This West Rouge couple makes $275,000 a year. How do they spend it?

This West Rouge couple makes $275,000 a year. How do they spend it?

“We’re stuck in a variable mortgage, and it keeps going up”

This West Rouge couple makes $275,000 a year. How do they spend it?

Who: Roselle Ramirez, 45, and Daniel Gutoiu, 34
What they do: She’s an executive assistant at a software company; he’s a logistics and accounts coordinator for a manufacturer as well as a lender with the car-sharing company Turo
What they make: $275,000 combined
Where they live: A two-bedroom townhouse in West Rouge with their four-year-old son, Nathaniel, and their Aussie Doodle, Denver


Regular Expenses

Mortgage: $2,500 a month. “We’re stuck in a variable mortgage,” says Daniel. “And it keeps going up.”

Cell: $225 a month.

Hydro: $180 a month. “It used to be around $120,” Daniel says, “but now we have a Tesla Model Y as well as a Jeep hybrid, so we’re using more power.”

More Toronto Budgets

Groceries: $1,000 a month. “We go to Costco once or twice a month,” says Daniel. “Otherwise, we like Chinese supermarkets.”

Dining out: $500 a month. “We have a pretty big group of friends,” Roselle says, “and there’s always some sort of occasion to celebrate.”

Business expenses: $2,200 to $2,500 a month. “We rent out our cars for more income, so we invest a lot in detailing and cleaning supplies, power washing, and so on,” Daniel says. “We also pay for a virtual assistant who helps with customer service and administration.”

Savings: $1,500 a month. “We haven’t been as good at hitting our monthly target, what with interest rates going up,” says Roselle. “A lot of our savings get eaten.”

Roselle Ramirez, 45, and Daniel Gutoiu, 34 at home in their two-bedroom townhouse in West Rouge

The living room of a two-bedroom townhouse in West Rouge

The kitchen of a two-bedroom townhouse in West Rouge

Roselle Ramirez, 45, and Daniel Gutoiu, 34, in their hybrid Jeep

Recent Splurges

New puppy: $2,400. “We got the dog for exercise and to help teach Nathaniel about responsibility,” Roselle says.

Kitchen renovation: $15,000. “This was a bit of a splurge, but I did a lot of the work myself, with the help of some friends,” Daniel says. “We painted the cabinets, tore down a wall and installed a new island, floor tiles and countertops. It kind of snowballed.”