Food Diary: What a 53-Year-Old Medical Device Sales Rep Eats on $380K in Honolulu, Hawaii
Welcome to The Receipt , a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader's week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.
In today's Receipt, we follow a 53-year-old medical device sales rep who makes $380,000 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Keep reading for her receipts.
The finances
What are your pronouns? She/her
What is your occupation? I'm a medical device sales rep. It's a sales job that requires you to have a strong clinical knowledge of surgical procedures. I attend surgeries in operating rooms throughout the day and train doctors and nurses to use my equipment, troubleshoot, and provide guidance on how to get the best possible outcomes for patients. Every day is different and I have some flexibility in my schedule. I like to think of my week as a Tetris game where I fit in different tasks to get the optimal use of my time. The work is rewarding but can be very stressful.
How old are you?
What city and state do you live in? Honolulu, Hawaii
What is your annual salary, if you have one? It varies. Last year it was $380,000. Some years, it's $225,000.
How much is one paycheck, after taxes? It varies. On average, $12,000.
How often are you paid?
How much money do you have in savings? I have a nice 401K and stocks from my company, but I am closer to retirement than the average bear.
What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.e. rent, subscriptions, bills)
This list makes me feel like a real adult.
The diet
Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? Nope, but I try to eat a balanced diet. Everything in moderation, right?
What are the grocery staples you always buy, if any? Milk, eggs, half and half, Kerrygold butter, sour cream, bread, cheese, orange juice, fruit, chocolate.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? I dine out two to three times a week. I like my cooking so I try to do it as often as I can.
How often in a week did you dine out while growing up? At least once a week. We tried new restaurants frequently.
How often in a week did your parents or guardians cook at home? My mom would always cook. I was picky and didn't appreciate food until I grew up. I remember she would make a peanut butter and Spam sandwich, which I'm considering reviving.
The expenses
The diary
5:30 p.m. I make small salads for everyone with romaine and cucumber. The lonely half avocado and verge-of-expiring burrata cheese goes in. I don't put any cheese in hubby's salad because he and I differ on the validity of expiration dates. I view them as merely a "suggestion" and you can guess what he thinks. Next, I decide to sauté some of the baby bok choy ($6.26) in garlic oil with shallots and a splash of soy. Finally, the opah goes in the oven, crusted with a pine nut, pesto, Parmesan, garlic, and mayo. Yours truly made the pesto last week with leftover macadamias and fresh basil from a friend's garden. The recipe is new to me and sourced from a Google search of "pine nut" and "white fish." It turns out delicious.
Monday total: $169.21
8:17 p.m. Chocolate chunk cookies from the tub again, per B's request. She asks for them to be "not as raw" as last night. A higher temperature does the trick and they're perfect tonight, still chewy with a slight taste of caramelized brown sugar. I finish up some work emails and sales quotes.
Tuesday total: $0
5:20 p.m. It's been a busy day and I'm thinking about a glass of wine. I give in and open Les Jamelles Pinot Noir ($15.99, previously purchased). A trip to Fujioka's Wine Times last week netted me some French bottles and Japanese beer. The wine proprietor told me this is a "good-value bottle." It's a screw top, which I secretly prefer but won't admit to. There are too many things that could go wrong with a corkscrew. But drinks are to be served in a nice glass regardless of whether they are "good value" or high end.
5:30 p.m. It's time to start dinner, so wine glass in hand, I make Magic Crispy Chicken , a recipe from a stained, torn-out page of a 2019 Bon Appétit issue. Plus, a spinach salad and reheated rice. The panko fried in good Spanish olive oil is heavenly and I taste-test a heaping spoonful.
Wednesday total: $27
Thursday total: $151.85
Friday total: $87.54
7:30 p.m. I have a Bertrand pinot noir and sip hubby's pineapple-forward bourbon "Tokyo Sour." We enjoy salmon carpaccio, Inaka sweet corn, crispy brussels sprouts, steak and shishito skewers, and black peppered ahi roll. The bill is quite reasonable for the quality. Plus we have great service. Service can really elevate a meal or kill it. ($96.34 total, plus $18.20 tip)
Saturday total: $122.44
Because I haven't eaten since this morning, thoughts of French fries and hot fudge easily cloud my judgment and I detour to McDonald's. I get a cheeseburger, fries, and a hot fudge sundae, plus a McFlurry for B. She'll be happy; feels like I haven't seen her all weekend. ($10.44 total)
Sunday total: $13.44
