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 fintech worker on €55k living in Dublin. This week, a part-time customer assistant living in Munster with her family. 

We’re a family of four living in Munster. After a few years of saving and the generosity of our closest family and friends when we got married, we were able to buy a house at the start of the year. We had one major job to do and that pretty much drained the rest of our savings. We’re starting from scratch, €200 each a month for now as there are still bits we need/want to get for the house. In the next couple of years, we would like to do up the garden and put a decent shed in it. All the big expenses come out of my husband’s account while I cover the car loan, petrol for my car and groceries.

Occupation: Husband is a hotel manager and works an average of 45-50 hours a week, I work in retail as a part-time customer assistant doing about 25-35 hours a week

Age: Late 30s

Location: Munster

Salary: Husband – €55,000, me – €25,000

Monthly pay (net): My husband is paid €3,700, I get paid weekly, an average of €450, child benefit €280

Monthly expenses 

Transport: All expenses are for two cars: insurance – €1,000 a year, tax – €400 a year, petrol – €400 monthly, car loan – €360 monthly (3.5 years left), tyres, services etc are roughly about €700 a year

Rent: Mortgage and protection – €1,350

Household bills: Home insurance – €400 for the year, electricity – €110 a month, bins – €35, gas – €38 bottle refill (so far, two full months on the one bottle – hob only, electric oven)

Phone bill: €64 for two phones

Health insurance: Husband’s covered by employer, I don’t have any

Pension: Only just signed up for the basic 3% + 3% with the company works out at just over 10 per week, need to look into AVC, didn’t get much info at work just a form to sign, husband’s 195 monthly, employer matches that

Groceries: Roughly €600-€800

Subscriptions: Broadband – €30, Netflix – €15, Spotify – €20, Xbox – €15, YouTube – €12

Kids’ activities: €40 a month, €180 per school year for the older child, €8.80 a week for school lunch, pocket money could be anywhere between €0 to €40 depending on how much they want to help out at the house

Bank fees: €100 a year

***

Monday

8.20 am: Wake up to a very quiet house, husband’s doing the school run. I make myself a cup of coffee and go back to bed, half an hour of scrolling, then we watch TV together and have a cup of fruity tea.

10.30 am: Breakfast of rashers, tomatoes and toast and more coffee. Put on a wash and get ready to head out

12.00 pm: Stop off to get a few bits in Lidl (€43.80), followed by TK Maxx and Woodies. My husband pays.

2.30 pm: Collect the small one from school and go have lunch in the local café. Goat’s cheese ciabatta, smoked beef wrap, portion of pancakes and three drinks come to €40.30. Not too bad.

3.45 pm: Time to collect the teenager and go home. We talk ‘school drama’ and homework while getting dinner ready.

6.00 pm: Bangers and mash is had for dinner. Tidy up and get laundry sorted, have another fruity tea then get the small one ready for bed. 

8.00 pm: Hop in the shower, watch a bit of TV then straight to bed. 

10.30 pm: Lights out, but I struggle to fall asleep. 

Today’s total: €84.10

Tuesday

5.00 am: My alarm goes off. Cup of coffee and get ready for work, drive takes about 15 mins. Husband doesn’t start until 12pm so he’ll drop the kids in and put a chest of drawers together before work.

6.00 am: I clock in and make myself a list of jobs I need to get through before my break: display needs changing, new posters up, price changes and some restocking.

10.30 am: I get bread rolls, cheese and sliced turkey (€7.60). I eat that in the canteen with a cup of coffee (I buy a bag of ground coffee every few weeks). Send a few texts and back to work an hour later. The rest of my shift is busy but goes smoothly, can’t complain.

2.00 pm: I clock out and get the small one from school. We go shopping and get chicken, fruit, veg, bread, milk and a few other bits. (€39)

3.45 pm: Time to get the teenager and head home. Quick fruity tea and more laundry before dinner.

5.30 pm: We’re having leftover roast pork, baby potatoes and veg from Sunday. A quick tidy follows and then onto prepping yoghurt bowls with fresh fruit and mixed seeds for the next couple of days.

7.00 pm: Homework checked, they watch a bit of TV before bed. I have my shower and get uniform and bag ready for work tomorrow. Teenager is going over to a friend’s house this weekend so we go over bits she’ll need and I top up her phone by €20.

9.00 pm: Husband gets home early. We have a couple of glasses of wine and price a few bits online (headboard, wardrobes and rugs). We’ll try and get one or two things at the end of the month.

11.00 pm: Make sure my alarm is set, then lights out.

Today’s total: €66.60

Wednesday

5.00 am: Alarm goes off. I snooze it twice before getting up, quick coffee, get ready and out the door.

6.00 am: Clock in, delivery due soon. It’ll be a busy day!

10.00 am: An hour’s break. Have my yoghurt bowl and a coffee, send a few texts, organise school pickups as one my friends asked for a lift to the airport. Go back to sorting out stock for a few more hours.

1.30 pm: Clock out early, grab a pastry on my way out (€1.50) and go to do the airport run. 

4.00 pm: Back at the house. I collected the kids on my way. They get some fruit and go playing outside. I make myself a cuppa and sit down for a bit

5.00 pm: Had a little power nap and I’m feeling much better. Off to the kitchen for a batch cooking session. One pan chicken, baby potatoes and veg for tonight, beef stir fry and breaded pork chops for the next few days. Kids help with tidying up the kitchen after.

9.00 pm: All fed and washed and quite tired, have my peppermint tea in bed and lights out. 

Today’s total: €1.50

Thursday

5.00 am: Same morning routine.

6.00 am: Clock in and start my day with a list of price changes. Unfortunately, most of them are going up. Once that’s done, I go and change two small displays before my break.

9.30 am: I have my yoghurt and coffee and make a small shopping list. It’s getting busy so I cover the checkouts for the rest of my shift.

1.00 pm: Early finish, grab bread, milk and coffee on my way out (€8.50) and head to a different shop to get PJs and socks for the kids. I end up getting tea towels and a new laundry basket on top of it – comes to €45 for the lot.

2.30 pm: Get the small one from school and stop off at my sister’s place for a cuppa before getting the teenager.

4.00 pm: Home. Sandwich each, get changed and we’re out the door again for the younger child’s training. I get a 40-minute walk in before it’s time to go driving again.

6.30 pm: Dinner time. Today it’s pork chops and cheese wraps with a salad for the kids. I’m having stir fry with noodles. My husband is on his way home so I get a portion ready for him as well.

8.00 pm: Shower and a cuppa. There’s a pile of clothes that needs putting away, but it can wait! We watch a bit of TV before bed.

10.30 pm: Lights out.

Related Reads

Money Diaries: A fintech worker on €55k living in Dublin

Money Diaries follow-up: A senior marketing manager on €85K living in Dublin

Money Diaries: Data analyst on €48.5K living in Limerick, but commuting two days to Dublin office

Today’s total: €53.50

Friday

5.00 am: The alarm doesn’t seem that annoying when I check my bank account. Wages in (€489.37), car loan (€93) and savings (€50) out.

6.00 am: Busy morning. Few jobs from yesterday need finishing, plus two deliveries come in at the same time.

10.00 am: Bread roll, cheese and cherry tomatoes (€4.60) cup of coffee and back for the last push before my day off tomorrow.

2.00 pm: Clock out, get the small one from school, pick up two trays of sushi (€11.60) and go over to my sister’s for a bit.

4.00 pm: Go to my appointment at the beauty salon. I get a treatment done once every three months. (€50)

5.30 pm: Get home and throw a pizza in the oven for the small one, Friday special! ‘School drama’ today is a dead rat in the yard and who decided to go and poke at it with a stick before the teachers noticed. Still no sign of the missing school jumper though…

7.30 pm: Husband’s back. We have a random selection of leftovers for dinner, they put a movie on and I go have a bubble bath.

9.30 pm: Cuppa, biscuits and Black Mirror before bed.

11.30 pm: Lights out.

Today’s total: €209.20

Saturday

8.30 am: Wake up, have coffee and a slice of toast and scroll for a bit too long.

10.30 am: Put away clothes and give the bathroom a quick clean. 

11.30 am: I make us an omelette before husband goes to work. Myself and the small one are off to the playground, two muffins and a cup of coffee later, we head home. (€11.50)

2.00 pm: I put next week’s menu together and have a shopping list ready. I’m working tomorrow, so will get all of it on my way home. There’s a big portion of Bolognese in the freezer from last week so that’s what we’ll have tonight.

3.00 pm: Out the door, get petrol (€43) and some doughnuts (€5.50) and go over to my friend’s house. We go for a short walk in the woods before it starts pouring.

6.30 pm: Back home for dinner and a shower. I put on a wash and get set for the morning. 

9.30 pm: Time for bed. Lights out half an hour later.

Today’s total: €60.00

Sunday

5.00 am: Alarm goes off. Get up and get ready for a short day at work (I usually work one or two Sundays a month so it’s not too bad, and the pay is great!).

6.00 am: Clock in and top up special offers displays. One of the big ones is getting changed tomorrow, so start getting stock ready for that.

9.30 am: Short break. I brought a protein yoghurt and a banana with me, that’ll keep me going. Husband texts saying he’s cooking tonight so I leave off the food shop till tomorrow. Cover the checkouts for a bit and clock out at 12pm. 

12.30 pm: Back at the house, I get changed, have a sandwich and go to price furniture at a few of the shops that are nearby. We stop off for a coffee and orange juice (husband pays). Teenager gets collected from her sleepover on our way home. Her friend will stay with us the following weekend. 

4.00 pm: Stop off at the shop to get burgers and chips and other bits for dinner. Husband pays.

5.30 pm: Washed and ready for my dinner. We put on Indiana Jones and stay on the couch for the rest of the evening.

9.30 pm: Time for bed.

Today’s total: €0.00

Weekly subtotal: €474.90

***

What I learned –

• Our phone contracts will be up in a month or so, we’re looking to switch to a SIM only €20 a month plan.
• I wouldn’t have to pay bank fees if we had a joint account, but it’s so much handier having mine with the weekly wages kept for groceries and small bits.
• Unfortunately, we need two cars. The loan was for a decent one that will hopefully stay on the road for years after we pay it off.
• We need to up our savings game.
• I need to do some proper research about a pension. Any advice from readers would be great, thank you!