A Week In Denver, CO On $29.55 An Hour

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

This week: A credit analyst working in banking who makes $29.55 an hour and spends it on a pickleball session.

This Money Diary was written in the fall of 2025.

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Occupation: Credit analyst
Industry: Banking
Age: 28
Location: Denver, CO
Salary: $29.55 an hour (about $61,464 per year).
Assets:
Checking account: $2,224.73
HYSA: $12,097.73
Roth IRA: $56,007.50
Brokerage account: $1,514.13
HSA: $4,582.10
Roth 401k: $17,717,05
Employee Stock Ownership plan: $2,996.77 (This is my vested amount. I’m 40% vested. If I stay another three years, I will be 100%, but I doubt I will stay).
Debt: $4,477.52 (car loan)
Paycheck Amount (biweekly ): Around $1,520
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $925 (for my half — I have one roommate, and utilities are included).
Car payments: $210
Parking: $75
Internet: $77
Phone: $43.53
Google Pay: $1.99
iCloud storage: $0.99
Netflix: $8.40
Laundry: $26 (it’s usually around this amount, but it varies since I have communal laundry that I pay for).
Ladder (workout app): $31.53
TV subscriptions: I have Hulu, Spotify, Amazon Prime, Peacock, and Paramount Plus that I use via different family members’ accounts.
Roth IRA: $200 (I have this automatically sent, and then at the end of the year, depending on my savings, I’m going to send one lump sum amount. I do need to increase how much I send each month as this was set from my previous job when I was making less).
HSA: $165
HYSA/Brokerage: Whatever I have left, I will split up between these. (I recently started investing in my brokerage account and would love any tips!)
Semi-annually expenses:
Car Insurance: $915.50
Yearly Renters Insurance: $227
Credit Card Fee: $95
Car Registration: $65

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?
I knew my parents wanted me to, but they would have been okay if I decided to take a gap year, which, looking back, I think I would have benefited from. I was very stressed about going to college and how much it would cost. My dad really wanted me to go to the local community college for a year or two, which would have been a good choice. I ended up going to an out-of-state private school because they gave me the biggest scholarship. I dropped out after my first semester sophomore year because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study and I was going to have to start taking out student loans. I paid for the three semesters with the scholarship, money my parents saved, and my own savings. I then went back to school online over the past few years and finished my degree in April 2025. I paid for this all from my own savings.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My parents did not talk a lot about money, but I knew it caused a lot of stress for them. They made comments about how it is important to save, but they didn’t actually teach me anything. My mom talks more about their finances now and I learned that they went through some debt consolidation when I was in middle school, and she still carries some credit card balances. She always says how good it is that I’m saving and she is glad that I have learned more about my finances.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I started babysitting in middle school for extra cash. I then got a job at a childcare center on the weekends and during holidays in high school. My mom made me get it because I didn’t love school and she felt it would be good for me to have something else to do, and I would have some spending money. I was still babysitting up until a couple of years ago for extra cash and I still occasionally pet sit on the side.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No, I was very fortunate that my parents provided everything we needed. I was able to do extracurricular activities and sports growing up. I grew up in a resort town where I went to school with kids who had a lot of money. We were lucky enough that my parents got subsidized housing because my parents both worked for the city and that’s how we could afford to live there.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes. I can meet my day-to-day expenses and am trying my best to save, but I am a very anxious person. I worry about my future and retirement. I compare myself to other friends around my age who make significantly more than I do, and I worry I’m not saving enough. Sometimes, with savings, it feels like you take one step forward and five steps back. You save $100 just to have a large expense come up and you spend $500.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
At 22, when I moved to Denver. I know I can always move back in with my parents if needed and they would help out as much as they could

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No.

Day One: Sunday

7:30 a.m. — I wake up at my boyfriend, B.’s, place, and decide to let him sleep in instead of waking him up. While he sleeps I read a couple of Money Diaries.

9:00 a.m. — He eventually wakes up and we lay in bed and watch TikToks. I’m hungry so I heat one of his Jimmy Dean sausage breakfasts and then get back in bed. We eventually get out of bed and go for a run. I haven’t been running since the spring after I did a half-marathon and am trying to get back into it, so we do a slow three miles.

10:30 a.m. — We get back to B.’s place and do a very short ab workout. I complain the entire time and then we take a shower. After the shower, I heat leftover pasta and B. goes and gets food from McDonald’s for himself. We then watch an episode of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. I had actually never heard of her story before and it’s crazy.

12:00 p.m. — We have a reservation to play pickleball at a public court near my apartment so we head that way. We stop at my apartment first so I can grab my gift card I got for my birthday from B. I have been wanting to learn to play tennis and he got me a racket and a gift card that will cover five group lessons for my birthday, which was a great surprise. I sign up for lessons that will start in October. It was $140 and the gift card covered it all. B. reserved the court so he paid the $7 fee yesterday.

2:30 p.m. — Our reservation was only for an hour, but nobody booked the court after so we play an extra 30 minutes. I win three games and he wins one. The sun came out while we were playing so I’m pretty sweaty and hot and decide we need popsicles. We head to the store and since we are here I do my weekly grocery shopping. I buy chicken, bell peppers, bananas, broccoli, hummus, carrots, frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, Core Power protein drinks, hard-boiled eggs, rice, a few frozen Healthy Choice protein bowls, popsicles, and B. needs more Pop-Tarts (he basically lives off of them) so I buy him those. Both the chicken and popsicles are buy one, get one free, which I’m very excited about, but still somehow end up spending almost $100. $89.96

3:00 p.m. — We get back to my place and I put the groceries away. We watch TikToks for a while and I eat a popsicle. My automatic payment for Netflix gets charged to my credit card. $8.40

6:00 p.m. — B. then leaves for his hockey game. I take a quick shower and then FaceTime my mom.

6:45 p.m. — I make dinner. I basically eat the same things each week when I’m at my apartment. I cut up all my chicken for the week and then air-fry some for my dinner. I eat it with rice, black beans, and broccoli. I’ll usually add some sort of sauce and all I have in the fridge is soy sauce so I put that on it. I chat with my roommate while I cook and she waters her plants.

8:00 p.m. — I input my spending from the last week into my budget tracker. I then decide I’ll write this Money Diary so I work on today’s entry. I brush my teeth, floss, put in my night guard, read my book, and go to bed at 9:30.

Daily Total: $98.36

Day Two: Monday

7:15 a.m. — I need to log on a bit early for work since I’m volunteering for half the day. I get up, brush my teeth, clean my retainer, and make my bed. I log on and finish up a loan I was working on Friday. I make a smoothie with strawberries, bananas, Greek yogurt, and a Core Power protein shake. I also eat two hard-boiled eggs.

8:20 a.m. — I get ready for volunteering. I put on a tennis skirt that I borrowed from my roommate, but I’m thinking I should buy one since I will be starting my lessons soon. I’m just not really a skirt or dress person. I put my hair in a ponytail and grab a hat since I’ll be outside. I then drive 40 minutes to the golf course. The company I work for gives volunteer hours for the year you can use and the credit analyst team is all volunteering today. I put on my sunscreen in the car and then go and find out where I’m helping for the event.

1:45 p.m. — I get home and make some lunch. I eat chicken, rice, beans, and broccoli. I’m all about easy cooking so I air-fry the chicken and use the one-minute rice cups. The broccoli is frozen so I just steam it in the microwave. I log on and finish underwriting a loan. I snack on some chips and chocolate while I work.

5:00 p.m. — I finish work and eat a banana with peanut butter. I go and work out in my apartment gym. I then walk over to my friend’s apartment for our weekly Monday night dinner. It’s only three of us, but we call it “Family Dinner,” and it has become a weekly staple. We’ve been doing this for almost two years and it is the best way to see each other regularly since life can get busy.

6:30 p.m. — It’s only two of us tonight since one friend is on a work trip. We usually cook something together, but my friend had a bunch of leftover chicken parmesan, so we eat that and I make a caesar salad.

8:00 p.m. — We talk for a while and then eventually go and get frozen yogurt across the street. $9.69

10:00 p.m. — We talk some more outside the frozen yogurt place and then she walks me home with her dog. I get home and take a shower, floss, brush my teeth, put in my night guard, and read my book. I fall asleep reading.

Daily Total: $9.69

Day Three: Tuesday

6:00 a.m. — I get up, brush my teeth, clean my retainer, and put on workout clothes. I then do a workout in my apartment gym. I have to work out in the morning today since we have our annual team event tonight and I won’t get home until late.

7:00 a.m. — I rinse off in the shower and dry the sweat out of my hair (I know gross, but I washed it last night since I knew I wouldn’t have time this morning). I make the same breakfast as yesterday to take to work. I also pack my lunch, then get dressed, and straighten my hair. We can dress casually today so I put on jeans and a black T-shirt with my Nike sneakers.

7:40 a.m. — I drive to work and listen to Armchair Expert.

8:00 a.m. — Get to work and clock in. I eat my breakfast and then work until lunch.

1:00 p.m. — The other people in my team who drove from different offices in Colorado start to arrive. I meet everyone and then eat my lunch. I have hummus, carrots, peppers, and a Korean beef Healthy Choice meal. It’s also employee appreciation week, and we each get a tumbler, candy, and some snacks. I eat some Pirate’s Booty and Sour Skittles.

5:00 p.m. — Not a lot of work gets done with everyone in the office. We then meet up for dinner. I get a Japanese fried rice bowl that is paid for by work. There is a beer wall and I have a few sips of a seltzer (also paid for by work); I’m not a big drinker. We eat dinner and then head over to a Colorado Rockies game (work also paid for the tickets).

8:30 p.m. — It starts raining and they stop the game. We wait for a bit, but it doesn’t seem like it will stop so we head over to a dive bar nearby. I wanted to go home after the game, but nobody else was leaving so I stayed. I get a Coke (work pays) and chat with people.

10:45 p.m. — I get home, floss, brush my teeth, wash my face, and read. I finish my book and fall asleep around 11:30.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four: Wednesday

6:50 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I snooze it. The past two nights have been past my bedtime so I’m tired. I then get up, put on workout clothes, brush my teeth, and clean my retainer. I have to work out again in the morning because I’m meeting my brother right after work. I go down to the gym and work out.

7:50 a.m. — I make my smoothie and eat a hard-boiled egg. I log on for work and am busy trying to figure out a loan. I started this job in the spring and am not sure it is the right fit for me, so I’ve been struggling a bit.

10:30 a.m. — I hop in the shower to rinse off quickly and then put on sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I go back to work.

2:00 p.m. — I make a quick lunch of chicken, beans, and rice, then go back to work. My automatic payment for my phone gets charged to my credit card. $43.60

5:00 p.m. — I’m running late to meet my brother for dinner and a movie. I change into leggings and put my hair in a ponytail since it’s a mess. I talk to my mom on the phone while I drive and cry a little bit about work (I’m a crier).

5:20 p.m. — We grab a quick dinner near the theater. I get prime rib sliders and he gets some sort of brisket sandwich. He recently moved back to Colorado and it’s been nice hanging out with him since I haven’t really seen him much over the past eight years. He pays for dinner ($75).

6:20 p.m. — I get in for free because I have the Regal movie pass. B. loves movies, and when we started dating, I realized I’ve basically seen no movies, so we decided to try out the pass. It was $73 for three months and we have seen about six movies so far. It’s definitely worth it if you will see at least 3.5 movies since tickets are so expensive these days. I don’t think I will renew right away, but it is a fun thing to do every once in a while. I get us a free small popcorn with my points and pay for M&Ms to put in it and a water. It was $13.09, which is crazy expensive. $13.09

9:30 p.m. — That was a very long movie and I stayed awake the whole time, which is impressive for me. I pay for parking, the movie theater validates for four hours, but I’m just over that and it’s still $7. I drive him home and then talk to B. on the way home. He wants to come over, but I’m too tired and want to go to bed. I have another little cry session about the job with B. and then he really wants to come over, but I tell him I’m fine. I do my nightly routine and fall asleep reading. $7.00

Daily Total: $63.69

Day Five: Thursday

6:40 a.m. — I wake up and debate working out since I wanted to go on a run this afternoon, but decide to sleep in and will maybe work out during lunch. I can’t fall back asleep so I watch the last episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty so I can talk about it with my coworker. I do my morning routine and make the same breakfast, but add a rice cracker with peanut butter and banana.

8:00 a.m. — I clock in for work. My brother asked if I wanted to drive up to our parents’ place tonight and stay for the weekend, so I think about that while I work. My roommate is gone for the weekend, though, and I was excited to have the place to myself.

2:00 p.m. — I’ve been really busy today, but stop to make some lunch. Same lunch as yesterday. I also have some chocolate-covered raspberries. I decide not to go up to my parents’ place. I text B. to see if he wants to play pickleball after work. I was going to say we should go on a run, but work has drained me and pickleball is way more fun. They don’t have an hour available for a court, but they have two 30-minute slots instead. It’s only letting me book one so I have B. book the other. It’s $3.50 for 30 minutes. $3.50

4:00 p.m. — I finish work and change into workout clothes. I want to get in a quick workout since I wasn’t able to during lunch so I go down to the gym.

4:50 p.m. — I finish my workout and go back to my apartment. I grab water, a Chomps stick, sunglasses, and my hat. B. picks me up and we drive over to the court.

5:05 p.m. — We check in. I had to book a quiet court for the first 30 minutes and they have free paddles for those courts, but we have our own for the regular. There is a noise ordinance on the courts close to apartments so they have quiet paddles now.

6:20 p.m. — We played a little longer because nobody booked the court after us. We decide to go to Trader Joe’s and get some mac and cheese for dinner, B. pays. I also air-fry some chicken to add to mine.

7:30 p.m. — We decide we need frozen yogurt so we walk over and get some. I get mango with lots of sprinkles. B. gets vanilla with a bunch of toppings. I come here a lot so I have $5 off and B. pays for the rest.

8:00 p.m. — We get back and take a shower, and I also wash my hair. We then watch another episode of the Amanda Knox series. I fall asleep watching it, of course.

10:30 p.m. — We get ready for bed and then I decide we need to stretch more so I make B. follow along with a TikTok mobility stretching tutorial. We watch more TikToks together and fall asleep around 11.

Daily Total: $3.50

Day Six: Friday

7:30 a.m. — B.’s alarm goes off, but we snooze it. I then wake up at 8 to log onto work and he stays in bed for a little bit longer. I do my morning routine and make my usual breakfast. B. leaves for work.

10:30 a.m. — I find the extra Sour Skittles from work and eat those.

2:00 p.m. — It’s been a busy week and usually I’m better at taking lunches. I make a quick lunch, the same thing as usual.

4:20 p.m. — I get done working. B’s parents are having friends over and invited us over for dinner. I’m feeling really drained from the week and don’t want to socialize. He is very extroverted, so sometimes he doesn’t understand when I want to just chill. He said he will make dinner for us instead, which is nice. I decide I need a quick nap before I work out.

5:00 p.m. — I get up and put on workout clothes. I finish my workout and rinse off in the shower quickly.

6:30 p.m. — I drive over to B’s. When I get there, he is still making dinner so I help. He made broccoli, chicken, and cheese orzo.

8:00 p.m. — We finish dinner and I’m not feeling too well. I know I will start my period tomorrow. B. wants to go on a walk, but I need to lie down. We watch another episode of the Amanda Knox show and I fall asleep.

10:00 p.m. — B. wakes me up and I get ready for bed. I brush my teeth and wash my face. We get in bed and I now can’t fall asleep, which is unusual for me, but I think I’m still stressed from work. I can usually nap for longer and still fall asleep. B. has to work a 24-hour shift tomorrow so he goes to bed. I scroll on my phone and fall asleep around 11.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven: Saturday

6:30 a.m. — B. hugs me goodbye and leaves for work. I go back to bed.

7:40 a.m. — I wake up and as predicted I started my period. Luckily, I put in a tampon before bed because I knew this would happen. My friend texted me late last night asking if I wanted to go on a hike this morning. I tell her yes and to let me know when she is up. I finish the dishes from last night and clean the kitchen. I take the extra orzo from last night because B. doesn’t eat leftovers, which is crazy to me. I also take some bacon and an egg that he has. He only bought them when he made me breakfast for my birthday and I know he won’t eat them. I then drive home and talk to my mom on the way.

8:40 a.m. — I get home and am still talking to my mom. I make the bacon and egg. I also make my smoothie. I get off the phone with my mom and my friend says she is moving slowly, but is making breakfast, too. Usually in the summer, I like to hike at the latest before nine because of the heat, but it’s starting to transition to fall and it hasn’t been as hot so I’m okay with going later.

9:20 p.m. — I eat my breakfast and watch Dexter. I get dressed for hiking. I fill up my water and grab my hat, sunglasses, and my hiking fanny pack that fits my water bottle. I leave to go pick up my friend.

12:30 p.m. — We finish up our hike. We ended up cutting it short because my friend had to go to the bathroom, so we only did three miles. I get gas on the way back ($41.71). My friend wants Chipotle, so I drive her to pick it up and then drop her off at home. $41.71

1:30 p.m. — I get home and decide I need to finally move my desk. I have been wanting to for a while, but have been putting it off. Once I move it I change the sheets on my bed. I then clean my bathroom and the kitchen. I randomly decide to clean my fan, which I have been thinking I should do for literally over a year. I sleep with a box fan on every night no matter the season. I unscrew the panels and dust it off and wipe it down. It honestly wasn’t as dusty as I thought, so probably won’t do it again for a while.

3:00 p.m. — I eat a late lunch of leftover orzo. I go and get stamps and mail some thank-you cards. I decided I wanted to start writing thank-you cards, so I send some out that were from my birthday. Of course, I want the stamps with the wild baby animals on them so I have to buy a book of 20. ($15.60) $15.60

4:00 p.m. — I have one more banana I need to eat before it goes bad (I feel like I’ve been eating a lot of bananas this week). I eat it on a couple of rice cakes with peanut butter and honey. I then go and work out. I try to work out five times a week, and if I feel like doing it on Saturday, I do. I cancelled my gym membership in the spring and I actually feel like I have been more consistent just using an app and going down to my small apartment gym.

4:40 p.m. — My friend M. FaceTimes me while I’m working out and asks if I want to do dinner. I invite her and my friend, C., over to my place. It’s the same friend from Monday night who lives close by, so she says she’ll call closer to 6 p.m. and we can decide what we want to eat for dinner.

5:00 p.m. — I finish my workout and take a shower. I debate washing my hair and then decide I’ll do it tomorrow since I’ll either go for a hike or run in the morning. I then eat some more orzo and take a nap.

7:00 p.m. — We picked Indian and I ordered it so they could pick it up on their way here. I pay for the Indian food. We share chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, and naan. They also brought ice cream and a cake slice from the store, so we eat that too. M. brought some paint and mini canvases. We paint and watch a movie. $63.06

10:45 p.m. — They leave and I get ready for bed. I fall asleep reading.

Daily Total: $120.37

Conclusion

“This was a pretty typical week for me. I always spend the most on food and groceries each week. A few years ago, I was very strict about my spending, which meant I didn’t try new things or spend money on experiences. I’ve learned it is so important to have a community and things that you enjoy doing, which requires spending some money. I will now spend money on hobbies, activities, experiences, and friends, which have made my life so much better.”

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