Food Diary: What a 45-Year-Old Orchestra Conductor Making $950,000 Eats in San Francisco

Welcome to The Receipt, a series documenting how Bon Appétit readers eat and what they spend doing it. Each food diary follows one anonymous reader’s week of expenses related to groceries, restaurant meals, coffee runs, and every bite in between. In this time of rising food costs, The Receipt reveals how folks—from different cities, with different incomes, on different schedules—are figuring out their food budgets.

In today’s Receipt, a 45-year-old orchestra conductor makes $950,000 in San Francisco. Keep reading for his receipts.

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The finances

What are your pronouns? He/him

What is your occupation? Orchestra conductor

How old are you? 45 years old

What city and state do you live in? San Francisco, CA

What is your annual salary, if you have one? This year, my gross income is approximately $950,000. Last year, it was $800,000 or so. It varies greatly each year and depends on the number of performances. This season I have 94 performances, which is a bit ridiculous—I have to have a better work-life balance in the future. The pandemic was very difficult for musicians as we don’t get paid if we don’t perform. So it’s nice to return to performing and making music.

How much is one paycheck, after taxes? No regular paycheck—a musician’s life can be very sporadic and unpredictable!

How often are you paid? (e.g. weekly) Some organizations pay monthly, some organizations pay at the gig.

How much money do you have in savings? Approximately $2,000,000 in savings and investments.

What are your approximate fixed monthly expenses beyond food? (i.e. rent, subscriptions, bills)

• Mortgage #1 plus utilities: $7,000
• Mortgage #2 plus utilities: $4,500
• Mortgage #3 plus utilities: $5,500
• Child support: $5,000
• Personal assistant(s): $5,000
• Monthly total: $27,000

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The diet

Do you follow a certain diet or have dietary restrictions? No.

What are the grocery staples you always buy, if any? Tortillas, eggs, bread, blueberries, oatmeal, some sort of lean protein, butter, spinach. Because I travel so often, I tend to buy only for a few days at a time or even just a single meal.

How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? A perk of a career that necessitates a lot of travel is experiencing different cultures and exploring each city’s food scene. If I’m out of town for a concert set in a different state or country, then I’m generally eating out every meal. When I’m working close to home, I’ll cook a few times a week. I have a garden with tomatoes, lettuces, peppers, etc that I love making salads from. I also like to check out new restaurants and favorite mainstays based on a mix of recommendations from Michelin, Eater, Bon Appétit, and random food bloggers I follow. The Bay Area food scene has much to explore!