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 27-year-old medical writer living with my boyfriend, S, and our dachshund, O, in Liverpool. We’ve been together for six years, living together for four and a half years, and just completed on our first proper house last week. I’ve always been fairly sensible with my money and have saved since I got my first proper job. As soon as I get paid, all my money is split across different Monzo pots as I find this the easiest way to know exactly how much money I have to spend in a month. I struggle to find the will to treat myself and only very occasionally buy new clothes or crafts but when I do spend the money, I like to buy from slightly better brands like Next or M&S, rather than Primark or Shein. S and I both have fairly well-paid jobs but I still seem to run out of money by the end of the month, even though all of our meals are planned, meaning we only buy what we need, and we don’t go out as much as we used to.”
Occupation: Medical writer
Industry: Medical communications
Age: 27
Location: Liverpool
Salary: £38,000
Paycheque amount: £2,379.31
Number of housemates: Two: my boyfriend, S, and dog, O.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £486.19 for my half of the mortgage (this will be our usual monthly payment, although our first payment will be higher because of the added interest).
Loan payments: £106.97 for my car (I refinanced the balloon payment when my initial loan ended in March this year), £29.54 for my iPhone.
Savings? £292.87 stocks and shares ISA (I add £20-40 a month), £275 premium bonds, £1,540.84 personal holiday savings, £222.75 rainy day savings (this was a lot higher but we didn’t realise we couldn’t use our Help To Buy ISAs towards our deposit, which meant we had to make up nearly an extra £4k, which thankfully I had in savings, and will mostly get back from the solicitors), £836.43 my half of our joint holiday savings (I add £100 a month), £887.36 in a pot for my car (covers my insurance, tax, service and MOT; I add £108 a month), £316.66 in a Christmas pot (I add £30 a month), £423.01 in a spare change round-up pot (which I use to treat myself e.g. buy fabric for a sewing project) and £2,102.90 for my half of our joint savings for the house.
Pension? Yes, I pay in 5% (£158.33), which is matched by my employer. I’ve got a total of £14,645.48 in my current pension, plus £1,403.88 in an old work pension.
Utilities: These are a best guess at my half as we haven’t yet paid our first bills as we only moved in two weeks ago: £78.44 council tax, £77.09 gas and electric, £14.82 pet insurance, £24.38 water, £13.25 TV licence, £17.61 building and contents insurance, £18 broadband.
All other monthly payments: £7 Monzo perks, £8 SIM plan, £12 to my mum (in the pub back home I do a bingo lottery and a bonus ball so this covers both of these for the month), £357.97 car insurance (paid annually), £180 car tax (paid annually). Subscriptions: £5 Now TV (my half).
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I went to university in Belfast and it was all paid by loans. Even though Belfast was (and still is) a super cheap place to live, because I got the minimum loan I still struggled to get by as my maintenance loan barely covered my rent. I was really fortunate that my parents were able to give me £400 a month the whole four years I was at uni to help with costs. I also worked part-time starting the summer of first year, right through until the end of my fourth year, for extra money.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I don’t remember many conversations about money but we were encouraged to save. Even though my mum and dad had decent jobs, we weren’t particularly well-off and I noticed this more once I got to secondary school and compared our lifestyle with those of my classmates. However, they always found the money for school trips and we got the birthday and Christmas presents we wanted. We went abroad once a year starting when I was 12, and this was nearly always two weeks all-inclusive somewhere in Spain or Majorca. It’s only in the last few years that my parents have told us how much they struggled at times, such as paying for the food shop with cheques because they wouldn’t clear for a few days until they had been paid. I also remember someone coming to the house every week to collect money from my mum. At the time, she told us it was a savings account but my dad said it was a loan shark. There were also times when me and my sisters had to lend my mum money (sometimes hundreds), which we never got back.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out at 18 to go to uni and have never lived permanently at home since then. Unexpectedly, we had to move out of our rented flat two and a half months before completing on our house and we were lucky to be able to live with family rent-free as my parents own my maternal grandparents’ home. My grandad has died and my nanny has recently gone into full-time residential care with dementia so me, S and O moved in with my cousin, who has also lived there for 15+ years since my grandad had a stroke. We chipped in for electricity but the rest of the bills were covered by my cousin.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I’d say I’ve been primarily financially responsible for myself since I graduated uni, although my parents definitely help out every now and then. Last year, my dad paid our first month’s rent when we moved to Liverpool from Manchester because we had an overlap between the flats and couldn’t afford both the deposit and rent. Recently, he also bought our mattress and fridge for the new flat, as well as offering to pay for our spare mattress. I hate borrowing money from my parents but know that if I were in a sticky situation I could always rely on them to help me out.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I started babysitting for family friends when I was around 13, mostly because I loved babies (yes, I was trusted to look after actual babies but bear in mind this was in a pub and their parents were downstairs). My first proper paid job was as a dental receptionist on a Saturday and I got the job because the practice manager was the daughter of my mum’s best friend. We were encouraged to get a job as soon as we could.
Do you worry about money now?
All the time! We’ve just bought our first home together and while we’re hoping that we won’t have to do much, we’ve put off getting the electrics tested in fear of having to pay for a rewire. We also think that the gutters need replacing, and even potentially the roof, both of which are likely to be expensive. We’re also thinking about getting married and having children in the next few years and my maternity policy isn’t particularly generous so somehow we’ll also have to find a way to save money for that.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I’ve received small amounts twice. When I was 16, I inherited £600 from my godfather. After my paternal granny died last year, my dad inherited several thousand pounds and from this he gave me and both my sisters £1,000 each.
7 a.m. — Today is the last day of my time off for moving house before going back to work. I wake up, scroll on my phone and have a cuddle with my boyfriend, S, and our dog, O, before putting the heating on. Then I take O out to the toilet, feed her and unload and reload the dishwasher.
7:45 a.m. — We get ready to leave the house, I de-ice and heat up the car and me and S drop O at doggy daycare.
8 a.m. — Quick pit stop at Asda for bread, bacon, deodorant and more de-icer for my car, £4.15. I was going to get an advent calendar but the shop worker lets me know that they are all being reduced tomorrow so I hold off.
9 a.m. — Back home and I jump in the shower and shave my legs while S makes tea and bacon sandwiches, which we eat while catching up with I’m A Celeb.
11:30 a.m. — We head back out to pick our Christmas tree. We got this last year from a local provider who gives 25% of the proceeds to local business initiatives so it’s a nice way to give back. £40 for my half.
12 p.m. — After this we head to Dunelm where we buy a skirt for the Christmas tree and a bath mat, £12.50 for my half. We then head to Pets at Home for an advent calendar for O, £5.25 for my half.
12:30 p.m. — Go to Boots for some perfume, hair protecting spray and an ear wax removal kit, £70.42.
1 p.m. — We round off this shopping trip with a Nando’s, £21.65 for my half.
2 p.m. — Head to pick up some last odd bits and pieces, including some paint samples, a new keyboard and mouse and a gift for a friend’s baby, which I’ll embroider with her name.
6:45 p.m. — Our tree has been delivered! We get it moved into the living room and then settle down with a few beers from the fridge and dinner of sausage and kale pasta to continue catching up with I’m A Celeb.
10 p.m. — S’ family does Secret Santa every Christmas so I get my present ordered. This year I have the toughest buy of his aunt’s father-in-law. I get him a personalised fishing ruler. It’s £20 and I take the money for it from my Christmas savings pot.
10:30 p.m. — Head up to bed and read a bit (currently Richard Osman’s new book, We Solve Murders) before lights out at 10:45 p.m.
Total: £173.97
7 a.m. — I’ve been in and out of sleep for hours so I get up and log on for work, as tonight is our Christmas party and I know I’ll be finishing early. While scrolling through my 200+ emails, I read one that lets us know we won’t be getting a bonus this year. After over four years with the company, this is the first time we won’t be getting a bonus. Recently I’ve been absolutely up the wall with projects, covering a lot of other people off sick, and it’s disheartening to know this isn’t being rewarded or recognised. I know it’s not personal and is a reflection of the company’s performance but still, it’s not the best news. I buy my return train ticket to travel to the party, £13.05.
11:30 a.m. — Speak to my middle sister, L. She, my parents and my youngest sister, D, are all coming to Liverpool next weekend for my birthday, which will be super nice, especially as none of us is going home for Christmas this year. I stop for lunch of tomato soup and a couple of bake-at-home rolls and call my GP to get some referrals booked that I had to put off when we moved to Belfast.
1:30 p.m. — Trainline gives me a notification that my connecting train for later is cancelled! I run around in a panic to get ready to make an early train to therefore make an early connecting train.
4 p.m. — Make it to the hotel no quicker despite the earlier train and devour a reduced chicken caesar salad and strawberry granola pot that I picked up on the way, along with a bottle of prosecco for my friends, £12.58. My Deliveroo subscription also comes out because I stupidly forgot to cancel it. I add an event to my calendar to cancel it on Sunday, £7.99.
7 p.m. — It’s party time! This is a huge company party with 400+ people and a free bar so I have a great time catching up with people I haven’t seen for months.
1 a.m. — The party is over and a few of us try to find another pub to go to. After three attempts, we give up and head to McDonald’s where I get food for me and the two workmates I’m with, £21.81. They both feel like my young protégés (even though one is older than me but younger than me in the job) and I try to impart some hard-earned wisdom on them. They respond in kind by telling me I would make a great manager, which makes me warm and bubbly inside.
2:30 a.m. — Eventually make it back to the hotel, send safe home texts to multiple people and inevitably pass out with the lamp on.
Total: £55.43
9:40 a.m. — I am hungover. Having been in and out of sleep for ages because I was paranoid about sleeping through my alarm, I get up, pack my case and go to the hotel breakfast, which is included in the room price. I can’t eat when I’m hungover, which is a waste, so I just have a glass of orange juice and a banana and grab an apple to take with me.
10:20 a.m. — Miss the train by one minute and have to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Eventually get on the train and buy a tea but it’s too hot to drink until I get off for my connecting train, £2.75.
12:15 p.m. — Finally get back home and have cuddles with S and O. S goes back to playing the PS5 while I order myself some slippers and another kids’ jumper to embroider as a gift for a workmate, both from M&S, £34.50.
3 p.m. — The hangover is sticking around but fading so me and S take O for a walk. On the way, we pass the local butcher and notice they sell southwest sauce, a type of chipotle mayo which we thought we could only get in Northern Ireland! S’ best friend has taken a liking to it since we brought some back with us so we pick up a bottle for him, £1.75 for my half.
6:30 p.m. — I take a little nap after the walk and do some crochet before making a start on dinner. S heads up to get some wine and beers for us, £14.17 for my half. We were going to have lamb cutlets, cheese and garlic mash and pan-fried tenderstem broccoli and cherry tomatoes but the lamb is off when we open it (even though it’s in date) so we just have the potatoes and veg. Luckily we’re not that hungry.
8 p.m. — Stick a loaf of garlic bread in the oven for a snack…
10:45 p.m. — Still have a lingering hangover headache so decide to call it a day. I take O to the toilet, then take two paracetamol and head up to bed.
Total: £53.17
8 a.m. — Wake up and scroll on my phone for a bit before getting up, taking O to the toilet and feeding her, then settling in to do some crochet and watch the newest series of Outlander.
10:15 a.m. — S gets up and makes us both tea and we realise we forgot to buy bread yesterday so no breakfast for us. I head out to Tesco to get our weekly shop, which includes tortilla chips, wine, bread, pasta, meatless mince, vanilla extract, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ready mix stuffing, caesar sauce, sour cream, bacon bits, chicken breast, whole chicken, lamb cutlets, Yorkshire puddings, ham, parmesan, cheddar, red chillies, coriander, carrots, tenderstem broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, onions, limes, lemon, oranges, spring onions, avocados, lettuce, three types of tomatoes, and Christmas tree lights, £58.94 for my half. I also get a bottle of rum to make a gift for my mum’s boyfriend, £21.
11:30 a.m. — We drop O with S’ mum and head out for another day of shopping. We go back to Dunelm to pick up an order from earlier in the week and I get some new kitchen scales, £7 for my half. We then go to Pets at Home for dog food, £8.30 for my half. We also need a stand for the Christmas tree so we go to B&Q but they’re super expensive so we try The Range instead. They only have really small ones and our tree is 8.5ft(!) so back to B&Q. At this point we realise they only have one left which is big enough for the tree and it’s £65, which is gut-wrenching. However, the box is completely destroyed so at the till we ask for a discount and they give us 50% off, which is a result! £16.25 for my half. We round this all off with a stop at Asda for some snacks as well as a birthday card for S’ mum, £15.53 for my half.
4 p.m. — Head home and watch the football with our snacks before decorating the tree, accompanied by (several) glasses of Asda blonde chocolate liqueur. It’s not a Baileys dupe but so, so good. Highly recommend.
8:30 p.m. — We decide to order a Chinese as we can’t be bothered to cook at this point, £13.39 for my half.
10:30 p.m. — The Chinese has only just arrived, nearly two hours after ordering! We eat and have a few beers while catching up on I’m a Celeb (what a surprise).
11:30 p.m. — Call it a day and head to bed as we both have work in the morning.
Total: £140.41
8:15 a.m. — Wake up and do my usual morning routine of getting O up and out and fed before logging on.
10:15 a.m. — Have a call with our solicitors. On completion day they dropped an extra £800 of fees on us that we weren’t expecting so we’re trying to argue that we shouldn’t have to pay it, for various reasons. Manage to speak to one of the partners who agrees that our contract is contradictory and they haven’t done what they said they would so he will speak to the fees team and see if anything can be done. This feels like a small win, although I expect we’ll still have to pay the money.
1 p.m. — Stop for lunch of leftover Chinese from last night and get a text from the GP that my X-ray referral has been sorted. I had scoliosis twice as a teenager, which meant two spine operations, and recently I’ve noticed some misalignment in my shoulders again. As I haven’t had any X-rays or MRI scans in over 10 years, the GP referred me for some X-rays before I can be referred to the adult orthopaedic clinic. I call the hospital to check what I need to do on the day but it seems I just need to turn up and give my name, so I will do this on Friday when I’m off.
6:15 p.m. — Work is crazy at the minute and I end up working late to get through a project, which I don’t even finish. I could hand it over to someone else but honestly it would just take more time. I make a repeat dinner from the other night, this time with lamb cutlets that are not off, and we watch I’m A Celeb.
7:30 p.m. — I get a shower and blow-dry my hair while S takes O for a walk, then carry on unpacking some of the seemingly never-ending boxes.
8:45 p.m. — We decide to stop unpacking as we’re both knackered, and settle in with some snacks and leftover lamb cutlets. S makes me a hot chocolate and we carry on watching — you guessed it — I’m A Celeb, while I do some more crochet.
10:15 p.m. — Head up to bed and read this week’s Money Diaries before lights out at 11 p.m.
Total: £0
7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed, taking O with me in the process and leaving S to carry on sleeping. I’m logging on early to try and finish off the project I was working on last night.
10:15 a.m. — Have a quick call with my daddy. He’s currently in Ireland visiting his family and we catch up about plans for the weekend as he, my mum and both my sisters are coming to Liverpool. There’s a very specific brand of bread you can only get in Derry which is my all-time favourite and he says he will try and bring back a loaf for me.
12:30 p.m. — After logging on early, I stop for an extended lunch break and manage to clean the kitchen, hang out the washing, make guacamole and salsa for tonight’s dinner of nachos and put together a bottle of Christmas spiced rum, which is a present for my mum’s boyfriend. I got the recipe from a well-known cooking/recipe website a few years ago and originally made it as a Christmas present for one of my sisters but he tried it and loved it so much that I usually make two or three bottles a year!
2:30 p.m. — I take advantage of a quiet 30 minutes to make a start on my bullet journal. I used to do this religiously and found it so helpful for organising my work life but in the past year I’ve struggled much more with it, which is likely a combination of not having a permanent desk space and my work tasks changing, which means I need to figure out a new system.
5:30 p.m. — Finish up with work and make the dinner, which tonight is nachos with meatless mince. A few years ago, S and I tried to eat veggie once a week and while this has slipped, I now only make nachos with meatless mince as I find it so much nicer. We have them with the guacamole and salsa I made earlier, as well as sour cream and red chillies for S. While S was on the way home, he also picked up some new wine glasses, bin bags and batteries for our old Christmas tree lights, which we’ve put around the bannister, £16.03 for my half.
7 p.m. — We get another wash on and hung out, and carry on unpacking boxes for a few hours.
9 p.m. — My back is really sore so I call it on the unpacking and stick the TV on with some more blonde chocolate liqueur and do some more crochet. I’ve been making crochet versions of our dachshund, O, with little Santa hats as presents for my mum and S’ mum and desperately need to get one finished before the weekend when my mum visits.
10:15 p.m. — Head up to bed, read a bit more of Richard Osman and play some solitaire on my phone before lights out.
Total: £16.03
4 a.m. — Eurgh, why am I awake…
8:10 a.m. — Wake up in a blind panic thinking I’ve overslept but thankfully it’s all good. Have a scroll, then we bring O into bed with us for a cuddle.
9 a.m. — Get logged into work with tea and toast before O immediately throws up her entire breakfast because she’s crazy and has been running around the house. I try to help clean up but it makes me gag insanely so instead I hold O and S cleans up the sick.
12:15 p.m. — Stop for lunch and put in a return request for a dress I ordered. I ordered two for my Christmas party last week and the one I was really hoping to wear ended up looking really cheap and not worth the money at all.
5:15 p.m. — Finish up a bit earlier from work so I can get nachos in the oven for an early dinner as we’re going to a quiz tonight. If you haven’t noticed, I always make four portions of dinner and we have the same dinner two days in a row. I love cooking when I have the time to do it but after a stressful day at work, I’m grateful when we can just reheat leftovers. Neither me nor S minds this, thankfully, and it’s what we’ve done for years now.
6:30 p.m. — S’ friend M arrives and we try in vain to get a taxi so we start walking in the pouring rain. O is very unhappy about this but luckily we manage to get a lift from M’s mum. We meet another of S’ friends, E, at the quiz. I absolutely love pub quizzes and used to go twice a month with work friends when we lived in Manchester. I’ve been sorely missing them recently so I’m glad we’ve found a new one.
9:45 p.m. — We end up coming fourth out of five teams but in our defence we were the youngest team by a mile. Over the course of the night we all get a round (and then an extra one) so I end having three pints of lager, a pint of Guinness and a large glass of red wine, £17.33 for my half.
11:30 p.m. — End up walking home with S, O and M as we couldn’t get a taxi again. I realise that I’ll likely be somewhat hungover in the morning so start writing my complete Money Diary now.
1:30 a.m. — Eventually head to bed.
Total: £17.33
“This was definitely not a typical week for me. We would never usually go out to eat and have a takeaway in the same week. I’m also usually really reserved about spending money on myself so the perfume and slippers was definitely a little treat. With moving into the new house, we’ve also spent a lot of money on things that we won’t need to buy again for a while, and obviously the Christmas tree is a one-off! We very rarely drink this much during the week but the stress of moving plus the time off has made it seem justified. The diary has definitely made me realise how much the little things add up, like getting snacks or wine on the off. This is definitely something we need to be more mindful of when we want to increase our savings in the future.”
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