Occupation: Legal Assistant

Industry: Law

Age: 34

Location: Burnaby, BC

Salary: $50,000 (I also get an annual bonus that ranges from $10,000 to $13,000, but I was on maternity leave last year, so I got nada.)

Paycheque Amount (2x/month): $1,702.83

Child Benefit (1x/month): $443

Child Support (1x/month): $1,500

Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses

Rent: $600 (I live with my one-year-old son, T., and cat in a house owned by my parents. They have a second property in the Okanagan where they spend half of the year. For the other half, they are with me and the kiddo. We're very fortunate.)

Car Lease: $498

Car Insurance: $186

Child Care: $875

Phone: $100

Life Insurance: $13

Storage Unit: $200

Credit Card Payment: $500 (I'm paying down about $4,500 in credit-card debt that I accumulated during a relationship with someone who lost his job. I ended up footing the bill for most of our living expenses and relying on my credit card. The relationship took a negative turn, and I left him. One month later, I went to Paris to celebrate my 30th birthday and get a fresh start, so the debt isn't all for nothing!)

SWEAT App: $20.98

Melissa Wood Health Membership: $13.64

RESP: $200 (For those unfamiliar, this is an education fund for my son.)

Savings: I move whatever money is left over at the end of each month. I went through a lot of savings preparing for the arrival of my son, and then took a 50% pay cut while on maternity leave for 13 months, seven weeks of which were unpaid. I've been back to work for a month now, and I'm working on building my savings back up. Currently, I have $10,000 stashed for emergencies or larger purchases.