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WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.
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, so let’s be kind.
Last time around, we heard from a self-employed illustrator in the west of the country. This week, a man living with chronic illness juggles the slow pace of life caused by his medical care, with caring for his dog, and keeping himself going.
I am a man in my 60s living alone with my dog in Connaught. I have severe inflammatory arthritis. It is a progressive autoimmune disease with no cure and is very debilitating. In the last two years, I’ve had two surgeries on my spine.
I’m on a battery of medications, including monthly injections, to keep it at bay. As a result, I am not able to work anymore and am now receiving an invalidity pension. This is approximately €1350.00 per month. I have to make do with this for all my needs in life.
I hope that this diary will give a bit of insight into the life of a person with a disability living on a small income. I’m certainly not alone in this. I know many people in the disabled community (and many I don’t know) who are in the same position. And I can tell you this for nothing, it is no joke! On top of that, as if things weren’t hard enough already, the cost of everything keeps going up.
Budgeting is essential! I have created spreadsheets to aid me in that and have an annual budget, which I divide into 12 to give me guidance. I also keep track of all my spending on another one. I know…. So much fun!
I do save, but that’s practically all for later planned expenses like insurances, motor tax etc. Every year I plan to be able to put something aside, but that’s virtually impossible now.
Well, enough with all the misery talk. I do some things for fun. I read a lot and get a good share of the books from the local library, including e-books, which are great on days I am unable to hold a real one for long.
I love music and cooking, a wide variety of both. The madra and myself go for walks which is our enjoyment and exercise time. I live in a very rural area, so we mostly end up having to drive to the various woods and beaches around the place, but with the current price of diesel, we cut back on that.
I live a very simple life and eat simple but wholesome food. I even bake my own bread with a ‘no-knead’ recipe on the wood stove. I don’t own a washing machine or a dryer and use a self-service launderette once a month (works out cheaper in the long run).
I also don’t own a dishwasher, electric kettle or toaster. I do however, have an Actifry air fryer as I love chips. I got it used on DoneDeal for very little. I’m growing a bit of my own veg and would love a little polytunnel one day.
I read a lot and write a bit of poetry, which is never good enough in my opinion.
One of my friends claims I live like a monk.
Occupation: On disability
Age: 60s
Location: West of Ireland
Salary: €16,200
Monthly pay (net): €1350.00
I am in the enviable position of owning my home and having the mortgage paid off. And thank God for that! Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how I would manage.
Not everything is itemised, but you’ll get the idea.
Health (medication, appointments, supports etc.): €250.00
Transport (old van, Insurance, tax, maintenance and fuel): €300.00
Electricity: €40.00 (I am very frugal with that)
Heating (oil, cooking gas and wood): €150.00 (that’s all year round)
House (Maintenance, insurance, my dog,
phone, laundry, LPT, clothing, music app, etc.): €250.00
Food/household needs (I batch cook and freeze): €300.00
Total: €1290.00
This is a monthly breakdown from my annual budget. Amounts vary, but include saving for the big annual expenses. There are often additional medical needs that mostly consume any of the spare cash. That was my budget for 2026, but it’s rapidly changing. And that’s it! Not much left for anything really. Certainly no holidays or socialising/dinner out.
7.00 am: I wake up around this time most days, but I don’t get up until 8.30 am or 9.00 am to save on heating. Look at the weather forecast for today and have a glance at the news, but it’s nothing but misery, so I abandon that in favour of reading my e-book. I have a holder for my phone suspended above my pillow, which is great.
8.30 am: Do stretch exercises in bed before getting out. The heating has come on. I make coffee and take the first lot of medications, then read more of my book. My dog is still tucked up in bed.
10.00 am: I make breakfast, and the madra has decided to join me. Most days, I have porridge and fruit. I make the herbal tea for the day in a flask, which saves me from having to boil the kettle every time. After another round of exercise and medications, I perform the morning ablutions.
11.00 am: I write the intro for this diary.
12.00 pm: I potter around the house and clean out the stove.
1.00 pm: We (myself and the dog) have our dinner (meatballs in tomato sauce with tagliatelle and a salad) followed by the wash-up and our daily after dinner nap. I took my injection yesterday, and that always comes with extreme fatigue for a few days, so I’m ready to drop (I know… that’s what living with a chronic illness is like!).
3.30 pm: We get up, and I do more stretches, still tired. Have a cup of tea.
4.00 pm: I clean my kerosene burner. It’s great when you only want to heat one room and cheap to run. I get firewood (I have a lovely basket on wheels), light the stove and have another cup of tea. I’m low on wood, so I only light it in the evening as it keeps the house warm well in the night. The central heating is timed to come on at 7.00 pm, but most nights it doesn’t as the temperature is already there from the stove. The dog is in a fight with one of the cats that hang around the place, so I leave them at it (the cat always wins). I read some more.
6.30 pm: We have our tea. I’m having homemade soup and a fruit salad. My dog is munching on a slice of ham.
7.00 pm: I do the wash-up and have another cup of tea (with another round of tablets) while reading some stuff online I keep up with.
8.00 pm: We retire to the leaba, and I read some more while listening to music.
9.00 pm: I have a cup of tea (with my last tablet) and give the dog a treat. After I do my evening ablutions and go to bed again to watch a film I downloaded from YouTube (I don’t own a television).
11.00 pm: Sleep.
Today’s total: €0.00
9.00 am: I was woken up by my dog with cuddles. I was up during the night with what we call ‘painsomnia’. It’s where the pain in your joints is bad enough to wake you. I was up at 3.00 am with a cup of tea and pain killers and hot packs for about an hour. Once I’m up, the morning follows the same pattern as yesterday.
11.00 am: We go over to the neighbour to help him with some bits, a cup of tea and a chat.
12.00 pm: We head into town for some messages (€14.13), the post office, library, refill shop (€2.34) and hardware (€14.98). And we had a small walk in the local woods.
1.30 pm: We’re home and I’m preparing dinner. The same meatballs, but with couscous instead and salad. The dog has his chicken with veg.
2.30 pm: After the wash-up, we go for a rest.
3.30 pm: I potter around the garden a bit.
4.30 pm: I light the fire, and we have tea with a biscuit. Time for a bit of reading as I didn’t have much of a chance this morning.
6.30 pm: We have our tea. I was out of bread, so I treated myself to a croissant.
7.30 pm: We go to bed as I’m very tired and have a good bit of pain after our ‘busy’ day.
9.00 pm: I get up for a cup of tea and get ready to sleep.
9.30 pm: Lights out
Today’s total: €31.45
8.00 am: The dog wakes me up after having a restless night (probably out of revenge for me interrupting his last night). As soon as I’m up, he goes back to sleep, the little. The morning follows the same track. I mix the ingredients for the bread as it needs to rise for an hour. And light the stove as I’m baking and cooking today.
11.00 am: I go to the neighbours to check on them. We have the usual cup of tea and a chat. And with the current goings on, we never run out of subjects to talk about!
11.30 am: We’re back, and I put more wood on the fire and transfer the dough to the frying pan to leave to rise for another 45 min. The Credit Union has deducted the quarterly prize draw fee of €13 (€1/week), could be enough for a new(ish) car…. One is allowed to dream! I start preparing dinner. Spaghetti with pancetta and Camembert cheese sauce. There was a sale on the Camembert as it was nearing its sell-by date, so happy days! I look every week for these offers. I’ve picked up a few ready meals that way, which I freeze. Great for when I have bad days or am sick. The bread is done and is on the rack to cool.
2.30 pm: We are done with everything and go for our rest. I’m very stiff today, so everything is in slow motion and costs a lot more effort.
4.00 pm: I force myself to get up and have a cup of tea. The evening unfolds in a similar fashion as before.
6.00 pm: We have our tea. Fresh homemade bread!
7.00 pm: We’re in bed reading.
8.30 pm: Up for a cup of tea and a chat with my sister.
9.30 pm: Ready for the night. Some light reading and sleep. I’m shattered!
Today’s total: €13.00
7.00 am: The morning follows the familiar pattern.
10.30 am: We go into town to do our weekly shop. I have scoured their leaflet for offers, and I have made a list. We hope the weather holds out enough for us to go for a small walk.
12.00 pm: We’re home again. The weather didn’t hold unfortunately, so no walk today. I spent €55.11 on groceries, and I saw that the phone bill was debited from my account (€14.99). I put away the shopping and prepare our dinner. The same as yesterday, but a different salad. The dog has chicken. After the wash-up, we go and lie down for a rest. I have a friend coming over, so I make sure I’m rested a bit.
2.30 pm: We get up and have a cup of tea.
3.00 pm: My friend arrives, and we have a lovely chat.
6.30 pm: After my friend left, we have our tea, and I’m ready to lie down again.
8.00 pm: We get up for a cup of tea.
8.30 pm: I go back and fall asleep quickly.
Today’s total: €70.10
6.30 am: I wake and read the last of an e-book and start another.
8.15 am: I get up and notice that my right foot is numb, and the thumb joint on my left hand is swollen and very painful when I’m trying to do my stretch exercise. These are things that happen on a regular basis. It could be one or more joints acting up all of a sudden, but it indicates increased disease activity, which is not good. It’s going to be a slow day!
9.00 am: The morning follows the same track except it’s now very hard with one hand and minding my foot. I see that the home insurance is debited (€30.98).
12.00 pm: I stick a ready meal in the microwave and skip the salad as it’s impossible to do with one hand.
1.00 pm: I’m exhausted from the morning with the extra effort and pain. We go to bed for a rest. I listen to music and fall asleep at some stage.
3.00 pm: We get back up, and I have tea and read again. I have a book stand which is very handy on days like this.
5.30 pm: I have crackers with cheese and tea (no prep), the dog has cheese as well, but he doesn’t like crackers. I try to stay up as long as I can. I take more painkillers and read.
7.00 pm: We go to bed for the night. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a bit better.
Today’s total: €30.98
7.00 am: I wake up and read a bit. It’s lashing down already!
8.30 am: I do my usual, my thumb seems to be a bit more mobile today and not as painful. Let’s hope it stays that way. My foot is still partially numb, so there’s definitely something wrong in my spine again…. Oh joy! The morning unfolds along the usual lines with the exception of preparing for storm Dave. I’m charging my phone and batteries. I also have a small power pack, which might just keep the fridge going in case the electricity goes. My injections need to be kept refrigerated. I’ve stocked up on firewood yesterday. Let’s pray it won’t be a bad one!
12.30 pm: We have our dinner. Defrosted colcannon with a smoked sausage and salad, of course, as my thumb is holding up its end of the bargain today. After the wash-up, we lie down (I’m fit to collapse again!) for a rest and I listen to some music.
3.30 pm: I wake up still exhausted. We get up and have tea. The rain is something else altogether! I read some more and give the dog a treat. He doesn’t want to go out at all today! I potter a bit.
5.30 pm: We have our tea, French onion soup I made last week and had in the freezer. The dog is having a sausage.
7.00 pm: After clean-up and some online reading with a passing glance at the news and the weather, we go to bed. I start watching a film, but it doesn’t keep my attention. Read my e-book instead.
9.00 pm: A last cup of tea and getting ready for the night
Today’s total: €0.00
7.00 am: I wake up, and the morning ritual ensues. My foot is still the same, and my thumb is tender but ok(ish). I can get around and do stuff. Today I’ll be cooking a Moroccan tagine in the slow cooker. I have friends over for dinner tomorrow, but the dish takes eight hours to cook, so I am having a head start on it today. We survived storm Dave. It wasn’t as bad here wind-wise, but the rain…..
11.00 am: I go check on the neighbours and have the tae agus caint.
12.00 pm: We have our dinner, colcannon again and a salad. The dog has his slow-cooked chicken (only the best for the boy). After cleaning up, we have our rest.
2.00 pm: We decide to get up and go for a walk on the beach as the tide is out. The dog loves having a good run on it. We have been fairly cooped up the last few days, so we can do with it.
5.00 pm: We’re home, and the dog is like a doughnut! Covered with a nice ‘frosting’ of sand. It was great! We are starving and cold, so I light the fire and make us something to eat for our tea. Afterwards, we’re glowing and tired but content! The usual evening plays out.
Today’s total: €0.00
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What I learned -
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