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“I got tired of living in cheap sublets”: How a software engineer spends his $90K

He’s saving for a big European vacation

By Roxy Kirshenbaum| Photography by Erin Leydon
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"I got tired of living in cheap sublets”: How a software engineer spends his $90K

Who: Deepak Rishi, 26 What he does: Software engineer What he makes: $90,000 a year Where he lives: A one-bedroom plus den in South Riverdale

Regular expenses: Rent: $1,600 a month, utilities included. “It’s a bit more than what I usually spend, but I got tired of living in cheap sublets.” Internet: $32 a month. “I bundled my Internet with my Fido phone plan so I was able to get a good deal.” Cellphone: $50 a month. “But my office reimburses me up to 50 bucks a month for my phone plan, so it’s practically free.” Groceries: $300 a month. Eating out: $200 a month. “Downtown is full of awesome restaurants.” Transportation: $260 a month. “I spend about $180 on the TTC, which I take to get to work. If I’m late, I might end up taking an Uber, which costs about $10.” Gym membership: $60 a month, with GoodLife. Savings: $2,500 a month. He’s saving for a trip to Europe next year. Car rentals: $150 a month. “I don’t own a car, but I rent a few times a month for short trips.” Nights out: $150 a month. “I’m a pretty social guy and love going to bars and clubs a few times a month with my friends.”

Recent splurges: Travel: $1,500, for a flight home to India. “I usually visit my family once a year. This time I’m going in December, so the tickets were a bit expensive.” Plus $1,000 for a recent nine-day trip to California and $800 to visit friends in Boston and New York. Furniture: $500. “I purchased a bed from Kijiji for $350 and tables and chairs from my landlord for $150.”

Want to tell us about your Cost of Living? Email us at costofliving@torontolife.com.

Roxy Kirshenbaum is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. After graduating from Columbia University’s journalism program, she worked as a copy editor at InStyle magazine in New York and then as an editor at Surface magazine. When she returned to Toronto, she worked at Blue Ant Media and Cottage Life, and she has been a contributing writer and photographer at Toronto Life for many years.

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