A Week In Dallas, TX On A $35,000 Salary

📋 The basics

• Age: 22
• Location: Dallas, TX
• Occupation: Graduate Student (Biomedical Sciences)
• Salary: $35,000 (Stipend)
• Net Worth: ~$138,500 (Includes a $48k Roth IRA, $50k in cash, and a $40k investment account from family/gifts).
• Monthly Paycheck: $2,621

💸 Monthly expenses

• 🏠 Rent: $1,850 (I pay this to my parents for the mortgage/HOA on the condo they bought for me).
• 🌐 Internet: $60
• 💊 Meds: $7
• 📈 Savings: $200 (Minimum monthly transfer).
• 📱 Phone/Insurance: $0 (Thanks, Mom and Dad).
• 📺 Streaming: $0 (Leaning on parents and the boyfriend's family).

🧐 The bigger picture

I am fully aware that I am in a very lucky position. My parents bought my car outright and they own the condo I live in, so my "rent" is really just keeping things in the family. I also have a side gig that I have been doing since college which brings in extra cash when I feel like working. This week I made $264 from it, which basically covered all my spending and then some.

Most of my life happens in the lab. When you are doing benchwork for ten hours a day, your world shrinks to the size of a pipette tip. My spending reflects that. I am constantly hitting the campus snack stand because I have zero self-control when I am stressed or waiting for an experiment to finish. I also ended up Venmoing my boyfriend about $50 this week for his dog's insurance and treats because he is struggling a bit and I wanted to help out.

🏁 Final thoughts

Total spending for the week: $130.51.

• 🍎 Groceries: $56.74
• 🍬 Snacks/Coffee: $20.77
• 🐶 Dog stuff/Venmo: $50.00
• 🚗 Parking: $3.00

This was a pretty typical week for me. I spent way too much on campus candy (those gummy worms call my name), but I kept the grocery bill low by shopping at Trader Joe's and Kroger. I do not have a lot of "fun" spending because I am usually too tired to do anything but cook spaghetti squash and hang out with my boyfriend and his dog. Being a grad student is a grind, but having a financial safety net makes the long hours a lot easier to swallow.