“I’m saving $2,500 a month for a down payment on a condo”: How a cannabis tech worker spends her money

“I’m saving $2,500 a month for a down payment on a condo”: How a cannabis tech worker spends her money

Who: Thaomy Lam, 26
What she does: Director of events and revenue operations at a cannabis tech company
What she makes: $145,000 a year
Where she lives: A one-bedroom condo at King and Shaw

Regular expenses: Rent: $1,850 a month. Groceries: $65 a month. “I usually eat out after work.” Dining out: $400 a month. Transit: $75. Uber: $50 a month. Savings: $2,500 a month, for a down payment on a condo. “I’m looking at a pre-construction unit in Leslieville. My goal is to have a down payment saved by next year.” Emergency fund: $200 a month. “I set aside money each month in case I need to book a last-minute flight home to Alberta.” Vacation savings: $1,000 a month. Expensify app: $6 a month. “It logs all my expenses for work. I’d be lost without it.” Globe and Mail subscription: $29 a month. “I’ve been a subscriber since I finished undergrad. It’s my morning ritual to drink a coffee and read the paper.” Mani pedi: $100 a month. “I have anxiety and I bite my nails. Getting them done helps me curb the habit.”

Recent splurges: Painters for the condo: $3,000. “The walls were dark before. I wanted to brighten things up.” Deep-tissue massage: $289, at the Ritz-Carlton. Pillow: $90, from Endy. iPhone X: $600. “I cracked the screen on my iPhone 6. It was time for an upgrade.” West Elm marble dining table: $641“After six years of buying IKEA furniture, I’m finally investing in things that will last.” Dinner for two at Salt Wine Bar: $129.

Want to tell us about your Cost of Living? Email us at [email protected].