In today’s world of Venmo, Apple Pay and online wallets, it can be easy to lose track of how much you spend. A small ding or a green check mark lighting up your phone screen doesn’t feel like spending real money, sometimes making students less aware of their purchases. The Vanguard had three students track their spending for a week, interviewing them before and after to get a sense of their weekly expenses.    —Lucia Longstreet-Lipson ’27

Anshika Chadda ’26

Preliminary guess: $200

 A typical week for Anshika Chadda ’26 consists of $70 spent on gas, $50 spent on a once-a-week dinner with friends and $80 on lunches during the school day, she said.

 “Honestly, I think the majority of the money that I spend goes to my wants,” she said. “I would say that, generally, my wants aren’t super unnecessary. …. However, they aren’t super important either.”

 Some of Anshika’s money comes from her part-time job that pays $450 a week during the summer. Anshika’s parents often fund her purchases, making her more attentive to her spending, even though she doesn’t budget.

 “I respect my parents a lot, and I know they work incredibly hard to be able to provide for me, and I would say I use their money keeping that in mind,” she said. “I always let them know when I am making a transaction.”

 Anshika said she feels satisfied with her spending habits but realizes she could reduce them.

 “I could definitely cut down a little bit on eating out and spending money on food,” she said. “I think I go out for lunch about three to four times a week, which is probably more than I should, so that is definitely something I could improve on.”

Sylvia Kunst ’27

Preliminary guess: $20-30

 Sylvia Kunst ’27 doesn’t usually monitor her purchases.

 “I don’t track everything that I buy,” she said. “I kind of just know when I’m running out of money, but I don’t have a set budget. Every week is different.”

 She earns her own money from working as a babysitter. On average, Sylvia receives $20 per hour, depending on the number of kids and the family.

 “I babysit for a few families in my neighborhood. It’s not a regular thing but whenever they need me.”

 Sylvia said she sometimes regrets her purchases.

 “On occasion, I spend a little too much money on stuff I don’t end up using. … There are some random products I get, and later, I realize that it’s a waste.”

 Throughout the week, Sylvia spent $14.75 on regular purchases and $150 for celebratory purposes.

 “I spent more than expected, but it was my birthday week, so I had just gotten some money. I think others spend a lot of money on food, specifically, and people should ask themselves, ‘Do I really need this?’”

Calvin Long ’28

Preliminary guess: $15-20

 Calvin Long ’28 tracked his spending over a week, which he said fluctuates based on food purchases.

 “Sometimes, I get a lot of Chipotle or food at Harvard Square,” he said. “Sometimes, I don’t get anything. I definitely spend money on food, fast food and DoorDash. Also, just Gatorade or small snacks like that.”

 Calvin doesn’t budget or monitor his spending.

 “I try not to spend too much, but I don’t really track it. … Sometimes, my mom yells at me because I DoorDash too much McDonald’s.”

 Calvin said he underestimated the money he spent during the week.

 “I was surprised by how much I spend every week. I knew that I like to go to Harvard Square a couple times a week or go online shopping, but it was probably double what I expected.”

 Calvin advises other students to pay closer attention to their purchases.

 “At least have a little bit of discipline because you don’t want to feel like you are wasting money.”