/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
City News

This apparel-company owner makes $90,200 a year. How does he spend it?

“I try to keep six months of expenses set aside just in case”

By Tara DeBoer| Photography by Lucy Lu
Copy link
Eric Van Giessen pays $1,900 a month to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Upper Jarvis in Toronto

Who: Eric Van Giessen, 32 What he does: He’s a sociology PhD student and teaching assistant at York University and the owner of art-and-apparel company Queero Gear What he makes: $90,200 Where he lives: A one-bedroom apartment in Upper Jarvis


Regular Expenses

Rent and hydro: $1,900 a month. “It’s a good rate for downtown but $1,100 more than my previous place by Allan Gardens.”

Cell: $100 a month. “This plan with Freedom Mobile helps pay off my phone.”

Internet: $35 a month. “I got a special six-month intro deal with TekSavvy.”

Transportation: $150 a month. “If I’m not working from home or at the Toronto Reference Library, I take the TTC to campus. The rest of my transit bills go to renting cars for my business.”

Advertisement

Groceries: $500 a month. “I get a food box from HelloFresh. They have good vegetarian options, and it’s less wasteful. I also can’t live without sour cream and onion chips.”

Tuition: $5,200 a year. “I get some financial support from my program, so this figure is subsidized.”

More Toronto Budgets

This Corktown couple makes $140,000 a year. How do they spend it?
City News

This Corktown couple makes $140,000 a year. How do they spend it?

Eating out: $300 a month. “I love going for Thai food or Indian food and grabbing an afternoon flat white from a coffee shop.”

Pet care: $175 a month. “My Goldendoodle, Mabel Rose, brings me a lot of joy. Her costs are mostly food and insurance. I do her grooming myself.”

Health and wellness: $30 a month. “I have a gym membership at Hone Fitness, and I get two massages a month, which are covered by insurance—one of the perks of being a PhD student.”

Advertisement

Entertainment: $125 a month. “I have an AGO membership at a student rate. For music, I just listen to Spotify, but one day I’d love to see Beyoncé in concert.”

Style: $60 every other month. “I get a haircut every other month. I rarely spend money on new clothes.”

Business expenses: $2,500 a month. “I sell original handmade Lino prints, mugs and apparel that promote queer love and joy. The prints have been an escape from staring at my screen all day as a student. My costs are for materials, packaging and vending at pop-ups.”

Charity: $125 a month. “My dad passed away from cancer in 2016, and my mom had a stroke at 50, so I give to the Canadian Cancer Society and to Heart and Stroke. I also donate to the Dale Ministries in Parkdale as well as to an LGBTQ+ church in British Columbia.”

Savings: $1,000 a month. “I try to keep six months of living expenses set aside just in case. I do want to purchase property at some point, and I want to go to an all-inclusive where I can sit on the beach and read novels, but that’s not within my reach right now.”

Advertisement
Recent Splurges

Inkjet printer: $3,500. “This allows me to print my digital illustrations.”

This apparel-company owner makes $90,200 a year. How does he spend it?
This apparel-company owner makes $90,200 a year. How does he spend it?
This apparel-company owner makes $90,200 a year. How does he spend it?

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Big Stories

Inside the Latest Issue

The May issue of Toronto Life features the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries moving north to avoid the carnage of Trump. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.