Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.
Today, a property manager who makes $57,000 a year in Honolulu, Hawaii, spends some of his money on appliance repairs.
Occupation: Property Manager
Age: 38
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Salary: $57,000 (approx. $1,900 per pay period)
Day One
I started my week by preparing a few of our vacant units for some tenants who will be moving in this week. The units were in excellent condition, so it didn’t take much work to get them ship-shape. Once I was finished, I headed home to spend some time with my family. After I arrived, my wife informed me that our dishwasher has stopped working. So, I got in touch with a top-notch Honolulu appliance repair company I’m familiar with to check it out. We scheduled the consultation for Wednesday.
Total: $0.00
Day Two
On Tuesday, I had several meetings with potential tenants scheduled. First, I left to meet with them to decide whether they’d be a good fit for our properties. The first two tenants I met with were perfect, and I scheduled them to move in next week. Unfortunately, my last meeting didn’t go so well, so I won’t be moving forward with them. Afterward, I went home to plan for my sister-in-law’s birthday with my wife. She has been planning this for a few days, and I suggested a macaron delivery. Macarons are her favorite treat, and I know she’d love to be surprised with a delivery on her special day. Therefore, we ordered a celebration pack of 15 macarons.
Total: $45.67
Day Three
I got a call Wednesday morning that one of our tenants had a washing machine quit working. Luckily, my consultation for my own unit was earlier in the day. The technician arrived, checked out my dishwasher, and repaired it shortly. Afterward, I asked him if he had time to check out the washing machine my tenant mentioned. He did, so we went together to the unit to check it out. The washing machine had been overloaded several times and had been overheating as a result. My technician had time to fix it, and we had my tenant back up and running quickly. Finally, I went back home to finish helping my wife plan her sister’s birthday party.
Total: $150.00
Day Four
My Thursday was relatively uneventful, as I only had a couple of inspections and rent collections on my to-do list. Afterward, I went home, spent some time with my wife, and watched a movie before turning in for bed.
Total: $0.00
Day Five
I spent Friday mostly catching up on paperwork related to our various properties. Once I had it all wrapped up, I stopped to fill up my gas tank and pick up a few groceries on my way home. My wife finished planning her sister’s party at home, so we kicked back together to get some rest for the big day Saturday.
Total: $82.54
Day Six
Saturday morning consisted of lots of decorating for my sister-in-law’s party. We had the place finished up and gave her a call to come over. She also informed us that she got our macaron gift and loved it. We had her parents and a few friends over waiting to surprise her, and we ordered pizza for everyone. The party went off without a hitch, and we settled in afterward.
Total: $45.31
Day Seven
I got a call around noon on Sunday about a dispute between two of our tenants. I left to handle the situation shortly after. It was resolved quickly, and the two are now getting along. I got home in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day relaxing before the next workweek.
Total: $0.00
Weekly Total: $323.52
