Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
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 marketing freelancer on €20K living in Co Wicklow. This week, a software engineering manager on €140K living in the east of the country.
I live in the east of the country with my partner and two teens. I have a demanding home and work life while also supporting an elderly parent. I love keeping active by walking and cycling, and I go to the gym regularly.
I am in a fortunate financial position with a strong salary. I have €500,000 in pensions, €60,000 in savings with Bunq (this is earmarked for college for the kids) and €85,000 in stocks. I want to retire in ten years.
My partner has a job at minimum wage, and that salary is considered her disposable income. We are jointly tax-assessed. My income covers the full cost of all our family living expenses.
Occupation: Software engineering manager
Age: 49
Location: East of the country
Salary: €140,000 with variable annual and quarterly bonus
Monthly pay (net): €5,500 after pension (6%), share ownership (5%)
Transport: €50 per month for EV charging and €505 PCP loan on a 252 car
Mortgage: €1,188
Household bills: TV and broadband – €50 (just moved to new provider), gas and electricity – €400
Phone bill: Paid for by my employer
Health insurance: Paid for by my employer
Car and house insurance: €145
Life insurance: €35.50
Groceries: €1,150
Subscriptions: €42 (Spotify Family, Netflix, Prime)
Supporting elderly parent: €125
***
6.30 am: No need for an alarm today, I’m wide-awake thinking about the day. One, two, three, four, five and I’m up. Showered, dressed and downstairs. I do the lunches on autopilot. I have them ready in 10 mins. Pack my own breakfast and out the door. Fifteen minutes later, I’m parked at work and ready to go.
9.00 am: Have a break, coffee is free, and have my overnight oats, which I made yesterday. Simple recipe, and I have enough made for three days.
12.30 pm: Quick on-site gym session and then back at the desk. Lunch is a homemade chicken wrap and an apple. Remember that free coffee and grab one of them too.
5.30 pm: I can’t take any more, so it’s home time. A crazy day of meetings, decisions and problem-solving, but I love it.
6.00 pm: Dinner is a reheat of yesterday’s roast. I made enough for two days, and with hungry and hangry teens and a partner the same, I serve up.
7.30 pm: It’s time for some house stuff. I’m left to clean up after dinner and do some laundry while the rest plonk themselves in front of the TV, scrolling on phones and engaging in general laziness.
8.00 pm: Tomorrow’s dinner is started and put in the oven. I’ll tell you about it soon.
9.30 pm: Laundry hung out and I’m ready for bed.
10.30 pm: Scroll for a while, put on a wind down meditation and drift off.
Today’s total: €0.00
6.30 am: Eat, sleep, rave, repeat. Well, all but the rave I suppose. I’m up, showered, dressed and get lunch made for teens. Pack my own breakfast and lunch and I’m off. My kids are great, they get themselves up and dressed, get breakfast and walk to school. Twenty minutes after I leave home, I’m in the office.
8.30 am: There’s a mini-crisis in work, but the team and I are on it. Stress levels up, but we get it under control. I love some chaos and dealing with 20 things at the same time.
9.00 am: I never miss breakfast, can’t function without it. Homemade overnight oats, banana and that free coffee.
11.00 am: One thing (of many) on my mind is the family summer holiday. Everyone loves going on it, but no one wants to help with booking it. I do some searching and find an option. I call a well-known tour provider and just book it - €7,250 for ten nights all-inclusive in June. Bit of an impulse, but that’s one thing off the list.
12.20 pm: Lunch is a homemade salad that I knocked up last night and a slice of brown bread.
1.00 pm: One of the kids has a school trip to Italy. €525 to be paid.
2.00 pm: EV is on charge at work which is handy. €11.65 to be paid.
6.00 pm: Dinner is a homemade stew I cooked last night. It’s not a favourite at home, but its warm, nutritious and above all ready in 15 mins.
7.30 pm: It’s soccer training tonight. Drop teen off and then, while he’s sweating on the pitch, I go for a walk. Headphones on and listen to podcast on overthinking and negative thoughts. Do I really need this on a cold Tuesday? But I get 7,000 steps in.
9.20 pm: Home, a cuppa, and ready for bed. Lights out by 10am
Today’s total: €7,786.65
6.30 am: I wake up feeling like I have been to that rave. But hang on… it’s man flu!! I feel miserable. No rest for the wicked or sick, I drag myself out of bed, shower, get dressed and make lunches for teens.
9.00 am: I have no breakfast with me today, so I grab a some hash browns, eggs, toast and coffee from the canteen (€2.25). I cough and sneeze my way through a desk-based breakfast. I don’t want to spread my germs.
12.20 pm: Can’t stomach any lunch, so I grab a coffee and pastry to get through the afternoon (€1.05).
2.15 pm: Teen wants to get a haircut after school. I Revolut him €25.
3.00 pm: I know my mom is struggling this week. I stick €125 into her account.
5.00 pm: I need my bed. Head off home for some sympathy.
6.00 pm: Sympathy? You must be joking. I’m on dinner duty. It’s going to be quick. Meatballs and pasta. I love cooking, and within 30 minutes, we’re sitting down to dinner. No way am I doing the dishes. I slip away quietly. Bed can’t come quick enough.
8.00 pm: I’m lights out with a medicinal drink and some pain relief.
Today’s total: €153.30
6.30 am: It’s a miracle… I don’t feel too bad, and I slept pretty well. I’m up and do the usual shower and get dressed. With the lunches made, I pack a yoghurt, a banana and a protein drink for myself. I’m out the door and stick on some high-energy music for the short drive to work.
9.00 am: The non-negotiable breakfast and catch up with some work colleagues. The yoghurt, banana and protein drink go down well with free coffee (which actually tastes decent).
12.00 pm: Gym session and back to the desk for a quick personal item. I need to book flights to the UK as well as a hotel. It’s a family thing, but just my wife and me. Go with our favourite low-cost carrier for the flights and three nights in a decent hotel. It comes to €975.
2.00 pm: Work is crazy today. A lot of stuff to do. I’m an introvert, so social stuff can be draining for me, but it’s part of the job, and anyway, I have faked it for the last 25 years, so today won’t kill me.
4.00 pm: I head off a bit early today, must grab some bits for dinner. Stop off and get some ingredients for fajitas (€22.60). I’m home and annoying my kids. They hate me coming home early as it tends to interfere with their TV-watching and phone scrolling.
6.00 pm: Dinner is on the table, wife home, expecting to be fed, and that box is ticked.
7.30 pm: It’s soccer training tonight, so head out the door. I need a walk, and I’m not feeling a podcast tonight. I need something lighter. I opt for a mix that my teen daughter shared with me on Spotify. For her age, she has a lot of 80s and 90s stuff, which I love. 6,800 steps and I’m back at the car. I have some time, so I drop into a shop with a great middle aisle. I pick up some stuff I really need (ehhh, no I don’t), but I buy some bits and pieces for a DIY job (love that too) and some garden tools (hate that too). Comes to €37.00.
10.30 pm: Scroll for a while, put on a wind down meditation and drift off.
Today’s total: €1,034.60
7.45 am: Work from home today, so a bit of a lie-in. I’m late this morning, so need to make the lunches fast and get online for my first team sync. It’s all good and make it on time. Kids leave for school and the house is all mine.
9.30 am: The non-negotiable breakfast is a bought coffee and a breakfast roll from the garage (€9.20). OMG, it is delicious.
10.30 am: I have some free time, so I get stuck into the house cleaning. It’s a bit of a dive. I’d like to get a cleaner in, but not right now, it feels a bit ‘Celtic Tiger’-ish for me. I could do with the time back, but I’m into it now and there’s no stopping me.
12.00 pm: Some work stuff to do before the weekend. Emails sent and I’m feeling good.
1.30 pm: Kids are home from school and delighted to see me home (well, not really).
3.30 pm: Out for a walk. It’s cold, but I’m wrapped from head to toe. Headphones on and a relaxing classical playlist.
5.30 pm: Orthodontist appointment for my teen. (€370)
7.30 pm: ”I want pizza”. “I want a burger”. “I want chips”. “I want a battered cod”. The usual Friday night in the house. Takeaway ordered (€58.40 with delivery). I generally only order curry chips and pick at everyone else’s food.
9.00 pm: Sit down to watch a movie. Kinda sleepy and I go off to bed at 11.30pm.
Today’s total: €437.60
7.30 am: I’m up and heading to the gym. Do a good workout of strength and cardio, and then I’m off grocery shopping. I’m on autopilot: no list, but I have a good idea of what we need. I know where everything is and can grab and go what we need. Shopping can range from €200 to €280 depending on the week and I rarely buy alcohol. I get to the checkout, and with my €10 off €50 vouchers, it comes to €261.
11.30 am: Home and put the shopping away. The house is quiet as they are still asleep.
1.30 pm: I do enjoy socialising, but alcohol doesn’t really agree with me (you can draw your own conclusions). I am meeting two friends in the city for a few beers, so I grab the bus and off I go.
2.30 pm: It’s early and I’m sitting in a pub. Round 1 – €22.50 for three pints. Nice start. Round 2, 3 and 4 are the same. Round 5 is a whiskey round. I get it and it’s €33. I was expecting it to be more, but I enjoyed it. Soon it’s time for food and my friend covers the cost for all of us. I have a burger, chips and a beer.
7.00 pm: We’re now in the heart of the city and a popular tourist spot. We lose one friend and I order two pints, a whopping €23.90. We meet a Spanish couple and he buys a whiskey round. I then grab one too (€80). Some more pints are had followed by a kebab after getting the bus home.
11.00 pm: I fall into bed and I’m asleep not long after. I learn later that I spent €224.90 in total.
Today’s total: €485.90
8.30 am: I’m alive – well, kind of. I have a busy day ahead of me and I’m back into city for a soccer match in the Aviva with my teen and brother. First, my mom joins us for breakfast. It’s great to see her. I have the full Irish with coffee (€24.50) and it’s chicken wings for the teen (€20.50). Hug mom goodbye and get the train to the Aviva (€5.20). Teen has their Leap card.
2.00 pm: Grab two pints for me and bro (€15) and sit down to watch a match. I’m not a fan of soccer, but my teen loves it. Grab two pints each for me and bro (€30) and second half starts.
4.30 pm: Thank God it’s over. Train back into town for a pub dinner and two beers. My brother covers the cost.
7.00 pm: Bus home and in bed for 9pm. What a weekend… I’ll suffer tomorrow, though.
Today’s total: €279.74
***
What I learned –
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say