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 34-year-old, living in Glasgow with my husband and our dog.
We are child-free by choice, although we are definitely at that age where almost everyone around us seems to be having kids and that inevitably leads to the question being posed to us around when we’ll have some of our own. Motherhood has personally never appealed to me, and from a financial perspective I’d much rather spend my money on myself! We bought our current house four years ago, having owned a flat for seven years prior to that. We made a good return on our flat, which ultimately allowed us to buy the home we are in now. I feel really fortunate to be on the property ladder and living in what I consider to be our forever home, but equally I know we have both worked really hard to achieve this independently. For work, I’m based in finance and have worked in this industry for the last 15 years. It can be fast paced and at times cutthroat. I decided to take a step back in my career last year after falling seriously ill for a period. My illness changed my whole approach to life and I now just want an easy life being paid as much as I can for doing as little work as possible!”
Occupation: Financial advisor
Industry: Wealth management
Age: 34
Location: Glasgow
Salary: £50,000
Paycheque Amount: Net take home £3,000 after tax, NIC, pension contributions and charity donation.
Number of housemates: One (my husband, P)
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £595 (for my share).
Loan payments: I have an interest free credit card which currently has a balance of around £2,000 on it. I generally pay around £50-100 per month to it depending on what else I have on that month. No other debts, other than outstanding mortgage.
Savings?: I have approximately £25k in cash savings (which includes a cash ISA, general saver and regular saver). My investments are approximately £40,000. This is a mix of S&S ISA, LISA and some private equity I hold in unlisted companies.
Pension? I have a workplace pension, valued at around £90,000. I pay 5% in and my employer pays 10%.
Utilities: £72 gas and electric, £110 council tax (which includes water bill in Scotland), £25 home phone/internet. I split all bills with my husband, so these figures (and the mortgage) reflect my share.
All other monthly payments: £25 mobile, £140 dog costs (this includes his dog food, two weekly dogwalker fees, dog groom every eight weeks and pet insurance).
Subscriptions: £30 gym membership, £24 contact lens subscription, £7 Monzo Perks. I also have an annual membership for a yoga and Pilates studio, which is £850 per annum.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I went onto university to study a Social Science degree. In Scotland, we are fortunate enough to benefit from free tuition fees.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
Both of my parents came from fairly poor backgrounds and have spent much of their lives worrying about money, living frugally and desperately trying to avoid debt. They are now what I would consider to be very comfortable financially, but they continue to live a modest life and struggle to allow themselves to spend money or splurge.
This is not something that I have a problem doing(!!), but I do live by the hard rule of ‘if I can’t afford it, I don’t buy it’.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house?
22.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 22, when I moved out. I rented my first flat in Glasgow city centre and lived here for around 18 months, before buying a place together with my husband. I was really proud to get on the property ladder at just 24 and to do it without any financial backing from family.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got my first job at 15, working as a waitress in a local hotel and restaurant near where I grew up. My first post-university job was working in a bank call centre. I studied for and completed my financial adviser exams while working in this role, and it ultimately acted as an entry point to getting promoted into my first financial advice role.
Do you worry about money now?
Not particularly — I feel that I am reasonably paid and my husband has a very generous salary of his own, so I know that I could be supported by him should anything ever happen with my job (although it is important to me that I am financially independent and earning my own income). I also take comfort in knowing that I have a decent level of cash and investment reserves to fall back on, as well as several protection policies in place, like income protection and life cover, which will either pay out to me or my husband in the event that something happened to me that prevented me from working, or worse, death. Being a qualified financial advisor means I am pretty financially literate anyway and generally up to speed with government and regulatory changes in that sphere.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I have never received an inheritance or any financial help from my family. I did however take voluntary redundancy from my previous employer in early 2024. I received a post-tax lump sum payment of just under £50,000. I spent some of this on a bougie holiday and a yoga teacher training course, but the remainder went into savings.
7 a.m. — Wake up, quickly throw some clothes on and head out to a morning Pilates class. I have an annual membership at my local studio, so this doesn’t cost me anything to attend. It’s a burny one — who knew micro movements could be so spicy!
9 a.m. — Arrive home and log into work. Suddenly remember that it’s payday, woo! I don’t actually have anything I immediately need to pay for, but I transfer my half of the bills to the joint account I share with my husband, and also switch money into my various ‘sinking’ pots for things like holidays, gifts, beauty and home repairs.
10 a.m. — An alert goes off on my phone to remind me that tickets for an artist I love go on sale. I login to my Ticketmaster account and purchase two tickets to see Taaliah (Scottish trans dance artist, one to watch!). I message my friend who I’ll be going to the gig with to let them know I’ve secured the goods and she transfers me to cover her ticket, £20 for my half.
12 p.m. — I leave the house to head to a facial appointment which I’ve booked over my lunch. I try to go for a facial every eight weeks and I always get complimented on my good skin, so it must be paying off! I’ve paid a deposit for the appointment already, so I only have £30 to pay today.
1 p.m. — Leave my appointment feeling glowy! On the way back I nip into my local greengrocers to pick up some vegetables we need for tonight’s dinner. We try to buy most of our fruit and veg from here as it’s more sustainable and reduces food waste (as we only buy what we need) and allows us to support a local business too! I get tomatoes, a courgette, onions and garlic, £5.26.
2:15 p.m. — I rustle up a quick egg wrap and a coffee for lunch. I’ve ran over my allocated hour a little bit but nobody seems to have noticed. Then it’s head down and full steam ahead to get some work done before the day is out.
6:30 p.m. — My friend comes over and I make us a spicy tomato and sausage pasta for dinner. We decide to make vision boards for the year ahead using some old magazines I already have at home. I include lots of health and beauty cuts in mine — start as you mean to go on I guess! Unfortunately, the only travel magazine we have is a Scottish one, so there was no visualising exotic holidays for us!
10 p.m. — My friend heads home, and I watch TV for another hour or so with P before we head to bed.
Total: £55.26
8 s.m. — Early rise to squeeze in a light breakfast before heading out to my local Parkrun with P. The course is VERY hilly (!) so I’m pleased to complete it in 28 minutes. Afterwards, we head to our favourite local bakery and refuel with a black Americano coffee and an almond croissant, £5.62.
11 a.m. — Post run and baked goods, I pop into Morrisons to pick up some other food items that I didn’t manage to get at the greengrocers. I get spaghetti, olives and parmesan, £11.73.
3 p.m. — I potter around the house for the rest of the day doing some chores until my friend messages me asking if I want to go for a walk. We bring our dogs with us and head to the park. After walking around for a bit, we decide it’s too cold and we need a hot drink, so walk over to a popular gelato store. Surprisingly they are still selling gelato in this weather, but they are also offering bougie hot chocolates with smores melted over the top. We both order one of these and my friend says she will get these as a thank you for having her over for dinner a few weeks back.
4:30 p.m. — I get home and make a start on dinner. On the menu tonight is a sardine spaghetti recipe I got off of Instagram. It turns out to be really tasty, although the house STINKS after it.
6 p.m. — A quiet evening at home, watching a film on Netflix and drinking multiple cups of tea! P pays for the film The Substance off Amazon Prime as I’ve seen some talk about it on social media and I’m intrigued. Let’s just say it was wild! I really enjoyed it though and it definitely posed some hard questions about female beauty standards.
11 p.m. — I make a final herbal tea and head to bed, still traumatised by The Substance. I spend more time than usual on my skincare tonight, using all the anti-aging products I can find!
Total: £17.35
8:30 a.m. — It’s Sunday and P wakes me up to ask if I would like scrambled eggs on toast from breakfast — 100% yes. I enjoy breakfast in bed like a queen, before eventually dragging myself up and getting ready.
10:30 a.m. — I’m back at my yoga and Pilates studio, this time for a vinyasa yoga class. I’ve invited my friend along and sign her in under one of the two free passes I get a month with my membership. The class is so good and I feel well stretched and energised! My friend and I go for a coffee and a weekly debrief afterwards. She says she will pay for it as I signed her into the class.
1 p.m. — After leaving my friend, I drive to check out the new The Range superstore that has just opened near me. BIG MISTAKE. My self control is seriously tested, and even though I hold back on buying a lot of things, I still manage to splurge £100 on various homeware items that we don’t really need. P laughs when I return home with three large bags full and a guilty look on my face, whoops!
6 p.m. — We make a cucumber salad with prawns for dinner. Again, we have all the ingredients we need already so no additional spend involved. It’s super low calorie, but really filling and flavourful.
7 p.m. — Antique Roadshow comes on the TV (guilty pleasure) and there’s a woman on it who has brought along a vintage dress by the fashion brand, Biba, to be valued. The dealer reckons it could be worth £3-4k! I quickly search Biba on the Vinted app and come across a vintage kimono for sale at £20. I offer £15 and it’s accepted (plus postage costs on top). I actually quite like it, but even if I never wear it, I figure it could be a good investment piece, £16.45.
8 p.m. — I run a bath and soak in it for around an hour, topping up the hot water as I go. Once out, I organise myself for the week ahead by doing some meal prep and ironing.
10:30 p.m. — Half watch some TV whilst browsing socials on my phone, then head upstairs for an early night
Total: £116.45
7 a.m. — Monday again, ugh! I get up early to hit the gym before my working day begins. I train hard and decide to reward myself with a coffee afterwards from Greggs. I recently signed up to Monzo’s perks scheme and one of these benefits happens to be a free weekly coffee from Greggs — cha ching!
9 a.m. — Working day begins. My workload is a bit quieter this week, which I’m enjoying after a really busy period at the end of the year. I kill time until lunch browsing and half responding to emails.
12:30 p.m. — I have a parcel to post so I walk to the Post Office on my lunch. Postage comes to £3.75 which I find scandalous.
1 p.m. — I have a halloumi and veg tray bake for my lunch that I made up the night before. I thank yesterday’s me for being so organised!
5 p.m. — The rest of the day drags as I don’t have enough work to occupy myself with. I decide to book a trip to Glencoe that we have been talking about. The hotel we want to stay in is very popular, so you need to book far in advance. I opt for their flexible package in case something happens unexpectedly and we need to cancel. I secure the booking without having to pay any deposit at this stage.
6:30 p.m. — I’m booked in for a yoga class tonight and decide to walk to the studio to help me hit my step count for the day!
8:30 p.m. — 60 minutes of yin yoga. So nice and chilled. I catch a lift home with my friend and we get a gossip in the car.
9 p.m. — PJs on, decaf tea and a few episodes of Seinfeld before bed. This is what being in your thirties looks like!
Total: £3.75
8:30 a.m. — I slept in this morning so will need to go to the gym after work. I have a few meetings today so at least that keeps the day moving along nicely.
12:30 p.m. — I stop for lunch and have the halloumi and veg tray bake again.
1 p.m. — I have a brow appointment booked so I block out my diary and drive there. The appointment takes roughly 30 mins as I’m only there for a wax and tint, so I make it back home within the hour. I always feel so much better with my brows done, they really help to frame your face, £22.
6 p.m. — After work I drive to the gym. It is soooo busy! I guess that’s what I get for sleeping in this morning. I need to wait around to get on some of the machines which is a bit annoying, but I manage to get my workout done eventually.
7:15 p.m. — I leave the gym and go for a nosey in B&M. Quite impressed by their health range — lots of protein-based products and supplements. I pick up some electrolyte tablets and protein bars, £11.67.
8 p.m. — Home to dinner on the table — I married a good one. We have a stir-fry with some leftover vegetables that we have in the fridge. The rest of the night is spent chilling out and browsing on my laptop. We are going on holiday in a couple of weeks and we need new suitcases, so I order some off Amazon. I also add a travel adapter and some insect repellent to the basket as I know we need these too. I split the total cost with P, so my share is £78.
9 p.m. — We watch something on TV, but it can’t have been very interesting as I have no recollection of what it was. I tidy up the house a bit and lay out my work clothes for the morning, before hitting the hay and listening to a few chapters of my audiobook.
Total: £111.67
8 a.m. — It’s my day in the office so I catch the train into town. I’m considered a remote worker, so any trips I do make into the office I get to claim back in expenses.
8:20 a.m. — I grab a latte from a coffee stall in the station. They have an extensive pastry selection but I’m trying really hard to eat well this month. I resist the pastries and quickly pay for my coffee before I change my mind, £3.89.
11 a.m. — I’m in a training session all morning, but manage to sneak away for a coffee break. Whilst I wait for the kettle to boil I check my notifications and see my gym direct debit has gone out. Work puts lunch on for us, which saves me from having to buy anything — result. I try to opt for healthier options, but again the pastries are tempting. This diet is really testing me!
2 p.m. — Training done, thank God! I have a nail appointment scheduled over my lunch but my energy levels are flagging, so I swing by a coffee shop beforehand to get another latte, £3.60. I’m just booked in to get some nail art added to my existing set as I ran out of time getting them done last week due to my work diary. I paid in full last week so the extra art doesn’t cost me anything.
4:30 p.m. — Laptop down and trainers on as I dash out of the office and catch the train to yoga. I do a 45-minute vinyasa class, then decide to walk home afterwards as I’ve not hit my step count for the day.
7 p.m. — P has already eaten by the time I get home and I can’t be bothered making a big meal so I just rustle up some scrambled egg and toast — girl dinner. After eating, I start to write up a checklist of things we still need to do for our holiday. I read over some email correspondence I’ve been sent by the tour operator we’ve booked through, and suddenly realise that we need a travel visa for where we are going — Sh$T! I submit the application and hope that I’ve left enough time for it to be approved before we go away, £42.33.
8 p.m. — We tune into Dragons Den on TV. I worked in Private Equity for a few years, so I always enjoy hearing the pitches and dissecting the deals. There is a guy on the show who is looking to raise funds to launch a dog swimming pool franchise, which is pretty obscure! Needless to say, he doesn’t get their investment!
10:30 p.m. — I listen to another couple of chapters of my audiobook, then off to bed.
Total: £49.82
8:30 a.m. — Here we go again! My motivation at work is so low at the moment as mentally I’ve already checked out and am thinking about my holiday. I remind myself that I only need to get through two more weeks before I’ll be drinking cocktails in warmer climates. A strong black coffee helps charge me up and I get my head down for the next couple of hours.
12:30 p.m. — Lunchtime and I have the last of my halloumi tray bake. Will definitely make that again. I have loads of house chores I should really try and get through in this free hour, but I can’t be bothered and instead spend most of it lying on the sofa browsing social media — productive!
4:30 p.m. — Batter through work for the rest of the afternoon. Despite my lack of motivation I actually manage to get a lot more done than I was anticipating. I decide I’ve earned a lazy day tomorrow.
5:30 p.m. — I leave the house to walk to meet my friend for a Pilates class. This one is at a different studio to the one I normally go to. They’ve just launched a reformer studio and we want to check it out. I paid for the class in advance a few weeks ago via an intro offer that they were running.
7 p.m. — Class done. Not sure that it’s my thing, I definitely feel more challenged by mat Pilates. I have another Class Pass to use so I’ll probably go back at some point. Say bye to my friend and start my walk back home. I pop into a very busy Lidl on the way to pick up some supplies that we need. Sometimes I feel like adulthood is just constantly running out of and replacing things for the house. I get what I need and breeze through self-scan and away from this apocalyptic madness, £11.
8 p.m. — Dinner is ready for me getting home again. Tonight it’s prawn tagliatelle in a spicy tomato sauce which is one of my favourite easy midweek meals. Post dinner, I check my emails and see that my travel visa has come back approved — panic averted.
9 p.m. — It’s Friday tomorrow and I feel like going out and eating some good food. I get my phone out and book a table for us at a local restaurant for the next evening. The restaurant asks me to pay a small deposit to secure the table, which will get taken off the bill tomorrow, £5.
11 p.m. — I’m shattered tonight, so no audiobook and straight to bed for me.
Total: £16
Food & Drink: £52.77
Clothes & Beauty: £68.45
Home & Health: £178
Entertainment: £20
Travel: £0
Other: £51.08
Total: £370.30
Conclusion
“It’s actually been pretty eye opening to see how much I spend in a week. Let’s just say it’s A LOT more than I expected. I knew I could be quite frivolous, but I maybe didn’t realise just how much that was the case.
I would say that there are a few purchases which are not run of the mill and likely wouldn’t appear most weeks, like the visa and items for our holiday. My food and drink spend is also lower than normal this month because I’ve not been going out so much, but anything I’ve saved here has ultimately been swallowed up by the impulse house decor purchases I made on my trip to The Range. All in all, I’ve enjoyed doing the money diary and believe that it will make me more mindful of my day-to-day spending going forward.”
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