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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