I live comfortably in a resort town on $35,000 a year — here’s how I do it

Business Insider

• For Business Insider’s “Real Money” series, a 23-year-old journalist shares a week of spending on a $ 35,000 salary on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
• She usually eats at home and loves a good (free) workout, but this week spent money on bills and plane tickets to visit family.
• Want to share a week of your spending? Email yourmoney@businessinsider.com.

My dad taught me to live within my means.

I take that lesson pretty seriously and never spend more than I can afford. This can be challenging on my budget — I make $ 35,000 a year — but by spending carefully I make it work.

I live a pretty thrifty lifestyle and while my income doesn’t allow for a lot of saving, I still try to save a couple hundred dollars and contribute to my 401k every month. I love traveling, so I also try to put aside some cash every month so I can buy plane tickets to go visit my friends and family and explore new cities. 

My boyfriend and I share the expense of living at our resort apartment on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, which keeps my rent affordable. The resort is extremely quiet in the winter and we get to enjoy the vacation amenities like hot tubs and tennis courts regularly, especially during the off season for tourism. On days when I don’t spend any money, I’m still able to enjoy indoor workouts, swimming, or a friendly game of tennis, which is an added bonus.

Here’s a closer look at what I spent over the course of a recent week: 

My boyfriend and I split our $ 1,150 rent evenly, and every month I pay gas, car insurance, and a gym membership.

Business Insider

It’s hard to save money on my budget, but I try my best.

I take home $ 479 a week from my $ 35,000 salary, and I keep my spending within what I can afford.

Business Insider/ Jennu Cheng

Some days I don’t spend any money at all. Other days, my purchases just seem to add up. Grocery shopping on Saturday, for example, took a toll on my budget, and my electric bill set me back $ 46 on Thursday.

On Friday, I woke up to a notification that $ 29.95 was charged to my Discover card by Blue Apron.

Business Insider/ Jenny Cheng

I’ve recently jumped on the meal subscription bandwagon and am loving it. Tip for all you frugal people out there: Try a company once to get their intro deal, which is usually $ 30 off your first box. So far I’ve tried Blue Apron, Home Chef, and HelloFresh.

After a quiet night with my boyfriend listening to records, I make a mental note: Tomorrow morning will have to start with a trip to the grocery store. I can only have so many pieces of toast and bowls of Cheerios in a single day.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• 16 things that are probably hiding in your closet that are now worth a ton
• I never thought I’d be a homeowner, but buying my house is the best decision I’ve ever made
• Record numbers of Americans over 65 are too worried about money to retire — and it teaches us an important lesson in investing

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley is so expensive that people who make $ 400,000 think they’re middle-class — here’s what the middle class actually is in the 25 largest US cities