Where’d your last hundo go, Jen Glantz?

$22.75: Tampax Pearl Tampons (2 boxes). I’m not one for brand names, really. Most of my clothes are either off the bed-bug infested racks of Goodwill or the bargain bins at Wal-Mart. But, when it comes to plugging that time of month, one really shouldn’t cheap out. Plastic always trumps cardboard, and for that, I’m willing to shell out the extra dolla’ bills.

$7.10: Library fines. Thanks a lot Joan Didion.

$50: Tickets to see Fun. In concert: I’d like to think “We are Young” is the love song of our generation. Plus, it’s been a while since I’ve stuffed my junk into a pair of skinny jeans and sweated bullets while shouting out catchy lyrics among loyal, tone-deaf, strangers.

$1: Pizza. It’s really 99 cents, but I have this bad habit of taking my first bite into the slice too soon after it’s out of the oven and so, the scorching hot cheese discharges out the sides of my paisley-shaped mouth and lands on their grainy counters. For that, I usually let them keep the change.

$7: Smoothie at Liquiteria. I like to binge drink my bee pollen.

$6.25: A half-pound of black & white cookies. If you prefer the chocolate half, we should probably date.

$4: Laundry. I’m a sucker for a clean pair of undies and after much debate, I’ve come to accept it’s cheaper to do a load of wash than to go out and buy new ones.

$1.90: A breakdancing homeless dog. This one certainly doesn’t warrant an explanation, does it?

Jen Glantz lives off of NYC street pizza and exposes all of her love affairs here.

Where’d your last hundo go, LaToya Jovena?

$28.08, beauty products from online beauty shop. I could have gotten comparable items much cheaper at any drug store, but I had a gift card to this specific store. Still, not a bad price if I think of the gift cards as a discount because my entire order was over $50.

$9.25, burrito from Chipotle. Plus gauc.

$2.25, parking fees. 75 cents of this is the cost of parking outside of Chipotle, while the rest is the cost I accidentally overpaid because the meter I put my bank card into was malfunctioning. I called to complain, but do I really want to chase down “the man” for $1.50?

$49.35, full tank of gas. This will hopefully get me to work, back home, and where ever else I need to go for a full pay period. Doubtful, but hopeful.

$38, bottles of flavored vodka and seltzer. To celebrate my first joint tax filing with my husband, (we’re newlyweds)! All the cards on the table—cheers! Easier to make financial decisions—cheers! Actually receiving a refund—cheers! One lump sum directly deposited to one joint checking account—cheers! Here’s to hoping we don’t spend it all before we actually receive it.

LaToya Jovena likes hanging out with her husband and puppy. // photo by sanberdoo

Where’d you spend your last hundo, Allegra Ringo?

$1, Box of pancake mix at the 99 Cent Store. Used to make pancakes that were used as props in a sketch, not eaten. I felt like a real first-world shithead about it.

$13, Ramen at my favorite ramen restaurant. I don’t mean to brag, but I added tofu AND an egg. Then I made it into two meals by adding packaged ramen noodles to the leftover broth, so I feel this purchase was well-justified.

$10, Having the groomer expel my dog’s anal glands. I still have no idea what expelling anal glands entails, and I would pay thousands of dollars to keep it that way.

$24, Pizza delivery. I was hungry and it was raining, and in Los Angeles there is an explicit rule that we do not leave the house when it rains. My hands were tied.

$27, Misc. dog supplies. $15 of this was a harness she chewed through in 10 minutes. Another portion went toward an adorable if unneeded toy.

$22, Breakfast for my boyfriend and me at Ed’s. It’s my favorite diner and the only place I have a “usual” (we share a breakfast burrito and a stack of pancakes).

$3, Mysterious Japanese candy. I stopped at a Japanese market and bought some strawberry candies so I could use my debit card to get cash. Then I threw in some tomato-flavored candies because they sounded weird. Both candies were pretty bad, and the store didn’t give cash back.

Allegra Ringo writes for Top Story Weekly.

$100 is a lot of money, but also not a lot of money at all. How’d you spend your last hundo, Meghan Nesmith?

$20.58, Fancy chocolate, eggs, and butter. With which to make this Nigella Lawson chocolate loaf for my coworkers for Valentine’s Day. This made me feel very good in theory, but I busted the cake—overwhipped and overcooked it. Whatever. Valentine’s Day is for jerks.

$10, Salmon avocado roll, sweet potato roll, miso soup. I almost always bring my own lunch, but I just finished day 10 of leftover lentil soup, so this was a reward. (To note, I frequently try to reward myself for good financial behavior by buying myself something. This is the stupidest rewards system ever.) 

$1, Can of Coke. An attempt to quit the migraine that had been lingering on the periphery for three days.

$18, Broadway Bodies class. Have I told you yet about Broadway Bodies? If you’ve found yourself within five feet of me in the last two weeks, the answer is yes. A tiny shot glass of energy and muscle teaches you a routine from a Broadway show, and it is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me.

$7.04, Valentine’s Day tulips for the interns. I wore red shoes. I felt optimistic.

$8.51, Just Salad salad bowl. It took a year of sporadic salads from Just Salad before I committed to the Just Salad reusable bowl. The Just Salad reusable bowl costs $1 and every time you use it, you get two free toppings or a free cheese. The goat cheese I usually add to my salad costs $1.50. Thus, the Just Salad reusable bowl offers a return on investment (boom) after just one salad. I have no idea why I resisted this so long, besides the fact that I’m now the girl carrying her reusable salad bowl around the streets of the Financial District.

$54.43, Wine and cheese for two. I took my friend out for Valentine’s Day. No funny business. We used to sleep together, but we don’t anymore. He’s the only person in my life who has smoothly made that transition – the only one I can sit with and not constantly be thinking, “that time we had sex, that time we had sex, that time we had sex.” I think that’s worth a splurge every now and then.

Meghan Nesmith hangs out in Brooklyn and on Twitter. She recently had a conversation about power, sex, and money// pic by loutraje

Where’d your last hundo go, Ryan O’Connell? 

$13.39: Degree Clinical Sport Deodorant. It’s embarrassing to admit this but I spent a decade of my life smelling like a legit homeless person because I sweat too much. It got so bad that at one point I even considered getting Botox injected into my armpits. Fortunately, though, I discovered prescription-strength deodorant, which solved all my odor problems. The only downside to using this deodorant is that it’s so chemical-y and strong that I’m pretty sure I’m giving myself cancer. But whatever—at least I smell nice!

$3.75: Crest toothpaste. I should really start using the organic kind that’s just made out of mint leaves or whatever, but no.

$8.99: Disposable camera. I don’t own a digital camera because I want “to save money” but the amount I’ve spent on disposables throughout the years probably trumps the cost of any decent camera I could buy. 

$6.49: Brilliant Brunette shampoo. (It should be noted that all my purchases thus far have been made at a Walgreens AKA the one place where I can spend a hundred dollars in five minutes and not feel totally sick about it.)

$15.95: Crazy Salad and Scribble Scribble by Nora Ephron.

$24.00: Lunch for one at The Smith. I know it seems like a lot of money but it’s the lattes that get you. Never order a latte at a restaurant. I once ordered one at The Mercer Kitchen, only to discover that it was a whopping $7.50. My pasta dish, on the other hand, was only $11.00. When I told the waiter about the hilarious irony of having your meal only cast $3.50 more than your coffee, he rolled his eyes at me and said, “It’s Soho.”

$13.00: A bottle of wine. I recently graduated to the $9 to $13 price range and I feel really good about it.

$14.00: Drunk nachos, a taco, plus tip.

Ryan O’Connell lives in NYC and edits Thought Catalog.

How did you spend your last $100, Rebecca Rindler?

$14.34, transportation
My preferred method of transportation is my bike (FREE! More or less), but in frigid temperatures, I take the bus ($1) or a cab ($10). I’ve also started using Car2go ($3.34 for 8 minutes after annual fee), which is a smart car sharing service. It’s perfect for one-way trips and often cheaper than a cab. Fun fact: When these cars go over 30 mph, they make noises that terrify everyone in the vehicle.

$17.50, one bourbon, one beer, and tips
Important and necessary hang with Alex Baca to discuss the origins of For Whar, Bro?!. Sadly, this is not deductible as a mental health expense, though it should be.

$21, lunch
Occasional solo sit-down weekend lunch (not brunch!), with a book, is a favorite indulgence.

$4.91, Valentines for my friends’ kids
Did not get it together to make my own, though next year my almost-nephews can expect “I choo- choo- choose you” cards. Because there’s nothing infants like more than a 20-year-old Simpsons reference.

$32.96, Whole Foods
Lunch with a friend from high school who just moved back into town. It was pretty chill. Also picked up some groceries.

$9.99, Home internet
Every year when my Internet provider raises my rates, I call and ask them to lower it. This time, they gave me a $30 credit to compensate for a $5 monthly increase. The helpful customer service rep also advised me to call back in 6 months and ask for another credit. It’s great negotiating practice! Thanks to transactions like these, my sister has decided my catchphrase is, “Did you ask for a discount?”

Rebecca Rindler asked for a discount.

$4.75, ATM fee for cash withdrawal and mango juice at a bodega in Philadelphia.

$47.50, Two LPs at AKA Music: Pallbearer’s Sorrow & Extinction, and a Chicago soul compilation released by Numero Group titled “Eccentric Soul: The Nickel & Penny Labels.”

$14, Bulleit Rye x 2 (plus tip) at Fiume.

$25.30, Bacon, asparagus, arugula, cheese and a cucumber at Mariposa Food Co-op.

$2, SEPTA fee to travel via trolley and subway from West Philadelphia to Fishtown.

$13, Concert ticket to see the band Earth at Johnny Brenda’s. (The food and beer I consumed here took me well beyond $100.)

Elliott Sharp is a writer living in West Philadelphia. Follow him on Twitter @elliottsharp. Photo: supa_pedro

Where did you spend your last hundred bucks, Edith Zimmerman?

$7, Vodka and soda at a bar. ($5 drink, $2 tip because I want them to like me and I do a lot of stupid shit there.)

$4, Two bottles of seltzer.

$3, ATM fee for cash withdrawal from CVS, which is a lot, I know, but my Bank of America ATMs across the street were both out, and I’d seen several in the past few days that were also out, and I was running low and kept envisioning apocalyptic-type situations where I’d have to bribe someone for something crucial, but because I couldn’t find an ATM I’d have to be like, “Here, take my … North Ireland 20 pound note, omg but you can exchange it, omgomgogmgomg.”

$22, Wine from the wine store.

$50 to the Red Cross! Haha, exactly as I always do. But I did actually do this.

$8, Two bottles of seltzer, and a Five Hour Energy drink. I don’t know if Five Hour Energy works (“works”?), and I generally try to avoid processed stuff and bottled drinks, but I also really hate to sleep or get tired, and I like to wander around my apartment and consume things. And then it’s not like I finished these seltzers and had to buy the two others above, but that a friend wanted seltzer, so instead of bringing her my opened/flavored ones (these), I bought her new ones (above). Although the ones above should have cost like seventy cents each, I don’t know why they were $4. Should I go on???

$7, Hummus, onion, stamps.

And haha, too bad this isn’t the last $200 you spent, or you could hear about the crazy stuff I bought at the health foods store. Ask me about jojoba oil!!!!

Edith Zimmerman runs The Hairpin. 

What happened to your last hundo, Lauren Kelley? 

$21: Three Six Point IPAs plus tip at Abilene in Carroll Gardens. I announced to my friends that I had never gone to Abilene without running into someone I know. I did not run into anyone I know.

$3: Egg, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a poppy seed bagel from the good bodega by my apartment. Everyone in New York has a good bodega and a bad bodega right? Like, there’s the one with the good sandwiches where the guy behind the counter cracks jokes and gives kids candy, and then the one that smells like mustard and you’re pretty sure is a mafia front?

$10.88: Bottle of white wine. Because wine. 

$11.50: An onion, a head of garlic, two zucchini, two ears of corn, a giant heirloom tomato (a striped something-something?), two peaches, and a bunch of parsley at the downtown Brooklyn greenmarket. Partial ingredients for an evening picnic at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

$40.48: Epic Goodwill trip: a pair of Frye boots (FRYE BOOTS), a jacket, a sundress, a black top, and two scarves.

$14.39: This stupid expensive dental floss that I have to buy because I have a permanent retainer and some vitamins at Duane Reade.

TOTAL: $101.25

Lauren Kelley is an editor at AlterNet and a freelance journalist. She’s taller than you.

$100! It is a lot of money, and yet, it is also not a lot of money at all. Where did your last hundred bucks go, Lourdes Diaz?

$14: Two Heinekens at the Juanes Concert at the Warner Theater

$ 10.06: Urban Barbeque’s Pulled Pork Sandwich with Mac n’ Cheese and Cornbread. *salivates*

$46.47: Gas. Fill’er up!

$6.59: Cigs

$9.08: Paulo Coelho’s Aleph at Barnes & Nobles

$4.99: Trader Joe’s mango sorbet. I secretly scout all the Trade Joe’s in my neighborhood, as this sorbet is a hot commodity among us sorbet connoisseurs.

$14.94: Two Flying Dog IPA’s and an order of Cheese Tots at the Quarry House

Grand Total: $106.13

Lourdes Diaz likes traveling, laughing, dancing and going for runs. You can catch her singing is her car and probably wearing lipstick. She sometimes tweets tweets.