This policy analyst and stand-up comedian makes $83,000 a year. How does she spend it?
“Investing in mental health is important. I have an unlimited membership at Othership in Yorkville”
Hilary Henderson lives alone in a studio apartment steps from Yonge and St. Clair. In 2021, after earning her master’s in public administration from Queen’s, she realized that a career in the corporate realm would be tough on her social life and even worse for her creative ambitions. So she decided to take a stand-up class at Second City and launch a side hustle as a comedian. Her total income is roughly $83,000 a year. Here’s how she spends it.
Regular Expenses
Rent: $1,930 a month. “I’ve been here since mid-2024.”
Insurance: $18 a month with Square One. “My landlord asked for this as a condition of my lease. I shopped around online until I found the cheapest one.”
Phone and internet: $169 a month with Rogers. “I convinced them to take $15 off my monthly bill after they put me on hold for over an hour.”
Groceries: $340 a month. “I shop mostly at Loblaws because it’s close. Sometimes I’ll buy supplies at Dollarama or off Amazon.”
More Toronto Budgets
Subscriptions: $42 a month. “This is for YouTube, Spotify and Amazon. I also have Netflix, but my boyfriend pays for that.”
Business subscriptions: $42 a month for CapCut, iCloud storage and Google Drive storage. “I film my comedy content and do a lot of social media promotion. I never have enough space on my phone.”
Transportation: $150 a month. “I take the TTC as much as possible, but after late-night sets, I’ll Uber home.”
Takeout: $80 a month. “My boyfriend and I take turns paying. Scotty Bons Caribbean Grill is one of our favourites.”
Wellness: $250 a month. “Investing in mental health is important. I have an unlimited membership at Othership in Yorkville. It costs a lot, but their saunas and ice baths relieve so much stress.”
Recent Splurges
Comedy festival: $500. “When you book one of these, you pay a deposit and then hope you sell enough tickets to make it back.”
Bridesmaid duties: $1,250. “One of my close friends just got married in October, so I spent this on my dress, gifts for the bridal shower and a bachelorette trip to Mont-Tremblant.”
