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 29-year-old senior clinical technologist living in Yorkshire. I live with my fiancé, A and our dog, S. Our domestic life is spent between trying to tire our dog out and endless house renovations as before we met A purchased a 1840s house that requires a lot of updating. Luckily, A is very handy and can do a lot of jobs himself. We are planning to get married next year in Portugal, near my family. That should help to bring the costs down and we are planning to have more than 80 guests. It’s all very exciting!
I love my job. Our team is like a family. We use small amounts of radiation to diagnose diseases — sometimes cancer. Most times people have been battling with the condition for a long time and just need an answer. I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare and I’m very happy where I am.”
Occupation: Senior Clinical Technologist
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 29
Location: West Yorkshire
Salary: £44,962
Paycheque Amount: £2,697.53
Number of housemates: Two, fiancé A and dog S.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: On payday, I transfer A £800 to cover half of the expenses as it is his house. I cover food shops and he covers our takeaways/dining out. It’s not a 50/50 split, but it works for us (A’s share is slightly bigger as is his salary). That amount is also meant to cover council tax, gas and electric, subscriptions, internet and pet insurance. In terms of S’s costs, I pay for the food, and A covers the dog walker.
Loan payments: £0
Pension? NHS pension scheme is 9.8% of my wage, which is £367.19 monthly. My employer contributes over 20% (I’m unsure of how much).
Savings?: £64,000 across LISA and easy access savings accounts (I don’t come from money and I am so proud of myself. It will be used towards a bigger, nicer house after we get married.
Utilities: These are included in the £800 I transfer to A.
All other monthly payments: £9 SIM-only. I also pay road tax and car insurance in one go because it turns out cheaper which is around £1,000 a year.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I went to uni in Lisbon. I’m originally from Portugal and wanted to live the big city life. I had a 30-hour part-time job throughout uni to cover my costs. Sometimes, it was rough and I was so tired, but my dad is controlling with money, and I knew I didn’t want that life.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
Money was a big source of conflict growing up. My mum and dad both work, but my dad controls the house finances and decides where money gets spent. Many times, his priorities didn’t align with my mum’s and they argued about it. Other times we needed/wanted something that he didn’t deem important and went without. For that reason, I was keen to have my independence. My parents are very hard working and always made sure to explain to us to live within our means. I recall having conversations with my dad about savings since very young.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians’ house?
I moved to Lisbon when I was 18. I was living on my sister’s sofa for a while and gave her some money towards rent and food.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 17, when I started at the cafe. I mostly saved it for uni. These days I share my financial life with A. We will support each other if need be.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
17-year-old me went with my mum to ask for a job at the local café. I had no previous experience and the owner gave me the job because he trusted my family (small village where everyone knows everyone). I loved that job and felt so grown up.
Do you worry about money now?
No. I’ve recently had expensive issues with my teeth, and that got me very stressed. But we overcame that and I’m sure we will overcome anything. We are planning our wedding but we have savings and we will be okay. As people say, money is only numbers in the bank!
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I saved aggressively during COVID (to the point I would budget £15 a week for food) and have the interest of those savings coming in. Apart from that, nothing else.
Day One
6 a.m. — Alarm comes on, I stay in bed while A takes S for a walk around the neighbourhood. A bit later I get myself moving and make porridge with chopped apples, seeds and add a spoonful of unflavoured protein powder. It mostly dissolves and doesn’t affect the texture too much, so we use as an extra protein source. On top comes golden syrup, yum.
7:20 a.m. — I get ready to leave for work. S stays in his crate while we are at work and we have a dog walker coming around midday for an hour-long walk. He loves her so we don’t feel so bad about it.
10 a.m. — We got a new gamma camera (the device used for diagnosis) and the physicists are finishing the tests to make sure it’s all within acceptance levels and ultimately safe. The plan is for us to start the training to use it in a few days, so I will crack on with the online portion in between seeing patients.
12:30 p.m. — Time for lunch. I have brought lunch from home as usual. I have one of the meals we do all the time, the Instagram’s oven-baked feta pasta. Some versions go wild but we like to keep it simple — loads of garlic, feta, tomatoes and basil at the end. It’s very comforting.
2:30 p.m. — We have a four-year-old attending to check if she has any scarring left in the kidneys from past infections. We numb the area but I can only imagine how scary it must be for such a young brain.
5:30 p.m. — The little one comes back for the scan and we put Frozen on the TV. She didn’t move at all, hypnotised with Elsa and Anna. We all have seeing this movie too many times but kiddies love it. She left pleased with the brave stickers she got.
6 p.m. — Home time! Before we go we need to lock any sources of radiation left from injections away and make sure there are no contaminations.
7 p.m. — A is out with his friends from work. He does most of the cooking so I just grab a packet of ravioli from the fridge. I add extra tomato, cheese and olive oil to make it more to my taste.
8 p.m. — Make a decaf cuppa, have toast with Nutella and one pain au chocolat to be greedy. Quick shower, then I settle in bed with my cup of tea and ring my dad. We talk about my future wedding and I show him my engagement ring.
10 p.m. — I start a new book I got for my birthday, The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent.
10:30 p.m. — Sleep.
Total: £0
Day Two
6 a.m. — The usual alarm comes on. I ask A if he would like me to walk S instead, but he refuses. I stay in bed until they come back, and then it’s high-protein cereal with apple for breakfast. I apply sunscreen as I do daily.
7:25 a.m. — I decide to wash yesterday’s dishes so I am running slightly late. Traffic on a Friday is usually better though.
8 a.m. — At work I go back to my training and inject some patients in between. Today, we have scans to diagnose cardiac ischemia, when the heart struggles to distribute the blood. It’s painful, so people will often have chest pain, especially during exercise. My job is to make sure the clinical history matches, ask a few questions, explain the procedure and precautions and then inject the radioactive product that will allow us to see the heart. Patients must wait an hour and we scan them in the gamma camera. Depending on the scan it can be slightly different. It’s a routine procedure, so we take it in turns of who does what.
12 p.m. — I do some scanning and go for lunch. Today we’ve had patients not attending appointments (please don’t be that person), and it’s slower than usual. It’s a waste as each injection must be prepared in the morning and when people don’t come it has to go in the bin. The crazy thing is that one of them got a last-minute appointment confirmed the day before. We can’t make sense of it.
1 p.m. — I didn’t cook yesterday so my lunch is a tin of minestrone soup with toast.
3 p.m. — I’m busy finishing an audit about the way we follow procedures. Afterwards, we do a few scans — this time to diagnose bile salt malabsorption that leads to chronic diarrhoea.
4:40 p.m. — I leave a bit earlier to go to avoid the traffic and meet A and his parents at a restaurant. We are taking them out for looking after S while we went skiing. We all get the early bird menu and the food is great. I’m driving so I have a lemon and lime soda (they add loads of ice and lime wedges so it feels like a mocktail). I get the bruschetta for starter, mushroom risotto for main and chocolate tart for dessert. A covers the bill.
7 p.m. — We move to the pub next door. There’s female match boxing on and I can’t stop watching it. It looks very painful. The lady that lost ended up with this massive lump in her forehead. Meanwhile, the boys were shocked about the price of the drinks, £10.90 for one round.
9 p.m. — I get chocolate covered and jalapeno peanuts from Aldi on the way back,£3.63. Get home, let S off and I tidy a bit in the kitchen and get ready for bed.
Total: £14.53
Day Three
6 a.m. — I’m awake as usual and go on my phone to check a few more wedding dresses. Most people will have to fly and I want to decrease the environmental impact as much as I can, including looking for second dresses. I find a nice one with a scoop neck, satin, long train. It goes on the list!
7 a.m. — On a weekend we cuddle with S in our bed and have a lazy start to the day. Then we both do a workout of 20 minutes and have pastries for breakfast, warmed up in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Life is all about balance.
10 a.m. — We are going for a picnic at Bolton Abbey with some friends to enjoy the nice weather. I pack Branston pickle and cheese sandwiches. I then have a shower and buy parking, £15.
11 a.m. — We go past Asda and I get coffee cans for now and sausage rolls for later, £5.15. Getting there, the weather is glorious. Our friends meet us and they brought scones and tuna bagels! We all share the food and have a good time.
2 p.m. — We say bye to M and W as they need to be getting back to some DIY jobs. Before we part, M gives me the book It’s Your Wedding to help me plan it out. I am touched. The rest of us set off for a walk to tire the dogs out. Enjoying the great outdoors on such a beautiful day is truly a blessing.
4 p.m. — It’s a circular walk and we go past The Strid, the famous stretch of the River Wharfe with such strong, deep churning waters that all that have fallen into haven’t survived. Honestly, it looks serene but we didn’t dare go any closer.
6 p.m. — Back home from our three-hour walk, we chill on the sofa and watch Attack on Titans. I also book the train journey to the airport we are doing by the end of next month, £26.60.
7:30 p.m. — A does a tofu salt and pepper stir fry. It ends up being very spicy and we eat in front of the TV. I move money from Vinted proceedings to my bank account. I have so many clothes that I never wear, so I’m selling some and adding the money to our wedding pot.
9:30 p.m. — Worn out after a long day, we get ready for bed. I spend time cleaning my teeth and applying a toner of glycolic acid. In terms of skincare I’m religious with my sunscreen and my cleansing. Usually, I alternate between hydration and treatment. My skin is starting to mark the feared wrinkles, but it’s nothing that bothers me massively.
Total £46.75
Day Four
7 a.m. — Get up to grab my new book that was gifted to me. It gets me thinking about how there is traditionally the father of the bride speech and my dad doesn’t speak English. I long ago decided I will deliver that speech. We are a multicultural couple, but I don’t want to eliminate the speeches altogether. S is a bit more tired this morning so bring us less socks than usual.
9 a.m. — We are up for some pretzels with peanut butter and jam. I have a cup of tea and A a nice coffee. S. skips his breakfast; he’ll eat when he is hungry. He usually eats at some point during the day and at dinnertime.
10 a.m. — I have a neighbour sharing app, Olio, where people list things they don’t want anymore and someone has listed a bright yellow woollen rug from IKEA. It’s very out there and I think it will look brilliant in our kitchen. A refurbed the whole thing recently and it’s mainly white and grey. I pick it up and it’s very heavy and comes covered in human hairs. I hoover it multiple times and try to fit in the washing machine. No luck, so I end up hosing it outside with carpet cleaner. I could have bought it new and saved the hassle, but I like knowing I saved something from the landfill. The world has too much stuff already.
12 p.m. — Go to Sainsbury’s for some bits: cheese, milk, chickpeas, dog treats, cauliflower, bananas, tofu, clementines, £14.10. Nip to Tesco for some Indian inspired cooking sauce, £4.50. While I’m out, I get a dessert and a mocha at Heavenly Desserts, £12. It’s brilliant even though it’s just me in the shop! I read and have some good alone time. On the way home, I get A a garlic cheese steak sub at Subway for £5.89.
2 p.m. — A appreciated his treat and I get busy doing some tidying up. A is also cleaning in the garage, taking things to the tip. Very productive day until we both sit on the sofa watching some more Attack on Titans with our drinks.
4 p.m. — He starts our dinner of seabream with herby new potatoes and honey-glazed parsnips. It’s very nice as always.
7 p.m. — A’s friend moved away but is in town today. We all meet at M’s and he congratulates us for our engagement. And to think we used to see him every week! We take cider from the fridge and Corona 0% with us. The evening is spent watching Michael Scott being Michael Scott. The dogs go crazy together; no one would think they saw each other yesterday.
9 p.m. — Get ready for bed as A. works tomorrow. I remember to apply tretinoin on my face.
Total: £36.39
Day Five
6 a.m. — My weekends are always long as I don’t work on Mondays. It’s great, but I still wake up early. Stay in bed with S checking wedding articles. I’m now reading about the cost of flowers! I wonder how much I will be able to do myself. They suggest 40% of the budget to be spent on flowers. No way, Jose.
8 a.m. — Ready for some fuel, I grab two slices of peanut butter toast and a cup of tea. I see the pile of dishes from yesterday, I’ll have to address that at some point. S has breakfast for a change.
10 a.m. — Strip off the bed, do those dishes and check on the rug. It’s still drying outside and I’m very happy with the colour. It’s a bright yellow that makes me smile.
12 p.m. — It’s time for lunch. I have leftovers from yesterday’s dinner and take S out. The weather has taken a turn for the worst. I take S to the fields near our home. It’s a large area where he can run around off-lead. He meets two good-natured Dalmatians and they play for a bit. I know it’s commonplace but these dog walks are the high point of my Mondays. Life with a dog is never boring, always exciting and fun.
2 p.m. — Back home S is shattered and I go to a local tyre shop to replace a tyre with a puncture. It’s the same tyre I replaced a few months ago, obviously. The gentleman does a discount for paying cash, £55.
4 p.m. — Driving back I get thinking about tomorrow’s lunches and decide to defrost a meat chilli from the freezer. Future me will be proud. I also make myself a coffee and have it with two mini white chocolate KitKat.
6 p.m. — I’m meeting my friend R. in our book club meeting. It’s at our local pub and we discuss You Deserve Each Other. No one liked it. I like my romances but the whole plot didn’t make much sense to me, £2.15 for my lime and soda.
7:30 p.m. — A has gotten the Quorn mozzarella and pesto escallops ready and we share that with parsnips and potatoes leftover from yesterday. More Attack on Titans until bedtime. I’m only half watching because the storyline is so sad. Everyone keeps dying! These Japanese shows.
9 p.m. — Next month’s book club meeting will be about Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop café. We watched the trailer of it — it’s been turned into a movie. Seems like a good vibes book, with a good storyline and great reviews. Me and A make plans to watch the movie over the weekend and get ready for bed.
Total: £57.15
Day Six
6 a.m. — A is up. I have had a decent night of sleep and still don’t feel ready for the day. Take a breakfast protein shake with me for breakfast. I will need the calories.
8 a.m. — I spend Tuesdays at another hospital doing bone densitometry scans and while I appreciate the variety, it’s always insanely busy. The idea is to tell that the bone is weak before it breaks. Today we have a gentleman that unfortunately suffered a road traffic accident that left him paraplegic. I recognise how lucky I am every day.
12 p.m. — Have my lunch of meat chilli with parsnips. Honestly, it’s not a terrible combination. I only get 30 minutes so get back to it.
2 p.m. — The afternoon ends up being slower and I make myself a cup of tea. We scan a nurse that broke her foot in a crash call to resuscitate someone, they slipped in the rush. How unlucky.
5 p.m. — On my way to the car I order more toothbrush heads from Boots, £20. I’ll collect the order instead of paying for delivery.
6 p.m. — For dinner A has made rice in the rice cooker. We have a portion of it with chilli and loads of cheese. This week we are using a lot of stuff from the cupboards — one of my New Year resolutions that is lasting. I have a cup of tea to perk me up before leaving. Tuesdays are always brutal.
7:30 p.m. — Every Tuesday we go to a pub quiz nearby. M and R join us with W. We never win, but it’s good fun. I’m the sort of person that gets two questions, no more. My contribution is chews to keep the dogs busy. I pay the fee, £4 cash. A gets me a Strongbow Dark Fruits that will keep me going for the whole evening.
10 p.m. — We had a great time, even though we didn’t win or get close. What matters is taking part, right? Back home, we get ready for bed.
Total: £24
Day Seven
6:30 a.m. — We treat ourselves to an alarm slightly later than usual and have to rush as a result. Still worth it. I walk S for a bit before going to work. The dog walker had an emergency and won’t be coming today. A will come home earlier from work.
8 a.m. — I get some training in the new machine. It’s a new system but we will soon get used to it, I’m sure.
10 a.m. — I’m starving and have chocolate instant porridge and a cup of tea. We do an emergency scan to a pregnant lady with suspicion of a blood clot in the lungs. She has been coughing blood. As we have to inject her with radiation, there’s risk for the baby, still less than other alternative scans. I can’t tell her but the scan is clear. Good news for her and the baby girl (I asked). One of our doctors reviews the images and gives her the good news. That’s why I love it here — everyone is so nice.
12 p.m. — Remember I said we were working our way through the cupboards? My lunch is the proof. Cup of soup with toast and a generous chunk of cheese. I brought a banana too.
2 p.m. — In the afternoon I do a couple of injections. A (male) patient gets talking of how demeaning the rectal examination is to a man in comparison to women because we are used to it with getting swabs all the time!? I smiled and nodded politely but beg to differ. It’s just nasty, no matter how many times you have to do it.
5 p.m. — I help set up a scan in the new machine before we go. I nip to a Sainsbury’s Local to grab coconut milk and Thai red curry paste. A gentleman in his 50s approaches me to buy him some food. He is clearly homeless; smells of alcohol and I can’t shake the sadness. I wonder where he sleeps. He wanted a big pot of yoghurt and a muffin, £8.60.
6:30 p.m. — On the way back get petrol, £38.54.
7 p.m. — A and I are cooking tonight! We want to make a massive Thai-inspired split pea curry to go with the rice. We are using a recipe online but kind of winging at the same time. The result is tasty; it will last us 10 portions, lunches and dinners sorted.
8 p.m. — As a reward after a long day we snack on chocolate covered peanuts leftover from the picnic while watching (you guessed) Attack on Titans! We are getting to the end of it and I’m not sad about it. I’m a bit tired of seeing everyone die in the show.
9 p.m. — We settle on our wedding song! It’s going to be Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol. It feels good to have made one decision towards the big day! One down, another 5,000 to go.
10 p.m. — Take S to his crate and sleep.
Total: £47.14
The Breakdown
Conclusion
“This was a good exercise. In my extreme budget days, I would almost obsess about expenses and how over the budget I was. That wasn’t healthy and I had to put a stop to it. I found this experience fun as it reminded me of playing accountant. This also made me realise that I should do more towards causes I believe in. I live comfortably and I need to share more.
I’m in good position money-wise. The wedding I’m sure, will deplete some of the savings but that’s life. Money is numbers in the bank! Also, a lot of sustainable practices (getting a second-hand dress, choosing flowers in season, using decorations that have been used before) save money. Please let me know if you have any tips. I’m so excited.”
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Money Diary: A Product Designer On £40,000
Money Diary: A Communications Officer On £47k
Money Diary: A Pharmacy Dispenser On £35,000
