This program coordinator makes $74,000 a year. How does she spend it?
“I’m still renting at pandemic-era prices”
Who: Stephanie Sim, 30 What she does: She’s a program coordinator at a university, a part-time MBA student and the founder of City Girls Social Club What she makes: $74,000 Where she lives: A one-bedroom condo in Church-Wellesley
Regular Expenses
Rent: $1,733 a month. “I’ve been living here for three years. It’s rent-controlled, so I’m still paying pandemic-era prices. It started at $1,650.”
Internet and phone: $115 a month with Virgin Mobile. “I got a package deal.”
Hydro: $50 a month.
Groceries: $450 a month. “Loblaws is only a two-minute walk from my condo.”
Presto: $25 a month. “Everything I need is close by, so I rarely take transit.”
Uber: $30 a month. “I mostly use Uber to visit friends or for going out at night.”
Clothing: $100 a month. “I just bought a heated vest from Amazon, and it was worth every penny. I’m a very practical shopper.”
Beauty: $40 a month. “Shoppers Drug Mart is where I go for my basics.”
Treats: $50 a month. “I’ll go to the Drake Hotel for drinks or grab a pastry from the Dessert Lady Cafe and Bakery in Yorkville.”
Entertainment: $50 a month. “This is mostly for concerts with friends.”
Subscriptions: $20 a month. “Right now, I only pay for Amazon and Spotify.”
Gym: $0 a month. “As a part-time MBA student, I get to use the campus gym for free.”
Takeout: $100 a month. “With Uber Eats or Skip the Dishes, my go-tos are Buk Chang Dong Soon Tofu in Koreatown or Rasta Pasta in Kensington Market.”
Pet supplies: $100 a month. “Lil Diggie is my five-year-old miniature goldendoodle. This is mostly for his food and vet bills.”
Pet insurance: $80 a month with Trupanion. “For peace of mind.”
Business expenses: $350 a month. “I run a social club for women who want to make new friends, and this covers the costs of paying facilitators to run classes like painting and dance.”
School supplies: $50 a month. “I work for the university, so my tuition is covered.”
Charity: $0 a month. “I’m not donating right now, but I’ve been volunteering.”
Recent Splurges
MacBook: $1,300. “My previous computer was seven years old.”
Swarovski tennis necklace: $400. “I finally splurged and bought this necklace I’d been eyeing for years.”
Amanda Whalen is a Toronto-based journalist who works as a communications professional for a tech hub. She has also worked at BNN Bloomberg and CP24, and her writing can be found in Toronto Life, the CBC and the Toronto Star
