In this edition, we spoke to Gabriel* (for obvious reasons, this isn't his real name). He's 24, living in Melbourne CBD with his partner and just started learning to play the drums.

• How old are you and what industry do you work in? 

‍I’m 24, and work in marketing for a blockchain company.

• Whereabouts in Australia do you live? 

I currently reside in Melbourne, Victoria (for the past 5 years).

• How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to spend a lot of time by myself. I have a knack for watching airplane disaster videos and am learning to play the drums at the moment (all my friends know how to play the guitar, so I thought I’d stand out).

• How much do you earn overall per year? 

At the moment, I earn $60,000 including super but I am hopefully going to bump that up to 65/70 during my yearly review in May (fingers crossed).

• Do you have any side hustles or a second job? 

At the moment no, but I do plan on doing some Uber or Door Dash when my partner works during the weekends, just so I don’t get bored out of my mind - and a little more money in the bank doesn’t really hurt haha.

• How much does your rent or mortgage cost? 

My portion of the rent is $1500, a bit high but living in a 2B,2B,1P apartment in the CBD does not come cheap and has not hampered my standard of living.

• What are your ongoing expenses? 

I share my expenses with my partner- we try to set aside around $500 for 7-10 days.

• Do you have any debts? 

I have a $1000 credit card which I use irregularly (just to build up credit).

• How often do you eat out and what do you spend on food each week? 

We try to spend around $500-$700 on groceries every month.

On average, we are eating out 4 days a month which has gone down from 10 times a month - we try to visit a Broadsheet restaurant.

• Do you spend any money on travel? 

Every year on our anniversary we like to visit someplace in Australia or have a stay vacation for a night in a hotel.

• Do you put any money in savings? 

Yes, I try to send $500 back home every month and save $500.

• Do you receive any financial help? 

Sometimes - whenever I have a large purchase such as a visa application or a car or moving houses; my dad sends me money for it.

• Do you have any money tips and tricks you'd like to share? 

Something I started this year is making an excel sheet and tracking every single one of my expenses (down to the last cent). Categorising each expense into broader categories such as utilities, subscriptions, groceries, takeout, and eating out- really gives you perspective on the stupid amounts of money one is spending on unnecessary stuff.