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 a 33-year-old quantitative analyst for a large financial institution. I got laid off from my last firm, got a really good severance package and pretty much immediately found another role with a significant pay rise. I took three months off between the two jobs. This is my last week being unemployed before my new job starts so I’m making the most of it.”
Occupation: Quantitative analyst
Industry: Financial services
Age: 33
Location: London
Salary: £160,000 + bonus
Paycheque amount: £8,000
Number of housemates: Two: my husband, G, and our 17-month-old, S.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £1,680 mortgage, split with my husband who makes the same as I do.
Loan payments: None.
Savings? £130,000 in a stocks and shares ISA and £32,000 in cash savings.
Utilities: £200 gas and electric, £200 council tax, £350 service charge, £1,750 childcare — all split equally with my husband.
Pension? Yes, it’s currently £400k and I pay £3k a month into it (I use my bonus to pay into this; my employer also contributes £22k annually on top).
All other monthly payments: £10 phone, £80 therapy, £28 contact lens scheme, £37 gym. Subscriptions: £12 Netflix, £12 Spotify. I also have an annual Wondery subscription, which is £38.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I’m not from the UK and my bachelor’s degree (applied mathematics) was free. I came to the UK for my master’s (financial engineering) and got loans plus a scholarship from my home country, and my grandparents gave me £18,000 towards it. My degree in total was £40,000.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents were really bad with money, lots of credit card spending. There seemed to be no planning and they really hated spending on anything for me and my sibling but seemed to have endless money to go out partying. It was an unstable home. My grandparents bailed them out several times. I’m the exact opposite and keep an eye on every penny.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I left home at 21 to come to the UK.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 22 after I graduated and got my first job in finance. I’ve been entirely responsible for myself since then.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked part-time during my master’s for a consultancy firm.
Do you worry about money now?
Not as much anymore. I’ve built up solid savings and my pension, even as it is now, will give me a really good retirement.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes, I received £18,000 for my master’s from my grandparents.
7 a.m. — My daughter, S, wakes me up. G, my husband, is already on his way out to the office. I’m so worried about my own sleep once I start work again next week as I will need to get myself and S ready and head out by 7:45 a.m. Eeek.
11 a.m. — I’ve given S some blueberries for breakfast, she’s so picky and not the best eater either way. I make sure she’s getting enough calories via formula, which is the only thing she will regularly have.
11:30 a.m. — I’m meeting a friend who’s had a baby today so I make some dinner for her and her husband and take the Tube there, £7.20. I also pack S a lunch for daycare — pasta with garlic, tomatoes and butter that I make at home along with some carrot crispies — and hope she eats it all.
2 p.m. — I love seeing the new baby, he’s so beautiful and makes me miss my own baby at that age. It’s such hard work but they make it all worth it. Have a really open conversation about how depression can play such a big role in pregnancy and birth and how people need to talk more openly about it.
4 p.m. — Head back home, stop at Waitrose on the way to pick up scamorza, almond milk and brie, £10.70. Pick S up from daycare and am happy to be told she’s eaten everything.
7 p.m. — G is home and I hand over S to him to put to bed while I start cooking dinner. We’re making fried rice tonight with tofu and veggies and you can taste the health. I have to counter it with some chocolate after we finish.
11 p.m. — We watch some TV and then head to bed.
Total: £17.90
7:30 a.m. — S wakes us up before the official alarm goes off. We had a rough night with a full-blown tantrum at 2 a.m. before she calmed down. Completely normal at this age and we just waited for her to get her feelings out before going back to bed and giving her a bottle of milk to help her settle.
9:30 a.m. — Check my phone and see I have a bill from the jewellers to fix my earrings, £69.
11 a.m. — G is working at home today so I manage to leave S with him for an hour and head out in the cold rain. I get myself a masala chai, £4.80. I also pop into our local Turkish grocer to get some labneh and avocado, £1.60.
1 p.m. — S wakes up from her nap and I get lunch prepared for her. She does not want to eat and picks at my lunch but when I give her a proper portion of mine, she refuses to eat that, too. Sigh.
2 p.m. — After dancing and playing with S, I can see she’s sleepy and put her down for a nap. I then sit down and order some Beats headphones I want that are on sale, £188. S wakes up after 30 minutes and I try feeding her some pasta again but no dice — she wants her milk.
3 p.m. — Spend the afternoon playing with S and listening to the Filthy Ritual podcast on Spotify. It’s from the RedHanded podcast hosts and it’s so, so good.
4 p.m. — I order some wagyu A5 fillet for our treat dish night. I buy this myself to celebrate my new job, £100.
6:30 p.m. — Hand over S to G and head to the gym while he gets her ready for bed.
7:30 p.m. — G heads to the gym and I give S her final feed before bedtime. She goes down like an angel. G’s going to make us dinner once he comes home: panini with brie, ham, rocket and cranberry sauce.
10:30 p.m. — We have a blackout. I call the electricity company to get a complaint registered and we head to bed, only to wake up at 12 a.m. to the electricity back on and our fire alarms blaring. S sleeps through it all but starts her nighttime feeding from 2 a.m. Another rough night…
Total: £363.40
6:45 a.m. — We all have an early start. As G heads to work I give S some milk and put on Ms. Rachel while I prep her breakfast. She only wants blueberries, which is healthy I guess.
10 a.m. — S has gone down for her morning nap. I clean the flat and order her a Toniebox and two Tonies. I split this with G, £44 for my half.
1 p.m. — I drop S off at daycare and head to meet my old manager for lunch. I get the Tube there, £2.70. I treat her to Bleecker Burger (so good) and we share gossip and memories along with childcare worries, £32.
2 p.m. — I meet another colleague after and take him out to coffee where we also share the goss. I’m going to miss this team despite getting my dream job, £7.90.
4:30 p.m. — I’m finally sitting down to watch the latest Netflix doc, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, along with some redbush tea. I follow a lot of anti-consumerism YouTube channels to try and rewire my brain when it comes to shopping. I haven’t bought any new clothes in eight months, no makeup in a year and no shoes in almost two years. I’ve learnt how to mend and maintain as much as I can.
6:30 p.m. — I’ve picked up S and make her a toastie because she didn’t really eat much at daycare. She only eats some of this. I get my pasta dough going and roll it out. I chop up some cherry tomatoes, toss them with olive oil and chopped garlic in a pan, blanch some broccoli (G does that), toss the cooked pasta in, add a tablespoon of chilli in olive oil from Lidl’s Italian Week and add some chopped smoked scamorza on top — salt it heavily! And of course some extra parmesan on top. I love this dinner.
11 p.m. — After putting S to bed at 7:30 p.m. we watch some telly, then head to bed ourselves and pray she sleeps through the night.
Total: £86.60
6:45 a.m. — S is our alarm clock again but last night was better than most. G makes me coffee as he wakes up to log in from home. I watch a bit of YouTube in bed with coffee before I start my day.
9 a.m. — I make S some raspberry pancakes and hold my breath. She does not want them so I give her a bottle of milk and put her down for a nap. I’ll attempt again at lunchtime. I also make pancakes for G at his desk. I place an Amazon order for a few things we need, £29.
10 a.m. — Clean up the tornado my toddler has left behind while listening to the Today in Focus podcast by The Guardian. I also check where the markets are atm (I use my ISA to invest in the VUSA, which tracks the S&P and also protects me from any dips in the pound against the dollar). I manage my daughter’s Junior ISA as well. My friends who’ve just had kids reach out to me to help them set all this up and I informally help them manage their investments, too.
11:30 a.m. — S wakes up and I get her dressed to head out to pick things up for lunch as we’re making curry and flatbread, £7.40. It’s so cold out and I make sure to bundle S up as much as possible.
2:30 p.m. — I head with S to the park post-lunch and decide to go to one a little further out so I can get a nice walk in and listen to a podcast. We play on the swings for 20 minutes and it’s freezing. We have a full-blown tantrum when I try to make us head home. Somehow get her into the buggy and manage to get home.
6 p.m. — I feel bad for S so I let her watch Ms. Rachel and make her a ham and cheese sandwich — which she eats! Finally! She also wolfs down a fair amount of rice crackers, which makes my heart happy.
9 p.m. — S is in bed and we’re making a stir fry for dinner with whatever we can find in the fridge. Watch TV and head to bed at 11 p.m.
Total: £36.40
4:20 a.m. — Don’t remember when S got into our bed but she’s screaming for more milk. I go and get her a bottle and fall asleep.
6:45 a.m. — We’re all awake now. I check my portfolio this morning as the markets did amazingly yesterday and yes, I’ve made £6k in one day across my pension and ISA. Really happy with that. Hoping today shows a slight uptick as well.
8:45 a.m. — Finally make myself a coffee. I have to make full use of my last weekday of unemployment. S is occupied with her toys and Ms. Rachel so we both get to live a little today. I mull over if I should just eat leftovers or order something for lunch.
12 p.m. — I decide to order lunch from Sticks’n’Sushi, £47. Put it in the fridge to have later once I’m done with therapy.
2:30 p.m. — Just finished therapy and S is at daycare so it’s time to finally eat that lunch I ordered. The spicy chicken yakitori is my favourite but everything is really divine. I’m going to miss having the house to myself on a random weekday and doing nothing.
3:30 p.m. — The headphones I’ve ordered have arrived and I want to go out for a long walk, grab a coffee and listen to a murder podcast. First though, I need to trim and clean my nails. I’ve been so busy with S, I’ve been ignoring self-care for myself.
4 p.m. — I’ve finished giving myself a manicure using this kit I ordered from The Manucurist — I love their Raspberry Active Glow on my nails. I play around with my new headphones but decide against the walk since it’s dark out already. I will probably just listen to a podcast when I go to pick up S.
8:30 p.m. — S is in bed and we’re making a homemade version of Dishoom’s kathi roll from scratch. G picked up things for dinner on the way home, £5 for my half.
10 p.m. — Watch the new season of Cobra Kai and head to bed. I fall asleep pleased that the markets have closed again with a major high.
Total: £52
6:30 a.m. — Pretty sure I did wake up early in the morning to bring S a bottle but don’t feel too tired. Lots of cuddles in bed with S and G. She wants Ms. Rachel but we say no and it leads to a full tantrum, which I just wait out. I usually giggle during these because she looks so cute.
8 a.m. — G makes S an omelette with cheese and garlic and she eats it all. Success! He then makes us coffee, which we have in bed while scrolling, with S jumping around our room.
11 a.m. — I’m meeting a friend for lunch today in Covent Garden and start getting ready. I’m taking the bus there so need to be out in time, £1.85.
1:30 p.m. — We’re at a Korean restaurant and the food is so good. I love the japchae and decide to make it at home because I have the proper noodles for it. My friend is a talented baker and has surprised me with a homemade cake so I treat her to lunch despite her protests, £46.
2:30 p.m. — My friend treats me to coffee post-lunch, which I gladly accept. We walk around Covent Garden discussing the layoffs happening everywhere. It’s scary. I have so many friends with similar stories of watching entire departments go without any notice. Take the Tube home, £2.60.
3:30 p.m. — Pick up some lentil crisps and brioche buns for dinner, £2.80.
4:30 p.m. — I’m back home but the flat is still a mess so I start cleaning up while G looks after S. He has put on more child locks everywhere, which I appreciate. He’s also had to work today — Saturday! I feel so bad for him. I wonder if my new job will be like this too.
5 p.m. — I’m done cleaning and take over looking after S while G heads to the gym. I make her a toastie but she doesn’t want it; she didn’t eat the pasta I made her for lunch either. I try not to feel anxious.
6:30 p.m. — I’m at the gym myself now while G tries dinner again with S and puts her down to sleep. I’m listening to the BBC podcast Vishal, it’s so sad and heartbreaking. I’m glad the BBC is taking up these cold cases.
7:30 p.m. — Back home to kiss S goodnight and G starts making us dinner. It’s treat night and we’re making Beyond Burgers and curly fries. Hedoine is having a sale and their tights are 50% off so I order some, £69.
8:30 p.m. — Watch some TV to relax and head to bed by 11 p.m.
Total: £122.25
9:40 a.m. — Had a really bad night — like, really bad. Not because S woke up (she actually slept through the night) but because it was so windy and stormy. I could hear the wind all through the night.
11:40 a.m. — G makes us coffee and I give S a banana and some toast for breakfast. She decides to eat both — success! We’re not sure what to make for lunch and float around options — shakshuka? Germknödel? Eggs?
12:30 p.m. — G heads out to buy us some things for dinner, £5 for my half.
1 p.m. — S is having a nap and we’ve decided to make kaiserschmarrn, which is an Austrian pancake. G discovered it while skiing in Austria and now makes it regularly. It’s so, so good. I like mine with maple syrup, which G finds gross.
2 p.m. — Decide to head out for a walk around the neighbourhood so G makes me a coffee to go. We walk down to the riverside where we have an M&S so I can buy a few things, £7. M&S has a green goddess sauce now, which I’m dying to try. I’ve never tried the famous Trader Joe’s one so I’m really looking forward to it. I also pick up some cambozola, which I’m addicted to.
5 p.m. — I head to the gym. G’s making us chilli for dinner. It already smells so good by the time I leave.
6 p.m. — I’m home. I really needed some time at the gym and I love days like today when it’s empty and I get all the machines I want. G heads out for his session and I play with S.
7 p.m. — I draw S a bath. She loves bathtime and it’s a struggle to get her out because she loves splashing about with her toys. This time I gently coax her out and she puts her arms up for me to take her out.
8 p.m. — S is sleeping and we’re both tucking into some chilli. It’s so comforting.
10 p.m. — Get ready for bed. I’m heading to bed earlier than usual because tomorrow’s my first day at my new job. I’m both scared and excited in equal parts. I know the hours might be tough at times but I tell myself they’re paying me really well and this is the job I’ve always wanted. The last few months have spoiled me but I am also determined to save for a really comfortable retirement.
Total: £12
“Definitely an abnormal week in terms of spending and too many things all happening at the same time. I wanted to really enjoy my last week of no work before the new job started and I also wanted to treat my friends. My weekly spend is usually a fourth of what is shown here.”
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