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The Spending Diaries


The Expense-Account I-Banker: $700,000
Mary, 32, lives alone in a one-bedroom on the Upper West Side that she rents for . . . $3,200 a month. She spends about $3,000 a year on vacations and$5,000 on a Hamptons summer share. Her utilities come to about $100 a month, and she pays $130 for cable and $90 a month for her cell phone and BlackBerry. Mary often travels for business, so her daily expenses are covered by her investment bank during those days and weeks.

MONDAY
One night at the Four Seasons Las Vegas (reimbursed) . . . $202.46
Taxi to the airport (reimbursed) . . . $20
Flight to El Paso, Texas (reimbursed) . . . $175
Hertz car rental, El Paso (reimbursed) . . . $148.13
Feminine products, Walgreens . . . $10
Fruit salad and Diet Coke . . . $7.50
Diet Coke . . . $1.50
BlackBerry car charger . . . $32.16
Wall Street Journal . . . $1
Total . . . $597.75

TUESDAY
Radisson Suite Hotel El Paso (reimbursed) . . . $201.86
Apple and tea . . . $2.10
Snack on American Airlines . . . $4
Flight to New York (AAirpass) (reimbursed) . . . $19
Book of eight coach-to-first-class upgrades on American . . . $264
Nylons, black turtleneck, brown turtleneck, Ann Taylor . . . $373.06
Two baby gifts from Neiman Marcus online . . . $259.21
Car service to Eleven Madison Park for dinner . . . $35
Taxi home . . . $15
Wine delivery (two bottles of Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, one bottle of Heron Cabernet Sauvignon) . . . $45
Cleaning lady . . . $100
Total . . . $1,318.23

WEDNESDAY
Taxi to work . . . $10
Coffee from street cart . . . $1.25
Subway home . . . $2
Total . . . $13.25

THURSDAY
Taxi to meeting at the Ritz . . . $10
Slice of pizza and a soda . . . $7.50
Drinks with co-workers at Connolly’s bar . . . $44
Taxi home . . . $10
Total . . . $71.50

FRIDAY
Round-trip JetBlue to Nashville (reimbursed) . . . $467.10
Coat, two pair of pants, sweater set, Sigrid Olsen shop . . . $524.64
Sweater for sister, Ann Taylor . . . $65.54
Manicure . . . $25
Lunch, Cheesecake Factory (reimbursed) . . . $44
Copy of Making It Up, by Penelope Lively . . . $14
Total $1,140.28

SATURDAY
Three Diet Cokes . . . $3
Friend’s birthday gift from Neiman Marcus online . . . $101.57
Total . . . $104.57

SUNDAY
Food at airport . . . $10
Total . . . $10


TOTAL WEEKLY SPENDING:$3,255.58
out of pocket . . . $1,978.03
reimbursed . . . $1,277.55