This King West sales consultant makes $90,000 a year. How does he spend it?
“I saved for a year to live in the Well”
Who: Dylan Usher, 28 What he does: He’s a sales and client services consultant for a tech company What he makes: $90,000 Where he lives: A one-bedroom apartment at FourFifty The Well, in King West
Regular Expenses
Rent: $2,700 a month. “This is my first solo apartment. I saved for a year to live here.”
Cell: $145 a month with Rogers. “I bought an iPhone 15 Pro Max last September, so part of my bill is paying off the phone.”
Internet: $56 a month with Rogers. “Our building had a pre-existing deal with Rogers. It’s better than my old plan.”
Groceries: $350 a month. “There’s a Farm Boy nearby, but I prefer to shop at Sobeys on the Queensway because it’s cheaper and has a bigger selection.”
Car: $700 a month. “I’m financing an SUV. I call it my grocery getter.”
Ride shares: $30 a month. “I’ll do short trips if I’m going out at night or I don’t feel like driving—usually $8 or $9 a pop.”
Dining out: $180 a month. “I’m having fun eating my way through King West and Ossington. I’ll go to a nice restaurant once or twice a month. I love Oretta. I’ll also go out to a bar every two weeks or so, like Sneaky Dee’s, to catch up with a friend over beer.”
Movies: $25 a month. “I love watching movies on IMAX, but they’re not cheap.”
Comedy: $35 a month. “The Corner Comedy Club is just up the street, so I wander in now and then.”
Candle subscription: $40 a month. “I’m always burning some kind of scent in my apartment—I’ve got a hazelnut latte candle from Old Firehall Confectionery going right now, and it smells super delicious.”
YouTube Premium subscription: $25 a month. “Interior design is a passion of mine, and I use the videos as a source of inspiration. I don’t have any art on my walls yet because I’m taking it slow.”
Music aggregator subscription: $80 a year. “I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter, with music on Apple and Spotify. I subscribe to a service called Landr, which uses AI to mix and master the songs before uploading them to a platform.”
AGO annual pass: $35 “I love the AGO. A ticket for one visit is around $30—an extra $5 for the entire year is a steal. Sometimes I’ll go with friends, other times alone.”
Savings: $800 to $1,500 a month. “I don’t have a specific target, but I’m looking at investing in a property or buying a place in another province or country as a vacation home.”
Recent Splurges
Nespresso machine: $170. “I need my hit in the morning, and going out for coffee every day isn’t financially sustainable.”
Wayfair coffee table: $350. “It’s a knock-off of a higher-end Scandi-style table from a company overseas.”
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Andrea Yu is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. She reports on a wide variety of topics including business, real estate, culture, design, health, food, drink and travel. Aside from Toronto Life, her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Cottage Life.
