This Doctors Without Borders marketer earns $100,000 a year. How does she spend it?
Manpreet Badyal moved from Delhi to Vancouver to Toronto in search of success
Manpreet Badyal is a 33-year-old digital marketing manager at Doctors Without Borders Canada, where she earns a $100,000 salary. She grew up in Delhi and moved to Vancouver to earn her marketing degree. In 2018, following her graduation, she ditched the peace and quiet of the West Coast for Toronto’s cosmopolitan verve. When her sister, Anudeep, arrived in the city four years later, they moved into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the Beaches, which they rent for $3,300 a month. Here’s how Manpreet spends her money.
Regular Expenses
Rent: $2,200 a month. “I pay two-thirds of the rent right now because I make more money.”
Utilities: About $200 a month.
Phone and internet: $120 a month with Rogers. “I got a deal that’s discounted for the next two years.”
Groceries: $700 a month. “Splurging on groceries is my thing. Instead of shopping at Food Basics or FreshCo, I’ll go out of my way for Farm Boy or Whole Foods.”
Dining out: $400 a month. “I’m in the office twice a week, and I usually don’t pack lunch. My boyfriend, Sahib, and I go out a lot on weekends. Our favourite spots are North of Brooklyn and Better Half.”
Clothing: $60 a month. “Last year, I spent $2,000 to upgrade my closet for my 30s. Now I’m trying to thrift.”
Beauty: $50 a month. “Sephora is my go-to.”
Car: $300 a month. “My apartment doesn’t have a parking spot, and my street parking permit costs $20. Going to and from the office a couple of times a week costs me about $50 in gas.”
Gym and trainer: $315 a month. “I go to the Beaches YMCA, and I hired a personal trainer so I could take my health more seriously.”
ROM membership: $80. “I got this half off as part of a BOGO promotion.”
Savings: $300 a month. “Sahib and I want to get married next year, so we’ll use it for our wedding.”
Recent Splurges
Trip to Cancún: $1,500. “My goal for 2025 was to travel more, so I impulsively bought tickets to Mexico three days before the flight. I stayed at an all-inclusive for four days.”
Lady Gaga concert: $400. “Worth every single penny. I was so close to the stage.”
Teagan Sliz covers Ontario real estate for Toronto Life and Storeys. She also writes for Cottage Life and has reported on everything from hidden-gem restaurants to Canadian wildlife and forest fires. She graduated from Queen’s University with a bachelor’s in history and art history and from Centennial College, where she studied Canadian publishing.
