A Week In Atlanta, GA, On An $11,000 Salary

The background

I am a 21-year-old full-time student living in Atlanta, Georgia. My life is a constant rotation between classes, my serving job at a pizza place (which I affectionately call the pizza prison), and nannying for a sweet kid named PJ. I make about $11,000 a year from my server job, which averages out to roughly $220 a week in my paycheck. Because I live at home with my mom and siblings, I don't pay rent, which is the only reason I can afford my $280 monthly personal trainer and $40 weekly therapy sessions.

Growing up, my relationship with money was shaped by watching my mom work hard to provide for us. I try to be responsible now by paying $50 a month toward my student loans while I am still in school to keep the interest from spiraling. I also have about $2,000 in savings from a summer internship, so I don't panic if a weekly paycheck is a little light.

A week of prep and "pizza prison"

Monday is my heavy spending day because I like to get my life in order. I start with an oil change for $54.89, taking advantage of a $7 early bird discount. I also hit Trader Joe's and Kroger, spending about $59 total on groceries like chicken sausage, ground turkey, and pinot grigio. I am big on meal prepping because it keeps me from spending $15 on campus lunches every day. I also have to settle up with my therapist, putting $120 on my credit card to cover today's session and two I missed recently.

By Wednesday, the grind is in full swing. I work a shift at the restaurant and buy a half-off salad for $3.10. After work, I pick up PJ and his sister. I spend $13.45 on Wendy's and Zaxby's for them, but PJ's mom is great about reimbursing me for these expenses in my paycheck. I also spend $4 at a gas station to vacuum my car and buy an air freshener. It is a small luxury, but a clean car makes the commute to Buckhead feel much less draining.

Thursday is a rare $0 day. I pack my lunch, dinner, and snacks because my last class doesn't let out until 9:45 p.m. It is exhausting, but my bank account thanks me.

The Jacksonville getaway

Friday marks the start of a mini-road trip. A group of us are heading down to Jacksonville for the Georgia vs. Florida game. Before the five-hour drive, I grab Chick-fil-A for $6.53 and some gas station snacks for $4.23. Saturday is all about the tailgate. I keep it simple with a $3.22 Dunkin' run for a donut and coffee before heading out to the festivities.

Sunday morning is another Dunkin' stop ($5.76) before the long drive back to Atlanta. I have to go straight to a closing shift at the restaurant. It is a rough night. After buying dinner and tipping out my coworkers, I only walk out with $40 in cash. I am tired, but I picked up this extra shift to help fund a cabin trip I have planned for next weekend.

Looking back at the week, I spent $381.88. A huge chunk of that was maintenance and prep (oil change, groceries, therapy), which makes the social spending feel more earned. Being a student with three jobs is a hustle, but seeing my student loan balance slowly drop makes the "pizza prison" shifts worth it.