“I’m saving up to buy a house in the next five years”: How a brand strategist spends her money

Who: Jasmine Tam, 30
What she does: Brand strategist, freelance photographer and realtor in training
What she makes: $81,000 a year
Where she lives: A one-bedroom condo at Queen and Bathurst

Regular expenses: Rent: $2,100 a month. TFSA contributions: $500 a month. “I’m saving up to buy a house in the next five years. I’ve been thinking about buying in Markham, which is where I grew up.” Utilities: $80 a month. Cellphone: $75 a month. Cable and Internet: $113 a month. “I work from home and usually have CP24 on in the background.” Car lease: $1,000 a month, for her BMW X3 M40i. “My dad sold his Porsche before he moved to China. He gave me the money from the sale to help me pay my lease.” Car and renter’s insurance: $100 a month, with the Co-operators. Gas: $80 a month. Netflix and Spotify: $23 a month. Groceries: $150 a month. “I usually go through flyers and buy what’s on sale.” Adobe Creative Suite: $50 a month. Outings: $100 a month. “The Dime on Queen West is one of my favourite bars.” Pet food: $50 a month, for her shih tzu, Sushi.

Recent splurges: Travel: $1,500, for a one-week trip to San Francisco, San Diego and L.A. with her family last April. “We used points to book the car rental and hotel in San Fran.” Invisible braces: $2,000. Nike Pride sneakers: $200. Camera lenses: $9,000. “I sold my Canon for $2,500 and upgraded to a Sony.” Real estate licence: $3,000. “I’m studying for the third exam out of five.”

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