"Millennial Thrives on $27K Salary in Tiny Seattle Apartment"

Chi Baik, a 26-year-old Ph.D. student in Seattle, is living on a yearly income of $27,000. She recently moved from Washington, D.C., where she was earning $60,000 as a teacher, to pursue her doctorate in special education. Baik spends $1,157 on a 240-square-foot micro-studio and $812 on weekly HelloFresh deliveries, additional groceries, and dining out. She has nearly $70,000 saved across two retirement accounts from her teaching days, thanks to an aggressive savings strategy. Baik's big-picture money goals include getting a "decently paying job" to pay her brother back and start saving again.