How much it actually costs to live alone in NYC

Hi Friends,

I've been wanting to do a "What I Spend" kind of video for a while, and it's finally here! I hope you all enjoy :)

xx,
Jules

[let's connect!]

[chapters]
00:00​ - Intro
02:09 - How I save ft. Empower
03:49​ - Weekly Expenses
09:08​ - Monthly Expenses
11:24​ - Total Costs & Breakdown

[about me]
Hi everyone my name is Julia ~ I'm a 20-something-year-old data scientist navigating through life in NYC. You can find vlogs, fashion & beauty content, productivity videos, and more on my channel. Thanks for stopping by & I hope you enjoy :)

[business Inquiries only]

[ftc]
This video is sponsored by Empower ♥

[juliafei]

Thank you for showing this video so much love 😭♥️ will be doing a q&a in the near future so let’s connect on Instagram! @julia.fei

[diamondlincoln]

$4, 500 a month is not terrible for living in New York City!! Especially since you make a good amount from your job. The fact that you have money left for savings and you budget that good is great most older people struggle with that. This inspires me as a young 21 yr old to be like this by 25

[EmpressoftheLibrary]

12:42 - "You could do the math and multiply by 4". Girl, I multiplied by 52 to figure out your whole year. For New York City, you are keeping your costs EXTREMELY reasonable. Well done!

[alyssasbyy]

Wow I actually found this really informative and I like how you mentioned the fact that you worked hard to be able to afford all of this today! So motivated to work myself up after watching this😭

[michaela]

This seems super reasonable! You're doing a great job of balancing being frugal and enjoying being in the city :) I really love the idea of planning days where you don't eat out.

And a random tip—I also have Adobe CC, and have always been able to get a decent discount when my renewal comes around by simply going through the cancel account flow—they usually have a few offers before you actually cancel where I've saved like $20 a month on that subscription.

[yasirhussain]

This is actually reasonable for NYC and if you're working in tech, you have the luxury of spending to this extent without having to worry for the most part so ur fine

[xinyi_yap]

Don’t judge yourself about your budget, nor let others’ judgement get to you! You’ve earned it, and you know how to live your life best. 💸💸

Probably it’s different for you, but living within an Asian family and as a first gen I had to learn for myself that there’s a lot more to money and life than just “saving for rainy weather” or for some future that we have no control over.

Proud of you for having a solid control of your finances and living life the way you want it!!

[justinreyes]

Love the transparency.

Guess it's time to recalculate my own weekly living cost and probably cry in solidarity.

[lisapalmer]

She has to be earning 100k+ per year which is much higher than the average NYer salary, but this was an excellent breakdown. Thank you!

[BlueberryBoogie]

This video was great! Honestly I live in NYC and I spend waaayy over my budget but I noticed a lot of the spending is mainly going out to eat or drinks! That’s where the most money gets spent in general (aside from bills) If you choose free activities and bring your own food or cook at home a lot you will save a ton of money (learning to do that now)

[damalo]

I really like this because it’s very relatable. Not always are you buying your food, you can also cook & stay at home so I really relate to that ☺️ thanks for sharing! Enjoy NY! I always hear it’s a great food city sooo there’s a lot for you to enjoy! 🥳

[kylahicks]

Julia, I absolutely adore your videos. My husband proposed to me in NY city, so it holds such beautiful memories. Your vlog style is so authentic and out of so many NY vloggers, I only watch you. The music you use in your videos, and sharing the beautiful food and beverages you enjoy, makes it so easy to imagine myself back in NY. On a side note, i was so impressed with how you dealt with your accident. Keep up the fab work on your channel! I look forward to your posts on Thursdays! Fyi- your taste in clothing rocks! Bye from Canada! 🇨🇦🍀💸

[julia_in_tech]

Takeaway form thos week is WORK HARD to afford your means and lifestyle.

And shout out to Julia for being so transparent and truthfull.

Loved this video and love tour channel!

[mediumvioletred]

Probably the most honest and realistic what i spend in a week video where a lot of people can relate or would understand the lifestyle. I don't get why most influencers even post videos like this and intentionally buy luxury stuff on said week. For video content maybe? Meh.

[kaskahea]

I give you credit as a female making it in NYC at your young age! 🙏🏽 good for you! 👏🏽

[SweetKel]

Your expenses are totally normal. Having fun with friends is what makes NYC worth it. I can't imagine doing it any cheaper. You didn't include anything for buying new clothes and shoes and laundry, but I guess that fits into the weekly $100. I hope you also do the occasional movie and maybe a play. Thanks.

[RanDom-bktt]

This is so helpful. I can't imagine the courage it took to share those numbers but thank you!! 💸💸💸

[kenzomartini]

Its one of my dreams to live in nyc and thanks for giving us an insight on how its like actually living there!!! Im from tokyo and the prices don’t differ that much! Im thinking of moving in with a friend if ever i decide to move to nyc for work :> nice vid!

[BrittneyMo]

I always love these types of videos! It’s so interesting how living expenses vary throughout the country and the world. What you choose to do with your money is your business. I work at a credit union and it’s always interesting to see how people chose to allocate their funds. It’s kind of crazy what a persons account can tell you about a person 😆 but if anybody is reading this SAVE SAVE SAVE (if financially able). Even if it’s just $10 per pay check. And think about putting money towards a retirement fund even if you’re 20 years old. It seems so far away but you will need it eventually.

[idwebec]

You are very smart and practical about your money. Your rent expense made my eyes water but you save by not having car expenses (loan, gas, insurance, parking) and I assume not paying off a student loan since you didn't mention it. It's fantastic you can get such great free food through your workplace. Incentive to work on site no doubt 😏. You definitely seem to be living within your means while still living the fun life a 25 year old should.