“I’m very paycheque to paycheque”: how much a sales director makes, and how she spends it
Who: Jessica Cimo, 32
What she does: Sales director at a fine-art promotion company.
What she makes: As a permanent contractor, she invoices for around $35,000 annually, before taxes.
Some of how she spends it: Rent on a one-bedroom unit near Queen and Roncesvalles, split evenly with her partner: $614.46 monthly. (“The kitchen is really tiny and quaint. There was no space for the olive oil, so I had to buy wall-mounted shelving.”) Continuing education courses, including a class on printing processes and another in performance art: $1540 this year. Internet: $39.49 monthly. (“Our arrangement as a couple is that he pays the Hydro and I pay the Internet.”) TTC tokens: $28 monthly. (“In the summer, I use TTC if it’s raining too hard. If it’s just light rain, I’ll still bike.”) Subscription to ESSE Arts + Opinions, a magazine: $60.20 annually. Cellphone: $68.37 monthly.
What she bought in one week: Yerba maté and a spinach-and-cheese empanada from El Almacen, on Queen West: $7. Vegetables and salad mix from Trinity Bellwoods Farmers Market: $27. Gladioli bouquet from Roncesvalles Fruit and Flower Market: $5. Flor de Cana Rum: $25.95. (“We were hosting a party, so we made cocktails with the mint and spearmint in our garden patch.”) Dry cleaning: $70.45. (“I procrastinated. I didn’t pick it up until I was afraid they’d send my clothes away, because I was afraid to see the bill.”) Porlex Japan ceramic hand coffee grinder: $70. (“It was very expensive, but I had been thinking about buying it for a year.”) Ontario sour cherries and galettes aux beurres from Cote de Boeuf, on Ossington: $9.32. Farcito classico, espresso, and biscotti from Sud Forno, on Queen West: $11.04. (“I’m very attached to eating Italian food. I have a lot of history there.”) Charitable donations: $100. (“I was able to be generous because this was a pay period that I didn’t have to pay rent. I’m very paycheque to paycheque.”) Small ice cream cone from Ed’s Real Scoop: $3.62.
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“Hand coffee grinders: The kitchen tool for the poor AND stupid!”
35K and even with that she’s sharing a (small?) apartment with a partner AND still lives paycheque to paycheque
Welcome to Toronto.
its hard to determine how much you think 35K/year is in terms of salary….
$35k (sadly) doesn’t go far at all in this city. My hhld income is about $180k pre-tax and I still find I don’t have much leftover at the end of the month. Good for them still making charitable donations.
Pro-tip: if you want to talk about how hard it is to get by in this town, maybe don’t pose for a picture beside a $900 Gus Modern chair?
Why so judgy? Maybe it was a gift or purchased with discount. Or maybe her partner got it.
$17/hr…I worked it out years ago. :)
why so judgey?
maybe you have different obligations and priorities, yes? It sort of sounds like you would like to be in their shoes, but can’t be, for various reasons. That does suck, but is there some way in your life you and your family could look at reducing expenses? I know, I know. I’m in the same boat, I constantly look at what I can live without and then say “oh no! the dogs have to be walked!” :)
Why, Andrea? I’d be happy to enlighten you.
These articles are stupid and the subjects loathsome.
She does seem to be able to buy some pretty high-end stuff, but maybe the partner makes really good money and she lives on their coattails. She also doesn’t appear to be complaining about anything really, but simply says she’s paycheque-to-paycheque. Seems like a nice lady.
Groceries? Insurance?
If she is an independent contractor and business isn’t steady, I could see how she is living pay cheque to pay cheque. Maybe do away with the magazine subscription, dry cleaning and coffee grinder and it sounds bad, but cut that donation in half…if you’re struggling that is.
The subjects are “loathsome”? Wow – bitter much?
Sure, but whatever.
I bought a Gus Modern couch for 100 dollars off Kijiji and it was one of my favorite possessions. When I moved into my shitty (somewhat affordable) basement apartment it couldn’t fit through the doors and I had to give it up. Why come here to judge someone when there are so many elements you don’t know?
Wow, why are people so judgemental about how people spend their money? What if we focussed that energy into policies that create a more affordable cost of living in the city?
The posters seem to be more fixated on this chair than the individuals ability to juggle and in my mind eat healthy. She might have a secondary income source in how to teach people to eat healthy & where to shop and also in how to live within a budget because believe it or not they say the people that are most in debt are the people living in places like Forest Hill & Rosedale trying to keep up with their neighbours. As far as an expensive chair parents are helping out their kids in many cases today. Read the Toronto Life article ” The Bank Of Mom & Dad” excellent article a couple of months ago. Young people do not have it easy today. High unemployment in youth even with degrees.
Sure, but the donation was larger than normal because she had a bit more disposable income and the coffee grinder was a purchase a year in the making. With all of the more premium stuff she appears to be purchasing, I don’t doubt that she’s more pay cheque to pay cheque. But she’s in a much better position than someone living pay cheque to pay cheque with no money for donations at all, or buying the cheapest food out there.
This reminds me of that article on here from a few years ago about how those living on $175k+ a year are all don’t have as much money left over at the end of the month as people might think they do. Ok, you have nothing left, but look at all the stuff you were able to buy this month! $500+ dollars on wine, SUV car payment, etc etc.
I wonder would any of our personal info. salary and purchases survive the same level of public scrutiny? Of course I don’t necessarily agree with how others spend. But as long as they are not in serious debt who am I to judge?
It sounds like she is doing a little better than pay cheque to pay cheque. When I was in that boat, there was no disposable income lol. If i had $100 at the end of the month it went into savings for a rainy day.
honestly. please do. I kind of hate TO Life and they’re “oh, I’m living paycheque to paycheque”. This kind of shit makes me sick: Ontario sour cherries and galettes aux beurres from Cote de Boeuf, on Ossington: $9.32.
I don’t even have a desk! I use cardboard from the store!!
Probability and well frankly reality dictates most people do not have the kinds of outcomes you talk of. The chair costs 900 bux for a reason.
(“I was able to be generous because this was a pay period that I didn’t have to pay rent. I’m very paycheque to paycheque.”) Is this an artful lie from an art sales person? I’m not sure. Regardless 36k is hardly living in excess.
Probability and well frankly reality dictates that if people are confused why she got such an expensive couch on her salary that she probably got a deal, my specific situation obviously nope but hey was it a gift from a parent? someone moved away and was getting rid of their stuff? she got in on a big sale? got it used? Point being, people just want to act judgmental and arrogant without thinking about things for an extra two seconds. And hey even if she did pay full price, good on her! She probably had to save for a while and spent it on something high quality instead of buying shitty replaceable ikea couches which saves money in the long run.
ur trying very hard. i hate you
^^^ what’s wrong with the world.
Yet here you are, reading them (most obviously more than one).
Would bang, though