82 | BC B U S I N E SS NOVEM B ER/ D ECEM B ER 2025
LIFE IN DOLLARS
Biggest Splurge:
Hobby gear—crafting, sewing
and outdoor equipment from brands
she believes in.
Hard Pass:
Fast fashion—and cheap clients
who undervalue her work.
Dream Job:
Travel or food influencer
How She Defines "Rich":
Taking time off work, travelling one
to two times a year, investing in property
and retiring at a reasonable age.
MONEY MAKER$
Real people. Real finances. From six-figure earners to side hustlers,
we're pulling back the curtain on how British Columbians make,
spend and think about money—no filters, just facts.
At 28, this Vancouver-based freelancer
earns $61K per year designing graphics—
with enough flexibility to splurge on her
crafting hobbies and the occasional
concert ticket. She's trading square
footage for lifestyle perks and saving
aggressively to cushion the unpredict-
ability of self-employment. Her motto?
Save hard, play creatively.
She sets her own rates and refuses to take
on lowball clients, but the ups and downs of
freelance life push her to save as much as she
can during high-earning months. "I'm mostly
worried about being able to save enough to
settle down one day," she says. "Seeing how
my parents did things—and how their experi-
ences were so different from mine, even just
generationally—makes it difficult to visualize
what my financial future will look like."
She uses Wave to manage invoices and
receipts, has a $21,000 GIC TFSA
(a Guaranteed Investment Certificate in a
Tax-Free Savings Account) earning 5-percent
interest and she recently began contributing
to an RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings
Plan). Her next goal? "To start actually
planning soon and making some smarter
investments with my small savings."
Living in one of Canada's most expensive
cities means trading space and natural light
for a smaller, more affordable home—freeing
up cash for home decor, concert tickets and
spontaneous Ubers.
MEET THE EARNER
WEALTH WISDOM
Age: 28
Location: Vancouver
Industry: Marketing/design
Role:
Freelance graphic designer
Pronouns: She/her
Total Income: $61,000
Freelance Income: $60,000
Passive Income: $1,000
Benefits: Flexibility in schedule
and unlimited unpaid vacation
Education & Training:
$35,000
(four-year design degree)
Save, save, save. One of my favourite things about freelancing is embracing
the down periods and reinvesting time into the things I love—without stressing.
That's only possible because I save as much as I can during my higher months.
MONTHLY SPENDING (ESTIMATES)
Debt Repayments: $65
Pets and/or Childcare: $50
Personal and Lifestyle:
$350
Transportation: $125
Insurance
(non-employer-covered): $30
Health and Wellness: $200
Housing
and Utilities:
$1,200
Food: $425
Savings and Investments:
$600
