Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.
Today: an office administrator who makes $45,000
Occupation: office administrator
Age: 26
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Salary: $45,000 (approx. $1,731 per pay period)
Day One
I work as an office administrator while working through a licensed practical nursing program at night. I do enjoy my job now, though, too! Today, I’m spending my day at the office working with our IT department as we attempt to coordinate the hardware across the company network. I spend the morning doing research and recommending options that can improve our setup. We’ve settled on a Ubiquiti UniFi switch, and I direct them to the necessary forms they’ll have to fill out to have it ordered. The UniFi range has options with all the GbE RJ45 ports we need and comes with great reviews! After work, I grab a shake (my go-to on-the-go dinner option) and head to class.
Total: $8.50
Day Two
Like I said, I’m studying to become an LPN down the road. Our homework from last night’s class is to look into practical nursing career opportunities and what we could expect from the job search we’ll face as new practical nurses. I like to think that, paired with my LPN program, my current occupation will help me be a competitive applicant for physicians’ offices, care facilities, clinics, and other medical care roles. It’s a growing field, and I plan for my career path to lead to becoming an RN later on in life. For now, though, I’m working through my day at the office and enjoying lunch with my coworkers.
Total: $16
Day Three
In the office today, I’m focused on working out the various calendars and schedules I manage. Every so often, appointments start to overwhelm the little boxes that make up each person’s digital calendar. So during my lunch break, I head to the local dollar store and pick up a few cheap day planners. As much as I love the digital organization that’s transformed our schedules in recent years, I’ve found it helps me to scribble the days out with paper and pencil to coordinate the existing calendars online.
Total: $6.50
Day Four
After work today, I have a project to work on before heading to class tonight. We have a presentation coming up on the job duties of an LPN in a variety of health care settings, and we’re expected to have a poster board prepared. I can’t help but laugh at the fact that I need Elmer’s display board before really stepping into my nursing career, despite spending each day in my “grown-up” job!
Total: $3.50
Day Five
Every Friday, our branch manager orders a meal for the whole office, so these are everyone’s favorite days of the week. Today, it’s pizza from a nearby Italian restaurant. If nothing else, it’s a great way to save on the cost of meals! He always buys more than enough for leftovers and insists each of us bring some home. Depending on his choice of the week, it can be enough for dinner that night and even into the next day!
Total: $0
Day Six
With a welcome Saturday ahead, I take full advantage of the time to sleep in. After, I’ve still got some leftover pizza to enjoy. Thanks again, boss! Then, I move on to some household duties—dishes, vacuuming, ripping up a few pieces of junk mail to toss. Next up, I run to the store for some groceries, grabbing an iced coffee on the way. Finally, I finish off the day studying before just chilling out for a while.
Total: $53.50
Day Seven
Today, I’m meeting with some classmates at a local cafe to discuss our projects. Sipping on an Americano, it’s nice to spend time with some people generally around my age. Between work, class, and overall adulting, afternoons like this feel like a rare treat.
Total: $4.50
Total for the week: $92.50
