“I dropped nearly $4,000 on sneakers last year”: How an email marketer and an accountant spend their money
She’s partial to Hermès, he likes cars and sneakers
Who: Lily Gao, 29, and Charles Tang, 30
What they do: She’s an email marketing specialist, he’s an accountant for a trucking company
What they make: She makes $60,000 a year, he makes $120,000 a year
Where they live: A two-bedroom townhouse near Sherway Gardens
Regular expenses: Mortgage: $1,165 a month. Utilities: $271 a month. Internet: $45 a month. “I have a plan that’s really cheap for 500 gigs of data,” says Charles. Insurance: $600 a month, for the house, two BMWs and a Lexus. “Cars are my hobby—I’ve owned about eight cars in the past eight years,” says Charles. Gas: $350 a month. “I drive to Vaughan for work, he drives to Bolton,” says Lily. Gym membership: $12 a month at Fit4Less, for Charles. Groceries: $400 a month. “I like to cook Chinese dishes like hotpots, fried chicken or tomatoes with eggs,” says Lily. Eating out: $500 a month. Cat food: $50 a month, for their Bengal cat Pharaoh (pictured) and domestic shorthair Bijoux. “I take care of the cats,” says Lily.
Recent splurges: Travel: $4,600, for a trip to Mexico. “We opted out of the all-inclusive because we wanted to explore Playa del Carmen,” says Charles. Humidifier: $100. Shoes: $240, for a pair of Air Jordan 1 Bloodlines. “I spent $3,780 on sneakers last year,” says Charles. Makeup: $140, for her lipstick, night cream, eyeliner and foundation. Clothes: $1,500, for his dress shirts from Indochino and her Gucci sweater. Jewellery: $800, for her Hermès Clic H Bracelet.
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 and domestic shorthair Bijoux. “I take care of the cats,” says Lily.
Recent splurges: Travel: $4,600, for a trip to Mexico. “We opted out of the all-inclusive because we wanted to explore Playa del Carmen,” says Charles. Humidifier: $100. Shoes: $240, for a pair of Air Jordan 1 Bloodlines. “I spent $3,780 on sneakers last year,” says Charles. Makeup: $140, for her lipstick, night cream, eyeliner and foundation. Clothes: $1,500, for his dress shirts from Indochino and her Gucci sweater. Jewellery: $800, for her Hermès Clic H Bracelet.
Want to tell us about your Cost of Living? Email us at costofliving@torontolife.com.){kind=link}