This MaRS program manager makes $90,000 a year. How does he spend it?
“I plan to buy a condo in the Junction or Leslieville in five years”
Who: Andy Lam, 29
What he does: He’s a full-time master’s student in environmental science at Toronto Metropolitan University and a program manager at MaRS
What he makes: $90,000
Where he lives: A one-bedroom condo at Bay and College
Regular Expenses
Rent: $1,900 a month. “It just went up from $1,875, but luckily all utilities are included.”
Parking: $125 a month.
Car: $325 a month for insurance and $100 a month for gas and maintenance. “My car, a 2012 Honda Civic, is paid off. It’s a hand-me-down from my father, so costs are low.”
Cell and internet: $165 a month with Rogers. “It’s pricey, but I get high-speed internet and unlimited talk and text.”
Streaming: $25 a month for premium Netflix.
Groceries: $60 a month. “My parents own a Vietnamese-Chinese restaurant in Windsor. I visit them often and stock up on food.”
Going out: $600 a month. “I’ve recently gotten back into the swing of dating and seeing friends.” His go-to cuisine is Middle Eastern, which is great fuel for late nights on the TMU campus.
Cycling: $10 a month. “I have a Bike Share Toronto membership, which gives me unlimited 30-minute trips across the city. It’s super convenient.”
Cinema: $25 a month. “Theatres are so immersive—a great escape for a few hours.”
Beekeeping: $50 a month “for equipment, upkeep and the bees. My father and I love to spend time together this way.”
Short-Term Savings
Condo fund: $1,000 a month. “Within the next five years, I’d like to buy a one-bedroom condo in the Junction or Leslieville.”
PhD fund: $250 a month. “My doctoral program will cost close to $30,000, most of it funded by scholarships or subsidies.”
