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 28-year-old policy officer and bartender living in London. I came here from New York City nearly two years ago for a master’s programme in public policy, fell in love with London and decided to stay on a graduate visa. After I completed my programme, I took a bar job to earn money while looking for a position in my field and I ended up really enjoying it. I got offered a full-time position at a charity about a month later and managed to talk them down to three days a week so I’m able to do it alongside bartending two days a week. It’s a perfect mix for me — I get to help make the world better and get my social fix, too!
I come from a more-than-comfortable background, which has certainly set me up for success. I have no private debt from either of my degrees, which is a huge privilege. I like to think I’m fairly frugal in that I don’t buy “things” often, bring lunches to work etc. However, I do tend to splash out on socialising and travel. I was able to save quite a bit at my last job but I spent a lot of that down in the past couple of years and since moving to the UK have taken a near-30% pay cut. While I can still pay the bills and do fun stuff, I’m not saving or donating as much as I would like to.”
Occupation: Policy officer and bartender
Industry: Charity
Age: 28
Location: London
Salary: £23,436, plus about £11,000 from bartending.
Paycheque amount: £2,350
Number of housemates: Four (plus a very cute cat).
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £760 for a room in a warehouse. I feel really lucky because it’s my favourite place that I’ve lived — it’s huge and has a lovely outdoor space. This price includes all bills other than wi-fi.
Loan payments: None (I owe £23,000 to my parents for my master’s but they are refusing to accept payments until I’m more settled in London).
Pension? I have about £19,000 in retirement savings from my previous job in New York. I’ve opted out of pension payments in the UK for now until I figure out whether I’ll stay here long-term.
Savings? £19,000 in an IRA for retirement and £12,000 across two different high-interest accounts (I know I should probably invest some of this but I’m still uncertain where I’ll end up in the next couple of years so I want to keep it liquid).
Utilities: £4 for wi-fi, all other bills are included in rent.
All other monthly payments: £16 phone, £10 kit, £40 donations (to the London Renters Union and a couple of local charities), £150 Oyster card. Subscriptions: £11 Spotify, £112 Riverford weekly produce box.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes. I got my bachelor’s in New York and worked there for a few years before moving to London for my master’s. I went to an inexpensive (relatively, it is the US after all) uni for my bachelor’s and received substantial scholarships, and the rest of my tuition and living expenses were covered by my parents. For my master’s, I used my savings to cover my own living expenses. I was planning to take out a private loan of about £23,000 to help with tuition fees but my parents unexpectedly offered to loan me the money interest-free. I tried to start paying them back but they insist on deferring payments until I’m more settled in London.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I never knew a ton about my parents’ finances but that was due to security more than anything. I was very lucky and knew I didn’t have to worry about it. We never went on extravagant vacations but we did go out to eat quite a bit and I had my wants and needs fulfilled throughout my childhood. My mother came from a low-income background so was a little more anxious about money and frugal when it came to buying things for herself. My father was more comfortable with spending but not to excess. He worked at two different union jobs that had good pension benefits so he emphasised the importance of saving, particularly for retirement.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I had been living in a flat in Harlem during my final year of uni and properly moved in there full-time when I graduated at the age of 22.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I became responsible for my rent and most bills when I moved out at 22 but I stayed on my parents’ healthcare and phone plan until I was 25.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at TJ Maxx (the American version of TK Maxx) from when I was 16, first as a cashier then as a front-end coordinator. I worked part-time during term time and full-time on breaks. I left the job to go to uni but they had me back when I came home over the summers. Because I didn’t have to pay for uni, I was able to save most of this money, which put me in a good place when I graduated.
Do you worry about money now?
I do. I spent a lot of my savings on my master’s and six months of travelling before that. That was all expected expenditure but I also took a pay cut of about 30% when I moved to the UK. Since I’m still living the way I was before, I’m not able to save nearly as aggressively as I once did. In the short term, I’m comfortable with the fact that I have some money put away for retirement and enough in savings to get me through an emergency (and then some), so I’m trying to just enjoy London and not stress too much. My contract for my charity job is up next year so I’m hoping to find something that pays a bit more — if not, I’ll have to cut back on some of my unnecessary expenses like travelling and going out so much.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes. My parents paid for my bachelor’s degree (plus have loaned me the money for my master’s, though that will be paid back), which I consider inherited income as being private debt-free gives me a huge leg-up. My sister and I also got about £8,000 each when my parents sold their house.
9:30 a.m. — I wake up and make myself a coffee and breakfast of eggs with spinach and tomatoes.
10:05 a.m. — I head out. I’m meeting my partner, C, and a couple of friends, R and S, at a Quaker meeting (a recent addition to my routine — I’m extremely agnostic but the values of pacifism and environmentalism really resonate with me). I grab a Lime bike as a little treat. I feel like I’m flying! It’s £3.99 for a 30-minute ride pass.
10:15 a.m. — I arrive early so I grab an espresso at the cafe next door and have a chat with the very kind barista there, £2.60.
10:30 a.m. — The meeting starts and there’s about a dozen of us. We sit in silent meditation for an hour and then have a cup of tea and a chat. Lovely, as always.
12 p.m. — C heads off to other plans and I go back to the cafe next door with R and S. The cafe does really good veggie food so I grab a selection of salads: broccoli, beetroot, chickpea, and orzo, £8. We grab seats outside in the sunshine and munch away.
1 p.m. — UK weather decides to show its true colours with a random downpour. We head inside for shelter and A buys me a turmeric latte (I swear I’m not usually this healthy).
3 p.m. — I grab one more hot beverage, £2.60, before R and S head off. I’m meeting up with C again later but have some time to kill, so I walk to a pub, grab a pint for £7.59 and read my book, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney.
5 p.m. — Stop for a slice of pizza, £3, then walk to meet up with C at a different pub for his friend’s birthday.
6 p.m. — It’s a good crew and a good selection of fancy beers. I get three different ones throughout the evening, £17.60.
8:30 p.m. —We head back to C’s place on the bus and stop at the shop on the way to grab one of the fancy frozen pizzas (a bit of an oxymoron), ingredients for a salad, and tiramisu for dessert. C pays.
11 p.m. — Have a nice chill one in, eating and chatting, then off to bed by 11pm.
Total: £45.38
7:30 a.m. — C heads off to work. I’m part-time at my office job and have Mondays off, so I go back to sleep.
10 a.m. — I wake up surprisingly late but I guess that’s what my body needed. I make coffee and a breakfast of muesli and yoghurt. I eat while reading my new book, The Dispossessed.
11 a.m. — I shower and get ready to head out to a museum, only to discover that I forgot my key and am thus locked into the house (an annoying feature of C’s place that also feels like a big safety hazard).
12 p.m. — Forced into a lazy day. I make what I can find in the kitchen: pasta with chickpeas, parmesan and red pepper flakes plus leftover salad from yesterday.
2 p.m. — I spend the afternoon watching some episodes of Taskmaster, napping and reading. I also buy a new book on the degrowth movement, £10.09. I’m interested to find out what it’s all about!
6 p.m. — C gets home from work with ingredients for tonight’s dinner. He cooks while I hop on an introductory call (free) with a therapist. She seems like a good fit and I’ve not been feeling great lately so I’m excited to be starting therapy again.
7 p.m. — I get off my call and hang out with C’s flatmates for a bit before dinner is served. Tonight he has made chickpea and sweet potato curry over rice, yum!
8 p.m. — I make some herbal tea. C plays a video game and chimes in occasionally as I make plans for our trip to Estonia (I’m a type-A planner and he’s very flexible so we’re good travel buddies). We book a cute cabin to stay in for a few of the nights, £75 for my half.
11 p.m. — We both head to bed!
Total: £85.09
7 a.m. — Up with C this time so I don’t get locked in again. We have another breakfast of coffee, muesli and yoghurt. This time I add blueberries.
7:30 a.m. — We each take a box of leftovers from last night and head out on the bus.
8:30 a.m. — I make it home and since I’m working from home today, I go back to bed for another hour.
9:30 a.m. — I go downstairs and start my work. My flatmate makes me a coffee and I hunker down for a few hours.
12 p.m. — I stop for lunch: pasta with lentils, chopped tomatoes and broccolini. I sit outside for a bit and chat with my neighbours before heading back inside to work.
5:30 p.m. — Work day done, I heat up half of the leftover curry from last night for an early dinner as I’m headed on a first date (C and I are non-monogamous).
6 p.m. — I decide to walk there. It’s about an hour away so I head out.
7 p.m. — I meet up with my date at a gay bar. They’re very cute and we get on really well! I buy myself a beer, £6.70, and then get a round for the two of us, £11.20.
9:30 p.m. — We each go our separate ways at the end of the night but on my way home on the overground, I get a text saying they want to see me again. Yay!
10 p.m. — On my way home, I stop for a nightcap at the bar where I work part-time, £1.70 (gotta love the staff discount). Since the bar is in my area, I end up running into a bunch of my friends. We have a smoke and chat for a while — the sense of community is something I love the most about working here.
11 p.m. — Make it home, eat the rest of the curry (and a little tipsy snack of popcorn and chocolate), and head to bed happy.
Total: £19.60
7 a.m. — Up early to head to the office. I have plans after work so I shower, get dressed, pack my lunch and skip the coffee so I can hop on the overground to the office a bit earlier.
8:20 a.m. — I get to the office and make myself a coffee. I also take advantage of the office’s fruit box subscription, snagging some blueberries and a pear.
12 p.m. — Work work work. I eat the lunch I brought: pasta, beans and broccolini.
2 p.m. — I take my afternoon walk and stop by M&S for a vegan sausage roll as a snack, £1.60. I pair it with a banana from the free fruit box (it’s all about balance).
5:10 p.m. — Get the Tube from work to meet my friend, M, at the sauna at 6 p.m. I try to go to this particular sauna once a week — it makes your body feel great and the people there are so nice!
5:50 p.m. — On the way, I stop at Sainsbury’s for a cheese stick and some gum to cover up my bad breath from the aforementioned cheese stick, £2.15.
7:30 p.m. — After a blissful hour and a half of sauna-ing, M and I head to a nearby indoor food market to grab some dinner. We each get a vegan burger and split some fries, M pays since I got our sauna tickets (I paid last week).
8 p.m. — We walk back to mine and have tinnies from my fridge while sitting in the courtyard.
11 p.m. — M heads home and I fall right asleep.
Total: £3.75
9 a.m. — I wake up and have some coffee and fruit while doing a bit of reading.
9:45 a.m. — I’m working from home again today. This week I’ve been working on an insights report based on some research we recently commissioned.
12:20 p.m. — I stop for a lunch of couscous, eggs and veggies. I text my friend K about our roller skating plans for tonight. Sadly, she has to cancel. I’m feeling a little restless from the day working at home and the weather is nice, so I text C to see if he wants to have a little picnic in the park after work. He accepts!
5:30 p.m. — I head to the shop to pick up picnic supplies: baby carrots, broccoli, hummus, bread, crisps, blackberries, cookies and Quorn picnic eggs, £15.38.
6 p.m. — C arrives with a bunch of cheese (man of my dreams). We have a lovely time picnicking even though it isn’t that warm.
8:30 p.m. — We stop at the shop on the way back to pick up breakfast supplies and washing machine liquid, £9.98.
8:45 p.m. — We cuddle up on the couch and watch a few episodes of Taskmaster before bed.
Total: £25.36
7 a.m. — C leaves for work. Friday is another day off for me so I have a little lie-in.
10 a.m. — I wake up and have coffee, muesli, yoghurt and fruit as I read.
10:30 a.m. — My produce box arrives so I unpack it — I’ve got spinach, peppers, courgettes, broccolini, peaches, plums, raspberries and eggs!
11 a.m. — I walk to the community garden where I volunteer. Today I’m tasked with weeding the paths and propagating some plants.
12:30 p.m. — We stop for a tea break. I love chatting with the other volunteers, many of whom are older people with a ton of gardening expertise. I recently did a volunteer stint in exchange for accommodation on a homestead and it made me realise how cool it is to grow your own food (and how much I have left to learn) so I’m eager to soak it all up.
1 p.m. — I take a quick break to enter the National Theatre’s Friday £10 rush queue. I end up scoring two tickets, £20.
2 p.m. — I head home, eat some lunch (couscous, eggs, veggies), take a nap and shower.
4 p.m. — I pack some snacks in my bag and walk over to a local venue where my friend V is having an art opening.
4:30 p.m. — I meet up with three other friends at the venue and grab 2-for-1 beers. I get an IPA for me and a lager for my friend L, and we find seats outside, £6.50.
5 p.m. — L gets us a second round and we go inside to look at the show, which is great!
6 p.m. — I have to leave early for other plans, unfortunately, so I heap praise upon V for her success before I head to the overground.
6:45 p.m. — I arrive in central to meet up with a friend who has come from Newcastle for the weekend. The two of us are joined by her partner and my other friend, G, at a pub. It’s happy hour so I get one of the cask ales that are on offer, £3.80. I also eat the entire pack of Quorn picnic eggs I brought in my bag #girldinner.
8 p.m. — We all head to a comedy show. The entry is steep, £18, which is a risk with comedy, which can be very hit-and-miss. I get a round of beers for G and me, £12.55, and hope for the best.
9 p.m. — Sadly I was right to have doubts. The comedians aren’t very funny. I get myself another beer during intermission to try to make the second half funnier, £4.25.
10:30 p.m. — It was worse. So much worse. We commiserate and head to another pub. Coincidentally, C was with his work friends at a different comedy show in the area so he meets up with us. His show was apparently much better than ours.
11 p.m. — G gets me a round at the pub and I get us some packs of crisps, £5.20 (damn central London prices). We chat for a while, then all say goodbye and I head to the Tube with C.
12 a.m. — It’s been a long night and I’m drunk so I make us stop for food on the way home: stir-fried noodles with tofu and veggies, £5.45. I scarf down my food like an animal and then C and I head to bed.
Total: £75.75
9 a.m. — I wake up and am miraculously not hungover — thank you, late-night noodles! I eat some of my leftovers and head on the bus to my aerial hoop class (paid for a few weeks ago with the studio’s introductory offer).
11 a.m. — Finish up my hoop class and I am exhausted! Circus skills are a ton of fun but it requires a lot of strength that I don’t yet have. Hopefully the classes will help me build it up.
12:30 p.m. — Bus back to C’s place and we go out to grab some lunch at a local cafe. We love this spot because they host a lot of community events and offer pay-as-you-can meals for people who are less able to afford their offer. C and I get coffees and split a Persian chickpea stew over couscous and the brunch platter (which seems to involve a bagel, tofu scramble, some stewed veg and pickles of some sort). C pays.
1:30 p.m. — Lazy afternoon around the house. C is into life drawing lately so I have him draw me (like one of his French girls). It’s fun to be a model!
4 p.m. — I head home to change and then go to work at my bar job.
5 p.m. — It’s rough tonight — the bar is crowded, people are being rude and there’s not enough staff on to deal with it. I love my fellow bartenders and the social element of this job, but nights like these are tough.
10 p.m. — I stop for my break and eat my free staff meal. I always get the veggie burger because it’s the only non-meat option. I have the chefs load it up with all the vegetables they have (admittedly, not much, but I’ll take all the vitamins I can get).
2 a.m. — I have made it through, somehow (probably have the free staff shots throughout the night to thank). I collapse into my bed and fall right asleep.
Total: £0
Food & Drink: £127.85
Clothes & Beauty: £0
Home & Health: £0
Entertainment: £48.09
Travel: £78.99
Other: £0
Total: £254.93
Conclusion
“This week was a fairly typical week of spending other than the £75 spend for the vacation rental. I also usually have one night a week in by myself so I was a tad more busy than usual. Unsurprisingly, my biggest spend was on food and drink out with friends. Even with my big night out in central London (with a hefty entrance charge for the comedy show), I didn’t break £75 for the day so I don’t feel that I’m splashing out too much. That being said, it adds up — if I want to get serious about saving more money, I will eventually have to be more mindful of where and how often I socialise.”
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