Who: Dennis Mathu, 29, and Steph Gordon, 28 What they do: Both are content creators covering personal finance What they make: $140,000 combined Where they live: A one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo in Corktown
Rent: $1,940 a month. “We’ve been in this condo for almost seven years and have no plans to move,” says Steph. “We love the neighbourhood.”
Hydro: $67 a month.
Internet: $73 a month with Rogers. “I always call in January to negotiate a better deal for the new year,” says Steph.
Groceries: $640 a month. “We walk to No Frills with our little cart,” says Dennis.
Transit: $100 a month. “We both work from home, so we save a lot on transportation,” says Dennis.
Takeout: $0. “We used to spend almost $2,500 a year on Uber Eats,” says Steph. “We cook at home way more now.”
Restaurants: $250 a month. “Our go-tos are Good Fork and SugarKane.”
Beauty: $230 a month. “This is mostly for restocking staples, like Kiehl’s creamy eye treatment with avocado,” says Steph.
Clothing: $50 a month. “I bought just one item of clothing in 2024—a turtleneck from RW and Co.,” says Dennis.
Entertainment: $250 a month. “This fluctuates. We like to spend money on concerts, comedy shows, musicals and performances like Cirque du Soleil,” says Dennis.
Subscriptions: $36 a month for Spotify and Netflix.
Fitness: $124 a month with Jam Sports. “We play in an intramural basketball league instead of paying for a gym membership,” says Dennis. “It’s more fun.”
Business phone: $137 a month with Rogers through the Costco small business option.
Savings: $2,000 a month. “If we max out our TFSA, the rest will go into our RRSP,” says Steph.
Kendrick Lamar tickets: $1,200. “When he announced his 2025 tour, we got tickets right away,” says Dennis.
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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