A week in the life of a high school ag teacher on $94,155 who lives in north west NSW

Welcome to Dollar Diaries! Graziher’s Dollar Diary series asks rural and regional Australian women to record a week in their financial lives. In this series, we find out what ordinary Australians are spending their hard-earned money on and what their biggest financial worries are. Plus, they share their best budgeting, savings and investing tips.

Anyone can write a Dollar Diary — if you submit your Dollar Diary and we publish it, you’ll receive a free three-month subscription to Graziher magazine.

This week, a high school ag teacher who lives in a small town in north west New South Wales, attends a paint-and-sip long table dinner an hour and a half from home. 

Occupation: High school agriculture teacher
Industry: Education
Age: 26
Location: North west NSW
Salary: $94,115
Net Worth: $15,000
Debt: $62,000 (HECS and car loan)
Paycheque Amount (Monthly): $7846

Monthly Expenses

Rent: $440
Car Loan: $1180
Electricity: $120
Union: $80
Insurance: $560
Phone + Starlink: $240
Spotify: $6.99

What’s the best piece of financial advice you’ve ever received?

The best time to start was yesterday, the second best time is today!

What is your biggest money worry at the moment?

The cost of living, for sure. The feeling that your money just doesn’t stretch quite as far as it used to. While living rurally is ‘cheaper’ than the cities, it comes with its own set of costs and challenges.

Do you have any savings and budgeting tips you’d like to share?

Invest! This is something I have started in the last year but I wish I’d done it 10 years ago. The idea that something is better than nothing  — even $20 a week through an app like Commsec or Sharesies. Also, automatic transfers and a savings account at another bank.

DAY 1

8.00am: Dinner out last night and recovery from Covid (ew) last week meant a bit of a sleep-in this morning! I’m an agriculture teacher, so I head into the school farm to carry out morning checks and feed the poddy calf, Oliver. The cafe in the visitor information is open on Sundays, so I grab a skim flat white on the way home (I deserve it). — $5

9:00am: Sunday is Sourdough Day! I bake the loaves that have been cold proofing in my fridge, one for me and one for the neighbours. This sets me up for breakfast all week.

10:00am: I purchase a pair of secondhand Cruel Girl jeans from a Facebook group. Why are good 100 per cent cotton denim jeans so difficult to come by? — $80

11:00am: I spend the rest of the day doing housework and school work before heading back to the school farm for an hour in the afternoon.

6:00pm: When I return home, I eat what’s in the fridge for dinner and call my bestie back on the coast for a gossip update — it’s basically free therapy!

Daily total: $85

DAY 2

6.00am: I wake up early and run the dogs on the levee, before making myself some coffee and sourdough toast for breakfast.

1.45pm: For lunch, I eat my packed lunch from home and grab a much-needed Coke Zero from the canteen to go with it. — $3.10

4.30pm: I leave work and head to the post office to collect a parcel from last week’s online shopping… it might be for the best that this isn’t included in this Dollar Diary!

5.30pm: I head to the local PCYC where a local PT runs the most fabulous group fitness! You definitely feel it but it’s such good vibes! — $15

7:00pm: I have a quiet evening at home, spent catching up on uni work.  I eat some leftovers for dinner and try to refrain from online shopping.

Daily total: $18.10

DAY 3 

6.00am: I wake up and go through my typical morning routine of breakfast and coffee at home. However, I notice that my Telstra and Starlink bills have come out. This number will drop next month as I have paid out my phone and will be using it until it completely dies. I also cracked the back camera last week — typical! I will be strong and not upgrade.

12.30pm: At lunch, I grab a salad sandwich and a Coke Zero from the canteen. I really should have been more organised this morning. —$8.15

7.00pm: I make dinner at home and chat to another friend on the coast. Before bed, I buy some new work halters for my show cattle. $80

Daily total: $8.15

DAY 5 

7.30am: I arrive early at school today to catch up on some work. There’s a make-up International Women’s Day breakfast funded by a community group, so I bring coffee from home and grab a bacon and egg roll from the event.

1.00pm: I grab another Coke Zero from the canteen. I think I need to start bringing these in from home to save money. —$3.06

4.00pm: After work, I head to the local supermarket to do a top-up food shop. —$65.44

7.00pm: I make myself a ‘Girl Dinner’ and join a Zoom tutorial for uni. I’m currently completing a Grad Cert in Agribusiness. Learning about business finance might sound a bit tedious but it’s actually really interesting!

Daily total: $68.50

DAY 5 

6.45am: Goodness I’m LATE. I run the dogs at the levee, make a quick coffee when I return home and skip breakfast.

5.30pm: After work, I head to the local show committee meeting at the pub and buy a drink. —$4.00

6.30pm: I resist the urge to buy a takeaway dinner from the pub and instead make chicken schnitzel at home. What a day!

Daily total: $4

DAY 6 

7.00am: I head into school early to meet the shearer, with a packed breakfast and coffee. When I open my laptop to start work, I see the open tab with some new work shirts on sale — it’s so tempting!

11.15am: I head out into the schoolyard for playground duty and buy a brownie from the Student Representative Council fundraiser for Harmony Day. —$2

4.00pm: After work, I head to the post office to collect another parcel and then head to the supermarket to buy ingredients to make cookies for my Year 12 biology class, plus some yoghurt and eggs. —$49.65 (Holy CRAP)

5:00pm: I’m absolutely shattered this week, so I head home for a quiet night. I make rissoles and salad for dinner — comfort food!

Daily total: $51.65

DAY 7 

7.00am: I meet a friend for a walk with the dogs and then make myself a coffee at home! My Netflix subscription comes out of my account. —$18.99

9.00am: I head into the farm to check some fresh lambs and feed the calf. On the way home, I top up the diesel in my car. —$60

11.00am: I head into town with the same friend to suss out some outfit options for her for an event tonight. I try on a very cute denim dress but don’t buy it. I decide that if I still like it next week, I can come back. This Dollar Diary may also have something to do with it but I’m finding putting time between want and buy is helpful at the moment. As a chronic online shopper, I find if I leave it in cart for a week, I often don’t really want it anymore when I return to it.

3.00pm: I head back to the school to feed the calf in my sparkly dress before driving and hour and a half with my two friends to attend a paint-and-sip long table dinner in the next town. Both the vibes and the food are on point — a testament to the strength and talent of our wonderful rural communities. So, I’m signing off this Dollar Diary with a few cocktails!

Daily total: $78.99

WEEKLY TOTAL: $314.39

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To hear more extraordinary stories about women living in rural and regional Australia, listen to our podcast Life on the Land on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.