{"id":5070,"date":"2026-02-25T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=5070"},"modified":"2026-02-26T15:01:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T15:01:22","slug":"a-week-in-dallas-tx-on-a-93602-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2026\/02\/25\/a-week-in-dallas-tx-on-a-93602-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week In Dallas, TX On A $93,602 Salary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to<\/em> <\/em>Money Diaries<\/a> where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We\u2019re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period \u2014 and we\u2019re tracking every last dollar.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form<\/a>. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we\u2019re not able to reply to every email.<\/em> Please note: We are legally unable to publish any diaries that have been written with the use of AI.<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: After a short hiatus, we\u2019re back once a week! Thank you for your patience. We\u2019ll be honoring Money Diary submissions we received during our break by publishing them in the coming weeks. There\u2019s more to come soon \u2014 stay tuned.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This week: a data engineer on $93,602 and who spends some of her money on a lamp making workshop.<\/em><\/p>\n

This Money Diary was written in the summer of 2025.<\/em> This is a follow-up diary. You can read the original diary here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Job Title: <\/strong>Data Engineer
Industry: <\/strong>Insurance
Age: <\/strong>26
Location:<\/strong> Dallas, TX
Pronouns<\/strong>: She\/her\u00a0
Annual Salary<\/strong>: $93,602
Assets: <\/strong>
401k:<\/strong> $37,758.88
Savings:<\/strong> $9,388
ROTH IRA:<\/strong> $11,361
HSA:<\/strong> $6,120.56
Various investment accounts:<\/strong> $500
Checking account:<\/strong> $679.07
Debt: <\/strong>$14,294.27 left on car; $11,046 left in student loans
Paycheck<\/strong> (2x\/month):<\/strong> $2,574.47 (plus $80 a month for internet stipend)<\/p>\n

Monthly Expenses<\/strong><\/p>\n

Housing Costs: <\/strong>$1,580
Loan Payments<\/strong>: $620 on my car (I only need to pay $500 but I pay extra to get it paid off quicker); $150 on student loans.
401k:<\/strong> $431.5 (I also get a 4% match)
HSA:<\/strong> $315.38
Various savings:<\/strong> $800 (I\u2019m currently saving up for a Japan trip in January 2026, so the bulk is going to that plus my emergency fund)
Roth IRA:<\/strong> $200
Utilities:<\/strong> ~$75-100
Phone:<\/strong> $45 (I\u2019m on a family plan with my mom and brother)
Internet:<\/strong> $60.32
CrunchyRoll:<\/strong> $8.48
Patreon:<\/strong> $9.56
YouTube Premium:<\/strong> $15.14
Pole Studio:<\/strong> $151.98
AMC Stubs A-List:<\/strong> $25.97<\/p>\n

Annual Expenses<\/strong>
Renters Insurance:<\/strong> $221.33
Car insurance:<\/strong> $2977 (I\u2019m hoping this goes down next year as it will soon be 2.5 years since my accident)
Travel card: <\/strong>$95<\/p>\n

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?<\/strong>
Yes \u2014\u00a0both my mom and dad have degrees. I remember my dad studying for his bachelor\u2019s degree when I was a kid, so he could make more money for our family. They always told us we needed to go to college and would help as much as they could. I loved science in school, so after graduating high school, I enrolled in engineering. Everyone always gave me advice to make \u201cpractical choices\u201d, so I chose the school that gave me the most scholarships even though it wasn\u2019t exciting. It worked out because COVID happened half way through my college experience, so going to an expensive out-of-state school would have felt like a waste. My parents helped me by sending me money when I needed it, but I took on the bulk of the expenses. I also received some Pell grants after my dad passed away during my junior year of college. <\/p>\n

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?<\/strong>
They always stressed the importance of saving money and the difference between wants and needs. There was definitely some fighting behind closed doors and stressors, but they never let it affect my brother and me too much. I didn\u2019t really learn anything about retirement savings or investing until I graduated college, which was a mix of teaching myself and advice from my mom. My mom was an educator at a private elementary school so she was criminally underpaid. My dad was the primary breadwinner for our family and would get stressed by finances, so my mom handled them.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and why did you get it?<\/strong>
I did some babysitting\/dog sitting from age 13. But my first \u201con the books\u201d job was when I was 16, working for minimum wage at the mall. It was mainly for buying myself \u201ctrendy clothes\u201d, to do things with friends and gas money. <\/p>\n

Did you worry about money growing up?<\/strong>
No, if they did, they hid it from us. There was one time my dad got laid off but it didn\u2019t last long because they hired him back two weeks later. We were comfortably middle class and my brother and I never went without our needs being met. We didn\u2019t get most of our wants unless it was Christmas or our birthday. We could afford luxuries like family vacations but they were always on the frugal side, like camping and road trips. <\/p>\n

Do you worry about money now?<\/strong>
Yes and no. Yes, as in I used to be a lot more disciplined in savings\/investing, but after I went through a messy breakup with a long-term boyfriend I have entered my chaotic spending era. I have been more conscious about my spending lately and have been ramping it down. No, as in I know I am very lucky to have a decently paying tech job in this job market, and I have a lot of time in the future to save and invest. These days, I\u2019m trying to balance my \u2018fun spending\u2019 with saving for the future. They\u2019ve had a lot of layoffs at my company but my position is pretty secure as my work is a high priority \u2014 but you never know what can happen. <\/p>\n

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?<\/strong>
At 24, when I got my first \u2018big girl job\u2019 and moved out of my mom\u2019s house. I have my emergency fund that I contribute to every month that I would use if I lost my job. I know I could always move back in with my mom if necessary but I\u2019d never ask her for money. In unfortunate events, she received a large sum of money when my dad passed from his life insurance policy. I\u2019m so grateful she has that to rely on for retirement even though we would all rather have my dad here.<\/p>\n

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.<\/strong>
When I was 18, my parents gave me the used car my dad drove. When I got in an accident I used the insurance payout for a downpayment on my new car. My mom has told me she has $10k saved for me that she would give me to help pay for a wedding or buy a house, but I have done neither of those things yet.<\/p>\n

DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day One<\/strong>: Monday<\/h3>\n<p>9:00 a.m. \u2014\u00a0My alarm goes off. I had a busy weekend so I\u2019m very drained. I scroll in bed until 9:25 when I go to log in for my iteration planning meeting, and run a comb through my hair so I don\u2019t look like a mess on camera.<\/p>\n<p>9:50 a.m. \u2014 Meeting done. Go make my bed\/start some laundry and let the cats out on their catio. I eat my cookie dough overnight oats that I prepped the night before and make some black vanilla tea.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>12 p.m. \u2014 My friends are texting me about the <em>Love Island Reunion<\/em> watch parties tonight. I send them some places that look good and we agree on one. I go wash my face\/brush my teeth (I have gotten in the horrible habit of doing this at noon \u2014\u00a0don\u2019t judge). The cats get their lunch of wet food and I put some bacon in the oven for sandwiches. The catio gets closed for the day because it is too hot to have it open past noon during the Texas summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1:05 p.m. \u2014 I make a turkey club sandwich and eat while continuing to work. I see a mandatory meeting at 10 p.m. that pops up and I audibly sigh. I never have meetings this late, but we are pushing something to prod that I have been assisting on that is not part of my usual work. Luckily, the place we decided on for the watch party is 10 minutes from me.<\/p>\n<p>2:45 p.m. \u2014 I get a text from my mom about the total from a lamp making workshop we did this past weekend. I send her my half. <strong>$140<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4 p.m. \u2014 I finish up my work for the day and the preparations for the prod deployment tonight.\u00a0I go to my apartment gym for a quick leg day.<\/p>\n<p>5 p.m. \u2014 Done with the gym. Once home I make a protein smoothie and shower. I do my makeup and blow-dry my hair. Trying to fit with the <em>Love Island<\/em> theme, I wear a tropical print skirt and a tube top with my Doc Marten sandals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>6:30 p.m. \u2014 I get to the place with my friend S. We meet our other friend M. there. We order Happy Hour drinks and $7 quesadillas. I feel bad for the bartender because he\u2019s the only one working and seems very unprepared to serve the hoards of women coming in. I leave a $5 tip. $<strong>19.04<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>9:30 p.m. \u2014 Unfortunately, the reunion is two hours long so I have to dip out early. S. says she will get a ride from M. I feel kinda meh about the whole reunion and am burnt out of <em>Love Island<\/em> news. I will definitely still be tuning into some social media discourse later, though.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>10 p.m. \u2014 I get on my work call, which goes very smoothly. It ends in 20 minutes, which I\u2019m happy about. I get comfy on my couch and finish the last 30 minutes of the reunion and then scroll X\/Reddit for too long to read discourse.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11:30 p.m. \u2014 I get up to go shower (I can not get into bed without showering right before) and do my nighttime routine. I read my book, <em>The Writing Retreat<\/em> by Julia Bartz. I just started and I\u2019m getting very invested in it. I try to go to bed at midnight but my messed-up sleep schedule doesn\u2019t let me fall asleep until 1:30 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $159.04<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Two<\/strong>: Tuesday <\/h3>\n<p>9 a.m. \u2014 My alarm goes off and I feel pretty well rested, despite the late bedtime. I log in to work and answer some emails. After my daily team standup, I go make some scrambled eggs and a yogurt bowl with raspberries and chocolate chips. I try a new brand of chocolate chips from Aldi and I\u2019m not a fan. I guess it\u2019s back to the seven dollar bags of Ghirardelli chips.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11:30 a.m. \u2014 My cats are staring at me like they are being starved, so take a break to feed them. I fold my clean clothes from yesterday and get my life in order.<\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. \u2014 After being trapped in a Teams exchange for too long, I go make a turkey club. It\u2019s not brutally hot, so the cats are happily snoozing in their catio. I envy them.<\/p>\n<p>2 p.m. \u2014 I go to my apartment\u2019s coworking area because I need a change of scenery. It\u2019s pretty empty and quiet, so I hunker down to do some testing.<\/p>\n<p>4:30 p.m. \u2014 I finish up and decide to call it a day. I go to the mall near me to hunt for a new swimsuit. I have been wearing the same two I already have, so I want something new for a few pool-related events I\u2019m attending. I end up in Dillard\u2019s and find several good options that are 65% off. I finally decide on a green floral print one and two tops from the clearance rack. $<strong>69.17<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5:30 p.m. \u2014 After walking around the mall, I end up back in Dillard\u2019s shoe section. I find a super cute pair of chunky black fisherman sandals for $<strong>56.84<\/strong> in the clearance section. My emo heart can\u2019t resist, so I get them.<\/p>\n<p>6:10 p.m \u2014 Once home I eat some leftover baked black bean tacos with avocado and sour cream on the side. I do the brain-rotting combo of scrolling TikTok with the TV playing YouTube videos in the background. I do this until I have to leave for my pole classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>8 p.m. \u2014 Arrive at the pole studio and greet a few friends. I\u2019m doing a flexibility class and then a Russian exotic class. The studio I go to is a bit of a drive, so I justify it by doing back-to-back classes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>10:15 p.m. \u2014 Finish up the second class and have a convo with a friend about our relationship\/life woes. I also find our Russian exotic teacher is probably going to move next year and am very sad. At least we get one more year!<\/p>\n<p>11 p.m. \u2014 Home. I make a protein smoothie and some popcorn and watch an episode of <em>Dandandan<\/em> while snacking. I shower and do my night routine. I continue reading my book until I fall asleep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $126.01<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Three: Wednesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>9 a.m \u2014 My alarm goes off and I log into my workspace. I join our quarterly connections meeting with the whole department. I let it play in the background while I make some scrambled eggs and frozen waffles. I also make a green tea.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11:20 a.m. \u2014 I order a 48-pack of wet food off Chewy for my older cat. Unfortunately, she is bougie and only eats one specific type, unlike my younger cat, who will eat anything. They both get half wet food and half dry food from their automatic feeder. $<strong>68.17<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>11:30 a.m. \u2014 We have a vendor meeting about one of our applications we manage. The meeting goes well, but we have an end-of-month deadline for this, which seems like it will be easy to finish by.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11:50 a.m. \u2014 My younger cat catches a cicada and brings it inside to try to eat. I rescue it from her and throw it back outside where it lives to see another day. She seems very disappointed that she didn\u2019t get to enjoy her disgusting snack.<\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. \u2014 I eat the last of my black bean tacos and have a Waterloo Cherry Limeade, too. I put on <em>Vanderpump Rules<\/em> for background noise while I eat\/work. My friend shared her Peacock account with me on the condition that I watch <em>Vanderpump Rules<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>4:45 p.m. \u2014 Log off for the day. Get changed for my pole class and leave.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left\">7 p.m. \u2014 I\u2019m done with the first class, which was a cardio dance class. I always feel a little cringe during this class but it is fun. I have an hour and a half to kill before my second class, so I head over to my mom\u2019s house \u2014 she lives five minutes away.<\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. \u2014 Eat dinner with my mom and her boyfriend. He made a delicious Mediterranean salmon with a strawberry salad and it feels nice to have someone make me a meal. My mom and I take her dog on a walk.<\/p>\n<p>8:30 p.m. \u2014 Back to the studio for my second class. On the way back, I stop to fill up my car. Everyone says not to pole after eating but I\u2019m the opposite; I can\u2019t pole on an empty stomach. <strong>$36.27<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>10:30 p.m. \u2014 Get home and I\u2019m super beat. I shower and make some herbal tea plus a Greek yogurt dessert bowl.\u00a0I play on my Nintendo Switch for a bit before switching to my book. I get a little too invested and read for too long.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $104.44<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Four<\/strong>: Thursday<\/h3>\n<p>7:05 a.m. \u2014 I wake up to my younger cat having a huge fit. She beefs with any cat she sees outside and doesn\u2019t understand they can\u2019t get to her. I let her out of my bedroom and try to go back to sleep.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>9 a.m. \u2014 My alarm goes off and I can\u2019t tell if I actually fell asleep again or not. My shoulders feel like they\u2019ve been hit by a bus; today is definitely a rest day. I get up and log on. I take some Advil along with my morning supplements.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>9:30 a.m. \u2014 Join my daily team standup and send out a few Teams messages. We have to meet with the vendor again for an issue and luckily they responded with a meeting time for today. After the meeting, I grab my double chocolate overnight oats I prepped and add raspberries.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11:30 a.m. \u2014 Join the vendor call and they don\u2019t know what to do either. Great lol. I jinxed myself saying this would be easy to finish.<\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. \u2014\u00a0Eat a turkey club and get ready to leave for my doctor\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n<p>2 p.m. \u2014 On the way to my doctor\u2019s appointment, I need a pick-me-up, so I get a half-and-half tea with peach from Sonic.<strong> $3<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3:30 p.m. \u2014 Done with my doctor\u2019s appointment and I have a small balancer leftover from last time. I pay it with my HSA card. $<strong>17.06<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4 p.m. \u2014 I get home and hop back online. Answer a few missed messages and leave comments on all my stories on the agility board. We switched to a weekly sprints template a month ago and I really like it, my work gets done faster and more efficiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>5:30 p.m. \u2014 I\u2019m feeling beat from the doctor\/flu shot I got. I lay down and take a nap.<\/p>\n<p>6:20 p.m. \u2014 It starts storming and I get texts from my friends that the floating sound bath at our apartment pool is cancelled. I am lowkey happy as I want to veg out tonight. I get a refund of $19.32 for my ticket. <\/p>\n<p>7:40 p.m. \u2014 I heat up some pre-made chicken tikka masala for dinner and eat it with rice. I have a self-care\/craft night complete with dying my roots (I refuse to pay $200 plus at the salon for hair dye), and grouting the lamp I made over the weekend. I also play on my Nintendo Switch a bit.<\/p>\n<p>11 p.m. \u2014 Stretch and read my book. I pop a melatonin for some undisturbed sleep. I am asleep in 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $20.06<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Five: Friday<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>8 a.m. \u2014 I wake up early for a vendor meeting just to see it got moved to 9 a.m. I go back to bed and scroll on my phone.<\/p>\n<p>9 a.m. \u2014 Log in for the meeting. Nothing gets resolved and it turns out to be a waste of an hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>10:20 a.m. \u2014 Make some scrambled eggs and two frozen waffles. I also have a kiwi and make a strawberry matcha.<\/p>\n<p>10:40 a.m. \u2014 I\u2019m pretty much done with my work this sprint, so I do some chores around the apartment and vacuum.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>12 p.m. \u2014 I respond back and forth with the engineer I have been collaborating with. I try not to be annoyed as I put in a work order for this assignment a month ago, and he has waited for the last possible second to fulfill it. Typical.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1:25 p.m. \u2014 Eat a turkey club. Take two Advil as I have a waxing appointment in 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>2:20 p.m. \u2014 Get a wax. This is my first time seeing my waxing lady at her private studio versus at the big box chain I met her at. She gives me a discount for being a loyal customer but I tip 20%. <\/p>\n<p>2:30 p.m. \u2014 On the way home I return something to Ulta Beauty and Amazon. I get back $57.54 from my returns, which basically means my wax was free. <\/p>\n<p>2:50 p.m \u2014 I stop by CVS for a new claw clip because I stepped on my old one and broke it. I have eight dollars in extra bucks, plus a $10 off $25 coupon, so I get a lipstick, lipliner, and claw clip all for $8.61. Thanks, TikTok couponing. <\/p>\n<p>4 p.m. \u2014 I take a long walk.<\/p>\n<p>6 p.m. \u2014 My friend with benefits, K., comes over. He found out a month into us seeing each other that he has to move back to his home country in a year\u2019s time. We get along really well, so we just keep seeing each other and it doesn\u2019t hurt that the sex is good. I refuse to call it a situationship because I hate that term lol. We go get Pho and he pays.<\/p>\n<p>8 p.m. \u2014 On the way back from Pho, we stop at a grocery store because I want a sweet treat. One of his friends calls him and invites him out with his friend group and we decide to join. I get some ice cream, turkey bacon, and a kombucha. <strong>$15.20<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>9:30 p.m \u2014 After fooling around, I change into something better and do some quick makeup. We head to his place because he\u2019s also dressed very casually and wants to change.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>11 p.m. \u2014 We get to the place. It\u2019s kinda dead so we hop to another place that\u2019s more lively, but we have to wait in line for a bit. Once we get inside K. buys our drinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1:30 a.m \u2014 We decide to leave and I\u2019m very tipsy but K. is sober and drives me home. We fool around again. I air-fry some Korean corndogs for a post-drinking snack.<\/p>\n<p>3 a.m. \u2014 He leaves, which is perfect. I hate sleeping next to a man and would rather have my bed to myself. I shower quickly and promptly pass out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: <\/strong>$77.81<\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Six: Saturday<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>10:30 a.m. \u2014 Wake up. I want to go back to sleep but my brain won\u2019t let me. Both cats are cuddling with me, so I enjoy the cuddles and scroll on my phone.<\/p>\n<p>11:30 a.m. \u2014 Get up and make some banana pancakes and turkey bacon. A few friends and I were going to my apartment\u2019s Labor Day pool party but it\u2019s raining. So we decide we\u2019ll go on Monday instead since we have the day off.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>3 p.m. \u2014 After being lazy\/playing video games for a while, I get ready to meet some other friends C. and F. at a board game store. I lowkey want to stay home but know if I lay around all day I will feel depressed. They are going to be playing their own games, but I have some life admin stuff I want to do, so I tag along. On the way there, I stop at the grocery store and get a snack box and an onigiri for lunch. <strong>$13.51<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4:45 p.m. \u2014 The tiredness finally hits me. I head home to chill.<\/p>\n<p>7 p.m. \u2014 I eat my leftover chicken tikka masala and commence my rotting session.<\/p>\n<p>9 p.m. \u2014 K. comes over again and we go see <em>Caught Stealing<\/em>. I get my ticket free with my AMC A-List subscription. K. buys us popcorn. I enjoy the movie a lot \u2014 I would recommend!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>12 p.m. \u2014 Get home from the movie and say our goodbyes. I shower and go to sleep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $13.51<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Day Seven<\/strong>: Sunday<\/h3>\n<p>10 a.m. \u2014 Wake up and scroll in bed. The cats cuddle with me for a bit.<\/p>\n<p>11 a.m. \u2014 Heat up some frozen Kimbap. I also make a yogurt bowl with kiwi and honey. It\u2019s still raining so I enjoy the chill morning.<\/p>\n<p>1 p.m. \u2014 I go to Aldi. I get hash brown patties, sparkling water, various fruits, a cucumber, peeled garlic, cherry tomatoes, white cheddar, salami, hummus, Greek yogurt, eggs, English muffins, granola, rice, pasta, olives, and chickpeas. <strong>$52.68<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>2 p.m. \u2014 I head out for the pole studio and drink my kombucha on the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>5 p.m. \u2014 I finish up with both of my classes. The first one was another cardio dancing class, and second was level three pole. I eat a protein bar in between classes. The tricks we were learning were very shoulder heavy, so I already foresee the pain I will be in the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>6 p.m. \u2014 On the way home, I stop by Raising Cane\u2019s. What\u2019s the point of working out if you can\u2019t indulge in some guilty pleasures? I get a three-finger combo with a Diet Coke. <strong>$10.38<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. \u2014 After showering and doing some very dark makeup, I uber to a friend\u2019s house to chill before going out to the alternative\/goth club. <strong>$12.89<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>9:15 p.m. \u2014 After hanging out for a bit, we head out. <\/p>\n<p>1 a.m \u2014 I head out early because I\u2019m tired of socializing and dancing. I ended up not buying any drinks. I get a ride home with a sober friend. Once home, I heat up some frozen pizza. I start feeling sad and call my ex (we are on speaking terms). We talk about life and I cry some.<\/p>\n<p>3 a.m. \u2014 I pass out and look forward to sleeping in for the holiday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Daily Total: $75.95<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><title>DashDividers_1_500x100<\/title><\/div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/11960056.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI need to fix my sleep schedule LOL. And stop being sad about my ex. Other than that, I don\u2019t think I did too badly this week. The shopping I did is very out of the ordinary for me \u2014 I usually don\u2019t impulse buy clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual\u2019s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29\u2019s point of view. 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