“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.”

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.

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