“I took on a second job so I could travel”: How a 31-year-old policy analyst spends her money

Who: Elizabeth Bodkin, 31

What she does: Full-time government policy analyst and part-time retail associate

What she makes: $107,000 a year

Where she lives: A one-bedroom loft on Queen West

What she spends in a month: Mortgage: $1,609. She bought her condo for $500,000 last April. Line of credit payments: $1,000. “I took out $25,000 to help buy my place.” Maintenance fees: $318. Property tax: $140. Groceries: $200. Cellphone: $65, for a five-gig Wind Mobile plan. “Before that, I was with Bell. Their prices were ridiculous.” Internet: $50. Newspaper: $40, for a Globe and Mail subscription. Ballet: $200, for classes at the National Ballet of Canada. “The shoes don’t last long, so it gets expensive.” Transportation: $30, for a Bike Share membership and TTC fares.

Recent splurges: Decorations: $150, for black and gold balloons at her housewarming party. Theatre: $900, for four tickets to Come From Away at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Footwear: $300, for winter boots from La Canadienne. “I try to support local businesses whenever I can.” Vacation: $5,000, for a trip to Egypt. “I got a part-time job so I could still travel while paying off my mortgage. I take two or three big trips a year.” Airfare: $350, to visit her parents in Tampa. “I took them out for dinner, but otherwise I didn’t have to spend anything.” Furniture: $3,550, for a dining table, two leather chairs and a ladder. “The ladder is beautiful but also necessary in my loft, because I need it to get to my bed.”

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