I’m a Vancouver millennial marketer making $85k—working a 9-5 just isn’t enough to really pull ahead in life anymore

Meet this week’s Money Maker—a 30-something marketing exec grappling with the financial realities of her generation. “Working a 9-5 just isn’t enough to really pull ahead in life anymore. Having a bachelor’s degree and great experience doesn’t guarantee you a comfortable life here, like it did for the previous generation — it just makes sure your bills are paid. If you want to actually save or move up the financial ladder, it requires more,” she tells us.  

She uses a mix of old-school and new-gen hacks to stay atop her finances—utilizing spreadsheets for tracking expenses and getting her money mantras from popular TikTokers. Despite feeling financially insecure at times, she embraces the many free and accessible tools for financial literacy available to her generation: “Because there’s no blueprint [for our generation], it’s made me be more proactive in seeking out different viewpoints and information. Don’t let the haters get you down, there’s a lot of good information (and camaraderie!) on platforms like TikTok,” she writes.  

• Age: 33 
• Location: Vancouver 
• Industry: Marketing 
• Role: Director 
• Pronouns: She/her 
• Total annual income: $85,000 
• Education/training: B.A. in communication 

Income 

• Annual salary: $85,000 
• Passive income: $8,500 
• Benefits: Extended healthcare/vision care, dental coverage 

Do you feel fairly paid for what you do? 

That’s a tricky question to answer. Generally speaking, my wages are on par with the industry average for my role and experience. That being said, living in B.C. is so expensive, so even though I am paid fairly for my position and job level it often feels like it’s not keeping up with the demands of real life. 

Name one item you splurge on, regardless of your budget. 

Two things come to mind: 

My dog. She gets only the best, organic food, no matter what’s coming in or out each month. 

Costco Instacart. I live pretty far away from Costco, so if I’m ever stocking up on the bigger things (a case of drinks, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.) I’m happy to just pay the extra $10 to get it delivered. 

What’s something you refuse to spend money on? 

Ubers / Lyft. Honestly, the city is so walkable and transit accessible that I think it’s such a waste of money to splurge on taking a car across town. These convenience purchases really add up. 

Do you use a financial advisor, app, spreadsheet—or vibes? 

I actually use an old school spreadsheet (well, a Google Sheet) if you can believe it. It’s a habit I started a few years ago and I’ve found that tracking my daily expenses and investments has been really eye opening and habit breaking. I was inspired by a ‘Financial Audit’ TikTok and I haven’t looked back! 

How has living in your city/neighbourhood impacted your financial choices? 

I’ve chosen to live about a 45-minute commute from my job, mostly because of finances. Being in my mid-30s, I want a bit more space and even though my partner and I split most living expenses, we still can’t afford that lifestyle in Vancouver proper. Like I said, I’m happy that Vancouver transit is pretty reliable, so it’s a choice that I’m currently happy to make. 

Do you ever find yourself concerned about money or financial security? If you’re comfortable sharing, what contributes to that? 

I’d be lying if money isn’t often on my mind. While I do think my savings would cover most emergencies and I’m extremely grateful to be in that position, it sometimes feels like working a 9-5 just isn’t enough to really pull ahead in life anymore. Having a bachelor’s degree and great experience doesn’t guarantee you a comfortable life here, like it did for the previous generation — it just makes sure your bills are paid. If you want to actually save or move up the financial ladder, it requires more. 

How, if at all, are you approaching retirement planning right now? 

All my savings, minus my emergency fund, is invested right now in my TSFA through Wealthsimple. As a girl who never excelled in Math or Science, I was always scared by investing and anything financial. But it was actually YouTube and TikTok that really explained it to me in a way I could understand. It’s been really encouraging seeing the reinvested dividends and overall value increase over time. 

Is there a job you secretly admire for the pay or lifestyle?  

Not really. Honestly, I love my job and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. 

How do you define financial success? What does being “rich” mean to you? 

To me, being rich means having the ability to do what you love, create meaningful relationships that you have the time to pour into, and being able to take a break when your body / mind tells you that you need to. I’ve definitely fallen into the hustle culture (it’s hard not to here), but I believe being rich affords you time and space to be compassionate to yourself and others, while pursuing your passions. 

What’s one lesson you’ve learned about work and finances that you think others in your industry could benefit from? 

My parents’ generation had a clear path to ‘success’ — get a degree in a booming industry, get a good job you can stay at your whole career and move up the ladder, buy a house, and you will be able to afford a decent lifestyle for your family, yearly vacations and a generally comfortable life. That’s not to say it wasn’t challenging in other ways, but most Canadians could stick within this framework and have some semblance of financial success.  

Today, there’s no one way to bring about success. I think learning this allowed me to have the freedom to make my own choices (e.g. forego buying a house to rent and invest the difference). Because there’s no blueprint, it’s made me be more proactive in seeking out different viewpoints and information. Don’t let the haters get you down, there’s a lot of good information (and camaraderie!) on platforms like TikTok (shoutout to @alexonabudget).  

Want to share your money story with BCBusiness? We want to hear from anyone living and working in B.C.—regardless of your role, experience or background. Take our short, anonymous survey here!