A Week in Savannah on a $35,000 Salary

Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.

Today, a cashier who makes $35,000 a year in Savannah, Georgia, U.S., lets us into her week’s expenses.

Occupation: Cashier

Age: 20

Location: Savannah, Georgia, U.S.

Salary: $35,000 (approx. $1,200 per pay period)

Day One

As a cashier, you can meet many different people. Some of those people are my best customers; others, not so much. But today, I met a pretty cool guy, T., who enjoys paranormal activities and discovering Savannah’s dark side and haunted history. T. just told me how he went on a ghost tour in Savannah, Georgia, last week and how he loved it. He recommends I go with a friend because the spooky tour and apparitions can get real creepy at night but in a fun way. So I’m calling them today to see if they have openings for a walking tour this weekend. Monday wasn’t so bad after all.

Total: $0.00

Day Two

I have Tuesdays off, so I usually do some self-care and seek FDA-approved privatesupplements. My doctor told me I was a bit deficient in iron, so I bought some supplements online. I searched for online pharmacies and managed to find one that accepts my health insurance and has a new brand in their inventory for nutritional supplements like probiotics, protein powders, and other health products. Their packaging and ingredients are cruelty-free, and they have discounts for newcomers. I paid a fair price, and now I’m heading to the park to take in some fresh air and sunshine.

Total: $7.34

Day Three

It’s already after work and I’m headed home to cook rice and chicken for the rest of the week. I’m buying a couple of spices and herbs at my favorite grocery shop to give a different flavor to my chicken each day. I got spices and herbs like lemon and garlic, basil, and paprika. I can’t wait to cook tonight. I just received my supplements, and their custom branding is beyond my expectations.

Total: $13.22

Day Four

Today, I’m looking forward to going to my favorite coffee shop downtown with my best friend, A. She just called me saying she’s at the shop, and I’m on my way there now. I’m finally at the coffee shop with A. and we’re here catching up about what we did last week. Thursdays are for us to vent and make plans for the weekend.

Total: $11.54

Day Five

It’s finally Friday and I’m taking my puppy to the vet because he seems a bit low on energy and hasn’t wanted to eat anything since last night, not even his tasty pet supplements as the vet suggested. The vet did some tests and said everything was fine. He may have played too much at the park yesterday. I bought him a new toy, and he loves it. He already seems happier now and even munched on a couple of treats.

Total: $55.44

Day Six

It’s Saturday and I got out of work early. After spending the day gaming at home, I met with A. at the art museum. We took the time to go into the background of the paintings we saw. We love the history of it all and enjoy doing these types of things. I have, like, three notebooks with notes from different museums—I could make my own museum with those notebooks.

Total: $12.43

Day Seven

Sunday’s here and it’s exclusively for gaming. I love gaming: It just calms me so much. I recently bought a simulation game, but they released an expansion pack for it, so I just had to go for it. I’m currently playing that expansion, and it’s just too good to sleep. I ran out of food and ordered some cheap sushi and received it at my door. It’s so yummy, and I can’t wait to order some again next time—I never get tired of sushi.

Total: $23.12

Total for the week: $123.09