This freelance copywriter and marketer makes up to $150,000 a year. How does she spend it?
“I had a rough financial patch in my 20s, so I’m trying to save”
Who: Christine Wolfl, 32 What she does: Freelance copywriting and marketing What she makes: $115,000 to $150,000 Where she lives: A one-bedroom condo in Humber Bay Shores
Regular Expenses
Rent: $2,050 a month. “My goal is to buy, but my current condo is not a bad place to be in the meantime.”
Hair: $450 every two months. “I’m not a natural blonde, so it’s all about the maintenance.”
Botox: $200 every three months. “In your 30s, a little poke here and there is a girl’s best friend.”
More Toronto Budgets
Phone: $115 a month. “I’m stuck with Bell, and it’s a little pricier than I’d like.”
Groceries: $500 a month.
LCBO: $120 a month. “I’m not a big drinker—unless it’s California Cab Sauv.”
Self-care: $200 a month. “H2 OM is a godsend for biocharging and acupuncture.”
Clothing: $350 a month. “I don’t shop as much since I became a homebody during the pandemic. When I do, it’s usually for workout gear or a cool new piece from Winners to wear out for dinner or drinks with friends.”
Debt payments: $400 a month. “I went through a rough patch in my late-20s where I totally blew my budget. My dad rescued me, and now I owe him some cash, which is better than credit card debt.”
Subscriptions: $11.99 a month for Disney Plus. “Not going to lie, I bought it for Dancing With the Stars.”
Pet care and supplies: $300 a month for her cat, Rudy, and dogs, Poppy and Maverick. “Between insurance, vet visits, food, treats and the occasional doggy daycare, it adds up.”
Recent Splurges
Trip to Thailand: $9,800. “My partner graduated from Sheridan in May, and I’d had a really strong few months at work, so I wanted to take her on a trip to celebrate. We had a wonderful time, but we missed our flight home and had to rebook at the last minute, which was expensive.”
Perfume: $138. “I recently splurged on a bottle of YSL Libre. It makes me feel sexy.”
Christmas decorations: $260. “This is the third time I’ve purchased an artificial tree. This year, it’s condo sized. I love it so much that I snagged a second.”
Long-Term Savings
Savings account: $500 a month. “I could do better here. After splurging on travel experiences in my 20s, I’m trying to settle down and think about the future. I’m just using a standard RBC savings account right now—I used to have some crypto too, but I sold it because the market is so unstable.”
Roxy Kirshenbaum is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. After graduating from Columbia University’s journalism program, she worked as a copy editor at InStyle magazine in New York and then as an editor at Surface magazine. When she returned to Toronto, she worked at Blue Ant Media and Cottage Life, and she has been a contributing writer and photographer at Toronto Life for many years.
