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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 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 banker on €92K living in Dublin. This week, a chemist on €52K living in Munster.
I am a young woman living in Munster working in a pharmaceutical company. I work as a chemist and my working schedule is over a four-shift cycle, meaning I work two days (7am-7pm), two nights (7pm-7am) and have four days off. Maybe this diary will be a different read as I bring you through my night work! I think I’m a pretty good money saver. I’ve always made a conscious effort to put something away each month since I started working. I also put money straight into my pension pot each month through my company as they match contributions – money I don’t see in my bank is money I don’t miss.
My partner and I were fortunate enough to have purchased a house at the beginning of the year, and currently pay €1,900 per month for our mortgage on a four-bed detached house. We know how tough the housing market is and has been over the while, and financially, deciding between a new build and secondhand house was a tough decision for us to make. But at the end of the day, we decided to go for a secondhand home for the benefit of a front and back garden. We are definitely still in the renovation and jobs here-and-there process, so some months a lot more money is spent on home bits, which is needed and that’s ok.
I’m usually quite good at preparing meals for work which is a huge money saver, but of course there’s always days when I can’t walk past that fry-up in the morning or I’m a bit lazy the night before. I do have a desperate sweet tooth and it definitely contributes to my spending habits! One area I do want to see how the week turns out is definitely our grocery shopping. We do spend a lot of money on food and litter for two cats, and it looks like a stray has chosen us as his caretaker so add a third outdoor cat on to that.
For paying bills, we use a joint bank account. We both put €1,500 per month into the account and have done since beginning to save for a house deposit. We are lucky to be able to put this type of money away as it is just us, but we worked hard to get where we are in both of our jobs so early in our careers. We pay for all our monthly bills, groceries, mortgage and big house purchases out of our joint account. Individual accounts are for our own purchases. To get a bit more insight into our situation, my partner works in a similar job function with a similar salary.
Occupation: Chemist
Age: 27
Location: County Cork
Salary: Base €52,000 + Shift Allowance €24,500 + Annual Bonus €5,000 = €80,000 p.a
Monthly pay (net): €4,400 (varies depending on overtime)
All expenses for the house are paid from our joint bank account – we both put in €1,500 per month:
Mortgage: €1,900
Household bills: Bins – €35, Combined Life Assurance - €46, home insurance – €42, pet insurance – €24, electricity bi-monthly – €100-€150, Wifi – €30, Ring doorbell – €3.99
Groceries: Varies, maybe €300
Subscriptions: Sky/Netflix – €28, Disney+ – €13.99, Spotify(household) – €12, Prime – €6.99
Oil: Tank topped up as needed
My own personal monthly expenses:
Petrol: €120
Phone bill: €65
Health insurance: Paid by employer
Nails: €60
Car Insurance: €52
Personal Credit Union savings: €1,000
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6.00 am: I wake up early, feed our two cats (two six month olds that could genuinely eat a horse), have a quick snuggle, get ready for work, make my partner a coffee and head to work for 7am. I live close to the plant so a 15-minute drive is fantastic in the mornings.
6.50 am: Arrive at work, get the previous night shift handover with my colleagues and go for morning tea.
9.30 am: Head for breakfast after catching up on emails and splitting the work up for the day. I was too lazy to make my breakfast last night after the cinema (Hamilton’s 10 year anniversary was on the big screen – priorities!). I forgot to send my sister money for the cinema ticket so I Revolut her before she comes looking for it with added interest (€12). I grab some porridge and a slice of brown bread from the canteen (€1.32). Our canteen is subsidised which is handy. After breakfast, it’s back to the lab.
11.00 am: I leave work for an unexpected dentist visit this morning to check up on some teeth causing me a whole world of pain. My permanent retainer wire got bent on Saturday so it feels like my teeth are in braces all over again. The nurse is out sick so I am delayed at the appointment, but they fix the wire and surprisingly there is no charge for this appointment. A follow up appointment for a removable retainer is made for next week and that will cost me a bit.
1.30 pm: I arrive back to work and head to the canteen to quickly eat my lunch. We made a Sunday roast yesterday with roast chicken, gratin potatoes, roasted veg and gravy, so the leftovers are perfect. I love bringing leftovers to work and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s convinced it tastes better the second day? My partner usually likes to get work lunches, so I’m happy to take the dinners with me. I do pick up a bottle of peach Ballygowan water from the vending machine (€2.20). I’m back to the lab for 2pm to work away for the rest of the shift.
7.15 pm: I get back home from work to a lovely dinner being cooked and ready within a few minutes. Tonight we have ready made beef stew from SuperValu so the dinner prep wasn’t too hectic after us both being at work all day. The dinner was actually delicious. My partner works 8-5pm most days but is flexible, and also can work from home when I’m on day shifts so the cats are rarely alone for more than a few hours. He has time to pop home during the day, feed the kitties and chill before I come in after 7pm to wreck his head.
8.30 pm: My partner’s parents give us a ring and they call down for a cup of tea and bring some cakes with them. They stay for an hour or so and catch us up on their holiday.
10.00 pm: For the evening we get the dishes washed (no dishwasher in our kitchen just yet, but it’s on the wishlist for the new year), kitchen tidied, cats played with and worn out ready for bed, and caught up on each others days at work before we decide to head to bed. We throw on an episode of our show on Netflix and pass out for the night.
Today’s total: €15.52
6.00 am: Alarm goes off and I get up, feed the cats, get ready for work and am out the door for half past. I forgot to prepare my lunch last night so I will have to purchase it later. I remember to grab my water bottle this morning too.
6.50 am: I arrive at work, get the previous night shift handover with my colleagues and go for morning tea. There have been chats about the Christmas party this year and they’ve decided on a location and day, so I Revolut over my deposit (€17.50). The shifts usually get their own Christmas party in case we are working, and of course we are on nights again this year.
9.30 am: Head for breakfast. I brought my breakfast today, made up of greek yoghurt, chia seeds, granola, berries, peanut butter and honey – my go-to breakfast. Head back to the lab afterwards until lunch time rolls around.
1.00 pm: We go for lunch and I’m not very hungry, so I get a half portion of veg korma (€3). Even though the canteen is subsidised, I prefer bringing my own food when I can. It’s too easy of a habit to pay for breakfast and lunch at work, there is a noticeable build up if you do it regularly. Back to the office afterwards and finish out the work day.
4.00 pm: I get an email from my insurance broker reminding me that my car insurance is out at the end of the week. I completely forgot to pay this a few weeks ago when I got my renewal notice, so I pay up today. I go through an insurance broker and they help me find the best deal from year to year, so I pay my deposit today (€162) and monthly payments will start next month. A broker might not be for everyone, but since we used one to help us through the mortgage process, I think they are fantastic and so helpful. Not a payment I would make weekly, but this week it has come due.
7.30 pm: I’m home after work, finish helping my partner with dinner – pulled chicken tacos – and time to chill. He needed to stop in the shop for a few bits for our dinner and more cat food, but they came out of the joint account. Tonight is a Netflix rot as the weather is a bit crap. I pour myself a glass of wine, have a few chocolate coated bourbon creams (from M&S – if you haven’t tried them, run to the store ASAP, trust me!) and relax. I’m not back in work until 7pm tomorrow, so I stay up a bit later after my partner goes to bed.
11.30 pm: I realise looking through some notifications on my phone that a refund came through from the clothes I returned last week (€68 refunded). I finally pick out a dress for a function we have in a few weeks, so I order that too (€54.99). I head to bed about 12.30am.
Today’s total: €237.49
6.30 am: I wake up with my partner’s alarm and he gets up, feeds the babies and gets ready for work. The cats come barreling in with full bellies and the zoomies and fly around the house for the next hour. I stay in bed after himself leaves for work and the cats settle down for a cuddle and we doze off for another while.
9.00 am: I can’t lie in bed any more so I get up, have a shower and make myself some scrambled eggs on toast with a cuppa. I throw a load of clothes that has been building since the weekend in the wash and I go for a quick 30-minute walk to wake myself up. I see that a refund has come through from my health insurance claim from an ultrasound I needed last week and had to pay on the spot (€95 refunded). I get a lot of steps in with my job, and I cancelled my gym membership when we bought a house for the first few months, but I will rejoin before Christmas for sure. I enjoy getting exercise in and find it much easier with a dedicated gym membership – it will cost roughly €50 per month once I start this up again.
11.30 am: I get a call from my mum with today’s tea and scone location. On Wednesdays when I’m not at work, I meet my mum and grannie for our weekly food shop and a bite to eat. I paid for us last week, so this week I can enjoy my free scone and coffee and it definitely tastes better when it’s paid by someone else. I convince my grannie to let me buy her the winter jumper she fancies in F&F (€16) along with my food shop in Tesco (€78.25). I returned my deposit return scheme bottles before shopping so I get €10.95 off my total of €89.20. I picked up some Lemsips and ibuprofen since it’s coming into sniffle season at work, and it’s only a matter of time before it reaches me, ew. We head our separate ways after 2pm and I stop on the way home for petrol and fill the tank (€66.53). I spot a box of Celebrations in the garage and buy them to bring in to my colleagues later (€6). Nothing beats a 4am sugar buzz.
3.00 pm: I try to take a nap before work but I am so awake it’s hard to sleep, so I rot in bed drinking tea and watching Netflix with the cats for the next two hours. I still have a whole lot of day left.
6.00 pm: I’m getting ready for work now – I have my food prepared and ready to go, eat my dinner (spicy chicken pasta) and I’m out the door for half past.
8.00 pm: We’ve received the work handover from the previous shift, and we go for a cup of tea in the canteen to get ourselves ready for the night. The box of celebrations were opened and inhaled. We get back to the office and plan out our work. Tonight looks busy, so hopefully that means my lack of sleep won’t catch up on me and the night will pass along by nicely.
11.30 pm: We head over to the canteen for dinner. I have my meals prepared and since we have no food options on nights. I have a stare down with the Dairy Milk golden crisp in the vending machine but have the willpower to not buy it. Small success.
3.30 am: I take another trip to the canteen. My work for the night is more or less caught up with, so I take another tea break and the walk over in the lashing rain definitely wakes me right up. I’m a bit peckish so I have a bowl of porridge and chat with some of the people already over there. The Dairy Milk is still staring at me so I cave and enjoy it immensely (€2.20). I’m telling you, the 4am sugar buzz hits differently. I head back to the office for the last few hours of work and wait for the guys to come in the morning.
7.15 am: I get in the door from work and my eyes are hanging out of my head. I’m just in time to say good morning/good night to my partner. I wash my face, brush my teeth and crawl into the warm bed. I’m nicely full after my snack earlier so I shouldn’t wake up too early. I leave the door cracked and the kitties join me before I pass out.
Today’s total: €168.98
3.00 pm: I wake up after a pretty broken sleep, stay in bed listening to the wind and rain outside for another hour. I decide it’s time to get up when it’s just after 4pm. I shower, make myself a breakfast of avocado and scrambled eggs on toast, and get ready for work. I make myself a coffee for the car and head out – Nespresso has a maple pecan flavour out and it is quite tasty (paid for a delivery of pods last week).
7.00 pm: Same as usual, we get the handover and head for tea time. Quiet night ahead, perfect. There is a lot of admin work to do in the lab tonight, so most of the first half is spent tidying benches, disposing bottles and re-labelling. Even though it’s not the most exciting, there is a lot of walking between the chemical stores, laboratory, offices, etc. so it does pass the time nicely.
11.30 pm: I head over for my break. Nights are a lot quieter so I enjoy working them, although it took some time to get used to my schedule and will take time adjusting in my new home too. I’ll get another small break in a few hours, maybe have some breakfast and then straight through until morning. It’s nice to get some fresh air and I enjoy my walk over to the canteen – even if it is still pretty wet and windy.
4.00 am: Reading through some emails and I am notified that my Disney+ subscription is increasing to €15.99 per month from November. Great. Amazon have some pieces on my wishlist reduced at the moment, so I end up buying an Amazon Alexa and a few packets of smart bulbs (€87.77).
7.15 am: I get in the door, wash my face, brush my teeth and crawl into that nice warm bed. My routine is pretty solid for both nights after doing my routine for the last few years. I will be up in a few hours for a busy day so I try to get as much sleep as I can. I’m definitely feeling ready for my few days off.
Today’s total: €87.77
12.00 pm: My alarm wakes me up far earlier than I would like, but I’m collecting a friend from the train station at 1pm so I need to get a move on. I’m a bit groggy from the few hours of sleep, but I make myself a coffee, get ready and am out the door only a few minutes behind. A college friend of ours had a little boy a few weeks back, so we are finally able to make the trip out to visit. I made sure my present was in the car before I left, which I bought months ago once we knew she was having a boy. I get to the train station and she comes out with an energy drink and cookie from inside for me. She knows me too well. We go to see the newest member of our friend group. Literal perfection.
4.00 pm: I’m back home after dropping my friend back to town and have a quick sandwich to tide me over. Once my partner is home from work, we drive to another friend’s house for the evening. Cats are fed and happily asleep and we won’t be gone overnight. On the way, we stop in Tesco to pick up some drinks and treats which I pay for (€45).
8.00 pm: We decide to order some food, my partner pays for ours. We stay for another few hours catching up and get home close to 1am. I crawl into bed ready for a good night’s sleep.
Today’s total: €45.00
7.00 am: The kitties wake us up hungry, so I get up and feed them and head back to bed.
9.30 am: We start to make a move again. Today is exciting as I am going to look at ordering a car on PCP finance. My car is starting to fall on its last legs, and the logic behind this decision is to get the best trade-in value for my car while we still can. We get up and are ready to leave at 10am since the garage is a 45-minute drive from home and we have an appointment for 11.30am.
10.30 am: On the way, we stop in the garage and grab a coffee and a quick bite to eat in Centra (€12.60) and are back on the road. I pay for this as I’m dragging us all the way out to the garage so it’s only fair. I’m looking at a plug-in hybrid and I’m really excited to see what offers are available.
2.00 pm: We finish test driving a couple different models and we make a plan to re-visit next weekend when I’m finished work to discuss a plan and potentially put a deposit down. We come away with a lot of information so we need to discuss finances. I don’t see it being an issue and I would be paying the loan myself, and it is in my means to do so.
4.00 pm: We head to M&S and pick up a few bits to come up with a dinner (€33.25). I also pop into the pharmacy next door and buy some Sudafed tablets (€7.79) – my sinuses are starting to give up on me so I need to get these into me yesterday.
8.00 pm: I get a call from my home house and decide to drop by for a quick visit. They ask us out for lunch tomorrow, so I run it by my partner when I’m home. We need more cat food and a few essentials so I pick those up on the way home (paid from the joint account). I get back home around 9.30pm. We throw on some show on Netflix and both fall asleep on the couch before heading up to bed.
Today’s total: €53.64
11.00 am: We decide to have a proper lazy Sunday this week since we’ve been busy over the last few days. Cats are fed early and they come up to chill with us and watch some shows. This weekend we don’t get much work done on the house, but we are happy to take a bit longer doing some jobs. I know house jobs and renovating can be consuming but we try to make plans and enjoy being in our home and appreciating what we have achieved.
2.00 pm: We meet my parents for lunch out and we both have vouchers for the same place, so the meal is paid for! We stay and chat for a while and invite them down during the week for a cuppa and to see the cats.
4.00 pm: Back home again and rot again for the evening with our bellies full. We both got Sunday roasts and are full to the brim.
8.00 pm: Lazy sunday is in full swing, both of us are laid out in the living room with a cat each. We stopped for a box of cookies on the way home in Dominos (€12 for eight cookies I still can’t get over the price) and are enjoying them with our tea and movies. I will end up staying up another while as I am off tomorrow, and my partner heads to bed at a reasonable time.
Today’s total: €12.00
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What I learned –
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