Let me be clear I am not offering financial advice. I am simply sharing exactly what it cost me to live in NYC this month. My budget breakdown compared to my income. I work at a server and anyone who’s worked in hospitality knows it’s tortuously slow in the months of January-February.
Here’s the breakdown.
Income: $2,463.41
My income came from Four Weekly paychecks:
- $398.93
- $553.54
- $674.12
- $836.82
Total: $2,463.41
Rent: $1,500 (61% of income)
Rent alone consumed 61% of what I earned.
Utilities: $60
Utilities consist of electricity, and internet. Split between me and my 1 Roomate.
Food, Coffee, and Groceries: $272.74
Most of this was groceries, drinks and coffees. as well as drinks.
Transportation: $36
Twelve separate $3 subway rides. (I didn’t get out much). Living in Chelsea in Manhattan compared to Brooklyn has managed to save me money on my monthly transportation spending.
Shopping and Personal Spending: $449.03
This was the largest flexible category. Usually I do not spend money like this on shopping but…. That tax return will hit in March and I felt as if I earned this shopping spree.
Business Expenses: $72.06
These were expenses directly tied to running The Pink Tax Return:
- Website hosting
- Workspace tools
- Business account
Investing: $50
Despite running a deficit, I still invested $50.
Financial Fees: $92.49
Interest charges and late fees. This is a stupid mistake but things happen, hopefully I will not make this mistake again next month.
Total Expenses: $2,532.32
Total Income: $2,463.41
Difference: −$68.91
A deficit.
Not great but not catastrophic. Plus that’s the end of slow season, as a server I can expect more hours, more tables and more shifts in the coming weeks. Which will help increase my budget to a more manageable amount and give me the freedom to go out more and spend more.
