Monthly Expenses

Rent: $733 for a tiny bedroom that is basically a shoebox, but at least it's cheap rent!

Student Loan Payment: $0 (I come from a low-income family and am a first-gen student who was lucky enough to have received full financial aid.)

Utilities: ~$100

Cell Phone: $0 (I'm still on my parents' plan.)

Spotify/Hulu: $12.99 for an account that my parents also use

Transportation: $90 for a monthly rail SelectPass

Health Insurance: $0 (I'm still on my parents' plan — that early 20s life!)

403(b): My employer puts 3% of each paycheck into an account no matter how much I contribute, but I chose to put in 3% as well.

Roth IRA: I currently have $12,000 in a Roth IRA after saving aggressively throughout college and working several jobs since I was 16. I add the money each year from my savings — not sure if this is the best method, but I figure it's better than nothing.

Savings: I try to put about 20-30% of each paycheck into my savings account, and at the end of the month I transfer it all into a high-yield account. The amount varies depending on how much I have left in my checking after paying off my credit card bill.