{"id":572,"date":"2025-05-14T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=572"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:58:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:58:58","slug":"a-week-in-caracas-venezuela-on-a-36000-salary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/a-week-in-caracas-venezuela-on-a-36000-salary\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week In Caracas, Venezuela On A $36,000 Salary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to<\/em> Money Diaries<\/em><\/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.<\/p>\n

Today: a project manager who makes $36,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a compression sleeve for her elbow (everything else was food).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our <\/em>online form<\/em><\/a>. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we\u2019re not able to reply to every email.<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This is a follow-up diary. You can read the original diary<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Occupation:<\/strong> Project manager
Industry:<\/strong> Marketing
Age:<\/strong> 33
Location:<\/strong> Caracas, Venezuela
Salary:<\/strong> $36,000
Assets:<\/strong> Apartment value: $32,000; checking account: ~$2,500; cash: $800; car: $11,000. If you remember my last diary, I invested quite a bit of money back in 2023 that was supposed to be my safety net. The business didn\u2019t pan out, and my partner paid back $7,500 (out of about $21,000) in December 2024. In theory, I should get the rest back by April \u2014 FINGERS CROSSED. (Update: I didn\u2019t get it back, but I\u2019m still hoping it\u2019ll come at some point.) I am actively looking for freelancing clients to build up my savings.
Debt:<\/strong> $0
Paycheck Amount (monthly):<\/strong> This varies because I freelance. To give you an idea, at the time of writing this diary, I was getting about $3,000 a month. In the weeks after, I secured a client that brings in $1,600 per month, putting my average at about $4,000 per month instead of $3,000.
Pronouns:<\/strong> She\/her<\/p>\n

Monthly Expenses<\/strong>

Housing Costs:<\/strong> $20 for HOA fees (every two months there is an additional $40 for parking).
Loan Payments:<\/strong> $0
Spotify:<\/strong> $13.04
Disney+:<\/strong> $17.53
Internet:<\/strong> $28.11
Electricity:<\/strong> $3
Phone:<\/strong> $5
Canva Pro: <\/strong>$6.50 (since writing this diary I have moved to Figma, paying $36 for a one-year subscription).
You.com: <\/strong>$20 (this is an AI platform).
Apple iCloud:<\/strong> $9.99
Gym Membership:<\/strong> $120 (parking at the gym is $4 per day. It depends on how much I go, but I usually spend about $90 a month).<\/p>\n

Other Expenses<\/strong>

Insurance: <\/strong>$167 (quarterly).
Mom\u2019s Insurance:<\/strong> ~$500 (every six months).
LastPass: <\/strong>$39.25 (annually).
Simply Piano: <\/strong>$140 (annually).<\/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. I can\u2019t quite think back to whether there was an imposition. I wanted to be a vet, a lawyer, and a journalist at different points, so I always knew I\u2019d go to higher education. I ended up studying fashion design, and my mom paid for it, which is standard here. I started working in my second year and have been working ever since. I have taken many professional certifications, including a project management program and a UX design program. Fashion design isn\u2019t quite a degree, so I\u2019ve always felt self-conscious and often consider getting a degree, but the cost is too high and my career has never really required it.<\/p>\n

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)\/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
<\/strong>My mother was a single mom with two kids (my dad disappeared), and money was sparse. We didn\u2019t have explicit conversations beyond \u201cWe can\u2019t afford this or that.\u201d I learned more about the extent of my mom\u2019s struggles through passing comments as I got older, and we had some slightly more open conversations because I was very frank about how much I started making back when I hit peak freelancing in the pandemic.<\/p>\n

What was your first job and why did you get it?
<\/strong>I worked at a toy store when I was 17. My mom was freshly unemployed after I graduated, and I didn\u2019t know what to do after high school, so this felt like the right thing to do. She landed a job shortly after, and I went back to school.<\/p>\n

Did you worry about money growing up?
<\/strong>I didn\u2019t understand why I couldn\u2019t get this or that. But we never felt like we\u2019d go hungry. We had some international trips when we were about 10-12, and while our schools were modest, they were private. Public school in Venezuela is for the truly lower class, and there are tons of modest private schools for middle class kids.<\/p>\n

Do you worry about money now?
<\/strong>I think about it a lot but not necessarily worry. I have two dogs and no one to rely on, so I\u2019m always aware of any potential expenses. I\u2019m also used to making like three or four times more than I\u2019m making right now (at peak freelancing, I made about $7,000 per month), so this sense of living \u201cpaycheck to paycheck\u201d is a bit nerve-racking. I bought a new-to-me car (a 2008 SUV with about 100,000 miles on the clock; paid in cash) in December because my previous car had a massive issue, and that left me basically with $1,000 in my account. Dog emergencies are expensive. As I said, the businesses I mentioned in my first diary went to shit. I\u2019m crossing every finger and toe that my partner actually pulls through and pays me back. That would be about $13,500, which would replenish my savings.<\/p>\n

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
<\/strong>I started working at 18 and never stopped. But I lived rent free with my mom for a while. I moved to another country in 2015 and came back in 2016, launched a business, started freelancing, et cetera. I lived at home through this whole time and contributed to food, internet, and so on. I moved to my apartment in 2022 and have been on my own since. My mom and I went no contact about seven months ago, so I don\u2019t really have a safety net \u2014 I guess if things got super bad, an uncle or my brother might be able to help, but that\u2019s not really a given. My brother also lives with my mom.<\/p>\n

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
<\/strong>Not really. As I mentioned, I tried investing money in 2023, but the whole thing didn\u2019t work, and I risked a lot of money with no return. Not the first time this has happened, unfortunately. I estimate I lost about $24,000 in a previous business attempt, and I\u2019m hoping to get back the $21,000 at some point. None of it is passive, though \u2014 I handed this money out for several businesses that ended up failing, and my partner is slowly paying it back. <\/p>\n

Day One: Saturday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

2 a.m. \u2014 I get home from a party with friends from my previous gym and walk the dogs before crashing in bed. I had four-ish beers and one tequila shot and, while I feel clearheaded, my stomach is not happy. I bought a charcuterie board for this, but it was technically yesterday. We had a big party as many members (both athletes and staff) are moving to new places. This will come into play later. For now, I wash my face and head to bed.<\/p>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 Wake up to take the dogs potty. This is probably the only free thing I\u2019ll do all day, lol. I get back to feed them and make myself eggs with cottage cheese and toast. No coffee as I feel like that\u2019ll push my stomach over the edge. I potter around the apartment until it\u2019s time to get ready. I\u2019m heading to my new gym today to do the 25.1 Open \u2014\u00a0a worldwide CrossFit event that goes on for three consecutive weeks. It\u2019s really a ranking to qualify for a global event, which is like the Olympics. But everyone does it as a team building thing, and it\u2019s fun to participate, even though I know I won\u2019t be anywhere near the top. I did it yesterday as well, because I\u2019m starting at the new box [CrossFit gym] today.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 Here we go. I stop at the pharmacy to grab soap, face exfoliant, and cleanser, and a few other odds and ends \u2014 probably a snack, too ($30.82). I get riled up enough and enroll in the official Open after a pretty solid performance ($20). I also paid for my new membership (included in my monthly expenses). After we\u2019re done, my sister-in-law, who came with me to the event, heads out. A friend who also came with me invites me to grab lunch. We eat hot dogs nearby. My stomach is NOT happy, and I\u2019m calling it a win to not have thrown up after doing about 90 burpees, so I only have one hot dog and malta, which is kind of like beer, but sweeter and with no alcohol. My friend pays for my lunch, but it was probably around $4. I pay for parking on the way out ($4). $54.82<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 I stop to fill my two water bottles (10L each \u2014\u00a0$3) before heading home to shower and crash. Once home, I eat pasta with tomato sauce and cheese \u2014 all staples in my groceries \u2014 as my stomach finally feels like it can survive. Walk and feed the dogs. Then, shower and nap. I transfer money to a friend to cover some doughnuts I bought from her yesterday ($1.70). $4.70<\/strong><\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 I\u2019m invited to dinner, but decide to stay home with the dogs instead of trying to do anything else. My HOA and iCloud are taken out of my account (both in monthly expenses).<\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 Time to pass out after watching some TV. I\u2019m hooked on a show called Harrow<\/em> \u2014 an Australian crime show that I somehow just discovered in Disney+.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $59.52<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Two: Sunday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 I walked the dogs at some point, probably around 5 a.m., and came back to bed. Now we\u2019re up and ready to eat. I grab toast and eggs and spend the morning switching between multiple screens.<\/p>\n

11 a.m. \u2014 I bring the dogs to the park as they could both use a good run. We run into a couple of dog friends and stay longer than I planned. We come back for lunch and I grab a random assortment of whatever I find in the fridge.<\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 I head to the grocery store and grab eggs, cheese, yogurt, cooked chicken, veggies, teque\u00f1os (similar to mozzarella sticks, but wrapped in dough), and other staples. $54.58<\/strong><\/p>\n

5 p.m. \u2014 The day is gone somehow, but I really needed a rest. I don\u2019t want to cook, so I order a burger and fries through Yummy\u00a0 (the Venezuelan equivalent of UberEats). $11.45<\/strong><\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 Walk the dogs, shower, and head to bed. Tomorrow and Tuesday are holidays, but I work with clients all over the world, and I didn\u2019t plan well enough, so I have to work. LastPass and my AI tool are taken out of my account (both in monthly expenses).<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $66.03<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Three: Monday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 Wake up and do the thing with the dogs. Everyone is fed (kibble for them, and eggs on toast for me) and walked. I get some work done before heading out to train with the holiday schedule. I\u2019m a project manager for creative businesses, which in many cases means I \u201cmanage\u201d teams of one, creating project plans and then either executing them or finding freelancers to do them. I also work directly with my clients\u2019 clients sometimes.<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 Get ready and head to my first official class at the new gym. I\u2019m very anxious but feel right at home when I get in. I end up partnering with a girl who I\u2019m 99.9% sure crashed into my car about two years ago (she rear-ended me; the whole trunk was ruined). I don\u2019t mention it, and neither does she. A good time, overall. Pay for parking on the way out. I used to have free parking at the previous gym, but this one has a lower monthly fee, so it kind of evens out. $4<\/strong><\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 I go pick up charcuterie for an aunt\u2019s birthday tomorrow. I get two cheeses, some pretzels, and German ham ($25.54). (Spoiler alert: I end up eating all of this as I decide not to go to the birthday at the last minute.) I also stop to grab dog food on the way home ($55.79). I have two dogs, and this will last them about 10 days, including snacks. I stop at the pharmacy again and pick up who knows what ($18.32). $99.65<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 p.m. \u2014 Dogs have had lunch, and I\u2019m showered and fed, so it\u2019s time to work. I\u2019m editing some content for a client\u2019s marketing projects. It\u2019s boring, but I don\u2019t have a ton of energy to do much else, and I need to get this done anyway. I\u2019ve been looking for more clients as things have been kind of slow and uninteresting lately, but haven\u2019t had much luck yet. After work is done, I park on the couch \u2014 or what\u2019s left of it after two dogs \u2014 and watch more Harrow<\/em> until it\u2019s time for our nightly routine.<\/p>\n

8 p.m. \u2014 I feed and walk the dogs, take a shower, have dinner, and do my simple skincare of salicylic acid cleanser and soft moisturizer, then head to bed. I wake up a few times during the night \u2014 since starting at the new gym, I\u2019ve been anxious about the new space and people, and the fact that we didn\u2019t see the workout until the morning of (I\u2019m used to seeing the workout days in advance). I\u2019m not sure why it makes me nervous \u2014 probably some kind of imposter syndrome!<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $103.65<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Four: Tuesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

6 a.m. \u2014 Another morning with the pups. Up and eating\/walking early. Then grab my coffee and eggs on toast and get some work done before heading out. Today is Mardi Gras. I\u2019m completing more content for the same client as yesterday.<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2014 Get ready and head out to my 10 a.m. class. We do Zercher squats today. Never done them before, but they\u2019re pretty cool. I\u2019ll be wiped tomorrow, though. Today, we do a dynamic group warmup, which I appreciate as I\u2019m still getting to know people. I partner with two girls for the workout, which really just means we\u2019re using the same equipment at different times. Pay for parking on the way out. $4<\/strong><\/p>\n

12 p.m. \u2014 Another day of content and general admin. One of my clients is traveling, so work is slow. I answer some emails, focus on the content for the other clients, and call it a day. I\u2019m hourly, so a slow week is no good. I have pasta with a creamy chicken sauce for lunch. Walk and feed the dogs. They\u2019re on kibble as they\u2019re pretty big and cooking homemade food is both super expensive and super time consuming.<\/p>\n

6 p.m. \u2014 I see some photos of my aunt\u2019s birthday, and they\u2019re wearing costumes for Mardi Gras. Not my scene, so I decide to stay home and watch more TV. Finally, a low-spend day. I walk and feed the dogs, take a shower, grab a sandwich with the charcuterie I bought yesterday, and head to bed. Still anxious.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $4<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Five: Wednesday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

5:30 a.m. \u2014 Back on the grind. I\u2019m up early to walk and feed the dogs before training at 7 a.m. Head out at 6:30 a.m. to make it to the parking lot with enough time. Today\u2019s class is gymnastics, and I manage to do a handstand pushup, which is as unnecessary as it sounds, but it\u2019s my first time achieving it, and I\u2019ve been working on it for literally six months. SO HAPPY I basically float out of the gym. Pay for parking on the way out. $4<\/strong><\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 I was supposed to meet a client, but he postpones, so I take my time getting ready and having breakfast. My morning routine is pretty much the same as the evening, except I also use sunscreen. Do a few meetings and general admin. This week has been super slow. I have sent a handful of r\u00e9sum\u00e9s but no luck yet. Feed the dogs and take them on a short walk.<\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 I go to the bank to deposit some cash, but the bank\u2019s system is out. I buy lunch at Subway \u2014 what a throwback \u2014 and get some snacks so I have singles for parking, as well as an Arizona tea and Pirulin, a wafer cookie that\u2019s round and long, filled with chocolate ($6). I also pay for parking at the mall ($2). $8<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 p.m. \u2014 Back to spreadsheets and PM software. I wish work were more interesting right now so I could tell y\u2019all more about it. I\u2019ve been freelancing for many years now, and this year and last have been the hardest in terms of getting enough consistent work. I completed a UX design certificate program last year, but have been considering studying something like bookkeeping or another admin-type thing to hopefully get more clients.<\/p>\n

6 p.m. \u2014 Put my laptop away and rot on the couch until it\u2019s time to walk and feed everyone. My dog gets off his leash and runs around in the main avenue, effectively scaring the shit out of me. Manage to grab him and head back home. In bed by 8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $12<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Six: Thursday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

5 a.m. \u2014 Another early wakeup. My alarm was set for 5:30 a.m., but I\u2019m up anxious and can\u2019t get back to sleep, so I walk and feed the dogs, grab yogurt, and get ready. Then, I watch some TV to kill time before heading to the gym.<\/p>\n

7 a.m. \u2014 I couldn\u2019t deposit money yesterday, so I need to change a $10 bill to pay for parking. I grab ibuprofen ($5) before going to class. It\u2019s gymnastics again today \u2014 this time, we\u2019re working on muscle ups (an angry version of a pullup) \u2014 and I\u2019m dying by the end. Pay for parking ($4). $9<\/strong><\/p>\n

8:30 a.m. \u2014 Home to meet my client, grab coffee and plop in front of my laptop. Two hours later, I emerge and call my provider for collagen and beetroot, which apparently will prevent me from suffering (as much) during cardio workouts. $65<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:30 a.m. \u2014 I head to the bank to deposit the cash I had yesterday. The Venezuelan economy is a mess: I get paid in dollars in my US bank account, trade that for cash, and deposit that cash in my international currency account, which I then use with a debit card. At the mall, I bite the bullet. I\u2019ve been slowly renewing my closet over the past few months, and today, I grab a pair of Skechers sneakers that I plan to wear both to the gym and out ($55). I pay for parking on the way out, managing to not buy anything else. $57<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 p.m. \u2014 Come home to my dogs having completely destroyed the couch cushion. This is a work in progress, but today I basically put it into a trash bag. I\u2019ll go shopping for cushions tomorrow. Have lunch (chicken, tomato, and potatoes, literally what I could find in the fridge\/freezer), feed the dogs and take them on a quick walk. My bigger dog is a mutt, and he has some reactivity issues. The smaller one, who I got after the first diary, is about to be one year old; he\u2019s a beagle \u2014 crazy, but very friendly, and super smart.<\/p>\n

3:30 p.m. \u2014 I get up from an absolute necessity of a nap and get down to work on more content for my client. Learn that there was an issue with our February HOA fees, so I get a $9 reimbursement which will go toward my next month.<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 Wrap up some more content and a meeting before taking the pups out on their final walk. The cushion is now officially done for, and my smaller pup, who\u2019d been somewhat potty trained, is regressing and peeing in the living room. I meet a friend whose dog is friends with mine, and we let them run around in the parking lot. We come back upstairs, I shower and have teque\u00f1os for dinner before going to bed at 9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $131<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day Seven: Friday<\/strong><\/h3>\n

5:30 a.m. \u2014 I decided not to train today because we have the second event for the 2025 Open tomorrow and my bicep is bothering me \u2014\u00a0but I\u2019m still up early as the dogs don\u2019t care about my plans. Walk and feed them before getting ready for the day. I drink my beetroot supplement, creatine, and collagen instead of having coffee because I want to nap later. I\u2019m stupidly surprised that the beetroot powder tastes like, well, beetroot. I thought it\u2019d be more like those artificial energy drinks, but it feels like I blended actual beetroots. The drink is kind of grainy and not exactly pleasant.<\/p>\n

8:40 a.m. \u2014 I\u2019ve been up for three hours and haven\u2019t done anything. I have breakfast (scrambled eggs, cheese, and pretzels with green tea). I\u2019m finishing more content for the same client today, so I work on that. I also text my PT to check my elbow\/bicep early next week after I complete 25.2. He advises me to get an elbow wrap for tomorrow. Show him the workout and he very appropriately replies with, \u201cWell, sh*t.\u201d While I\u2019m an amateur athlete and fairly new in the sport, I\u2019m very competitive and last week, I ended up in fifth place for overall scaled athletes for my gym, which is one of the largest in the city. I\u2019m feeling some pressure about tomorrow because I don\u2019t have the final skill required to complete the workout. I\u2019m hoping the adrenaline helps me achieve chest-to-bars, but really, I\u2019m more likely to beat myself for whatever time I have left until the bell rings. That\u2019s fine though; I only got fluid pullups a few weeks ago, and I\u2019ll be happy to at least complete these.<\/p>\n

9:30 a.m. \u2014 I head out to find some decent cushions for the couch. I find one that\u2019s affordable enough, considering the dogs will tear it again ($37). I also buy a compression sleeve for my bicep for ($7). My bigger dog starts to bite into the cushion five minutes after I get home. Sigh. $44<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:20 a.m. \u2014 OK: time to get back to work. I give my dogs a quick walk before rush hour to avoid running into neighbors or kids down the street. Take off my jeans and decide to order takeout for lunch. I get sushi and some fish nuggets. I need to go back to editing content while the food arrives, but I\u2019m stuck in that cycle of not wanting to start something because the delivery person will come any minute, so I just wait. I\u2019m using a mix of AI and manual editing to make a series of content guides for SEO (search engine optimization). The goal is for them to be cost effective in terms of production but still provide value to those reading them. $19.64<\/strong><\/p>\n

1:30 p.m. \u2014 Get back to editing after eating my sushi. I finish a few pieces (they\u2019re fairly long at about 2,000 words each) and decide I need a nap. The dogs are napping, too, and the cushion is safe \u2014 for now.<\/p>\n

4 p.m. \u2014 I get up from an hour of deep sleep (why can\u2019t I sleep this deeply overnight?) and back to the content \u2014\u00a0but not without first exfoliating my face to see if I manage to actually wake up. I apply to another job, work for about an hour, and head out with the dogs for a quick walk. They\u2019re still going at it with the cushion. I recently donated some money to a dog from a local group who fell off a second floor and broke their hip. Today, we get videos of the dog walking for the first time after surgery \u2014 can\u2019t say I don\u2019t get watery eyes. My dogs (and their friends) are a big part of my life, socially and in every other aspect, really.<\/p>\n

7 p.m. \u2014 Wild Friday night, as usual. Jk: on Fridays, I normally wrap up work earlier in the afternoon and take the rest of the day to chill, get my nails done, maybe order takeout. I take the pup on their long walk and come back home to have a quick dinner, shower, and bed by about 8:30 p.m.! This is truly my favorite way to end the week.<\/p>\n

Daily Total: $63.64<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Breakdown<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/figure>\n

Conclusion <\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cHonestly, this is a really good representation of a week for me. I don\u2019t always buy a pair of shoes, but something always comes up. Whether it\u2019s couch cushions (I bought another set for $60 just a few weeks after the set mentioned here), tick\/flea medication, or literally anything car related, there\u2019s always an expense I didn\u2019t plan for. I\u2019m back to making a bit more now with the new client I secured, and while I\u2019m not 100% sure I\u2019ll stay with them in the long run, it\u2019s nice to see my savings grow a bit more. I noticed I didn\u2019t spend any money on entertainment. It\u2019s kind of tricky because most of my entertainment is either food or the gym (going to classes with friends, going hiking, etc) \u2014 I\u2019m not much of a concert goer or stuff like that. I\u2019m aware I could cut down expenses: Food is by far my highest expense at around 30% of my monthly costs, and I started seeing someone recently, so there\u2019s an added expense, but it\u2019s worth it to get to know this person. I am trying to adhere to a budget, but honestly, I never had to before, so I don\u2019t know how to cut back. It\u2019s a work in progress. I feel content for now, but know I will need to step it up for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual\u2019s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29\u2019s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.<\/p>\n

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend \u2014 to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day<\/a>. For more money diaries, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do you have a Money Diary you\u2019d like to share? Submit it with us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here<\/a> or email us here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A Week In Cleveland On $257,500<\/a><\/p>\n

A Week In Kansas City, MO On $261,400<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Money Diaries 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. Today: a project manager who makes $36,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":575,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions\/575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}