What A 25-Year-Old Making $37K Spends In A Week | Millennial Money
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Brittani Cunningham lives in New York City and makes $37,000 a year. She manages to save nearly half her income by going to free events around the city, eating at work whenever possible, working out at nearby parks and thrifting for items like books and clothing. Outside of rent and bills, her biggest expense is on takeout. In a typical week, she spends around $200. During the week of June 21-27, 2021, Brittani tracked her spending to see where her money went.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
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It's certainly an art to live off 37K in NYC. Respect.
A serious skill 😂💕
I did it downtown Manhattan with $36k salary working for a VERY popular app.
She lives off even less then that. 200 p/week = 10.400 p/year. Hopefully not only saving the rest but also investing a part of it
It’s funny how people and Reddit act like even making $100k/yr in nyc is unsustainable. Ok maybe it would be difficult if you wanted to live by yourself but otherwise they just don’t know how to allocate money.
@@123clash5 do you know what 100k a year gross income is after taxes is in NYC? This person is at 37k she is working class poor for NYC
This was so fun to make!! I wish that I had spent a little less on food but just to reiterate: I did not work that week! Usually when I'm booked on a TV show, I get all my meals catered for free. Trust me I'm not spending all my little coins on gyros every day 😂I enjoy what I do because it gives me the free time that I need to focus and grow my little candle business. If I worked a more conventional salary job, I could make more $$ but I know I wouldn't be as happy and that's okay for now :)
So what's your rent cost with that salary in NY?
So proud of you!!! ❤️
Thanks for sharing your life with us. Keep living your best life.
Happiness in a job is so underrated. Keep doing what makes you happy,the money WILL eventually come🙏🥰
@@MrTmenzo I'm guessing $600 to $800 for a room, since I just rented a room for my baby brother in the UWS.
I wish they would have mentioned rent and other bills, however it's looks like she's really in control and still enjoying her life. This was refreshing to see.
This video was pretty pointless without talking about rent and her living situation. Thats the main thing and they completely skipped it
@@ye23. she mentioned a roomate so you know at least shes splitting the rent
The math don't check out. spending 200 weekly, estimated rent of 800, MTA monthly, estimated utility, phone, internet, it comes out to be 26k. After taxes she's taking home 30k. Something just doesn't add up, unless she's receving help financially from someone.
@@ye23. yeah I wish they would included that since $37k a year is crazy for a place like New York
@@Scarsofevil she has a TH-cam channel. I subscribed a few weeks ago.
She’s beautiful! Enjoyed her positive attitude and sharing a how cognitive she is while still having a fun social life!
wow thank you 🥺💕
Get into meal planning and vlogging
Yeah, she also said "cognitive" about her money, but what you both mean is "cognizant."
@@brotendo cognitive: of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering) cognitive impairment. 2 : based on or capable of being reduced to empirical factual knowledge
@@jeanettejbeauty6374 You just proved my point that you both used it incorrectly.
FINALLY A REALISTIC PORTRAYL OF STARTING YOUR CAREER IN NY. Please more of this and less of the 240K making 28 year old.
It would be more realistic if more details were provided that’s why you see comments from people questioning the reality. More to story we don’t know.
Do you mean the people who make 250K+ at 25 is unrealistic ?
@@Xyrutano sure they exist, but I would think 99% of 25 year olds don’t make 250K a year when they’re starting their career
some people are just very lucky and hard work and an expensive degree like a MBA works that way for them, it's their reality as well
@@MsDesiree39 yes, but how they spend their money is not really useful for us
I wish they gave a monthly breakdown of rent, utilities, etc too because this makes it seem like it’s very easy to live in New York!
Agreed.
It should've been broken down into weekly budget. Like "Brittani's rent is $2000 a month, so she'll budget $470 for the week" or something like that
You think limiting your budget to $200/week is easy? We already know NY is expensive. I'm surprised she's able to make it work with such a small salary, but she proves it's doable.
having a roommate helps
@@leed9741 bro, she literally went out to eat everyday. Also she went shopping and did tons of activities. 200$ a week is super easy to live on. There was 0 attempt at saving or budgeting
This taught me that having a social life is expensive.
No, just eat healthy and go out
No one cares if you don't buy anything
Seriously? So you have no life?
I probably save so much money just because I don't drink alcohol. I agree even still, going out regularly costs way too much money.
Much Respect to her making it work for 37K in New York!
Definitely NYC Is $$$
Being a PA is a hard life, I'm glad she started her own business on the side!😍👩💻
I'm def buying a candle from her.👸
Did you find her business information I want to buy a candle as well
@@amberlyerly2134 Lit City candles 😄💕
@@brittanicunningham thanks so much...
I love that this followed someone making under 40k while living in nyc. So many people do it. When I was her age I made around that much working in non-profits. Wishing her the best
Missing her rent expense which is a major budget item.
I was born and raised in NYC so I know it is a special talent to live on 37k a year in NY. She also seems self aware and in control with her spending. It’s refreshing to see people with relatable salaries in cities like NYC and they make it work. I will definitely support her candle business.
I know NYC plenty well myself I’m from CT but we are missing details about her story and other people have questioned also.
Rt we have questions. NYC has one of the highest rent. We know she has a roommate but still. How is she able to afford rent and utilities. There Wi-Fi and internet bills and other too. Feels like they skip the critical parts.
"Brittani saves a good amount of money by making her own coffee"
Graham would be super happy to hear that
But she spent over 60-70 on drinks and snacks
@@TMM-N she can afford it, she gets free meals when she's working
@@anoukc6928 She can't really afford it if she's making gross $37,000 a year. That's why she will always be poor. No concept of financial literacy.
@@ColtsGreatestFan lmao chill
@@ColtsGreatestFan Have a several sit and calm yourself. Stop getting overly triggered about someone else's life
She is proof that one cannot go wrong by following their true bliss: great vibes, great personality, beautiful inside and out. You go, girl! 👍🏾
Absolutely! This really inspired me!
But I’m left with questions tho. Great video but they left other parts out. Even with roommate how is she able to afford rent and utilities? Wi-Fi and internet? Other bills? Wish they included that part
Finally....someone most people can relate with! Thank you CNBC!
Wish the entire breakdown with Rent & bills was included. Wishing Brittani continued success . Beautiful vibe ✌🏼
She is doing awesome, a little splurging and treating herself without going too crazy. Good job!
Happy to see these segments are featuring more relatable individuals! Just placed my order for 3 of your candles! 💕
Thank you Kelsey! 😄💕
She seems like such a nice person to hang out with
So happy to see someone with the average income having the shine !
Im having trouble making moves with my salary in NY and it is more than double what she makes, idk how she does it
Keep track of everything on a budgeting app or book. It’s important to monitor going out/eating out
Wouldn't common sense tell you to move?
Savings first before expenses. And follow a daily/weekly/monthly budget.
I made 40k living in nyc...pretty easy for me. I had a one bedroom apt for 900 in brooklyn (2011-2014) Im sure now you can find a good 1br for about 1200-1500. & Assuming you dont have a lot of debt, you should be able to live way below your means with a 64k+ salary!
I had the same issue until I started using the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of my income pays for rent, bills, and essential groceries. 30% goes to luxuries: clothes, facials , coffee and stocks 🤑. 20% goes to my savings. My checking is pretty healthy and at my current rate I’ll have enough savings for my first rental property in about 2 years. I live in Brooklyn. I hope this helps 💗
She has a positive attitude and personality. But they basically just showed us how much she spends money on food. Where’s the rest of the information?
right
video should've been titled "how much a New Yorker spends on food and a little fun per week"
Love that she shared about her church small group! 🙌🏻
Honestly, I'm obsessed with her!!!! She does really well and lives a very full and happy life with her budget and I'm totally impressed.
She'll do fine. My best friend--and his entire group--made their ways through the ranks of film and television production: the unglamorous side. You struggle at first. But it's a growth industry. And they are now doing well for themselves in the mid-stride of their careers. I don't think she can shave off more to sacrifice at the altar of frugality. When I lived in New York, though, I made it a point to go out twice a week...that city basically will hoover that money out of your pocket...if you don't have a hard and fast boundary. I traveled with a hard boiled egg in my pocket!
Your last sentence is priceless☺
@@see24680 lol that “hard-boiled egg” got me too!😩I was not expecting that.. but NYC life is no joke and ppl need this sobering reality convo.
Love to see this - a lot of these videos show people with 6 or 7 figure salaries. Awesome to see her tips and the candle business she set up. Great attitude, great smile!
She is gorgeous! Living well too, they should plug her candle business 🔥
she said the name .. & she's at the top of the comments.. i'm sure it's not hard to find
She will make more in no time after this segment. She has a good attitude/work ethic, employers will recognize that.
I want to be her friend. She has her life together and seems so happy!!
I don't even understand how she has $200 to spend each week. I spend that in a month and made almost double what she makes. Excluding taxes, if she saves half her income and spends $200 per week on wants, she only has $8,100 or $675 per month left for rent, utilities, health insurance, etc. Am I the only one seeing something big is missing from the picture?
Especially in New York!!
Somethings off
CNBC always keeps something off while showing budgets,they also don't say much about taxes
She probably pick a rich boyfriend that pays rent probably lives together. Idk, probably doesn't even have health insurance.
Yea this story isn’t adding up and she has comments in the comment section but doesn’t address any of the people who are skeptical about this story lol
Right. The video gives the impression that a $37000 salary is sustainable in NYC and it’s not ‼️ AT ALL‼️
$37K has got to be hard. $200 a week is super hard for NYC. That’s like a bar tab on saturdays for me. Props to you.
I am just seeing you and other Make it Millennial Money people and have been watching it all evening...
Sounds like she’s killing it on that income in a city that expensive. I would love to see a budget breakdown. Go girl! 👏🏾
Also, we spell our name alike ;)
Hey Britt!! 🙋🏽♀️😄 I have a $ breakdown video on my channel :)
It would be interesting to know how much she pays on rent with 37k a year
I hope it’s $1
Looking for a comment about this before I said it. Even with a roommate I don’t understand how they left this out.
Probably $700-1200 a month on a room.
yeah , i def thought they'd include how much she pays for rent .. not just her social life
she has to have several roommates bc aint no way!
She seems very happy & content which is most important
Where is the rent? Bro I’m in nyc in a 2 bedroom paying $2800/ month. I really wanna know how she is making rent work with her income
She has a roommate.
Video mentioned her Roommate
Thanks! I must have not been paying attention 😅
she pays $750, she has roommates
You better apt hunt!!! Pandemic pricing in NYC is in full effect and you can find great one bedrooms for way less than that
I don’t get it. She makes about $3,100/month. $675 of that should be going to taxes (federal income, FICA, state, and local), leaving her with $2,425. Then she says she spends around $200/week on discretionary (food, entertainment, and clothing), leaving about $1,600. That $1,600 has to pay for rent, utilities, cell phone, internet, transportation, insurance, savings, plus all of the expenses for her candle making hobby. In New York the rent alone would consume the lion’s share of that. The numbers never, ever make sense.
They said she had a roommate. So that figure gets split at least in half.
@@free22 Even so, with New York rent that’s still a lot of money.
@@drewconway7135 I have been told it depends on where in New York you are living and whether you are in a rent controlled area. But you’ll have to get more specific details from someone from New York.
@@drewconway7135 It depends. If you have a roommate its possible to pay under $1k a month for rent. In the outer boroughs (Queens, Staten Island, Bronx) its cheaper
she only pays $750 in rent, she has roommates. check her page where she breaks it down
She is so relatable! I make roughly the same income as her. And it appears we enjoy the same types of food too. What a gracious, wonderful, lighthearted woman.
She is amazing!!! gorgeous inside out! thank you for being an inspiration 💕
I love this. I moved to NY on faith without a job but with a place to stay. I remember calculating everything I put into my grocery cart, fearful of not having enough at the register. While now I am doing very well, I find this video humbling with wise tips for anyone. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for showing someone who doesn't earn a boat load of money and still manages to live a happy life in the most expensive city inthe world.
everything she did in this video i did as well. NYC is expensive but there's always cheap/free stuff to do
She is so beautiful and happy!!
She's gorggg, fun and so coool. That's a good use of money in NYC.
Thank you Brittani for sharing your story!!! I can relate to you extremely well!!!
I don’t understand how she can save half of her money and only make $37k per year while living in new york somethings not adding up
I honestly don't think she does. $200 per week is $10,400. If she spends this all the time and saves half her gross income, she only has $8,100 for rent, utilities, cell phone, etc. Something's definitely not adding up.
Another comment I seen from someone who questions this story lol. Yea it’s not adding up for me either.
exactly. after taxes, rent, utilities, bills? Rent in NYC is like 24k+ a year already lol
Rent is $750 for a room.
@@nataliefontane she doesn't spend 200$ every single week.
You will definitely get there!! You have such a positive attitude!! You have GOALS and are reaching for them consistently. I love they way you keep up with the activities that are going on and the BEST part it seems like they are free. Keep enjoying your life and do whatever makes you the HAPPIEST❣💯💯💯
I love that she celebrates church and pride. Kudos to her for living modestly and persuing her passions.
This show mixes up personal and business expenses like crazy which you never ever want to do.
Do church groups usually have weekly dinners because that sounds lit lol
They do! C3 NYC is lit. Pre pandemic they had a branch in each borough and like 75 Dinner parties throughout the city. You meet so many great people. I think it's the most social church in NY. Leans towards millennial age. So many volunteering activities and social events.
el oh el
I worked in tv production when I was her age. It's tricky in NYC but def I felt can be done. Lovdhed attitude and showing how creative folks in tv production make if at the beginning of their career.
Great video! She has a serious sweet tooth! - On another note, I can’t wait to be in NYC next month! 😍
She did really well this week and is managing to keep a social life, which is really important
She is SOOO relatable! Love this!!
That is so cool that she started a candle business as a side hustle during pandemic. I wonder if she had any experience or just went for it.
A lot of people starting candle businesses though.. It's not an original idea. But if it works, why not.
@@mirabella2154 my sister started making those colored crayons in different shapes. My father is so proud that she is an “innovative entrepreneur”, while literally everything she does is unoriginal and copied off the internet
@@thirteenwolfies why do all of you have the same colour icon
I thought it was the same person
@@thirteenwolfies 🤣
Well, all entrepreneurs started small...
She has a TH-cam channel. Also, she has commented here.
Where’s her link? I’d like to buy a candle to support
Omg thank you!! 🥺 It's called Lit City Candles!💕😄
@@brittanicunningham no problem! Just placed the order :)
@@qdr9932 😭thank you!! I'm going to leave a special note for you❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@brittanicunningham I’m going to buy one as well. Love seeing female self employed business owners!
EDIT: Is the website called Homesick?
I spend my money the exact same way and I'm her age too I just don't live in New York I feel better thank you
There’s so many sweet people in this world. This young lady is one of them! And she budgets…amazing!
Gyro is actually pronounced Yee-Row everyone. #TheMoreYouKnow 😁
not in Pittsburgh...
Awww. Live your life girl. I like that you save and go to church. Your parents must be proud.
She clears about $2,100/month, saves half of it, and lives in NYC. There’s gotta be more to the story. Does she live at home? Maybe have 12 roommates?
Exactly what I just said on someone else comment about how it would be nice to know what she spends on rent. There are definitely pieces missing to this story. Multiple roomates, parents help her etc. Also she looks pretty well put together for her income for NYC I’m not naive.
She has a roommate. They showed her but that is about it. Nothing was explained but the fact that she has a terrible diet.
@@temeka4288 I saw a slice of tomato in her omelette, but yea awful diet.
She has a roommate and she doesn't pay for food at work
Maybe someone adopted her.
She has such a welcoming aura
We need more videos like this! Appreciate the work that was putted on the video so much . Curious to explore people’s relationships with their finances , she’s doing great !
Awesome that she's started that side-business when her work slowed down, she's killing it and I have no doubt she'll increase her income over the years!
Yea really loved this video!! The usual what do millennials make and spend is dope but I like this "how can I spend $200 in a week" was very interesting!
Drunken noodles and Thai iced tea are for sure my fave thai food combo!!
Thanks for sharing a Millennial who makes less than 55k. This is the reality for a lot us and I think we do not share it. It's a good portion of Americans in this group.
Inspiring and humbling. Go Brittani go! God bless.
As a European, the church was not the church I expected 😂
But most importantly, I love her attitude! Keep it up!
Drunken Noodles with beef and shrimp with a Thai tea, Same Friday night ritual
Sounds good
Loved this episode! She has a great energy! I wish we could get these types of videos everyday!
If she’s so frugal, why doesn’t she cook more? Def needed to see more about the budget behind the scenes
If your single and only eat once a day then doesn't make sense to buy 200 dollars worth of groceries
lol, I knew she looked familiar. Bet her church is C3. Dinner parties were the best. Met so many cool people and shared the word. Miss it.
37k?!? In NYC?!? :O
lol
Smart woman, very ambitious and independent would definitely support you
Kudos to her. Inspiring! 😍
Look at me, about to go buy some of her candles 😅❤️
Wait a minute- Why is there no link to Brittani’s candle business??? I want to help support her small business and buy a candle or two!! If anyone knows, feel free to reply to this comment. Wishing you all of the best, Brittani!!
It's called Lit City Candles! 😄💕 thank you for the support!
I wish they showed us how much the rent and monthly expenses
Great story! Much success and inspiration for you and others. I had great memories of New York also
I knew this was too good to be true!
What about rent and utility bills, laundry etc.
it’s way over $230 a week
I don't know how she make it work for her .Living on a 37,000 budget in New York. ONE of the most expensive city in the world to live in .
CANCER! One of the best friend anyone can have....I live in NYC myself and I’m very curious as to how much rent you pay??? You look great! Keep winning❤️
Rent is expensive in NYC but I find a lot of things such as food and groceries are cheaper there compared to other major cities in the US. I live in DC and no cheap eats here at all
Living in NY I can honestly say cheap eats are just about a thing of the past. You used to be able to get actual food for a dollar or a few bucks, most of those places have drastically raised their prices in the past 5 years
Very cool to get this type of insight into a lower income individual :)
It wast a very honest insight
She should buy her shipping supplies on eBay from bulk sellers who specialize in offering such things cheaply. Amazon sellers or any other regular retailer gouges on shipping supplies, particularly bubble wrap.
I love this girls overall vibe! She goes to church, loves Doja, goes to pride events, and she's a Cancer. Loved the video and it was nice to see realistic spending especially in NYC. 😊💖
The video doesn’t go into rent or if she has any debts. People try to downplay that she has a roommate but living in NYC even with a roommate is going to be expensive. If she has something like student loans, she would be barely scraping by and probably not investing enough for the future. This really isn’t a good video and not one should idolize. It’s overindulgence and excessive use of money.
You raise an interesting point here.
Even if she had zero student debt and a roommate this story is missing too many details.
her rent & utilities alone would EASILY BE over 38,000. I guess if you live with a boyfriend, a homeless shelter or parents in NYC, 38,000 is plenty.
Go check all the comments more than a few have questioned......there is more to the story for sure so I don’t believe it all.
This was so enjoyable to watch ♥️
Waiting for Graham to see this. 🙂
Wishing her the best- great energy!!!
Well done to her for living off $37k a year in NYC.
Loving the vibe and her attitide :)
One of the rare videos from CNBC Make It that I did not really like - I dont know if I missed this but there was no conversation on how much she pays on rent, health insurance and other such basic necessities. Rent makes up for more than 50% of the wage for most new york city residents and so this video seemed tad incomplete without the mention of how much $$ is spent on those. If I lived in my parents house that was paid for already, a $37,000 compensation would lead to a very different lifestyle than me paying for rent in Manhattan/ Brooklyn with the same compensation
Starting a business is the beginning of something great for her. She won’t need to “budget” soon if she keeps scaling.
No matter how much you make you still need to budget.
@@jvansickle6094 Wrong. If you have good spending habits and make enough you don’t need a budget. It’s kind of like how you probably don’t have to set an alarm so that you don’t pee the bed.
This is comical
@@CaseyBurnsInvesting you just described budgeting my friend. That not "good" budgeting by my standards but it is still budgeting
@@jvansickle6094
By the dictionary’s standards this is a budget.
noun. an itemized summary of expected income and expenditure of a country, company, etc, over a specified period, usually a financial year. an estimate of income and a plan for domestic expenditure of an individual or a family, often over a short period, such as a month or a week.
That’s not what I just described.
Good for her!! She's making an average living and living her best life!! Her aura is amazing! I make 30k a year and have no life living in the midwest lol.
Holler @ me
Why would you think she had no life money doesn’t bring happiness crazy 😂
@@meshaevans1964 please reread my comment because you obviously didn't. I never said she didn't have a life. All I said was I have no life. I'm well aware money can't buy happiness but all I do is work so I don't have time to go out and fun or do things I like except sleep.
I make 6 figures and don't spend that much in a day
I love her hair!! Her personality is so sweet.
She might be saving money but her diet is atrocious, 😬
I loved her energy and enjoyed watching this! 💗
She spends so much on takeout compared to cooking at home.
Yeah she could probably save a little eating at home but to have a meal out or a drink at a cafe once a week is not a big deal.
@@y0utuberculosis exactly, she even said that she normally eat all her meals for free at work on weekdays so therefore she dont have to spend money on groceries which is often the biggest expense after rent. she's fine
I knowwww but I like to EAT! 😔😂
@@brittanicunningham Same girl same!!!! 😊
Agreed! 😬