The Spending Diaries of Six New Yorkers - The Money Guide -- New York Magazine

The Spending Diaries

(Photo: Brand X/Superstock (cupcake); Everett Collection (mary poppins); Stockdisc/Superstock (hard hat))

The Trader (and His Wife): Over $1 Million
William, 41, is a trader at a major Wall Street brokerage, and his wife, Beth, 35, stays home with their 3-year-old twins. They live in a four-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side, which they rent for $9,000 a month. They spend $28,000 a year for their kids’ preschool, and about $1,000 a month on car payments, insurance, and garage costs. Other big expenses include the$30,000 they spent to rent a house in Amagansett in August, and a six-week apartment-renovation project they estimate at $20,000 to $25,000.

MONDAY
BETH
Tuna-salad platter, Columbus Bakery . . . $7.95
Hair elastics, Ricky’s . . . $2.16
Cupcakes, Crumbs Bake Shop . . . $8.10
Old Navy gift card for baby . . . $50
Babysitter for three hours . . . $45
Check for Visa bill . . . $56.13
Two charity ball tickets . . . $650

WILLIAM
Taxi to work . . . $8
Diet Coke . . . $.75
Total . . . $828.09

TUESDAY
BETH
Bus . . . $2
Babysitter for three hours . . . $45
Two coats, babyGap . . . $108.97
Birthday cards at CVS . . . $5.23

WILLIAM
Taxi to work . . . $8
Fruit-and-granola parfait from office cafeteria . . . $2.11
Iced coffee from cafeteria . . . $1.25
Taxi home to check renovations . . . $10
Taxi . . . $6
Taxi . . . $5
Apple, soda from cafeteria . . . $1.89
Check to contractor . . . $1,738
Check for cell-phone bill . . . $92.52
Total: . . . $2,025.97

WEDNESDAY
BETH
Taxi to Bed Bath & Beyond . . . $6
Shower curtain, liner, and hooks . . . $44.40
Taxi home . . . $8

WILLIAM
Taxi to work . . . $8
Coffee for guys on the desk . . . $14
Parfait from cafeteria . . . $2.11
Iced coffee from cafeteria . . . $1.25
Salad from cafeteria . . . $4.25
Soda from cafeteria . . . $1.19
Apple from cafeteria . . . $.70
Sushi at Haru . . . $53
Tip for garage attendant . . . $1
Total . . . $143.90

THURSDAY
BETH
Cleaning lady . . . $90
Quarters for laundry . . . $10
Iced coffee . . . $2.48
Three slices of pizza, apple juice, a water at Freddie & Pepper’s . . . $8.50
Chicken and cheese dosas, Hampton Chutney Co. . . . $20
Chicken Parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant rollatini, and a salad, San Luigi . . . $39

WILLIAM
Taxi to work . . . $8
Iced coffee from cafeteria . . . $1.25
Parfait from cafeteria . . . $2.11
Apple from cafeteria . . . $.70
Salad from cafeteria . . . $5.25
Soda from cafeteria . . . $1.19
Taxi home to check renovations . . . $8
Taxi back to office . . . $9
Taxi home . . . $9
Total . . . $214.48

FRIDAY
BETH
Haircut and tips . . . $270
Taxi . . . $7
Pizza bagel, buttered bagel, tuna panini at school café . . . $11
Babysitter (four hours plus money for dinner and cab fare) . . . $85

WILLIAM
Taxi to work . . . $8
Iced coffee from cafeteria . . . $1.25
Parfait from cafeteria . . . $2.11
Apple from cafeteria . . . $.70
Salad from cafeteria . . . $5.25
Soda from cafeteria . . . $1.19
Subway fare for two . . . $4
Dinner at Da Umberto (their share of the check with two other couples), antipasti, two pasta courses, striped bass, monkfish, red wine . . . $520
Total . . . $915.50

SATURDAY
BETH
Subway . . . $4
Chicken and ribs, L & L Hawaiian Barbecue takeout . . . $23.70
Empanadas, Ruben’s . . . . . . . . $29.26
Subway . . . $4
Brownstone School Halloween Fun Fair . . . $32

WILLIAM
Groceries from Fairway . . . $56.90
Sushi at Haru . . . $255
Total . . . $404.86

SUNDAY
WILLIAM
Smoothie at Juice Generation . . . $5

BETH
Two tickets to the Little Orchestra Society’s Lolli-Pops concert . . . $80
Total . . . $85

TOTAL WEEKLY SPENDING: $4,617.80