/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Life

“We spend almost nothing on transit because we bike everywhere”: how this couple makes it work on $90,000 a year

By Christina Gonzales| Photography by Erin Leydon
Copy link
“We spend almost nothing on transit because we bike everywhere”: how this couple makes it work on $90,000 a year

Who: Devon Specht, 34, and Chris Mac Craith, 33.

What they do: She’s a small-business owner; he’s a project manager.

What they make: Devon makes about $27,000 a year; Chris makes $62,000.

Where they live: An 1,100-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment in Seaton Village.

Regular expenses: $1,900 a month for rent. “We’d love to buy a house, but it’s not realistic,” says Devon. Marketing and web fees for Devon’s new online store, Ebb and Flow: $1,825 a month. “I sell things like wet bathing suit bags and cosmetic cases.” Annual fee for Chris’s professional engineering course: $3,600. (His company will reimburse him if he passes.) Rental cars to get to craft markets in Muskoka or for large grocery hauls and trips to IKEA: $60, about once a month. For Chris’s soccer club membership and fitness training: $1,780 a year. Cat food and toys for Oli: $60 a month. “I was hell-bent on getting a dog, but realized it would be too much work,” says Chris. “Apparently Bengals are the next best thing.” Groceries: $320 a month. Eating out: $280 a month. “I do most of the cooking,” says Devon. “But Chris often offers to take me out for dinner.”

Advertisement

Splurges: Vacations: $2,700. “I took Devon to Madrid for her birthday last June,” says Chris. “We stayed with a friend, so accommodations were covered.” They also spent a weekend in Tobermory in July for Chris’s birthday. A used Broil-Mate barbecue off Kijiji: $250. “In the summer, we use it every day—we’ve learned to cook everything in there.” Two bikes: $1,800. “We spend almost nothing on public transportation because we bike everywhere.” Aeon computer For Netflix and iRacing, a car-racing simulator Chris plays: $900.

Want to tell us about your Cost of Living? Email us at costofliving@torontolife.com.

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

More Cost of Living

This Corktown couple makes $140,000 a year. How do they spend it?
City News

This Corktown couple makes $140,000 a year. How do they spend it?

Inside the Latest Issue

The May issue of Toronto Life features the artists, professors, scientists and other luminaries moving north to avoid the carnage of Trump. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.