A Week In New York City On A $1.5 Million Salary

📋 The basics

• 💰 Salary: ~$1,500,000 (Base is $200k, but bonuses have averaged $1.3M lately)
• 📍 Location: New York City
• 👩‍👧‍👦 Household: Me (35), Husband, and two kids
• 🏦 Net Worth: Not explicitly stated, but we have a $6M life insurance policy on me and significant Hyatt points.

💸 Monthly expenses

• 🏠 Rent: $6,500 (Manhattan living is not cheap)
• 🏫 Preschool: $2,500 (For one child)
• 🛒 Groceries: $800
• 🎹 Piano Lessons: $240
• 🏋️‍♂️ Gym: $50 (Husband's membership)
• 🌐 Utilities: $120 (Cable and internet)
• ✈️ Travel Fund: $1,660 (We aim for $20k a year)
• 🚇 Transport: $151 (MetroCard and the occasional taxi)
• 🛡️ Life Insurance: $250

🧐 This week's damage

This was a heavy week for travel planning and "investment" pieces for my wardrobe. I spent a total of $10,414.40, though a good chunk of that ($4,500) is being expensed through work.

• 👠 Tuesday: $707.40 for Stuart Weitzman boots. My feet widened after two kids and these are the only ones that actually fit now.
• ✈️ Wednesday: $660 for family flights for an MLK weekend trip. I also booked a $4,300 hotel room for a conference that my company is covering.
• 🇯🇵 Thursday: $2,600 for our 10th-anniversary trip to Japan. This covered my husband's flight and some ryokans. My own $9,500 travel cost is being expensed because I am tacking it onto a business trip.
• 🚗 Friday: $1,207 for Christmas travel (car rental and hotels in DC).
• 🎡 Weekend: $430 for kid-centric chaos. This included a trip to the Palisades Mall for Billy Beez, Cheesecake Factory, and bubble tea.

🏁 Final thoughts

Looking at the numbers, it is wild how fast $10k goes when you are booking international travel and living in NYC. I know I am in an incredibly privileged position with my bonus structure. Most of my "big" spends this week were either for work (reimbursed) or for future family memories.

I try to balance the high-stakes hedge fund world with normal mom stuff, like dragging the kids to a mall in New Jersey so they can burn off energy. The $1.5M salary feels like a lot (because it is), but between NYC rent, private preschool, and the pressure of being the primary breadwinner with a $6M policy on my head, the mental load is real. I am just happy I found boots that do not hurt my feet.