Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.
Today, a massage therapist who makes $45,000 a year in Clarksdale, Mississippi, spends some of his money at the Delta Blues Museum.
Occupation: Massage Therapist
Age: 27
Location: Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States
Salary: $45,000 (approx. $1,500 per pay period)
Day One
I usually have the day off on Mondays, so I took my wife and daughter up to the Delta Blues Museum for a day out. This museum is actually the oldest blues museum in Mississippi, which is why it’s on the Mississippi Blues Trail. We had a blast checking out the museum most of the day and went home afterward. After that, I settled in for the night and prepped for my workweek.
Total: $32.00
Day Two
On Tuesday, I wished my wife good luck with her classes before heading to work. She’s working on her bachelor’s degree in business through the Faulkner University online program. I had a couple’s massage scheduled today, along with some individuals, and finally went home afterward to relax with the family. My wife had a good day with her coursework, and we settled in for the night.
Total: $0.00
Day Three
On Wednesday, I had a busy day at work, including a prenatal massage. So, when I arrived home, my family and I spent the evening watching reality cooking shows like MasterChef. Reality television is more of a guilty pleasure for my wife and me. I also ordered takeout from the local Chinese restaurant, and we had a fun evening.
Total: $32.78
Day Four
I had a slow day at work Thursday and was able to go home early. Once I surprised my family with an early day, we went out to get groceries for the week together after my wife finished her coursework for the day. We also shopped for a recipe we saw on MasterChef that we wanted to try at home. Later, we tried out the recipe, roast pork belly with chargrilled peach salsa, which turned out well. Finally, we called it a night and went to bed.
Total: $128.52
Day Five
Friday was a pretty average day at work. When I finished the workday, I went home to relax. My wife let me know she passed a big test for her online program, so we celebrated with a couple glasses of wine we had picked up yesterday. After dinner, I logged on to my laptop to pay a few bills that had come due, including my utilities, our phones, and our credit cards. Then, we watched a movie with our daughter to end the day.
Total: $281.12
Day Six
Saturdays are usually my busiest day of the week. We had a lot of clients come in, and it stayed pretty steady all day. Once I finished work, I went home to load up the family. We typically do some volunteering in the community at least a couple of Saturdays every month. So, we prepared some meals to take down to the local fire station and picked up some litter around our neighborhood. Then, after a long but fun day together, we went home to relax.
Total: $0.00
Day Seven
Most Sundays, my family and I like to rest and play games while spending the day together. After playing a few board games and card games, we prepared dinner together. We had a lovely evening, including a small candlelit dinner at home. Finally, we caught up on some of the other reality shows we’d missed during the week after putting my daughter to bed.
Total: $0.00
Weekly Total: $474.42
