A Week In Silver Spring, MD, On A $18,024 Salary

📋 The basics

I am a 23-year-old library assistant living in Silver Spring, MD. I make $18,024 from my main job (28 hours a week) plus some extra from a museum digitizing gig. I am also in grad school for library science, which is basically a requirement for this field. My net worth is currently $1,360 in savings, though I am expecting a $2,000 tax refund soon that will literally double my cushion.

💸 Monthly expenses

🏠 Rent: $1,075 (My half of a 2B/2B I share with a roommate) 🌐 Internet: $37.95 (My half) 📺 Streaming: $9.98 (HBO Max and Spotify student) 📱 Phone: $0 (Thanks, Dad) 🏥 Health Insurance: $0 (On my mom's plan until I am 26) 🚇 Commute: $0 (My job loads $100/month onto my Metro card) 📚 Tuition: $2,844 per semester (I paid the first year out of pocket by draining my savings, but I will have to take out about $13k in loans to finish)

🧐 The bigger picture

This week was all about being frugal because I have a trip to Jamaica coming up. I am very lucky that my parents still help me out with the "big" invisible bills like insurance and my phone. My mom even sent me $100 recently when I told her I was stressed, which I used for some trip essentials. I also go to a food bank to supplement my groceries because, let's be real, $18k in the DC metro area is not enough to live on.

🏁 Final thoughts

Total spending this week: $57.98

• 🛒 Groceries: $21.07 (Giant run for eggs/bread and farmer's market treats)
• 🍕 Dining out: $4.24 (Used a coupon for &pizza to get some protein I can't usually afford)
• ☕ Coffee: $1.27 (Work social)
• 🛍️ Shopping: $31.40 (Toiletries and two new tops from Marshalls for my trip)

I feel okay about this week. I usually do not eat out at all, but I had a coupon and really wanted some sausage and chicken. Most of my "fun" spending was for my trip or small gifts for my boyfriend, H., who was sweet enough to cover our movie rental and Sunday dinner. It is a constant balancing act between trying to be a "real adult" and acknowledging that I am still very much relying on a safety net to make this career path work.