Monthly Expenses

Rent: $1,270 (My boyfriend, D., and I split a ~650 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment. He currently makes less than I do, and we've decided to always base our rent budget on the lower salary so we can each pay half comfortably. We love our apartment, location, and landlord, and this is a steal for our area.)

Utilities: $30-$70 (We pay for heat, hot water, and electricity; I pay up front, and D. pays me back for half.)

Student Loans: $0 (I received very generous financial aid that covered most of my undergraduate tuition, and I worked 20 hours a week on campus to cover the rest.)

Insurance: $2 (Company covers medical and dental and subsidizes vision.)

HSA: $150 (Pre-tax benefit; my employer also contributes $1,000.)

Public Transit: $90 (Pre-tax benefit.)

Internet: $29.99 (D. pays up front and I pay him back for half.)

Phone: $50 (I'm still on my parents' plan and transfer this amount to them monthly.)

Netflix: $12.99

Spotify Premium and Hulu: $9.99

New York Times Subscriptions: $12

Amazon Prime: $119/year (My parents use my account.)

Savings and Investments: $4,500 (Medical bills have made a big dent in my savings lately, so I'm aggressively trying to replenish them. Currently I have about $5,000 in my emergency fund and $45,000 between my 401(k) and investment accounts.)