Skip to Content
Talk

Money Journal: Living Just North Of Downtown On $6,650k A Month

How far do the dollars of a retiree go?

3:56 PM CDT on September 14, 2026

Image via Unsplash

Welcome to The Pickup’s Money Journal series, where we (anonymously) snoop on our Tulsa neighbors’ finances. Want to be snooped on yourself? Fill out our Money Journal submission form, or email Matt Carney at matt@thepickup.com. Thanks to our pals at Racket for sharing this format with us.

Job: Artist, writer, landlady, Airbnb owner
Age: 70
Neighborhood: We live just barely north of downtown Tulsa
Education: College graduate, bachelors degree
Estimated annual income: That kind of depends. Years ago we incorporated and became a business, so part of our income goes into the business, and then our business pays us depending on our needs.
Partner's salary: Same thing as above 
Dependents: None
Estimated net worth: Maybe about $1,125,000


DEBT 

We have no debts.


ASSETS

We own the house we live in and three other homes and then two joint homes with our children. We own two cars. We both have our own retirement accounts, savings accounts, CDs, money market, and investments with a financial planner.


MONTHLY INCOME

We both have Social Security and that brings us around $1,600 a month. We have rental income and Airbnb income at about $4,850. Sales of art, writing, music is probably about $200 a month depending on the month and the year, sometimes much more sometimes much less.


MONTHLY EXPENSES 

Our monthly expenses are few. Gas, water, electric, healthcare, gasoline, groceries, repairs, and upkeep, restaurants. We pay utilities on our own home, and two more Airbnbs.


Did your family talk about money growing up?

They didn’t talk about it so much as we just saw it happen. My parents owned their own business and we kids were involved in that. I could see that a woman could make her own money and there was no question that I couldn’t do the same. Both of them were very honest and my dad was very good with numbers. They studied first, practiced second and then third, made a big jump into owning their own business. They also had a couple of rental properties. I think that whatever your parents do it kind of makes you feel comfortable doing the same. You know you have someone who can answer any questions you might have.