“I saved $100,000 in two years”: how a software engineer spends his money
Who: Sandeep Shivnani, 33
What he does: Software engineer
What he makes: $112,000 a year
Where he lives: A two-bedroom-plus-den apartment at Yonge and Wellesley, which he shares with two roommates
Regular expenses: Rent: $700 a month. “I share the apartment with two guys. My room is the master.” Dining out: $300 a month. “My go-to restaurant is Lahore Tikka House at Gerrard and Greenwood.” Gym: $60 a month, for a YMCA membership. Transit: $146.25 a month, for a Metropass. Groceries: $200 a month. “I try to go to FreshCo because it’s cheaper. If I’m lazy or rushed, I go to Loblaws, but it’s expensive.” Uber: $100 a month. “I take Uber home if I’m at a house party and it goes late.” Netflix: $11 a month. “Right now I’m watching Homeland. I’m into crime shows like Breaking Bad and Prison Break.” Travel: $2,000 a year. “I moved here from India in 2015 and go back once a year.” Savings: $4,700 a month, plus money from the sale of a property he owned in India. “Between June 2015 and April 2017, I saved $100,000 for a down payment on a house.”
Recent splurges: Deposit: $60,000 on a $790,000, three-bedroom, pre-construction townhouse near Clarkson GO station in Mississauga. He’ll make a larger down payment when it closes in October 2018. “I like being downtown, but townhouses in the core are small, have high fees and cost way more.” Gifts: $300, to take his mom and dad on a shopping spree in India. iPhone X: $1,300. “I’m pretty excited about facial recognition and wireless charging.” Clothes: $250, from Abercrombie and Fitch. Getaway: $400, for a long weekend in Niagara Falls with his roommates. “I lost $150 playing blackjack.”
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