This content creator makes $130,000 a year. How does she spend it?
“Last year, I didn’t use the subway once. I prefer Uber”
Who: Bridgette Vong, 26 What she does: She’s a content creator What she makes: $130,000 Where she lives: A one-bedroom condo in West Queen West
Regular Expenses
Rent: $2,450 a month. “I applied for this place in April of 2024. I offered four months’ rent up front to sweeten the deal.”
Utilities: $110 a month.
Internet: $50 a month with Bell.
Phone: $132 a month with Bell. “I’m on a monthly plan to pay down my iPhone 16.”
Groceries: $300 a month. “I shop exclusively at No Frills because it’s close to my condo and relatively cheap. If I need special ingredients, I’ll go to St. Lawrence Market.”
$210 a month. “Ivy and Jewel are my two cats. I love them.”
Transit: $200 a month. “In 2024, I worked from home and didn’t use the subway once. I prefer to use Uber to get around.”
Takeout: $100 a month. “I order from Monkey Sushi, Chipotle and Mandy’s Gourmet Salads.”
Beauty: $0 a month. “I get most of my skin care and makeup products sent by the brands and agencies I write about. I just stockpile them.”
Clothing: $80 a month. “I recently bought a new sweater from Oak and Fort.”
Entertainment: $400 a month. “I go out a lot around King West. I really like Lulu Bar at the Well.”
Gym membership: $200 a month. “It’s an unlimited pass at Solis Movement, a hot yoga and pilates studio.”
Subscriptions: $240 a month. “These include CapCut, Canva, QuickBooks, Crave, Hayu, Audible, 1Password, Uber One and Google Workspace, but I write some of them off as business expenses.”
Business overhead: $200 a month. “I’ve hired a bookkeeper to help me keep track.”
Charity: $20 a month. “For the past two years, I’ve been donating to UNICEF on a monthly basis.”
Savings: $1,000 to $2,000 a month. “This goes into my TFSA, RRSP or personal savings.”
Recent Splurges
Flight to Greece: $900. “My friend works at an airline and got me a discount. I’m going this summer.”
Christmas gifts: $1,500. “I bought one of my brothers a pair of Bose headphones and the other an espresso machine. I also got my friend a custom Funko Pop.”
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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
