TL;DR: I spend over $10,000 a month in NYC on four things: a second apartment I use as an office, a full-time nanny, a cleaning service, and my For The Firsts community. A few years ago I wouldn’t have believed it. But money is a tool everything I spend today is building the life I want tomorrow.

I spend over $10,000 on rent. Let’s talk about it.

A few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed I’d spend money the way I do now. I grew up without much. Every dollar felt precious because every dollar was. But somewhere along the way, I learned to see money differently not as the goal, but as a tool. Here are the four expensive things I spend on every month, and why I’d defend every single one.

Why rent two apartments in New York City?

Item one: I rent two apartments. One is home where I live with my family. The other is a studio I work from. It’s the room I’m usually filming in.

Is it expensive? Obviously. Is it worth it? Completely.

Having two spaces keeps work and life mostly separate. When I’m in the studio, I’m working fully locked in, no dishes in the sink pulling at my attention, no guilt about being “home but not present.” When I’m home, I’m home. That separation makes me more productive at work and more present with my family, and both of those things are worth more than the rent.

For my fellow firsts building something from nothing: you don’t need two apartments. The principle is the boundary. Even a corner of a room that means “work happens here and only here” can change how you show up.

Is hiring a full-time nanny worth it?

Item two: a full-time nanny for my son even though I don’t work a 9-to-5.

This one surprises people. “You work from home, why do you need full-time childcare?” Because working from home with a toddler isn’t working. It’s surviving. The nanny frees me to actually do my work during work hours, which means I’m not half-working all day and half-parenting all evening.

And honestly? She’s the perfect person for our family. She’s not “the help.” She’s part of the family. Paying well for great care isn’t an extravagance it’s one of the best investments I’ve made, in my work and in my kid.

Should you pay for a cleaning service?

Item three: a cleaning service that comes to my house and my office a few times a month.

Here’s the logic. Every hour I spend deep-cleaning is an hour I’m not creating, not with my son, not building the business. The service resets the space I walk into a clean office and get straight into the work. No friction, no “I’ll just tidy up first” that eats the morning.

This isn’t about being fancy. It’s about buying back the hours where you’re at your best and spending them on the things only you can do.

Why spend money on a community that loses money?

Item four is the one I’m proudest of: For The Firsts, my monthly meetup community here in New York City.

We host big-name guests. Real connections happen every single month I’ve watched people meet their best friends, find mentors, land opportunities in that room. And I’ll be straight with you: right now, it costs more than it makes.

I fund it anyway. Because the impact is tangible, month after month, in people’s actual lives. Some investments don’t pay back in dollars. They pay back in the kind of compound interest you can’t put in a spreadsheet community, belonging, momentum for people who’ve never had rooms like this built for them.

Money is a tool. Everything I spend today is building the life I want to live tomorrow.

How do you decide what deserves your money?

That’s the real question underneath all four of these. Here’s my filter now: does this spending buy back my time, protect my energy, or build the future I want? If yes, it’s not an expense. It’s an investment.

The two apartments buy focus and presence. The nanny buys real work hours and real family hours instead of a blurry mix. The cleaning service buys momentum. The community buys something bigger than me.

None of this is a prescription. Your four things will look different from mine maybe it’s daycare, maybe it’s a course, maybe it’s just the good groceries. The point isn’t the list. It’s the mindset shift: stop asking “can I afford this?” and start asking “what is this building?”

A few years ago I couldn’t have imagined spending this way. Today I can’t imagine building the life I want without it.

Key takeaways

• I spend over $10,000 a month in NYC on four things: a work studio, a full-time nanny, a cleaning service, and my For The Firsts community.

• Separating work space from living space makes you more productive at work and more present at home.

• Full-time childcare isn’t a luxury when it’s what lets you do focused work it’s infrastructure.

• Buying back low-value hours (like deep cleaning) frees your best hours for the work only you can do.

• Fund the things that build the future you want even when the return isn’t in dollars. Money is a tool.

FAQ

How much does it cost to live in NYC as a creator?

It varies wildly, but my setup runs over $10,000 a month across two apartments, full-time childcare, a cleaning service, and running a monthly community. NYC rewards intentionality know exactly what each dollar is buying you.

Is a separate home office worth the cost?

For me, yes. A dedicated work space even a rented studio creates a boundary between work and home that makes me more focused when working and more present when I’m not. You don’t need two apartments; you need a clear line.

Should you hire a nanny if you work from home?

If you need real, focused work hours, yes. Working from home with a toddler isn’t working it’s surviving. Great childcare buys back both your workday and your evenings.

How do you start a community meetup?

Start small and stay consistent. For The Firsts began as a simple monthly gathering for first-gen professionals in NYC. Show up every month, bring good people together, and let the impact compound even before the money does.

Keep going

• Stop comparing yourself to generational wealth why your first-gen milestones count more than you think, and the mindset that keeps you hungry without the head start.

• Money shame: the hardest conversation I had with my wife what telling the truth about not making rent taught me about success and facades.

Want more honest money and career talk? Follow @careercolin on Instagram I break down one career idea at a time, built for firsts.

Colin Rocker is a Forbes 30 Under 30 creator, LinkedIn Top Voice, and founder of For The Firsts, NYC’s monthly meetup for first-generation professionals.