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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.
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.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a 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 project manager on €37K living in Dublin. This week, a 30-year-old on €58K working in corporate events.
I am a 30-year-old woman living and working in Dublin. I am very fortunate that my partner owns the house we live in. We are getting married next year so trying to save as much as possible for the wedding (which is harder than I expected and has so many hidden costs!). I work in a large multinational tech firm and I am fortunate enough to absolutely love my job!
I spend €150 per month on a car park space beside my office, €1,000 per month into the joint wedding account, €400-ish on the food shop every month, €35 phone bill, €70 Sky broadband bill, €60 into credit union savings, €80-ish per month on medication for Crohn’s disease, and €120 every eight weeks on hospital visits.
Occupation: Working in corporate events
Age: 30
Location: Dublin city
Salary: €58,000
Monthly pay (net): €2,933.50
Transport: €150
Rent: €0
Household bills: €70
Phone bill: €35
Health insurance: Covered by my employer
Groceries: €400-ish
Subscriptions: Amazon Prime – €10
Wedding: €1,000
Health expenses: €200
Credit Union savings: €60
***
7.30 am: Up and at them and ready for working from home for the day.
8.00 am: Start work.
12.30 pm: Lunch time. Monday is food shop day. I usually do an online food shop but the weekend ran away on me and I accidentally forgot to click check out on my Tesco app so this meant a frantic dash to the supermarket today on my lunch (but a small win is I will have saved the €8 Tesco delivery fee!). I spend a total of €75.73 in Aldi – this includes all breakfasts, lunches and dinners for Monday-Friday for myself and my partner (he will probably get a wrap or sandwich in a deli one of the days) and then I also spend €14.52 in Tesco Express on my way home as Aldi don’t stock the brand of lactose free milk I drink. I also picked up some tuna as I prefer the John West brand that Aldi didn’t have in stock.
4.30 pm: Finish work.
5.00 pm: I head to the gym this evening and pay €2.20 for on-street parking outside the gym.
7.00 pm: Prep my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, have dinner and went to bed at about 9pm.
Today’s total: €92.45
7.00 am: Start the day off by hopping in the shower. I’m working in the office today, so I get ready and then drive to work. This takes about 20 minutes. I’m renting a car park space locally, which makes my life a lot easier.
12.45 pm: Lunch. I brought my own with me, as well as my own breakfast which I had earlier. Browsing online, I spend €16.80 on a swimsuit I have had my eye on for an upcoming spa night away with a friend – I got a notification that it was on sale so I had to nab it!
4.30 pm: Finish work.
6.00 pm: Head for a walk around the neighbourhood.
6.45 pm: I get some dinner when I come home and have another early night.
Today’s total: €16.80
7.00 am: Wake up just before 7am again, get ready and head into the office. I drive in again.
1.00 pm: Breaktime. I don’t spend anything today as once again, I brought my breakfast and lunch with me. It really is a fantastic way to save money and not be tempted by the unhealthy items in the work canteen!
4.30 pm: Another €2.20 spent on street parking outside the gym on my way home.
6.00 pm: I have dinner and prep my dinner for the next few days.
7.00 pm: Scroll on my phone and watch some TV.
9.30 pm: Head into bed.
Today’s total: €2.20
7.00 am: Up and out for another day in the office. I drive into the city again and park in my rented car park space.
1.00 pm: Lunch. It’s a fairly uneventful day at work. Spend nothing again as I brought stuff with me to eat.
4.45 pm: Get home. We are going on a big holiday next year that costs €1,500 each, so I pay off €150 off that. I do try to have a no spend day every now and again so I was thrilled to have that today.
7.00 pm: Dinner, a walk and bed again.
Today’s total: €0.00 (woohoo)
7.30 am: It’s a day of working from home, so I get a slight lie on.
12.30 pm: Get an ice cream on my lunch break for €3.50.
6.30 pm: I decide to treat myself and my partner to a takeaway, which comes to €27.70 including delivery on Just Eat. It’s the weekend after all!
8.00 pm: Chill out for the rest of the evening. I buy place names for our wedding online which cost €30.48.
Today’s total: €61.68
10.00 am: I’m heading for a night away with my mum as a belated 30th birthday gift. The room cost is covered by her (yay!).
1.oo pm: It’s a day of relaxation. We spend the afternoon having a dip in the spa, then go for a stroll around the hotel grounds afterwards.
5.00 pm: Back in our room, it’s time to put the glad rags on and get dolled up for dinner!
6.00 pm: We start our evening with a few drinks in the bar (she settled the bill) and I settle the bill for dinner and drinks. The total of that bill comes to €146.70.
Today’s total: €146.70
9.00 am: My morning starts in the hotel. Breakfast was included in the booking, so no spending done on that this morning!
12.00 pm: I’m off to a friend’s baby shower this afternoon. I pick up a bottle of Nosecco (that is, alcohol-free Prosecco) in Tesco on the way for €7, a small bunch of flowers in a local florist for €12 and a gift bag and helium balloon for a total of €7.15. She’s delighted with them.
7.00 pm: After a busy weekend, it’s time for a cosy evening spent curled up on the couch binge-watching Netflix with some microwaveable popcorn.
Today’s total: €26.15
***
What I learned –
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