This bureaucrat turned barista makes $60,000 a year. How does she spend it?
“My new landlord offered a month of free rent, and that sold it for me”
Teagan Cutajar is a 27-year-old barista, makeup artist, content creator and dog walker. After moving to Toronto from Australia in January of 2024, she worked as a disability case manager, making roughly $74,000 a year. But she hated the job and would finish work on Friday dreading having to go back on Monday morning. She decided that becoming a barista with various side hustles would be better for her mental health. Now, she makes roughly $60,000 a year and lives in a one-bedroom apartment in West Queen West, which she rents for $2,200 a month.
Regular Expenses
Rent: $2,200 a month. “I’m living on my own for the first time in my life. This new place offered a month of free rent, and that sold it for me.”
Internet: $62 a month with EBox. “It was the cheapest service I could find.”
Hydro: $80 a month.
Phone: $38 a month with Freedom Mobile.
Groceries: $300 a month. “I shop at FreshCo and Metro for bulkier items. For fruits and veggies, I go to smaller greengrocers.”
Transit: $70 a month. “My coffee shop is only a 15-minute walk from my apartment, but I sometimes Uber home if it’s late at night.”
Clothing: $90 a month. “I try to thrift a lot of my clothes. I like Common Sort, and if I’m in the mood to rummage, I’ll go to the Salvation Army.”
Beauty: $55 a month. “I have a waxing membership at Foxy Box Wax Bar on Queen.”
Takeout: $0 a month. “I’d rather save my money for meals with friends.”
Dining out: $400 a month. “I’ve tried Oretta, and I like going to Pizzeria Badiali with friends and then taking the pie to Bellwoods to eat.”
Gym: $145 a month. “Right now, I have ClassPass, an app for booking appointments. But I’m thinking of swapping to a cheaper package because my new building has a gym.”
Subscriptions: $9 a month. “I pay for Google Photos to store my memories.”
Related: This piano teacher and wedding musician makes $170,000 a year. How does she spend it?
Recent Splurges
Mother’s Day: $80. “My mom is back home in Australia, and I sent her flowers.”
Toronto Waterfront Marathon entry fee: $210. “It’s in October. I’m excited.”
Bulk meat order: $270. “I just ordered a bunch of meat, including Australian beef, from Woodward Meats. This will last me about seven months.”
Amanda Whalen is a Toronto-based journalist who works as a communications professional for a tech hub. She has also worked at BNN Bloomberg and CP24, and her writing can be found in Toronto Life, the CBC and the Toronto Star
