#tomorrow. cool went to food basics got my cakes got my cash started walking the 10 minutes back home. literally three minutes away

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

[nishigo]

lunar new year. // todoroki shouto x reader.

lunar new year. // todoroki shouto x reader

hello! hope you have had a lovely day, here’s a little todoroki love for you all as the Chinese New Year starts tomorrow! much love to you all~

words : 1528

tw : none , fluffy fluff !

request status at time of post : open !

in which he failed the first time to convey his feelings, but luckily, he had another shot.

————

Todoroki glances at the small house, tilting his head softly as he glanced from the red packets in his hands to the soft glow of the candles guiding towards the backyard. He heard the chatter in the background, how everyone from class had joined together to celebrate the lunar new year. Although rarely celebrated in Japan, many of those in the area decided to support their Chinese neighbors and cheerfully greet the new year. It was also another reason to party, which no one could deny. Your parents had decided to go to their friend's house to celebrate, leaving you with just the house to yourself until tomorrow. It was smaller than most, however, after doing a small raffle, your name was drawn from the jar and here he was, in front of your home.

Todoroki has just gotten back from seeing his mother in the hospital, in which he had finished ranting to her about what would partake in the night. Of course he was nervous, you were the only person who could make him feel such a way. His mom reassured him that everything would be fine, but what if it was not? He shook his head, no time for that now. It is also where he got his red packets from, as everyone was forced to bring something as a token of cheer, whether it be food or games, and needless to say, the boy was not exactly poor. His mother insisted to stick to tradition, smiling at her son as he took them with a swift nod but slight concern. A sigh escaped his lips as he began to walk towards the back, hoping for the best as he kept a relatively cool demeanor.

Todoroki walked into your backyard and took in the sight. It has a large tree sprouting from the ground, lanterns of all colors, shapes, and sizes hanging with various symbols in both Chinese and Japanese wishing good luck for the new year. Bamboo lined along the white picket fence, little red banners hanging off their small branches with stars and more writing Todoroki did not recognize. All around the tree were small tables, and various red mats were sprawled around them for his friends to sit and talk, whether about school or how excited they were. A long table lined the side of the house, food decorating every inch of it. The smell of moon cake, rice, pork dumplings, and duck filled his nose, making his mouth water slightly as he walked closer. The whole place was brightly lit up, decorations of stars of gold and red painting his vision, along with various peonies, carnations, and orchids. It was amazing how much effort you had put into making this an enjoyable experience for all, and frankly, he was touched.

“It’s Todoroki!” The boy whipped his head around and looked at the owner of the voice, who happened to be Midoriya. He sported a red sweater and black pants, grinning from ear to ear. Actually, everyone was decked out somehow with the color, whether it be a simple bracelet to Kirishima, who had on a red outfit head to toe. Todoroki got pulled towards the food, where he finally saw you for the first time this night.

You had your hair brushed out and away from your face, eyes sparkling as you served food and made conversation with all of your friends. Your energetic attitude was contagious, and Todoroki could not help but smile at how cute you were when you were passionate about something. Sporting a red jean jacket and gold bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, you looked right at home as you explained to Iida what eating long noodles symbolizes to the Chinese. As he picked up a plate and began to grab some food, he caught your eyesight and gladly went up to him to talk

“Hey! Todoroki, I am so glad you could make it! And- Oh! Red envelopes? Here, let’s add them to the pile over here, I will be handing them out later after everyone settles down from the food.” You took them from him quickly, putting them into a basket full to the brim of various family names and money. Turning back around to face him, you paused as you opened your mouth slowly and began again.

“Hey, Todo, mind heading inside with me? I need to pull out some more food, looks like noodles and dumplings are running out.” Todoroki blushes lightly at the nickname as he nodded, watching as you made your way towards the back door and allowed him to slip in with you and towards the kitchen.

Trays of food were stacked on top of each other, still piping hot as he shuffled quietly behind you. You took a deep inhale, exhaling loudly as you took some trays and separated them from the rest, supposedly what was needed more outside. It was a bit weird for once, since both of you were quiet and there was no one else around. Maybe this was an opening, maybe he could-

“Take these outside for me, will you?” He retracted his outstretched arm, quietly sighing as he nodded and grabbed the various trays and doing obediently as he was told.

The night unpaused after that brief moment alone with you. His heart was racing inside his chest. Jeez, it’s as if you used his own fire quirk against himself, he was heating up just looking at you. He went on to sit at your table along with Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka. He chewed his food silently, internally praising you for your delicious seasoning on the pork buns. With his cheeks stuffed, the conversation varied in the night, but all he could focus on was you. He saw words come out of your lips, but no response was made on his part. Just sitting by you was enough for him, and he was content with the positioning. It was bugging him, though, that he had not completed his final motive, and he only had a little time left to succeed.

The hours began to lengthen, and soon enough, people were starting to leave. You had handed out all the red envelopes and it was fun to see people jump for joy at how much cash they were getting. One by one, he watched as his classmates received a hug and a wave from you, holding various leftovers as the food coma was beginning to hit and drowsiness arose. He waved off his friends goodbye, cracking a small smile as he then turned around to see you working hard to get everything put away. With a large amount of pity from him, he sighed and began to help you pack up tables and stack mats. Lanterns were turned off one by one, and with a quick flick of his fingers, a frosty blast sent all of the candles out, nothing but smoke left.

Inside, you two panted as the effects of doing so much hit you all at once. Stretching slightly, you pulled your hair tie down and he watched as your face was cupped by your lovely locks. Now, since it was just the two of you and silence, he decided to break out. May his mother’s words be true, and with courage, he spoke.

“Y/N, a word?” You glanced back at him in small confusion, grinning from ear to ear as you shuffled close to him, signaling for him to continue.

“I missed it at the beginning of January, and I was meant to tell you that night. However, I never gained the courage to do so, so tonight…” He took a shaky inhale, glancing away softly as he pulled out a packet he had saved for you along with some deep red roses, making you stop in your tracks in awe.

“I wanted to try again, since the lunar new year is another beginning. Basically, I am here to say I’m in love with you. No, wait, scratch that, I’m infatuated with you. You make my head spin and makes me freeze up and melt at the same time. So, would you happen to want to become...a couple?” He repeated his phrase that he had said over a million times in the mirror, hoping that his words would be enough. He could not read your reaction for a second, but soon enough, tears began to flow out of your eyes as you nodded sweetly, taking his red envelope and flowers into your hands and quickly grabbing him into a hug. Although Todoroki did stumble a bit, he caught his balance and hugged back, a breath of relief flying into his lungs before he began to smile and bury his face into your neck shyly. A sweet blush overtook both your faces, and innocently, you pecked his cheek with the brightest smile in existence and he mimicked your actions back at you. Elated, exhilarated, overjoyed, you two were many things, but to describe it the best...

You both were over the moon as the ringing of fireworks popped in the background, signaling the start of the new lunar year and your relationship.

[bedbellyandbeyond]

Sick Day

Long Post, Art At End

“We're home.” The keys jingled gently as Dante opened the door, summoning two little fluff balls yipping to the door. Yori came in after him and happily scooped up the children into his arms. Rowan and Marco quickly turned back to human form and gave him hugs. Dante chuckled. “There's our big boys. Where's Dad and Skylar?” The boys both perked up and looked back down the hall, babbling a bit. Yori put them down and let them turn back to puppies. They bounded off towards the living room.

Dante followed but Yori decided he was going to head to the bedroom. In the living room, Ruben was lying on the couch, dead asleep. The boys jumped up on top of his stomach and curled up. Dante frowned. “Rube,” he said sharply. Ruben groaned awake. “Hmm, what?” “You're supposed to be watching the kids,” Dante said. “I was… I am.” Ruben rubbed his eyes and scooped the boys up to his chest. “We were napping…” “The boys were all over the place,” Dante sighed. “Where's Skylar?” Ruben yawned. “She went down in the bedroom so she's not with the boys.” Dante rubbed his forehead. “She's not feeling any better?” Ruben shook his head. “'Fraid not…” “You'd think Yori's children couldn’t get sick… Well, they are half human… And Skylar's half ‘you' so it's not like she's getting the best,” Dante said. “Hey, immunodeficiency runs in the family…” Ruben huffed. “She's going to be fine though. It's just a cold.” Dante rubbed his nose. “Just thinking about it makes my nose itch…” “We gotta be careful not to catch it ourselves,” Ruben said. “At least there's three of us…” Dante nodded and sat himself down on Ruben's legs. “So… Yori's pregnant again.” Ruben sighed. “Oh god, my nap almost let me forget… So you took him to Vi's doctor… What was that like?” “Frustrating… But that's just because my brother was there…” Dante stated. “It was quick. Not something I'd ever have expected to see in my lifetime, but it was quick.” “So that's it? Yori's pregnant that quick?” “Technically, we're supposed to wait a week to check that it took, but Yori said it worked already so I figure he knows…” “Yori knows his own body better than anyone,” Ruben said. “He could probably read out his own genetic code…” “If he has one,” Dante said picking up Rowan and Marco before lying himself down against Ruben's chest. “We are going to need to buy a lot more cake…” Ruben wrapped his arms around him and started playing with his ear. “Did you and Vi pick out a house yet?” Dante shook his head. “Narrowed it down to a couple places… It's not easy when you need so many rooms.” “And a pool.” “Right.” “Well, we don’t really need six rooms, do we? The triplets will share a room for a while.” “I hate to say it, but they'll be teenagers at some point. They'll probably want their own space.” Ruben winced. “Ugh, why you gotta bring up teenagers? My kids will be little forever… Teenagers suck. And I know because I sucked. And you know because your brother sucked and still does.” “I sucked too…” Dante said. “Insecure, pimply, shut-in…” “At least you weren’t out in the streets, breaking into cars and smoking three packs a day,” Ruben said. “I probably shaved two decades off my life expectancy. There's no way I'll let my kids be teenagers like me.” Dante smiled and rubbed Ruben's cheek. “Don’t worry. A wise man learns from his mistakes. A wiser man learns from other’s mistakes.” Ruben rolled his eyes. “Proverbs are excuses in disguise.” Dante shrugged. “Whatever. What are you making for dinner?” Ruben lifted Dante off of him, shaking his head. “No way. It's your turn for dinner.” Dante pouted. “But I like watching you cook… It's so funny.” “I'm still healing from my burns,” Ruben stated. “I checked the calendar. It's your turn.” Dante groaned. “…Ugh, I don’t feel like cooking… Can we settle on pizza?” “Then you're paying.” “Only if you tip.” “Deal.” Dante kissed his cheek and pulled his phone out. “Medium Bruschetta and barbecue chicken?” “You know it.” “Funnel cake sticks or Brownie Bites for Yori and the kids?” “Just get both. Yori'll like the brownies, the kids can suck on the funnel sticks…” Dante placed the order, coughing a bit as he swiped away on his phone. Rowan crawled into his lap and reached for his phone, making the adult lean back and hold his phone over his head to complete the purchase without interruption. “And done. Forty minutes or it's free.” Ruben had started tickling Marco in his lap. “Awesome. You got root beer with it too, right?” “Yeah. You and your root beer… You're addicted.” “Hey. It’s better than drugs and alcohol.” “I know. And I'm proud of you,” Dante said, going in for another kiss but Ruben's hand came up to block him. “Oh no, don’t think I didn’t see you coughing,” Ruben said. “I am not getting sick.” “Neither am I,” Dante huffed. “It was barely a cough. I just got dust back there. This place is due for a really good cleaning.” Ruben turned his head. “I'm not taking chances. Make yourself some tea or something.” “Fine. Take Rowan,” Dante said passing over the little redhead so he could get up and go to the kitchen. While he was doing that, Yori walked out with Skylar in arms. Their daughter was sniffling lightly as she snuggled against him. “We're hungry,” Yori stated. “Dante just ordered food. It'll be here soon,” Ruben said. “How's Skylar?” “Her head is hot,” Yori stated. “She sneezed on me.” “Join the club,” Ruben said. “You should let her sleep.” “I will. She needs to eat,” Yori said going over to their armchair and sitting down. “She won’t nurse.” “The food I ordered isn't going to help,” Dante said. “She needs fluids and lots of it. I'll make her a bottle. She might take to more watered-down milk.” Yori nodded and went over to get a bottle out of the fridge so he could make it. Dante shook his head and attempted to take it. “Yori, I'll make it. Don’t worry. Just chill.” “No, you're sick,” Yori said, pulling the bottle away and doing the preparations himself. “Why does everyone think I'm sick?” Dante asked. “Hey, if Yori can sense it, you should probably listen to him,” Ruben said. “Just cool it, and let Yori deal with Skylar. He can’t get sick.” Dante huffed and took his tea back to the couch. “I'm not sick. My throat's just dry. This winter has been so dry…” He cleared his throat, clearly trying to hold back a cough. Ruben put Rowan and Marco on the ground before leaning over and placing the back of his hand on Dante's head. “You're burning up. Wait here.” He got up and went to the bathroom. Dante moped while he waited, not at all liking being treated this way. “You guys are ganging up on me.” Ruben came back with an ear thermometer and turned it on. “Hold still.” He placed a hand on Dante's head to steady him while he placed the probe end of the thermometer in his ear. It beeped after a couple seconds and he took it out. “Hmph. 38.5 degrees Celsius. 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a fever.” “I don’t feel anything, Ruben,” Dante whined. “You probably did it wrong.” “Just admit it. You're sick.” “I haven’t had a fever in years,” Dante said, placing his tea on the coffee table. “Well then… Your body got cocky and let down its defences. It didn’t expect germ covered triplets.” Ruben patted his cheek. “If you don’t do anything about it now, you'll just get worse. Go lie down.” Dante looked defeated so he pulled out his wallet and put his cash on the table. “For the pizza… Get me change because you're tipping.” Ruben nodded. “Go.” Dante stood up. “I'll be better by tomorrow.” “You're not going to work tomorrow.” “Rube. I gotta work.” “I will call your boss.” “You will n—” Dante was cut off by a small fit of coughing. Ruben got up. “Gross. Go to bed or I'll put you there myself.” Dante recovered from his coughing and glared at Ruben. “You don’t need to threaten me, I was going.” He stuck out his tongue and marched off. Ruben sighed, realising he forgot his tea. He quickly picked it up with the tips of his fingers and took it to the bedroom. Since the birth of the triplets, they'd all been sharing Ruben's room most nights but Dante's room was left as it was so he sometimes went in there to be away from everyone else. Now that he was sick, it only made sense to find him there. Ruben walked in with the tea to find Dante sitting on his bed with his laptop out. “Hey, I said lie down.” “I'm not incapacitated. I can still use my computer,” Dante said. “You need to get over yourself and take a fucking nap,” Ruben said, snatching the laptop and replacing it with the mug of tea. “I need you to get better. I can't do this parent stuff without you.” “You have Yori,” Dante said. “Yori's good for basic nurturing things but not the big picture,” Ruben said. “He's not good at planning things and keeping us organised and neither am I. All I know is how not to get our kids killed. And even then, this job challenges me. So you need to drink your tea then lie down and nap.” Dante looked away, clearly upset. “What about the pizza?” “I'll wake you when it gets here, I promise,” Ruben said. “Just rest, okay? Seriously.” Dante nodded, sipping at his tea then placing it on his nightstand. He curled up with the blankets. Ruben sighed. “Thanks.” He turned off the light and left.

The pizza arrived in twenty minutes which frustrated Ruben just a little because it meant he had to wake up Dante. He suspected he'd still be up and on his phone or something, but Dante was actually fast asleep, snoring with a stuffy nose. Ruben really didn’t want to wake him while he was getting quality recuperation in, but he knew Dante would hate him if he made him sleep through dinner. Gently he rubbed his shoulder, causing a sickly groan. “Dante… Sorry, but the pizza's here,” Ruben said, pushing hair off his boyfriend's forehead. Dante nodded. “Pizza…kay, I'm up…” “Are you sure you want to come out? You’re really stuffed up…” “I gotta eat…” “I'll bring your food,” Ruben said. “But I want to be out there with you guys,” Dante snuffled. Ruben shook his head. “If you don’t want to be alone, I can come eat here with you…” “I don’t want to get you sick too…” “Kay, then I'll send Yori in. You know he loves a good snuggle.” “What about the kids?” “I can watch the kids. It's fine.” “You sure? You had them all day,” Dante said. “Come on, what's another couple hours?” Ruben said. “They go to bed soon…” “They'll have to be changed and bathed and read to…” “I know the routine, Dan,” Ruben said. Dante frowned. “Don’t call me that.” “Alright, Don.” “Rube!” “Dental.” “Don't.” “Don't-eh.” “Fuck you. You're terrible.” “I love you too.” Ruben got up and went to the door. “Just BBQ Chicken, or do you want some of my Bruschetta pizza?” “Are you going to steal some of mine?” “Probably.” “Then bring me a slice of both.” “Kay.” Ruben disappeared for a moment. Dante sighed and sat himself up. He attempted drinking his tea, but he had trouble with his nose so congested. He couldn’t believe how quickly it had all settled in. He felt like the apartment was in part to blame for just being poorly ventilated and dusty. He was so glad they'd be moving soon. The door was pushed ajar and a little black shiba pup pushed his nose in and ran over to Dante's bed, begging to be picked up. “Marco, you sneaky little… Come here,” Ruben said, carrying a plate with him as he came back in. He set it down on Dante's nightstand before scooping up the puppy. “Sorry.” Dante shook his head. “It's okay. Marco just wants to be with Papa.” “Well, I'm not having three sick people on my hands,” Ruben said, petting Marco's head before putting him down outside the door. “I talked to Yori. He'll come in once he's done eating.” “Did Skylar take her bottle?” Dante asked. “She fussed but she did,” Ruben said. “Good…” “Do you need more tea?” “That'd be awesome right now, Rube,” Dante said, taking his plate and sliding it onto his lap. Ruben nodded and took Dante's mug so he could make more tea. Dante took a couple bites of pizza and turned on his TV. He found a half decent sitcom and started watching that. When Ruben came back with the tea, he'd barely had more than a few bites of pizza. “You need to eat, Dante,” Ruben said. As he said that, the doorbell rang and the pups started barking. “Ugh, it's probably my brother…” Dante groaned. “Why?” “It's always my brother.” “I know, I mean, why is he here?” “I don’t know. Get the door.” Ruben set the tea down before going back to the hall. “Eat your food.” As expected, when he opened the door, there were the pair, Lino and Vi, loitering outside. Vi was carrying a Tupperware container. “What's up?” Ruben asked. “Is Dante alright? He appeared ill at our appointment today,” Vi said. “Oh. Uh, yeah... He's caught a cold,” Ruben said. “Probably got it from Skylar.” Vi's eyes widened. “The little one as well? Are they going to be okay?” Ruben nodded. “Yeah, they'll be fine. They're resting.” “Well, Lino informed me that humans make soup to help with illness, so I made this,” Vi said handing over the container. Ruben looked to Lino. “You're worried about us?” “I'm not worried. It's just Vi,” Lino said. “He asked me what to do so I told him. And anyway, we don’t need my brother getting his germs on our kid.” “Well, Yori can’t get sick so your baby should be fine.” Lino crossed his arms. “Are you going to invite us in, or what?” Ruben sighed and moved to let them pass. “Dante's in bed. Yori's out there with the kids.” “I put Skylar to bed,” Yori said walking over with Marco and Rowan in his arms. “Hello.” “Nice to see you again,” Vi said. “We're still very grateful to you for agreeing to carry our child.” Yori nodded. “It's no big deal.” “It is though,” Vi insisted. “Without your help, Lino and I wouldn’t be able to start this next part of our life as parents.” Yori smiled. “I'm glad to help.” “You're helping us get a new home, anyway,” Ruben said. “This place is small and a dump. We can’t wait to get out of here.” Dante managed to hobble out of his room to wave to the visitors. “Hey guys…” “Dante! You're worse than I thought,” Vi said. “I brought you soup. Please get well.” Dante nodded. “Thanks. I'm trying.” “Not hard enough,” Ruben huffed. “Get back to bed.” Dante groaned and retreated into his room. “That seemed a little harsh,” Vi observed. “I'm sure being up and about a little won’t hurt him.” “I don’t like doing this to him, but I know Dante,” Ruben said. “Given the chance, he'll work himself to death.” Lino scoffed. “You're kidding, right? My brother is lazy as hell.” “Not after the triplets,” Ruben said. “I swear, he adopted this drive with them that I've never seen before. He works so hard for these kids. He just doesn't turn off. But we need him. So he needs to get better.” Vi nodded. “Ah. This is an example of ‘tough love'. Lino was explaining that to me.” “Yeah I guess,” Ruben said. “But yeah, without him, we’re outnumbered so I'm trying to make sure he rests properly.” “Well, we'd be glad to lend our services should you need extra help with the children,” Vi offered. “Thanks… Might take you up on that,” Ruben said. They could hear a faint ‘no' come out from Dante's bedroom. Ruben chuckled. “Ah… I think he's just worried about the last time you guys babysat.” “I promise you, should we take on that responsibility again, I will make sure we do not lose any of the children.” “Thanks, but I think we have things handled for now,” Ruben assured. “Alright, well… We just wanted to check in,” Vi said. “We'll be off.” “So soon?” Lino nodded. “Vi has his show in a minute. Even though we are very capable of restarting it…” Vi pouted. “I want to see it live because Fay always sends me spoilers…” Ruben chuckled. “Alright, I'll see you later.” “Bye now.” As those two headed back to their own apartment, Ruben closed the door and went back to check on Yori and the kids. He found them in the bathroom, getting ready for the boys' bath. Marco and Rowan were fussing a lot which was nearly unheard of when Yori was dealing with them. Usually the triplets were really calm for him and he was clearly getting frustrated as he attempted to get them undressed. “I don’t understand,” Yori huffed. Ruben knelt down with him and took Rowan to undress him. “They're probably just upset that they're not with Skylar.” “Oh…” Yori sighed. “They miss being with her?” Ruben nodded. “I got them, alright? You can go snuggle up with Dante.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah. Dante's getting lonely. Go on.” “Okay.” Yori kissed Ruben's cheek before getting up and leaving the bathroom. Ruben closed the door so Marco wouldn’t run off while he was undressing Rowan. Once he got them both out of their onesies and into the tub, he let them play a bit before starting to wash them up. Things were going well until he heard Skylar start crying. Ruben sighed and took the boys out of the tub onto a towel so they didn’t drown themselves while he went to check on her. Yori met him in the hall as he too was going to get Skylar. “Hey, I got this,” Ruben said. “Relax.” “It's okay,” Yori said. “I don’t want you to get sick too.” Ruben shook his head. “What about Dante?” “He's asleep.” Ruben sighed. “Good…” “I'll get Skylar,” Yori said. “Don’t leave the boys alone.” “Right, okay.” Ruben leaned down and kissed Yori's head. “Thanks.” “No problem.” The boys had turned into pups when Ruben came back in but they had waited until he was in there with them before they shook themselves dry. “Aw, come on, guys!” Ruben groaned, picking up a towel and wiping down his pants. “That’s not fair.” He toweled them down and wrapped them up, carrying them out to the living room. Yori walked past again, carrying Skylar and a bundle of blankets this time. “Where’s she going?” Ruben asked. “She’ll sleep with me and Dante,” Yori said. “So she doesn’t get the boys sick.” “Oh, okay.” Skylar whined reaching for Ruben and the boys. “I’m so sorry, baby girl,” Ruben said, giving the sleepy girl a quick kiss on the head. “You can snuggle up with your brothers as soon as you feel better.” “Say goodnight, Sky,” Yori said, using Skylar’s hand to wave. The boys whined too, waving to their sister. Ruben hefted each one up against his shoulders. “Goodnight, Yori and Skylar.” “Goodnight.” “I really hope things get better tomorrow.” “Me too.”

Ruben: *sighs* Why do they have to be so cute when they sleep?

Yori: *Shrugs* Evolution to make you want to protect them instead of killing and eating them?

Ruben: ...It was a rhetorical question, science side of Tumblr.

Yori: What’s a Tumblr?

Ruben: It’s a... No, you’re not ready.

[thedeadshotnetwork]

A Week In New York City On A $40,000 Salary Welcome to Money Diaries , where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Have a money diary you'd like to share? Right now, in addition to our ongoing diaries, we're looking for potential diarists along the following theme: Your Spending In Your State: Starting in January, we want to run one Money Diary from a different state each day. Want to rep your state? Submit here ! This week: We're looking at Money Diaries during the (often expensive) holiday season to see how people save up — and spend. Today, for the last entry of our holiday MDs: a film distributor who makes $40,000 per year. She spends some of her money on mini-chocolate champagne bottles. Occupation: Film Distributor Industry: Film Age: 26 Location: New York, NY Salary: $40,000 Paycheck (Once Per Week): $598.07 Monthly Expenses Housing: $550. I live in a family-owned apartment. My roommate and I each pay my parents $550 per month to cover the taxes, fees, and utilities my parents pay on the apartment. Loan Payments: $0 All Other Monthly Expenses Gym: $10.45 MoviePass: $9.95 Spotify: $9.99 Health Insurance: $179 Hulu Netflix: $0. I use my parents' accounts. Cable Internet, Water Electricity: $0. Included in $550 rent payment. Day One 10:30 a.m. — I get out of bed after my Emergency Don't-Sleep-Later-Than-This alarm goes off, and am uncharacteristically energetic. I slip on jeans and a t-shirt, eat a hard-boiled egg, make a pot of coffee for my thermos, brush my teeth, and head out the door. Trader Joe's is packed, even though it's before noon on a Sunday. Last night, I babysat with my best friend and she told me about a “cleanse” she recently started. The dietary restrictions and required discipline seemed too farfetched for me, but my biggest takeaway was to try cutting my sugar intake. She says that doing so has worked wonders for her skin and energy levels. I normally spend $30-35 per week on groceries, but spend a bit more today. I buy Stevia packets, avocados, green peppers, bananas, Greek yogurt, spinach, three pre-packed salads, frozen chicken breasts, chicken sausage, brie, two boxes of pasta, and frozen berries. $53.37 1 p.m. — I take the subway (my company pays for my monthly MetroCard) to the Upper East Side to meet a college friend for bagels at H H. I spring for lox and we catch up for a while before walking a few blocks north to see Coco ! I have a MoviePass subscription so my ticket (normally $15) is “free”! We laugh, we cry, we leave, and it's dark out because winter is coming. $11.92 4:45 p.m. — Hop on the downtown subway and instead of going home, walk into DSW. I have $140 of babysitting cash burning a hole in my wallet, and I need a new pair of boots. I spend nearly an hour perusing, but nothing speaks to me, so I leave empty-handed and walk home. I get home and am craving something sweet, so I have a few too many pretzel M Ms. Cutting down on sugar is going really well. 8:30 p.m. — After a few hours of catching up with my roommate, watching last night's episode of Saturday Night Live on Hulu, and journaling, I finally find myself a little hungry. I make organic tomato and roasted red pepper soup! (A.k.a., I heat up Trader Joe's soup on the stove.) Daily Total: $65.29 Day Two 7:25 a.m. — I reluctantly roll out of bed after hitting snooze once and get in the shower. After, I pick my outfit for the day and put my Trader Joe's salad in my bag for lunch. I also remove a frozen chicken breast from the freezer to defrost. I'm not very hungry yet, so I consider waiting to eat breakfast until I get to work. After making a cup of green tea, chatting with the roommate after she returns from yoga (and sharing which T. Swift song is stuck in our heads — “Delicate” in mine, “Gorgeous” in hers), I get dressed and leave my apartment to take the subway into Brooklyn for work. 9:35 a.m. — I arrive, slap on a smile, make a cup of coffee from the Keurig, and raid the snack cabinet for a rice cake. I add peanut butter and honey on top. For the next few hours, I answer various emails, read a lot of tweets, and watch the number of “Articles You Have Left This Month” on The New York Times ' website go down. 1:30 p.m. — Lunch time! I work above a food court, so I take my salad and a book downstairs to the big dining area, and use my full hour to eat, read, and scroll through Instagram. 6:01 p.m. — I am OUTTA there! I'm a firm believer in leaving work when you have no more work to do, so I'm saved by the 6 o'clock bell! I take the subway home, rocking out to a Christmas playlist I made in high school, and taking a detour at the Trader Joe's wine shop. Sometimes there is a line out the door to just get in, but fortunately it's pretty quiet. I grab two bottles of pinot noir because it's Monday — and hey, maybe I'll bring one to a holiday party! (Or not.) I walk home, feeling grateful the day's over. $12.50 8:30 p.m. — Finally feeling hungry, I make chicken, green peppers, and penne after briefly catching up with my roommate before she goes to a concert. I, on the other hand, have been parked on the couch in front of E! News since I got home. 9:30 p.m. — I'm two glasses of wine in, mindlessly swiping through Bumble (I'm newly single), and watching the hilarious Search Party . I'm also scrolling through Twitter (being a millennial is all about multitasking, isn't it?) and reading about the president's endorsement of a child molester for Alabama senator. Furious, I make a donation to Doug Jones' campaign before going to bed. $10 Daily Total: $22.50 Day Three 7:30 a.m. — Getting out of bed is so hard today. It didn't help that I was in the middle of a stress dream when my alarm went off, so I start my day in a weird mood. I hop into the shower, get out, chat with my roommate (she is the absolute best and we love each other very much!), and she leaves early so she can walk to work. I'm not very hungry, so I make a bowl of Greek yogurt with granola and a little honey before I leave. 9:40 a.m. — I get to work a few minutes late and immediately make a coffee from the Keurig. Perhaps the yogurt wasn't as filling as I thought, because the coffee goes right through me and I am jittery AF. The most exciting email I receive is an invite to go into my boss' office to pick a name for Secret Santa. I'm excited that I pick out the name of a girl I know fairly well! I brainstorm what to buy for her, feeling grateful for the $20 limit. 1:30 p.m. — A new employee joins me for lunch, and we go downstairs with our lunches from home. I have a different Trader Joe's salad today that is purely vegetables and I am nervous, but it ends up being pretty tasty and very filling! Maybe what they say about vegetables is true — that you should, like, eat them. 5:55 p.m. — My to-do list has shrunk, and I'm really excited about my evening plans. I leave the office and take the subway to the Greenwich Village. I have a major pizza craving, so I stop into Joe's Pizza but it's cash only. Double ugh: I left my wad of babysitting cash on my bedside table. I withdraw $20 (with a $2.75 fee) from the ATM outside of Joe's, and eat the most delicious slice of cheese pizza ($3) I've had in a long time. $5.75 6:50 p.m. — I walk two blocks through the rain to meet my friend at a cool Belgian beer bar. We haven't seen each other in a few weeks, so after I order a beer (she's been there for a few minutes and already has one) we quickly catch up, commiserate about work, and brainstorm festive Christmas-y things to do together. At 7:30, we realize we're running late to our big event, so we ask for the check and split the bill. I insist on paying for half of “her” fries because I definitely ate half of them. $13 8:15 p.m. — We wait outside in the pouring rain for 30 minutes before finally being let into the movie theatre to see World of Tomorrow 2 , a short film by one of our favorite filmmakers! We are surrounded by fellow film nerds and it is glorious, and the Q A with the filmmaker is an added bonus. Well worth the $15 I spent on the ticket I ordered two weeks ago. After the movie, we split ways and I take the subway home, chat with my roommate, and get ready for bed. Daily Total: $18.75 Day Four 7 a.m. — I'm up earlier than usual today because I have a pre-work coffee meeting at 8. I roll out of bed, change into appropriate attire, and eat a banana. Somehow this takes me 55 minutes, and I realize I'm going to be a few minutes late. So, I power walk up the street to the café where I'm meeting someone for the first time in two years; he messaged me on LinkedIn last week asking to catch up. Networking is so awkward, but it's vital in my industry. 8:15 a.m. — He is running a few minutes late, so I buy myself a coffee to end the awkward stare down I'm getting from the barista. $2.75 9:15 a.m. — The meeting goes really well! He basically tried to offer me a job interview, which was flattering. I would have liked to stay longer but I'm running quite late to work, so I head out and take the subway into Brooklyn. Once I get to the office, I resist taking a free doughnut from one of the FOUR boxes on the kitchen table, and opt to make a rice cake with peanut butter and honey. 1:30 p.m. — I'm borderline hangry after a company-wide “Investing 101” meeting. I eat lunch by myself today, and it's my last Trader Joe's salad of the week. I take my full hour, then come back upstairs with just a few emails to answer. I make a cup of tea in the office kitchen, and get back to work, which consists of emailing a few people and FedExing a couple Blu-rays. 6 p.m. — The workday is done! I take the subway into Manhattan and walk through Washington Square Park to watch the Christmas tree lighting. About 200 people are crowded around the giant tree, singing carols along with a brass band. I stay for about 10 minutes, reveling in holiday cheer, before walking to a bookstore on a mission to buy a Secret Santa gift. I spend 45 minutes wandering the aisles, and end up getting a 2018 planner for myself and a mug for my Secret Santa. $33.86 7:45 p.m. — I walk home and heat up leftover chicken from two nights ago. My roommate comes home from yoga a little after 8, and we catch up and watch Elf together while I paint my nails. Daily Total: $36.61 Day Five 6:30 a.m. — I try to go to the gym before work at least once a week, and today's the day. Out the door at 6:45, I walk to the gym and spend about 45 minutes there. I walk home, say hey to my roommate who has the day off, and hop in the shower. 8:30 a.m. — I am running ahead of schedule for the first time since my first week at my job six months ago. I use that extra time to make a smoothie with soy milk, nonfat Greek yogurt, half an avocado, spinach, and a frozen berry medley. After one sip, I confirm that I am a smoothie genius. I take it to-go, and head to the subway. On my commute, I listen to a “Before a Difficult Conversation” meditation tape. 10:15 a.m. — I've been at work for 35 minutes, and it's time to do something I've been planning for months. I quit my job. Well, I put in my two weeks notice. But yes, I quit my first ever full-time job with (minimal) benefits and a steady salary. It is terrifying and I may have cried a little, but I am so relieved when it's over. I've freelanced in the film industry for the past four years, and while the salary ranges from $10,000-$20,000 per year, my happiness pursuing my various passions fulfills me beyond belief. I text approximately a million friends and receive a wave of congratulatory messages. I absolutely do not need coffee, because between working out this morning and quitting my job, I am feeling energetic AF. Eventually, though, the smell from the coffeemaker in the kitchen draws me in, and I give in. 1:30 p.m. — Thursdays and Fridays are generally the days I treat myself to lunch from a nearby food hall. I stroll inside with a coworker, and we decide on sandwiches. Normally, their wraps are an obscene $14, but on Thursdays, they have an $10 special on everything. Of course, I pick out the wrap that is $1 extra. After tax, my bill comes to $11.98. My coworker and I eat together and dish on my resignation. I am relaxed at lunch for the first time in months. After eating, we take a look inside the chocolate shop in the food hall. They have the cutest chocolate mini-champagne bottles that I've always needed an excuse to buy, and I decide that there's no better day than today to buy them. I pick up two ($6 each) - one for me, one for my sister, who I'm visiting this weekend. $25.05 5:30 p.m. — Everyone in the office ducks out early for a holiday party hosted by the building for all the tenants. There's loud music, dancing, and most importantly: free food and drinks. I have a white wine, a mulled wine ... another mulled wine, and two pieces of pizza. I'm skeptical this will fill me up for dinner, but it's certainly delicious. An hour into the party, I call it a night and take the subway into Manhattan. 7:40 p.m. — My roommate and I meet at our favorite Mexican place for a celebratory drink. Me quitting my job is almost as exciting for her as it is for me, because she's had to spend the last six months consoling me. I order two tacos and a Paloma, and she gets a taco salad and tequila on the rocks. We split the bill and walk home. $29.22 Daily Total: $54.27 Day Six 8 a.m. — I'm taking a mental health/work-from-home day. I love how getting up at 8 feels luxuriously late. I chat with my roommate as she gets ready for work, and I make a cup of tea, eat a banana, and take a shower. 10:45 a.m. — After reading a few emails, I walk around the corner to CVS. I pick up makeup, deodorant, toothpaste, and movie theater candy for my Secret Santa. Normally, I have a bunch of coupons, but today I'm coupon-less and paying full price. Damn. $33.12 12:10 p.m. — I'm starving and a little headachey. I realize I haven't had any coffee yet, so I make a cup from our Nespresso machine and my headache dissipates. Last night, my mom texted to say that she and my dad have a box of cookies for me at their apartment. I walk over to pick them up since they live a few blocks away from me. On my way home, I stop in Pret A Manger to buy a sandwich, as I don't have any lunch food at home. $8.15 2 p.m. — After a 30-minute work conference call, I take the bags I packed this morning and walk to the subway to get to Penn Station. I get there with about 20 minutes to spare before my train, and it's a nice change from frantically running through the station. I buy a one-way NJ Transit ticket to Philadelphia. Off to see my big sister! $26 5:30 p.m. — I get to Philadelphia, and per my sister's instructions, take a trolley to meet her at a restaurant. The trolley ticket is $2.50. The trolley system is so confusing compared to the New York subway; there is no way to know where you are because they don't announce each stop! I somehow manage to get off the trolley at the right stop, and walk across the street to meet my sister and her coworkers for dinner. Two glasses of wine and a few slices of pizza later (the four of us split the bill — $29.56 each, including tip), she and I walk back to her place. $32.06 Daily Total: $99.33 Day Seven 9 a.m. — We sleep in a bit and wake up to a winter wonderland! We each have a bowl of cereal in my sister's kitchen, get dressed, and decide to walk through the snow to get coffee. When we get to her favorite coffee place, there are no seats available; looks like everyone in the neighborhood also wanted a picturesque morning! We walk a few more blocks to a vegan doughnut shop and each get a coffee. I also order a cinnamon sugar doughnut, and she orders a lemon raspberry. I pay for both of us. $9.18 10 a.m. — We make a few stops on the walk back to my sister's place, including to a little bookstore, a pet store (sooo tempted to adopt one of the kittens in the window), and her food co-op. She buys groceries so we can make lunch, and insists on paying. 2 p.m. — After we make lunch (rice, beans, and veggie stir fry) and eat a few too many of the cookies my parents gave us, we walk around the corner to watch a free choral performance in the outdoor pavilion of a gardening store. Super cool! 6 p.m. — We spend a few hours warming up in her apartment, then take the trolley ($2.50) into downtown Philly to check out a huge ice rink and winter lodge set up by the river. It is so beautiful and festive, and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” plays about three times in a row. I am in heaven. We warm up next to a fire, then walk into the most Christmas-y looking pub we can find for dinner. Feeling a cold coming on, I order a hot toddy (sister does, too) and am shocked at the low price of $7.50. “Welcome to Philly!” my loving sister taunts. I get a hamburger, she gets fish and chips, and we each get a drink called “Festive Fashioned” after our hot toddies. This spin on the Old Fashioned is a price I'm more used to, $11. Totally worth it. We split the bill. $40.70 8 p.m. — I need to buy another ride on the trolley to get home, and my sister suggests I buy two trolley tokens for $4 instead of one trolley card for $2.50 in case we ride the trolley tomorrow. I'll say it again: the Philly subway/trolley system is confusing. $4 9 p.m. — We get home after an extraordinarily snowy and festive day, and call it a night — happy to be cozy and warm together. Daily Total: $53.88 Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. 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