How Much Money We Spend As A Couple - MONTH OF SPENDING In Toronto (Steph vs Den!)

[@stephandden]

How much do you typically spend in a month?! If you’re comfortable saying, let us know in the comments below! ⬇️✨

[@ivicafrederic582]

Please make another one (maybe for the month of March 2021)

[@ivicafrederic582]

I live these

[@titanmathew4204]

instablaster...

[@lemonsoap5741]

Too much - and usually on Starbucks 😬

[@JossLaRu]

I would LOVE to see a video on your monthly food budget with meal ideas/tips on smart shopping. I also live in Canada and most of the videos like this are American, so trying to follow any advice is difficult as food costs are drastically higher in Canada. As a couple, food is our largest expense and I would love nothing more than to scale back on this! When you spoke about your grocery costs, I was surprised at how low it was! I know you focus more on personal finance, so speaking about food and meal ideas may be outside of your usual space, but I am so interested in ways to save money and be smarter with planning out meals for the week! 😊

[@jordanwilliams9300]

Even though I live in the U.S., I'm pretty curious to see how Canadian grocery shopping goes down (and how much it costs!) I'd also enjoy a video like this.

[@stephandden]

Great idea! Happy to incorporate that into a future money vid - it's an expense everyone has, so it would be interesting to break it down - thanks for the suggestion 😊✨

[@pasha830]

loved this video! didn’t feel too high energy as all the other videos, good back and forth reactions/comments (normal tone). felt like this video was more natural compared to the others (feels more scripted and overly enthusiastic). great content and here to support y’all!

[@stephandden]

Thank you!! Trying to switch it up but still keep the engaging energy there 🙌🏾🙌🏻

[@natalieproia2898]

Pai has the yummiest food so I understand completely!!! My fave dish from there is the Khao Soi! Delicious! Great video, as always!

[@stephandden]

It’s delish, we’ll have to try that one! 😊

[@hn9382]

my favourite place to eat 🥰

[@crossover241]

As a fellow Toronotonian, I definitely feel like from October until December, budgets are meant to be broken 😅

[@stephandden]

Hahaha, it's a tough final stretch!!

[@tearsangelz]

ohh how much I stayed away from online shopping with all the sales from October to December.. there are your normal big stores like Bestbuy, Aritizia, half-priced Nessprosso coffee maker all the way to Asian shopping app like Hongmall. That was definitely tough.

[@mariadandrea4739]

There is nothing wrong with having an overspend month as long as it is not every month of the year! We also have to live a little! I wish I could be as disciplined as you guys on a regular basis but its something I'm working on. I live 30 minutes outside Toronto so it's nice to finally see you tubers from my area that I can relate to in terms of prices and stores. Your content is awesome!

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much, Maria! 😊✨

[@amaretto9759]

I just started my career as a consultant in NY and I'm so happy I found this channel!! Gonna binge all your videos, you guys are great thank you for sharing your honest experiences!

[@stephandden]

Woo so glad you found us! Thanks for watching 😊

[@shubhakaushik2274]

Loved this video! When Steph mentioned Aritzia I internally sighed with relief (haha glad to know I'm not the only one who succumbs to Aritzia every once in a while too😹)

[@stephandden]

Thank you 😊 & hahaha ugh yes it’s the realest temptation!!

[@andrefcrocha]

I really enjoy these types of videos. I was born in Canada and moved to Portugal at the age of 10. I’ll be returning to Toronto at the end of next year so as a consultant this helps me understand what to expect. Great content guys!

[@stephandden]

Thanks, André! 😊

[@admilla11]

Great video! As a young profession also working in consulting. It’s great to see how others budget expenses. Keep up the great content!

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much, glad you liked it! 😊✨

[@coreycheung6458]

Hey guys, love the content! As a fellow Torontonian, I find metro to be one of the more expensive grocery stores, it was the closest store nearby at the time but once I got some wheels I have since moved on to places such as Fresh Co, Food Basics and No frills and now am noticeably saving on my monthly groceries!

[@stephandden]

Thanks Corey! 😊 Agreed, it’s definitely more expensive - we switched to there once the pandemic started (for the safety measures) but we’ll be switching back to No Frills soon!

[@DBK936]

No frills is the cheapest

[@whateverwhenever3116]

3rd day in a row watching only your videos guys! Glad I’ve found your channel! Very inspirational and motivational! Salut from Russia! Good luck!

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much, Amalia! So glad you’re loving the videos! 🥳✨

[@tabp7330]

You guys are the best! Thanks for always posting amazing videos! Thank you for always being transparent!

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much, and thanks for watching!! 😊

[@Lau3464l]

Love this video and definitely want to see more of them in the future! Totally drives me insane how expensive our utilities and cell phone plans are here in Ontario. So unnecessary and corrupt, IMO. Also, maybe I missed it or it's addressed in another video, but do you guys add monthly to a savings account or TFSA or anything like that? It's something I personally include in my expense budgets so I like to look out for those additions when seeing other people's budgets :)

[@stephandden]

Thank you!! Good question - we do! I (Steph) put about $350 into investments and approx. $1,400 into savings each month (which will likely change up when I realign my investing plan for 2021 - stay tuned for that video!) - Den is focused on his debt repayment ($1,400/mo) and keeps the rest aside as a small emergency fund. We talk about it a bit more in my 'How Much Money I'll Save This Year' video 😊

[@Lau3464l]

@@stephandden awesome!

[@stephisticated1]

I'm in a relatively new relationship (we just celebrated our 1 year) and I find that my love language is giving gifts. Do you have any tips and tricks for budgeting for gifts? I think this will be helpful for the holidays coming up as well :)

[@stephandden]

Hey Stephanie! So fun - we (mostly me, Steph, haha!) loves the love language quiz. Den and I also decide on a gift budget so that we can be realistic and have an idea of what to spend on each other - it was super useful for our first year of dating! Then for the holidays, I always decide on and budget for a max amount I'm willing to spend, and then divide that amount up between everyone I'm getting gifts for to give me a spending guideline! I also buy almost all my gifts on black Friday so I can buy items I wouldn't buy for full price 😊 I hope that helps!!

[@lillyaswad5028]

I think you can give gifts in other ways than monetary. Like cooking a warm meal or giving a massage

[@LacetteColourFunny]

I'm definitely like Steph and I see my food budget go up when I work overtime!! I'm just glad there no Starbucks around me...

[@stephandden]

Glad I'm not alone! & It's a blessing and a curse being so close! 😅

[@erinnoh2070]

Love your videos! We also spent a ton of money on Starbucks as well so we bought an espresso machine with a steamer/bean grinder built in which was a pretty big investment but we haven’t bought a Starbucks latte since! It’s paid for itself in no time.

[@stephandden]

That’s the way to do it! Definitely saves money in the long term 👏🏾👏🏻

[@deborahkay7819]

Love your channel. Found you from CNBC story. I know the area you live in so it was nice to recognize different parts of Toronto and I will try Pai restaurant as I love Thai food and pizza place. Always great to find new places that are good and can support especially right now

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much Deborah! Pai won’t disappoint 😊

[@minimalmiss]

I would love to see this type of wrap-up, even on a monthly basis!

[@stephandden]

Ou thanks for letting us know - we can definitely do them more often! ✨

[@matthew9641]

Love the video and feel the same way! Definitely see the highest spendings for the month of October on various things. Hopefully to cut it back for the rest two months for the year. Probably need to plan better and stick to the budget.

[@stephandden]

Thank you! 😊 & agreed, ready to finish the year strong!

[@karend7487]

Appreciate your transparency in your spending! My spending I'm trying to get under control is my Aritzia clothing spend! Working from home so I don't need "professional" clothing yet I have been buying more things I'm not wearing! It's a WIP! Thanks for the great content 👌

[@stephandden]

My clothing spending last year switched from work clothes to sweatsuits, haha! The new working style. Thanks for watching! ✨

[@asayoni96]

Your videos are soo helpful!! Thank you so much for these

[@stephandden]

Yay, thanks so much for watching! 😊

[@rawlings3938]

I really like you guys. Rooting for you !

[@stephandden]

Thank you! 😊

[@anyasyht]

Very interesting video- loved seeing the breakdown!

[@stephandden]

Thanks, Anya 😊

[@LoicCaribbeanFWI]

Hi guys from Guadeloupe 🇬🇵 🇫🇷, I really like your KZbin channel. Keep doing this good contents 👍🏼.

[@stephandden]

Hey hey! Thanks so much! 😊

[@_mkalex]

Great video guys! Not sure where you’re located in Toronto but freshco has the best prices for groceries in my opinion and they price match. I assume metro is the closest to you so it’s more convenient to go there but thought I would share just in case☺️

[@stephandden]

We have a No Frills close to us as well that definitely has better prices - we only switched to Metro during the pandemic b/c it's a bit cleaner! We're getting close to switching back though - need to save that grocery money! 💸

[@pjdahmen]

looks fine and great tutorial. Thank you

[@stephandden]

Thanks for watching!

[@NatePolmateer]

WHO thimbs down this! Sheesh. Great transparency video!

[@stephandden]

Thanks so much, Nate! 😊

[@bashiiraasad9330]

Omggg so happy I found ur channel! Fellow Torontonian💕

[@stephandden]

🥳🥳🥳 Glad you found us!!

[@elenav6225]

Ouuu I'm much like Steph, I definitely feel guilty whenever I splurge but it is so hard to resist when Toronto has so much good food places hehe

[@stephandden]

Ugh yes it’s a hard balance of guilt and deliciousness, hahah!

[@christinetobiasz]

I love a good Aritzia sale as well!! You can usually find great preloved and on trend (with tags) Aritzia branded clothing selling on Facebook marketplace for great prices! Just a tip from a GTA homeowner ahah (don’t ask about my monthly house expenses LOL) 😂

[@stephandden]

Hahah, that's a great tip! 😊

[@jehandumlavwalla4599]

I saw your this kind of video on CNBC and came to know about your channel Wanted to know Canada from a Finance perspective and u have helped me know that. Thank you. I am doing Indian CA (CPA)

[@stephandden]

Yay, so glad you found our channel! 🙌🏾🙌🏻

[@financestoart7518]

"What was it Pac-Man?" Oh, God, I feel old. 😭

[@stephandden]

Hahaha! Have to love the 'old school' games 😜

[@tearsangelz]

There's just so much fun downtown that it's boring to explore alone, at the same time I'm grateful that I don't have a partner or friends to explore with.. these delicious food purchases are not cheap when you're trying to save and be frugal! - someone who ordered food delivery daily.

[@stephandden]

Haha, now that's looking on the bright side! There is a lottt of great food spots here! 😊

[@alexandraaguiar5886]

Another great video!!!

[@stephandden]

Thanks Alexandra! 😊

[@LisaCulton]

Our expenses for a family of 3 come to around 5,600 to 6,000 CHF per month in a small town in Switzerland.

[@stephandden]

Hey Lisa! Thanks for sharing and watching 😊

[@laurapresley8807]

Way to go guys!

[@stephandden]

Thanks Laura!! 💛✨

[@vaniilaalove]

Im also from Canada so its fun to see stores and prices that i recognize

[@stephandden]

🙌🏾🙌🏻

[@daniel.h2940]

What’s it called? Pac-Man YESSIR Den, that’s my era ✌🏿and I do love the hoodie Steph!

[@stephandden]

Yesss the best 🙌🏾🙌🏻 & thank you! 😊

[@dalu4840]

Just subscribe, nice vid

[@stephandden]

Thanks for subscribing! 🙌🏾🙌🏻

[@dori9024]

I love the way you guys work together in achieving your financial goals. If you guys keep working together, and stay on the same page you will reach your destination sooner than later. Can you please explain why people love Starbucks coffee so much? I personally find the coffee bitter and tasteless and trust me I have tried their coffee in different locations and states. The astronomical price that they charge for their coffee it’s absolutely ludicrous. Is it the status symbol walking around with a cup that reads “Starbucks”? Subscribers, feel free to an answer my question because honestly I can’t understand what is all the hype with Starbucks coffee.

[@stephandden]

Thanks Dori! 😊 Re: Starbucks - for me I'm a fan of the Vanilla Lattes, not so much the coffee itself (my fav coffee treat!) and also find the rewards program great (free items every few purchases) so it keeps me coming back!

[@forrestcain7854]

Do you not have a car payment or cars in Toronto? Also those expenses seem pretty a little high, do you make a lot of money in consulting?

[@stephandden]

We don’t have a car, no! & we have a few videos about how much we make and spend 😊

[@leahmcdermott4189]

It’s so hard to understand the conversion rates. I thought this was USD but it’s actually CAD and I’m from the UK so it’s actually GBP we use lol. So confusing to translate! But wow! Now I understand why the UK salaries is so much less than US and Canada. Our cost of living is so much lower. I live in London which is said to be one of the most expensive cities but I’m a big foodie and order UberEats all the time yet I never spend no where near these amounts! $50 for sushi? $50 for cookies? $350 for some clothes? Wow... maybe I’m just a cheapskate I but cannot relate haha 💕

[@stephandden]

It’s definitely interesting to see how the prices vary in different places! ✨

[@heatherboston7788]

Would love to know how you did on Christmas spending

[@stephandden]

I typically budget how much I’m spending per person and ensure I stick to that 😊

[@morganslife2580]

U had nothing on my spending the second half of last year. I was spending 3000+ monthly and not rent included or bills. This pandemics just had me shopping. This year Im cutting tht spending way down. And so far I have been doing good. Costco is missing my dollars trying to stay away from there. People shop clothes I shop food. 🤣

[@stephandden]

It happens to the best of us!! Great job on cutting down so far in the new year 👏🏾👏🏻

[@joscelyntan3649]

How do you guys keep track of all the actualized expenses for the month? Do you just review your statements at the end of the month, or use an app that you check weekly? :)

[@stephandden]

Hey Joscelyn! We both use the Mint app - it's awesome for real time budgeting and keeping track of actual expenses as they come through! I check it every day 😊

[@lemonsoap5741]

ugh craigs cookies is deliciously evil *sobbing*

[@cashakatbone]

Very interesting, do you guys drive?

[@stephandden]

We don't! We can, but we don't have a car - luckily can walk pretty much everywhere from our place 😊

[@cashakatbone]

@@stephandden that's what I was thinking because your downtown. Thanks great video !

[@susiesfinds]

You guys are so cute ... subscribed!! Funny how you never notice how much you actually spend until you track it ... yikes!

[@stephandden]

Thanks Susanne! 😊 So true, keeping track is painful and helpful, haha!

[@renardmiller733]

You guys are the best! Hurry up and get married (kidding) to join those accounts! :-)

[@stephandden]

Haha! Thank you! 😊

[@MariaAndersenCrypto]

❤️

[@stephandden]

😊

[@luxsikasenthilkumaran9310]

Make a clothing haul and then it really will be a business expense!

[@stephandden]

Clever!

[@nicholasmcmanus5241]

Why does she buy all your takeout meals bro?

[@stephandden]

Because I’m the one who wanted to buy take out? 🤔

[@shriharichiwarkar9486]

Are these expenses in CAD or USD?

[@stephandden]

In CAD 😊 We live in Toronto!

[@themahmoud885]

Let me guess what am I going to do? hit the like button

[@stephandden]

🥳🥳🥳

[@a004]

Pai is so played out. I'll put you guys on to a secret Thai spot: Koh Lipe. You're welcome

[@stephandden]

Ouu we'll have to check it out! We only had Pai for the first time a few months ago, so it's new to us - but always down to try something new!

[@asadb1990]

wow im from ottawa and go to Toronto regularly. these guys are huge spenders. i could save so much money on food living in Toronto by simply buying from the big asian and ethnic wholesale grocers. and that includes halal meat which costs so much more than conventional. i spend about $300 for meat that lasts me about 4-6 months. and anything bulk like lentil, rice, etc are so much cheaper from the big grocers. and costco helps a lot as well. now that being said im not super cheap and do splurge from time to time. and i know living in Toronto its so easy to spend more than you plan for the sake of convenience. in ottawa food options are expensive and you have to really find something unique.

[@stephandden]

Definitely not huge spenders overall - as mentioned, this was the biggest expense month of the year! Trying to keep it real and not just show the lean months 😊 Check out our recent vid ‘How Much Money I’ll Save This Year...’ for more of our saving and spending deets!

[@asadb1990]

@@stephandden oh don't get me wrong. you are doing much much much better than many folks i know. i know some friends who are making more than you guys living at home and still have barely enough to survive the month. and these kids don't have to pay any bills at home. but yeah keep up the good work. finally some canadians i can actually relate to.

[@aditid2772]

Checkout Chatr mobile my bill comes to $40 with taxes and get 6gb data

[@stephandden]

Ou yes will look into that! ✨

[@teresateresa8933]

I’m not sure what your KZbin is suppose to be about in general but I’m guessing it’s not about financial advice. So must money waste.

[@stephandden]

It’s about sharing our experiences with all things careers and money! This is us sharing our realistic expenses in a higher spending month - you can check out some of our previous videos where we talk about how I save 50% of my take home pay in a year. 😊

[@LisaCulton]

KZbin is about anything you want to upload and anything people want to watch.