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 civil servant on €95K living in the Midlands. This week, a project manager on €46K living in Co Galway.

I am a project manager with an engineering company based in Dublin. I currently work from home three days a week. We have a newborn baby and have just moved into our first home. I enjoy going for walks or hikes with our dog, go-karting and reading.

My partner and I are currently saving for a wedding in 2028. We have a joint account where both salaries are paid into and we split everything 50:50, except presents.

We have consistently saved before buying our house and are now figuring out our new living expenses and organising a savings goal in advance of our wedding.

Occupation: Project manager with engineering company

Age: 28

Location: Galway

Salary: €46,125

Monthly pay (net): €3,100

Monthly expenses

Transport: €150-200

Mortgage: €1,440 per month – fixed for five years

Household bills: €150 – battery and solar keep electricity cost near zero, currently

House and life insurance: €163 per month

Car loan: €218 per month (will finish in April)

Phone bill: €15 per month

Broadband: €30 per month

Groceries: €500 per month

Subscriptions: €56.50; NowTV – €25 per month, YouTube Premium – €16 per month, Xbox Live – €9 per month, Patreon Subscription – €6.50 per month.

Savings: €1,000 per month – we’ve had this target for the past four years and have stuck by it, apart from the last two months due to buying stuff for our new house

***

Monday

8.50am: I roll out of bed and log onto work. We had visitors over the weekend, and I went for a long walk, so I’m taking it easy for Monday morning.

11.00am: It’s time for a break and a light breakfast. I’ve been trying to eat more fibre so opt for a banana and high-fibre protein bar. We do a decent shop on Sundays most weeks to ensure there’s plenty of stuff in the house. My partner is heading to her mother’s, and I help get the baby dressed and packed into the car.

1.10pm: It’s time for lunch and I opt for pancakes with blueberries and strawberries. I catch a few z’s whilst the house is empty.

2.10pm: Back to work and aiming to go for a walk after work.

5.00pm: I log off and get the dog ready for our walk. We have a lovely, quiet forest nearby that is great for relaxing in. On the way home, I swing by the supermarket for some small bits my partner asked for (€14.30) and top up our petrol car for my partner as I’ll be going to Dublin for two nights tomorrow evening. (€35.01)

6.45pm: I arrive back home and tend to some gardening in our front garden and clean one of our cars. I’m trying to finish off the outdoor jobs before the weather turns much more wet.

8.30pm: With our baby having his last nap of the day, my partner and I relax on the couch and get ready for Traitors. We do the Wordle and catch up on our days.

9.30pm: Our baby starts to stir, so we bathe him while watching Traitors. I feed our baby their bottle and then give the dog their dinner.

11.00pm: My partner and baby head to bed, so I settle in to play some Xbox before bed myself.

12.30pm: I let the dog out for the last time and then lock up and head to bed.

Today’s total: €49.31

Tuesday

8.45am: I’m up for work this morning after a decent sleep. I’ve a long meeting this morning and grab a banana in advance.

11.15am: Following my meeting, I head downstairs and catch up with my partner whilst giving our baby their bottle. I’m feeling lazy and hungry, so I throw a frozen jambon into the oven.

1.15pm: It’s lunchtime and I pack my bag for two nights away in Dublin. I skip lunch as I’m still feeling reasonably full.

2.15pm: I’m back to work and trying to get as much done ahead of being in the office. There’s a lot on, so I find my productivity drops when there. I snack on some pistachio nuts whilst working.

5.10pm: We take our baby and dog for a walk whilst the weather is still good.

6.20pm: I take a shower and eat some dinner before packing the car and saying goodbye to the family.

7.00pm: I attend psychotherapy counselling for a bi-monthly session (€50). I’m gradually winding down my sessions. Last year, I attended once a week for the year. I’m feeling much better about myself and life as a result. This is one of my final sessions for the time being.

8.15pm: I begin my drive to Dublin. The total drive is about 2 hours 40 mins. Since April, I’ve set the cruise control to 100kph and have begun avoiding the toll to save fuel and money. It only adds on a few minutes and makes me feel less guilty buying lunch out when up in Dublin.

11.00pm: I iron a few clothes for the days I’m in Dublin before heading to bed before midnight.

Today’s total: €50.00

Wednesday

7.50am: I wake up, get dressed and begin my walk to work. I try to walk to work when in Dublin to get some steps in, avoid sitting in traffic and cut down on fuel or public transport costs. I’m thankful to be able to stay with a family member within 40 mins walk or about 50 mins via the Luas.

8.30am: I grab some breakfast on the way to work as a treat and a drink for throughout the day. (€5.85)

8.45am: I arrive at work and get stuck into some work. There’s a lot of meetings today, so I want to try and get what I can done before I’m pulled away from it.

11.00am: I have a banana for a snack which is available from the office kitchen.

1.30pm: Lunch is a bit late today due to a workplace event. I head to a local shop for a wrap (€5.25) and sit in a local park to enjoy it and disconnect from work for a while. I check in on how things are at home before rushing back to the office.

2.30pm: Straight into another meeting after lunch. Afterwards, I get some more work done and prepare for an evening briefing session with clients.

7.05pm: I’m finally finished in the office and begin my walk back to my family member’s house.

8.00pm: I reheat a dinner which I brought with me and chat with my partner about their day.

8.30pm: I have a look on Adverts for some hall furniture or anything else that may be of interest for our new house. We have found loads of brilliant things, like a free TV stand, a cheap ottoman double bed and a baby bouncer. I send a couple options to my partner to review.

9.30pm: I head for a shower and watch some YouTube to relax for the evening. I’m home alone this evening, so it’s quiet and I start feeling tired quite early.

10.45pm: I pack up what I can ahead of going home tomorrow. I won’t be back to the house and want to avoid rushing in the morning.

11.00pm: I make my way to bed to get a decent night’s sleep ahead of tomorrow’s workday and driving home immediately afterwards.

Today’s total: €11.10

Thursday

7.50am: I wake up and pack the car and make my way to work. I’m driving in this morning as I have to drop off and collect stuff from the office. I have a bowl of cereal and head out.

8.50am: I log into work and start my day. I want to get what I can done before I’m stuck on meetings and office distractions kick in.

10.15am: I take an early break as I’ll be on calls throughout my typical break time. I grab some toast in the office to keep me ticking over.

1.00pm: It’s time for lunch, but I’m not feeling particularly hungry. I head for a short walk and then a sit-down in a local park. With driving home immediately after work, I want to be as rested as possible.

2.00pm: I’m back at work with some final meetings. I organise the materials I need to bring home with me for the following weeks.

4.15pm: I log off from work and begin my drive home. I’m hoping to beat some of the traffic out of Dublin. I couldn’t imagine having to commute in and out of Dublin daily; it is just bonkers! I wish the public transport options were better, as driving is half the time of getting the train for myself.

6.30pm: I pull into B&Q Athlone on the way home. We need a rubble sack and a shears to finish tidying up the back garden (€40). I’m shortly back on the road.

8.10pm: I arrive home after having to crawl through an awful downpour for the last 30 minutes of my drive. I throw on an oven pizza as there’s no dinner left to reheat. Our baby is asleep, so my partner and I catch up and stick on a bad movie to unwind.

10.00pm: Our baby wakes for his last feed of the day, so I give them their bottle whilst my partner pumps.

10.30pm: My partner and baby head to bed, so I tidy up around the kitchen a bit and cuddle with our dog for a while before I go to bed myself.

11.45pm: Not quite sure where the time went, I brush my teeth and head to bed.

Today’s total: €40.00

Friday

8.30am: I wake up before my alarm and find my partner and baby already downstairs. I play with them a bit on their play mat and let our dog out. It’s always such a boost to come home and see everyone in the morning.

9.00am: I log onto work and start catching up on some emails and prepping for a short meeting at 10am.

11.00am: Time for a break and I need some breakfast. My partner surprises me with some date balls which I ate a lot of whilst she was in the hospital for our child’s birth, and I have some pistachios which were in the cupboard for a while.

1.15pm: It’s lunchtime and my partner has taken our dog and baby to her parents’ house for the afternoon. I have some fruit and a sandwich then pack the car ahead of going to the dump tomorrow. There are bits of rubble left from the previous owners, as well as tree clippings and soil to get rid of.

2.15pm: I’m back at work and have some final small bits to polish off ahead of the weekend. I’m feeling tired now from looking at my screen all day, but happy knowing I’m nearly done.

5.00pm: I log off from work and my partner arrives home at almost the same time. I help them back into the house before making a shopping list. We try and plan a few meals in advance, which we can have throughout the week, so a list avoids missing anything or buying anything unnecessarily.

5.45pm: I head to the shops. For as long as possible, we shopped in our local SuperValu, aiming to support local business. However, things have just got too expensive there, so we only head there for things we can’t find elsewhere. I leave SuperValu (€41.30) and head to Aldi (€47.96) as well as Centra (€13.99). This is a larger shop than normal, as there were a few things like a protein bar I like that we’ve been struggling to find, so we stock up on them whilst on offer. I check the markets and see that oil prices have shot up, so I top off my partner’s car with petrol before the prices increase. (€25)

6.45pm: I’m home again and, after unpacking the shopping, feed our baby their bottle. They then go off to sleep for their last nap before bedtime, and my partner and I have a chat about our money and wedding plans. We have chosen an officiant and so will pay their deposit in the coming weeks.

9.00pm: Our baby is awake so we play with them and give them their bottle whilst watching TV.

9.40pm: My partner and baby head up to bed. I load the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen and sitting rooms.

10.30pm: I turn on the Xbox, but I am feeling tired after 45 minutes.

11.15pm: I turn off everything downstairs, let our dog out for bed, sit and cuddle her for a while, before brushing my teeth and getting into bed just at midnight.

Today’s total: €128.25

Saturday

8.00am: Typical that I am awake earlier than I need to be, but our baby is awake, so I play with them for a few minutes.

8.30am: My partner and baby go back to sleep for a while, so I begin to get ready to take the dog with me to run an errand before I walk her.

9.30am: I head to the local recycling centre to dispose of the waste I had packed up yesterday. It costs €11. Then I head to a nearby park for a long walk with the dog.

11.15am: I am back home and my in-laws arrive to collect some stuff that had been left in the house for themselves. We will aim to call over tomorrow, as we have other plans today.

11.30am: I cook a batch of sausages that were going out of date on Monday. We try to minimise our food waste as much as possible, only buying what we need and ensuring to use everything where we can. I make myself an egg and sausage sandwich as my partner ate before I came home.

12.00pm: The F1 is on and our baby is awake, so we feed them and play with them whilst that is on TV. They are in great form today and up for lots of chat.

1.30pm: Our baby is tired and my partner is getting ready to go out, so I strap the baby into their carrier on myself. This soothes them quickly and allows me to empty the bins from upstairs, take the bins out and tidy my office a bit.

2.45pm: My partner is meeting friends with our baby and I am feeling a bit tired, so once they leave, I head upstairs for a brief lie down. My wisdom teeth are causing me bother, so I’m hoping they’ll settle down after some paracetamol. I’m due to have them out in the new year – another expense we are saving for.

4.45pm: After a slightly unexpected nap, I am up to finish organising my office. Ideally, I’d like to paint the ceiling of it tomorrow, but we will see how things go.

5.15pm: My partner arrives home and I catch up with them about their afternoon out. They have some very cute photos of our friends with our baby.

6.00pm: My partner sets our baby down for a nap and enjoys the leftovers of yesterday’s fajita dinner. My tooth/jaw pain is dulling my appetite at the moment.

8.00pm: Our baby wakes up right on cue and I feed them their last bottle of the day. We put them in the bouncer then, which they stay in for 45 mins – a new record!

9.30pm: We put our baby to bed before finishing the movie we’re watching.

10.30pm: My partner goes to bed and I listen to some YouTube whilst playing Xbox. It’s my ultimate unwind, not thinking about anything else other than what’s in front of me.

1.00am: I stay up a little later than normal, thinking I may get to lie in a bit tomorrow or go for a nap, depending on our baby’s mood. I brush my teeth, let the dog out and head to bed.

Today’s total: €11.00

Sunday

7.00am: My partner has left early due to an appointment, so I’m alone with our baby. They wake me, but they’re still tired, so their soother keeps them quiet for another while.

8.00am: Baby is more awake now, so I play with them and have the chats in bed. They’ll be hungry soon, so I get dressed and make my way downstairs with them.

8.30am: I start feeding our baby and my partner arrives home. We enjoy breakfast and stick on the end of the movie we were watching last night.

10.00am: I take the dog for a walk now once the rain has stopped. We’re thankful to have a few brilliant forest walks nearby. I get home just before 12pm.

12.00pm: Our baby is awake again, so I feed them and strap them into their carrier. They’re quickly off to sleep and I hoover downstairs and make the bed, whilst my partner preps dinner. We’re cooking a tagliatelle dish we like to have for the next couple of days.

2.00pm: My partner heads to her parents, so I tidy up the shed out the back. It had become disorganised since doing a few jobs the past number of weekends.

3.00pm: I need some lunch and I am feeling lazy, so it’s pancakes with blueberries and strawberries for me.

4.30pm: I sit down and decide to play some Xbox whilst I’m in the mood.

7.00pm: I have some dinner and tidy up my office. I had planned to paint the ceiling, but I’m just not in the mood for it today. My partner arrives home and our baby needs a bath, so we bathe them whilst catching up on everything from her parents.

9.00pm: I have a shower whilst our partner settles our baby for their last nap before bedtime.

10.00pm: My partner and I stick on a new show, but our baby wakes for their feed earlier than expected, so I change them and feed them before my partner and baby both head for bed.

11.00pm: I take the bins out the front, feed our dog her dinner and then lock up for the night. I brush my teeth and head up to bed. I’ve to be up earlier than normal tomorrow to take the car in to have a part fixed, so I’m asleep before midnight.

Today’s total: €0.00

Weekly subtotal: €289.66

***

What I learned –

• After keeping the diary, I am reasonably happy with how we have spent our money this week. Things are definitely less static than before buying our house, as we need to buy things we didn’t require before, but we are doing so bit-by-bit, ensuring we don’t overspend.
• Having a clear, non-flexible savings target helps us be diligent and make our goals.
• I’m re-evaluating some of my subscriptions, like the Xbox subscription. I’m not getting much use out of it now and might pick it up when I am off for Christmas.
• Perhaps I could save a couple euro by being more prepared for lunch when in Dublin, but I justify it by avoiding the tolls and conserving fuel.
• We will be looking to swap out our petrol car for an EV in the new year. The fuel costs, coupled with the solar and battery option, have made it a near no-brainer for us.
• Taking the time once a month to sit down as a couple, check in on our budget and plan together ensures we are insulated from surprises and have a bit of money for treats, coffees or the odd day out.

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