Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.
In today’s Receipt, we follow a 36-year-old public relations professional making $100,000 a year in San Gabriel, CA. Keep reading for her receipts.
Skip ahead
The finances
What are your pronouns? She/her
What is your occupation? I work in PR at a large global firm. I was a pandemic hire and work remotely on most days. More time to cook at home!
How old are you? 36
What city and state do you live in? San Gabriel, CA, but I grew up in the Philippines
What is your annual salary? $100,000, not counting my husband’s salary of roughly $65,000; he works in community health for the unhoused population
How much is one paycheck, after taxes? $2,800
How often are you paid? Twice a month
What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.e., rent, subscriptions, insurance, bills)
- Rent: $2,588 (includes water/trash/HOA)
- Electricity: $150
- House gas: $150
- WiFi and phone: $150
- Car loan: $529
- Car gas: $250
- Subscriptions: $30
- Credit card: $500
- College savings plan: $400
- Kid sports and other extracurriculars: $200
- Gym membership: $159
- Fixed monthly total: $5,006
The diet
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? I definitely eat out way more than I ever did growing up in the Philippines. But I’m a social homebody—I love staying home and hosting friends for brunches and dinners. Also, the cost of eating out adds up, and I’m trying not to spend my entire paycheck in restaurants.
That’s probably why our house is the hangout house. Everyone comes over, whether it’s my kid’s neighborhood friends, my husband’s friends, my girlfriends, or our couple friends. Meals are usually chill, and potluck-style. (Think Monica’s place on Friends.)
This week, I’m trying not to eat out a single time. Will I succeed???
Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? I don’t follow a specific diet, but I’m trying to lower my BMI/body fat percentage after a steady increase over the past three years. It’s tricky, trying to manage eating healthy while having a kid and husband who love all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and sushi.
I try to prioritize healthier proteins and whole foods, limiting anything too processed and aiming for an even split of protein, carbs, and fat daily.
I recently started an accountability group with some gym friends who have similar health goals. We basically just send each other pictures of what we’re eating. It gives me meal ideas, sure, but the real appeal is seeing how other people eat and cook. I’m nosy, OK?
What other factors influence how you and your family eat? My Roman empire (and I’m sure many women feel the same) is “what the hell am I cooking today?” It’s my main domestic task, while my husband manages the laundry and cleaning. It never ends.
