Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last penny.
This week: “I’m 31 and live in the North of Scotland with my partner and our dog. I work in the third sector in business development and income generation which I love. Throughout most of my 20s, I had grand plans to move abroad, but that wasn’t to be — turns out Scotland isn’t all that bad after all, but never say never. My partner and I rent our house and split all the bills 50/50; we keep all our finances separate, so all the bills come out of my bank account and he sends me half. We’re both pretty good with money and save a decent amount every month for different goals (houses, babies and retirement!). We don’t often have takeaways or go out for dinner, we do, however, love a holiday and our dog is a surrogate child who is far more spoiled than she needs to be. That might have to be scaled back soon though, as we’re currently in the midst of exploring buying our first house — very exciting but also a little terrifying!”
Occupation: Business Development & Income Generation
Industry: Third sector
Age: 31
Location: North of Scotland
Salary: Currently £36,217, soon to be between £45-£46k as I start a new job in a few weeks’ time.
Paycheque Amount: £2,276.47 after all deductions.
Number of housemates: Two — my partner D and our dog, M.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £385 each (our rent hasn’t increased since 2019, we’re lucky!).
Loan payments: £26 towards my student loan.
Savings?: Just over £60k. This splits to be £2.5k in a Chase Savers account, £32k in a LISA (house fund), £14.7k in a cash ISA, £3.7k in a recently matured First Direct savers account (the start of a fund to cushion disgustingly low stat maternity pay when the time comes) and £100 in a Nationwide savings account which was started by my mum and dad when I was a baby. It just serves a nostalgic purpose, more than anything else! I keep around £4k in my current account which I haven’t factored in as savings. I also have money in a stocks & shares ISA, which bounces between £8.5-£11k depending on the day and what tweets have gone out that day, if you catch my drift.
Utilities: £75 for my share of gas and electric and £13 for my half of internet, £145 council tax.
Pension? About £22k across a couple of pots, I pay in 8% and my employer pays in 3%. I intend to increase this in my new job and build this up some more as right now, I’m looking at a retirement where my partner carries us and I’m just there for moral support…!
All other monthly payments: £3.35 National Trust for Scotland membership, £32 gym membership, £7.50 vet pet club (which includes things like nail clipping, monthly flea/worming tablet and annual health check), £18.50 pet insurance, £50 for petrol on average. I pay my car insurance annually, same with contents insurance. I own my car outright so no payments there. Subscriptions: £9.99 Netflix, £4.50 Prime, £4.99 Hayu, £7.49 Spotify, £8.99 iCloud storage. Disney+ paid annually when on offer!
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I went to uni in Scotland, so tuition was free. My parents paid my rent when I was studying and anything else, from bills and food to social activities, was paid for by a mix of working over summer, working part time during uni and from a pot of £10k that my parents had saved for me from when I was a baby (this was largely made up of the child benefit they got for me and inheritance). In my fourth year, I got a £4,500 student loan as the rules had changed in relation to who was eligible for it and it gave a bit of cushion.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? What was the attitude to money in your house?
My family have always been self-employed, so I think we were always surrounded by finances and making good choices without really knowing it, though I always knew we didn’t struggle for money. We got pocket money (£1 a week, ka-ching) and were encouraged to save for things we really wanted rather than just being given the latest toys and gadgets. If we ever got money as gifts, we were allowed to spend some and the rest was put into savings.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house?
I moved out for uni when I was 19, though I did return for the summer between first/second year and second/third year so I could return to the same summer job that I’d had previously.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
When I graduated uni, aged 23 and got my first full-time job I started paying my own rent, as well as the bills that I’d covered for the last three years. My parents still pay my phone bill (£21 a month) in exchange for admin help with their business.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got my first job at age 14, it was just the done thing in the town I grew up in. I worked in a grocery shop at weekends and after school, probably for a total of about 10-15 hours a week. It meant I didn’t need to rely on my parents for money when I wanted to do things with friends and it taught me to apply a value to money pretty early on.
Do you worry about money now?
No, we’re comfortable and I’m very grateful for that. My partner is finance-focused possibly to a fault, so whilst we don’t have a budget per se, we also don’t spend willy nilly. That doesn’t mean we don’t spend at all, and try to go on holiday abroad at least twice a year, plus various UK trips, and our dog wants for nothing. We do our weekly shop in Aldi, which probably keeps costs down, but equally, if the middle aisle tells me I need something then into the trolley it goes! We’re in the process of looking to purchase our first home so that’s brought our finances to the fore more than ever before as we consider what we could reasonably cover expense-wise whilst also having spare pennies to enjoy life and save.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes, I’ve lost a few family members over recent years, which has led to their estates being wound up and the values being shared amongst children/grandchildren. I’ve received about £37k in inheritance since 2019, which was given to me with the view that it should go towards bigger purchases like my car or future house. This inheritance will go a long way towards the deposit for our soon-to-be-purchased house, and making the house a home (just as soon as we find the right one…).
Day One
7:20 a.m. — Monday again, joy. We had a busy weekend and our dog is not pleased to see me so early, immediately flops on the couch for more snoozes. I’m in the office all day today, so have some breakfast, pack a lunch and make coffee before heading off for the day.
9:45 a.m. — I “need” a new water bottle as the ones I have always seem to crack or have terrible finish quality (not that I’m surprised, they’re cheap!) so I have decided to bite the bullet and get a more expensive one. Did some research last night and decide a Hydro Flask Flex Straw is the best bottle to go with, then as I have my coffee browse to find the cheapest option. I find a super funky limited edition one which dispatches from Amazon US; definitely not the cheapest, but I can’t resist the colours! It should cost £42.44 but thanks to a promotion on Amazon and a gift card balance I didn’t know I had (probably leftover from market research studies!), it only costs me £9.17 of real money.
12:40 p.m. — We ran out of dog treats last week and couldn’t agree on which ones to order online, so I nip to Pets At Home on my lunch break to get a pack of ostrich sticks to tide us over, £1.98 for my share. When I’m out, I pop into Asda to get a pack of crisps — I had planned to bring some from home but I forgot and I really fancy some! £1.10 for crisps.
4:50 p.m. — See a notification that I’ve sold something on Vinted. Lovely, £5 to me!
5:15 p.m. — Low fuel warning pings up on my car so I stop past a petrol station to fill up on my way home, £45 to fill my tank.
Total: £57.25
Day Two
7:30 a.m. — Rise and shine.
12:30 p.m. — Only a short stint in the office for meetings this morning, so it’s time to head home to walk M. My partner works hybrid too and we split the lunchtime dog walks so we don’t have to pay for a dog walker or doggy daycare. We’re lucky to both have flexibility and I’m hoping it continues when I start my new job.
4 p.m. — Off to the gym for a group PT class — this was paid already over my normal gym membership (£30 for two classes). I signed up to keep me on the straight and narrow after having a 1-2-1 PT at the start of the year. I did plan on doing more but the times don’t suit going forward so maybe I’ll just stick with the gym after all.
5:15 p.m. — Forgot to get baked tatties in my weekly shop so I pop by Aldi on my way home from the gym. We split food 50/50 which means my spend for this was a whopping £0.12.
Total: £0.12
Day Three
8:45 a.m. — Late leaving for work, whoops. It’s my last week at this job and it’s so hard to stay motivated at this point, but thankfully no one bats an eyelid when I stroll into the office 10 minutes late.
1:30 p.m. — Working from home again this afternoon so no need to take lunch with me. This month has a few things happening, so I browse Thortful for some cards and end up spending £8.19 for three cards plus delivery as I found a discount code that worked on the app. D will contribute towards one of the cards as it’s for a shared friend as opposed to mine, so my spend is £6.69.
4 p.m. — In a fairly dramatic turn of events, we get notice that our landlord of six years needs his house back and so we have 84 days to find somewhere else to live. It’s not totally out of the blue, as we knew his circumstances had changed a few months ago, but also — eeeek 84 days isn’t long!
8 p.m. — Big discussions on this evening’s dog walk as we figure out our next move. We’re definitely in a position to purchase a house and would probably put a £60k deposit down — but is that what we want to do? Is it better to find somewhere else to rent or should we get serious with looking at house listings!? I’ve been looking at estate agent websites for a few months, so I have a rough idea of what’s moving in our area. If we were to rent, we’d probably get a three-bed so we have more space, but that comes with a hefty price increase (particularly because we’re currently renting at 2019 rates). Decisions, decisions!
Total: £6.69
Day Four
10 a.m. — Motivation is not high today, it’s my second-to-last day and everything is done as far as handovers go, including making sure the team know how to pick up bits of my job until a replacement is found. It’s always a funny old thing, leaving a job and wondering who will come in and if they’ll be in any way comparable to you!
3 p.m. — Working from home again this afternoon and after taking M for a walk, spend some time browsing houses to get a feel for what’s currently listed. My partner has a budget in mind (£280k) but that doesn’t fit with either my idea of a future-proof home or the listings I like, so that could be an interesting discussion. We’re definitely purchasing though, rather than renting, which is equally exciting and terrifying!
7 p.m. — Vinted is my best friend at the moment, using proper ‘girl math’, I feel it’s not half as bad to spend lots on clothes if they’re secondhand. I need a new wardrobe to go with the new job after all! Find some floral trousers that I love and since the seller has bundle discounts active, I add three dresses and a blazer to the bundle, £24.05 for all five items and the postage, bargain!
7:30 p.m. — Sold a second thing on Vinted this week and drop that off at the parcel locker whilst out the evening walk with M. A whopping £2.50 extra, but every little helps!
8 p.m. — As I get home, I get a notification about a third Vinted sale — typical when I’ve literally just been at the parcel locker! That’ll be £4.50 when the money comes through, taking my sales this week to £12. It’s not much but rather that than have the items lurking in my bedroom.
Total: £24.05
Day Five
9 a.m. — The countdown is over and it’s finally my last day!
1 p.m. — Decide to treat myself to a cake from the extortionately priced onsite café. There was definitely part of me that hoped they’d give me a cheeky leaving gift but it didn’t happen, £4.01 for a square of Victoria sponge cake.
3 p.m. — Agree with my boss that everything that needed to be done is done, so that’s that! Don’t get me wrong, I’m sad to leave my job and the people, but it’s time for a change and I’m excited that it’s finally time.
7 p.m. — Temptation is SO high to get a celebratory takeaway but I’m away on holiday next week and know I’ll be eating rubbish all week so I opt for a standard dinner instead.
8 p.m. — We’ve both been browsing house listings and creating separate plans of attack, so we have a chat about our essential/desirable criteria as we eat. Essentials include either four bedrooms plus a lounge or three bedrooms plus two reception spaces (so one room can be used as a man cave/study for D), a garage, and a decent-sized garden. Desirables include a driveway that we can use without needing to shuffle cars around whenever the person parked at the back needs to leave, a dining room, a dishwasher and many, many more things! Initially, D wanted to only buy in the area we’re currently in, but I think he could be convinced to cast the net further afield if he were to get more bang for his (our) buck.
Total: £4.01
Day Six
11 a.m. — I aspire to be one of those ‘ladies who lunch’ but I’m a few years away yet. I’m not the type to have a leaving do, so instead I’m having brunch with a couple of friends I’ve made from my now old job, as it feels like an appropriate way to tie things up. Have the most delicious eggs royale and coffee, my share of the bill is £20.45.
1:45 p.m. — I’m visiting family next week and get a message from my dad which shows the temporary fence he’s put up in the garden to keep M contained. It’s SUCH a good effort and I’m so chuffed with the effort he’s put in to make sure my dog is safe when visiting — much easier than always having her on the lead when outside and it protects my mum’s plants from a munchy puppy, so this is a win-win situation.
4 p.m. — M is snoozing after her lunchtime walk, time to look at houses again so we can figure out a shortlist of things we like/things we can take or leave, and of course things that are hard nope. One of the hard nopes is slopey ceilings upstairs — I’m short so it doesn’t affect me, but D is tall so he doesn’t want to sign up to years of walloping his head on the roof. He’s got a lot of strong thoughts on essentials and desirables, but I guess I’ll allow this one to stick, haha.
Total: £20.45
Day Seven
10 a.m. — I get a lie-in this morning as D gets up at a reasonable time to let M out and give her some breakfast. She’s the dream as she’ll lie in her crate until we come downstairs, but obviously we don’t want to leave her languishing there for too long, as that wouldn’t be nice on her belly or her bladder.
11 a.m. — Scroll through local estate agent websites again to see what houses meet our essentials list whilst also remaining in budget. Initially, D wanted to keep the house to £280k but that’s just not realistic in my eyes. The houses listed at that price are about 90sqm and yes have the bedrooms required, but they’re squished. I’d rather have a slightly higher mortgage and a nicer house that doesn’t need work done, but I guess that’s something we need to agree on since it’s not exactly a small purchase…!
3:30 p.m. — We’ve been on an adventure with M. We try to go to different places at the weekend as we feel guilty that she doesn’t get the same adventures during the week when we’re working. She’s passed out in the back of the car, so we nip by Tesco to get some cider to enjoy in the sunshine, £5.95 for my share. I also top up my fuel whilst we’re there since I’m off on a road trip to visit family tomorrow, £16.46 to brim my tank again.
4 p.m. — Drop D&M off at home and go to Aldi to do a wee shop. It’s only D at home next week, so I don’t need to do a full shop (I do all the cooking and often batch cook, so he’ll just power through the frozen stuff next week), it still ends up costing £59.57 though. My share is £29.78.
8 p.m. — Fire off emails to First Mortgage to arrange an appointment to guide us through this whole mortgaging thing and also to a solicitor that we’ve been recommended to enquire about the conveyancing process. We’ve agreed that our house budget could realistically be £300k and our family have offered to help a little too so the search parameters increase to £325k — a jump from the initial £280k limit and oh my, there’s a serious increase in the quality of houses now listed! We start shortlisting and decide that we’ll start viewing next week. 80 days to find a new place to live, wish us luck!
Total: £52.19
The Breakdown
Conclusion
“My initial reaction to seeing I spent over £150 in a week was surprise, as you don’t really think about how the little microtransactions add up. I definitely felt more accountable when I was buying things this week, knowing that I was logging my spend and maybe that’s something I need to hold on to — equally, £150 isn’t thaaaat much when £61 of it was on fuel, plus I don’t normally eat out in cafés. I can afford it at the moment with ease, but if we’re to buy a house, I’ll be watching my pennies much more closely for a while.”
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