee! I get a Western burger with vegan bacon, onion rings, ranch, and BBQ sauce, and inhale it within seconds in the parking lot before driving to the event. $0.18
8:00 p.m. — The event is pretty good; I had been to one for another school at the same location a while ago and was upset with myself for not networking with anyone after it, so I make an effort to do that this time and am proud of myself for pushing myself a little bit. It only takes about 30 minutes to get home instead of the 1 hour and 30 mins it took to get to the event. I call my mom and then flop on the couch to watch two episodes of the show I’ve been following: Not Suitable for Work. They make living in New York look so fun. Then, 80% because my period is imminent, I end up crashing out really hard before bed. I can’t stop spiraling and crying despite trying to both journal it out and find some distractions. My Oura ring says I fall asleep around 11:15.
Daily Total: $0.18
Day Seven: Wednesday
5:55 a.m. — I’m up and my eyes are terrifyingly puffy from how much I cried last night, so it’s time to bring out the big guns (my Rhode eye patches) instead of the ones I usually use from Pixi. I kind of feel like shit from a mix of sleep deprivation and dealing with all of my emotions, but I know I have to go to work. I make a second batch of pasta sauce for the ravioli I cooked the other night so I can take it for lunch. I ran out of heavy cream so I make the sauce using ricotta, a lot of parmesan, some spices, and a handful of kale and peas. It’s not bad. I pack that and the stuffed peppers I made that taste vaguely similar. This is my biggest challenge with cooking for one. I love cooking and being creative but there are only so many ways to transform ingredients sometimes.
07:20 a.m. — I try to go to a local beauty school for a haircut but someone hits the back of my car on my way there. Luckily, it’s just some scratches and I don’t think I’m going to do anything about it because I don’t have the energy but it puts me in a really bad mood. When I get to the beauty school, there is a sign saying they are only doing facials today and no hair services. I give up and just drive to work.
08:15 a.m. — After the morning I’ve had I decide to treat myself to a matcha. I walk about a mile to a food truck to get an iced banana matcha and walk back along the beach. I can’t say my mind is exactly at peace, but I try to enjoy the experience before going into the office and starting my day. $8.50
12:20 p.m. — Lunch is my ravioli and two of the stuffed peppers. The sauce I made ends up being super delicious; I think the secret to good pasta sauce is really just adding a ton of cheese. The weather outside is stunning and it feels like no one is really in the mood to work, so I end up taking a 1:1 meeting and then a phone call, both as outdoor walks, which is lovely.
5:00 p.m. — I head out of work and need to go charge my car. The charger is about a 15-minute drive away and it takes an hour to charge, so I catch up with an old friend on the phone while it’s charging! I get impatient waiting for it to finish so I decide to stop at 94% and head home. It costs me about $23 since I was pretty low on battery (like 10%) when I got to the charger. I have dinner plans with a friend tonight, but I’m so hungry that Hippeas aren’t cutting it. I throw together some Trader Joe’s wheat noodles, chili crisp, frozen edamame, soy sauce, and a few sliced peppers in a pan and eat about half of it while I’m waiting. $23.21
7:45 p.m. — My friend picks me up and we go to a vegan burger chain. As you can tell, I really love burgers. On Wednesdays, they have a two-for-$10 deal. It’s $6.50 for my cheeseburger. Then, we drive to a local bar — for some reason, the first three bars we look up all have karaoke on Wednesdays and it isn’t feeling like a karaoke type of night so we end up at a bar neither of us has been to before. It’s pretty empty inside but the space is huge and really cool, and we both think we should come back on a weekend with a bigger group of friends. I get a lager and he gets an IPA. I know I’m going to hate his IPA but I try a sip anyway and make a face. My lager is great though! It’s $8. He drops me off at home and I shower and throw on a rom-com after. $14.50
Daily Total: $46.21
Day Eight: Thursday
12:45 a.m. — I wake up in the middle of the night as usual and remember that the Sephora sale starts today and I have been wanting to get a new Tatcha moisturizer since I’m almost out. It’s 20% off, which is pretty good for Tatcha! There’s also a deal for 500 points on an order of $75+, which translates to $10 off a future order, so I decide to also add in a Sephora Favorites haircare set I have been wanting to try. I feel like at this point I’m pretty decent about doing my makeup and know what products I like, but my hair is a lost cause, so I want to try new products and see if any work. So much for also doing my project pan hahaha but I think I will use all of these so I don’t feel too bad about it. The total is $117.65 — woof! But I have a gift card for $150 that I got for Christmas that I hadn’t used yet so it ends up being free — yay!
7:45 a.m. — We have a work event today that I want to look marginally nice for since we are wearing our brand’s product at the event. I wear two brand tops with a long denim skirt from Anthropologie and silver Alohas, and put on some silver jewelry. I straighten my hair, and for makeup, I do the same as yesterday but with my Haus Labs mascara instead of the Hourglass one. Breakfast is some more of those wheat noodles I made for dinner last night and then I grab a Greek yogurt and mini cucumbers to take to work.
10:15 a.m. — Things are kind of slow at work right now because I’m waiting on some assets to put up on our website, so I just check in on performance across channels and make agendas for upcoming approvals meetings today and tomorrow. I drink a chocolate protein shake from the fridge as breakfast: part two.
1:15 p.m. — Lunch is the last of my stuffed peppers, then I drive over to our company event. We take some photos of the event and then I head back to the office. It’s so hot out that I get sunburned. I’m coordinating between a bunch of different projects and building some emails, then get pulled into a meeting at 5 p.m. Before the meeting, I snack on gluten-free pretzel sticks and a mango and orange sparkling water.
6:30 p.m. — By 6:30 I’m starting to feel lightheaded so I end up ordering Thai food for dinner.
6:45 p.m. — Dinner tastes weird and I freak out that it’s not vegetarian even though all of the listed ingredients were. I end up eating a few bites and then even though I hate wasting food, I throw the rest away because it’s making me feel queasy. I work a bit longer until 7:30 but I’m just in a bad mood and decide to head home. Once home, I take a shower and then get in bed to keep working. I demolish a bunch of my bag of Drizzilicious — I’m usually more of a salty snack person than sweet, but all bets are off when I’m on my period. $31.30 (Expensed)
Daily Total: $0
The Breakdown
Conclusion:
This week was way more expensive than usual. I do spend most of my money on food and drink because I love good food, exploring new spots, and spending time with my friends, but this week was more so than usual due to a day trip. I don’t take many vacations so I felt like this was okay! I am also so glad this diary motivated me to finally start investing my money despite being overwhelmed by the subject. I hope to keep getting better at this and become more financially literate.
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