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WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on TheJournal.ie that runs weekly and looks at what people in Ireland really do with their cash.
We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, how much they save if anything, and what they spend their money on over the course of one week.
Want to take part? We’d like to hear from you. Just email money@thejournal.ie and we’ll be in touch.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes.
Last week, we heard from a 23-year-old clerical officer living in Louth. This week we hear from a 30-year-old who spent over a year travelling and is now back in Ireland. They are on the dole and when they were writing this diary for us, were preparing for Christmas.
I’m just back (two weeks ago) from a year and nine months travelling around the world. My boyfriend and I packed up our lives and set off in 2018. It was my life goal and since that’s done, I’m on the lookout for a new one. I spent a year in Australia and saved money while there knowing I was coming home.
I’m living with my mam for the first time in a long time. I’ve had to become very good with money, but when I was keeping this diary it was coming up to Christmas and I knew it would put a dent into my bank account. I’m super lucky that I have no debts coming home and I can draw the dole. Between that and my savings, I should be OK to get myself set up again
Occupation: Campaigns Executive
Age: 30
Location: Cork
Salary: €203 a week, my dole payment
Monthly pay (net): €812
Monthly expenses
Rent and household bills: €200. I’m living back in my mam’s house
Transport: €100 petrol. I try to fill up my mam’s car when it is low
Phone bill: €14.99 for six months
Health insurance: I wish.
Groceries: €80
Gym membership: €99 for 10 weeks
Subscriptions: €0. I use a friend’s Netflix and think it’s mad to pay for things you can get for free.
Car: See above
Savings: €50 per week
***
9am I wake up, read the news and make a coffee while I wait for the postman. He should have my public services card this morning. I need it to get my dole. I have avocado and eggs left from a shop last week so I use them for brekkie.
10.30am Card has arrived!!! I go to collect my first payment which is €120, not too shabby! I’ve some Christmas presents to get so this will help. My mam lives a 10-minute walk from the city centre, which makes life so easy for me.
11.30am – 4pm Christmas shopping. I have my godson’s presents since November, I bought them online and had them sent home. I have another three nephews to buy for so from this year on I’m setting a €20 limit for them. I know some people might think this is stingy but each to their own. I also have to get my sister’s presents and something for my friends who bought a house while I was away, which my boyfriend is going halves on. In the end, I spend €218.50.
4.30pm – Back home and I have pasta pesto, smoked salmon and goats cheese left in the fridge from last week’s shop so I have that for lunch. Sounds very posh.
6.30pm – 7.30pm Time to get to the gym. I paid €99 in advance for 10 weeks and am trying to go as much as I can.
8pm Head to Aldi for a Christmas shop and some messages for the week. I’m going to my boyfriend’s house for Christmas this year so I can’t go empty-handed. I buy some bits to make a hamper for his family. I’ll top it up with some fresh bits next week. The whole shop comes to €60.48, including four bottles of wine. I definitely missed Aldi while I was away.
9pm Catch up on the soaps with my mam. That’s more her forte so she brings me up to speed on all the goings-on.
10pm Do my Christmas wrapping and head to bed.
Today’s total: €278.98
9am Alarm goes off.
10am I buy a pair of shoes from River Island online for £30. I always buy in £ if it will work out cheaper. I bought these exact shoes last week but think I need another size so will return whichever ones aren’t right. I’ve noticed that my headphones are broken so put them back together with sellotape. I much prefer fixing stuff instead of replacing it straight away.
10.30am – 12pm Gym time.
2pm I walk to town to meet my mam for lunch. She buys me a chowder, which is very much appreciated.
3pm I need a few bits so head to Penney’s. I try not to buy from Penney’s if I can help it, but they have what I need and it’s cheap. My three bits come to €22.
7pm I drive to my friends’ new house. They love their presents, which I’m delighted about. We spend the evening drinking tea and catching up.
Today’s total: €57 (£30 = €35)
9am Wake up and the weather is horrendous. I can’t go outside the door so no gym today.
1pm I drive to my boyfriend’s house. It should take about 40 minutes but I’m out of practice with driving and the weather is still awful so it takes me an hour and a half.
2.30pm I buy a box of teabags and buns to bring to his house as he messaged me to say they have no tea. This cost €10.72. I probably didn’t need to buy the buns but I hate going to people’s homes empty-handed, even if I know them very well. It’s nice to have something when you arrive.
300pm We just watch Netflix for the rest of the day because it is so miserable.
Today’s total: €10.72
10am Drive my boyfriend to the social welfare office so he can finish signing on.
11am His mam asked us to get a jacket from Tesco for her for Christmas so we head for the nearest town to him with a Tesco. He swears blind he knows where the Tesco is… long story short, he doesn’t. Spend the next 20 minutes stuck in traffic trying to get out of this town. We pass the Tesco, but I’m too flustered to go in.
1pm I’m in my third Tesco of the day and still no jacket. I did get myself a lovely jumper for €25. Were Tesco clothes always this nice? I put €40 petrol into my mam’s car as it’s running low.
3pm Make it back to my mam’s and it’s lashing again but we need to go to town for some bits. We throw up two umbrellas and brave the elements.
7 pm We’re going to meet friends for a table quiz and some food. The rain hasn’t stopped so we get a taxi instead of the bus. My boyfriend pays, he’s a keeper. He owes me money from the housewarming presents so pays for my dinner and I buy one round of drinks for €15.50. Oh, and we win the quiz.
1.30am My friend is driving so drops us home. Score.
Today’s total: €80.50
7am Alarm goes off much too early this morning. I’m minding my nephews.
12pm They’re finished school for Christmas so I get them a treat which comes to €4.30.
2.20pm I do a legger when their dad gets home. I need a nap as I’m going to a 30th tonight. I stop by my Granny’s house on the way home to do her shopping and she gives me €20 to get a drink at the party. What a hero.
8pm My boyfriend and I pick up a Chinese on the way to his house. He still owes me money so he buys mine.
9pm – 1.30am The party is on in my boyfriend’s local which is a small country pub, so the drinks are quite cheap. We have put €15 each into a card and I spend €30 at the bar.
Today’s total: €49.30
I spend no money as we have the laziest day ever sitting on the couch, drinking cups of tea and watching telly.
Today’s total: €0
10.30am I’m supposed to be going home but my boyfriend’s mam bought a new car and they’re going for a spin, so he convinces me to come too.
12.30pm We’re heading for Killarney and stop for petrol on the way. I give her €30 for petrol.
1.30pm We arrive and I have some bits to get so I finish my Christmas shopping. It comes to €40. I pick up some snacks in Marks (€14.50) and head for the train. The ticket is €20 and my boyfriend pays half.
3pm Arrive home and laze about for the rest of the day before having an early night.
Today’s total: €94.50
What I’ve learned:
Makes me sick to read self serving comments like ” To facilitate family visits ” . What about the victims family ? They can only visit a cold graveyard when some prick in the Prison Service decides to be a do-gooder to a career criminal and his family.
I think to describe the official as a prick is a bit much, they made a mistake but no need to get personal
Sorry, that is my way of describing someone who does not do their homework before they make a decision that will affect the lives of others. I have good friends in the prison service but I feel there is no sympathy for victims in this country.
@David Conroy I also Have very close friends in the Prison Service They are Frontline Staff and This decision was not made by F.L STAFF this was I.P.S. That is Responsible along with the Minister for JUSTICE HEADS SHOULD BE ROLLING
What disrespect Shown to the Deaceased Garda and his Grieving Parents Family Colleagues and all who knew and loved Him
@Vocal How can anyone get personnel no-one has a name of any person who made this terrible decision and that person should be named and shamed and along with Alan Shatter should resign
So true.
Personal attack by referring to the official as a prick, it is just name calling, by all means state incompetent or negligent but name calling is personal, even without the guy being identified
@Bernadette & Vocal Outrage
I agree with David (Conroy) I am sure he and I mean the judge or whoever gave the sentence. Should have ruled that he be given 25 years to life (litterly) for what he did. The law is just so wrong. Why isn’t Shatter reviewing these laws? He not only is the Minister for Justice (I laugh) but is also a solicitor. Surely he has enough experience to know that it needs a huge overhaul and update?
Yeah but who made the decision and have they been fired?
The person who made this awful decision to place a killer into an un-secure prison should be name and directed to account followed by being dismissed! Now saying they were wrong isn’t good enough! A family trying to grieve for there loss and this must be so hard take never mind the small sentence the scumbag got.
It can only have been political pressure or family connections. The fact that we’ve been given such vague details indicates to me that it was political pressure from someone in the governments camp.
Mr Shatter
Are you keeping the high security cells for the Garlic and T.V licence offenders and people who don’t pay the household charge?
While real criminals are put into ”Holiday Camps”?
Cop killer and only 7 year sentence. That should be a death row. Plus Low security prison??? Does this mean Prison for those who wants to flee
V nice
the move from portlaoise to Cavan stinks of political interference… if so they should admit it and resign
Sean Beag, if the decision was made due to overcrowding, and a lack of places in other high/medium security prisons, then surely it’s a failure of the system, not an individual failure? In that situation, shouldn’t we perhaps look to solve the overcrowding problem, rather than allowing the Minister for Justice to give the appearance of competence, by finding someone to fire?
Well fiachra, there are plenty of people doing small sentences for minor crimes that could have been sent there if overcrowding was the problem.
christine make another attempt of an impression of a journalist
Yes Mr. Shatter it was wrong (only because ye were found out)
Excuse the bad language but “no shit Sherlock “
Kill a police officer and get 7 years in a cushy prison, kill a country and get off with a golden handshake. Don’t pay an unfair tax and you’ll be fined, have your privacy laws violated and anything else they can do to harass you.
And people wonder why I left.
Nobody wonders why you left Jason when you come out with comments like that!
Absolute disgrace! Can’t imagine how this mans grieving family feel. They’ve basically been told their son’s life was worthless! Such a joke of a judicial system. The guy who tried to break I to shatters home will have the book thrown at him and no doubt stuffed into mountjoy!
Oh, was it wrong Mister Shatter..you patronising git…
Only in Ireland ……. This happened in Shatters watch and he should resign immediately…… This escapee Killed a member of An Garda Siochana on Duty Good Grief if our Front Line employees are not respected by the Minister???? This Garda was on Duty he actually saved his colleague’s life that fateful night
This just disgraceful that Alan Shatter is still in office at the DEPT OF JUSTICE “JUSTICE” being the operative word here
Does that IPS report reference this story??
According to the local paper here in Cavan, this is the SECOND time McDermott escaped from Loughan House!
“Garda killer Martin McDermott, who recently went on the run from Loughan House while serving a sentence for the manslaughter of a young Garda in 2009, had previously walked out from the very same prison facility while serving a sentence, The Anglo-Celt can reveal.
The Anglo-Celt understands that 26-year-old McDermott from Raphoe, Donegal went missing from the Blacklion-based open-prison while serving a three-month sentence back in November 2007. He was subsequently “at large” for more than five days before being returned into custody.”
Kill a guard and get 7 years, evade vat and get 6 years, definitely something really wrong here. Goes to show that all this government care about is money and have no respect for people. Without a shadow of a doubt Shatter should resign, but he won’t and some poor sod will be made scapegoat for this.
@made,
Two rules, two worlds! Their’s and ours! A basset hound (whom Shatter has a similar look of) would do a better job than this half wit!
He says ‘it’s a disgrace’. You’ve been in the job over a year, you’ve being living in Ireland all your life, surely you knew, being a solicitor, that this scum was in an open prison? bla bla bla bla bla and more of the same. I wonder do these journalists that have the mics shoved in his face ever get tired of hearing the same o same o? If it were me I’d be temped to hit him with the mic!
RESIGN SHATTER!!!!! Its only a matter of time until you will be shown for the incompetent fool you are.
Another whitewash! Until some form of accountability is introduced to deal with the inadequate in the Irish public service, this country will always be thought of as a corrupt banana republic! Shatter, you’re a total disgrace! Either resign or bring whoever made this appalling decision to book!
How could this happen with a Garda killer? I am sure the guys who broke into Shatters house will get a tough sentence in Alcatraz!
So that’s it? It was wrong. It won’t happen again…blah blah blah. This guy is not suited to his job and inspires zero confidence. There was definitely some representation made here on behalf of the scumbag’s family. No doubt about it and wouldn’t this be a nice story in the press. Why else would this whole thing be so vague? Meanwhile a muppet burglar picks the wrong house, not as part of any grand plan, and remains in custody having been refused bail and will be made an example of. If it were Joe Blogg’s house would this man be still refused bail? Yeah right…
The sad thing is folks, when this latest uproar all dies down there is a strong chance that mc dermott will once again be moved back to loughan house to facilitate his family visits because unfortunately that is the way our watery prison system works. What a sad state of affairs our justice system has become
The mind boggles. 7 years for killing a guard, 6 years for not paying VAT. It’s an outdoor asylum we’re living in…
This stinks to high heaven. There is definitely a job here for a good investigative journalist. It’s not good enough to issue a report saying it was wrong – we have to be given the real reason he was moved. Why should his family get this consideration. He didn’t give consideration to the family of Garda McLoughlin when he drove that car.
No respect to the dead Garda his family, or current gardai working,the whole thing is a disgrace to his memory there should be lots of people sacked as a result
low-security prison?
Manslaugther?
7 years?
He murdered a Garda – life in prison no ifs no buts and I mean life, let him die in there of old age, never to see the light of day again!
@Keith
It’s quite obvious that it has to do with some kind of personal relationship/relative. Maybe, somebody on this thread knows and hopefully will let us know. The ass, judge whoever made that decision should have been given his P45.
Just so wrong. I wonder how the man is that also got 6 years (garlic tax) just like this scum of the earth. Where is this scum now? Another open prison or Mountjoy?
Were ye not just alerted to this fact by a person commenting on the recent post about the same man?? Top investigating!!
Right so, Alan shatter resign… Who do you suggest should replace him?
If a killer of a person employed to protect the citizens from crime and outrage is treated so inappropriately, the ordinary law-abiding citizens must rank very lowly in Mr. Shatter’s estimation!
Sadly, it is not only Fianna Fail who were perverse and dysfunctional in their actions and decisions.
Mr. Shatter is o,k,; he will be protected and cossetted – but what about elderly or other vulnerable persons who cannot have a private protecting force at their door-step?
Perverse decisions like allowing this recidivist criminal to dodge his punishment for killing a protector of the general public exposes Mr. Shatter and the government as untrustworthy and unwilling to carry out their statutory obligations to the citizens of the State. Not to mention their oath of office, if that matters any more!
This betrayal of trust will need to be remembered by all voters; there is one way in which to show these arrogant incompetents that they will be made answer for their betrayal of law-abiding citizens.
If the politicians do not know what that is, I suggest that they ask Mr. Michael McDowell, one-time Minister for Justice!
What is it with ex-lawyers when they get elected to government; stage-fright? Or unable to hack real life?
One wonders will Labour survive this capitalist and right-wing hotchpotch of unsuitables?
Maybe we would be better off if they don’t.
have your say