A Week in Norwood, OH, on a $48,000 Salary

Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.

Today, a sales representative who makes $48,000 a year lets us in on her weekly expenses.

Occupation: Sales Representative

Age: 29

Location: Norwood, Ohio, U.S.

Salary: $48,000 (approx. $1,600 per pay period)

Day One

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My week starts with me hurrying off to work, so I don’t miss a big meeting we have scheduled. I made it to work on time for our meeting about a new technology the company brought in from LifeRaft, to scour the internet for potential threats to our company. They said it already found a concerning post about our company on one of the many chan image boards out there. Our meeting covered some of the issues that can come from concerning posts on these image boards, such as 2chan, 4chan, and 8chan. Once I’m finished with work, I head home and pay my and my husband’s phone bills. Finally, I kick back with my husband and relax.

Total: $100.00

Day Two

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Tuesday begins with less stress than yesterday, and I actually have time to say goodbye to my husband before he starts his online classes. He’s going back to school with the University of Cincinnati’s online program. He’s incredibly passionate about sports and wants to launch his sports management and administration career. So, he’s seeking his sports administration online degree to get things moving. After working with a few of my regular clients, I finish work and grab some groceries on my way home.

Total: $52.98

Day Three

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I had an uneventful Wednesday at work and went straight home. Though work was uninteresting today, my husband had prepared a movie night at home while I was away! We sat back and enjoyed a couple of holiday movies before going to bed.

Total: $0.00

Day Four

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Today, I landed a new client at work! This client’s order was large enough to make up a decent chunk of my yearly commission, so I’m pretty excited. As a reward to myself, I stopped on the way home and got a nice bottle of wine to celebrate. When I got home I informed my husband of the good news, and we had a night of celebrating.

Total: $62.35

Day Five

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My work week finished up on Friday with some team-building exercises. We played some games in the conference room, and it was almost like a day off while we learned some valuable skills and more about each other. Once I got home, I paid my credit card bill as I noticed it came in the mail while I was at work. Afterward, my husband and I tag-teamed some cleaning and settled in for the weekend.

Total: $30.00

Day Six

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With Saturday upon us, my husband and I prepared for a date night we had planned. We headed out early, gassed up the car, and spent the day together. First, we stopped by an old arcade we’re fond of and had lunch at a nearby deli. Then, before it got too late, we decided to take a walk at Lindner Park Nature Preserve to finish up our day together.

Total: $56.27

Day Seven

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This time of year, Sunday is game day in our household. My husband and I invited some of our friends to watch the Packer’s game. We ordered some pizza and wings for the evening and waited for the game to start. Once our friends arrived, we all enjoyed a lovely evening of football, catching up, and some great laughs. Thankfully, the Packers won, and once our friends left, we settled in for the night to get ready for another week of work and classes.

Total: $52.98

Weekly Total: $354.58