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Podcast Episode

This Grad Student Fellow's Frugal Lifestyle Enables a High Savings Rate

Personal Finance for PhDs·Emily Roberts·22 July 2026
This Grad Student Fellow's Frugal Lifestyle Enables a High Savings Rate cover art

About this episode

In this episode, Emily interviews Michele Remer, a 4th-year PhD candidate at Michigan State University and repeat podcast guest. Michele breaks down her budget, detailing her top five largest expenses: rent, groceries, utilities, restaurants and social events, and transportation. During grad school, she has found ways to decrease her spending on some necessary expenses, which has allowed her to intentionally increase her spending in other areas of higher value. Due to her frugality and her National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship award, Michele has maintained a very high savings rate, which she puts toward her Roth IRA, taxable brokerage account, and student loans.