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 25-year-old living in Dorset with my partner, J, and our litdtle girl, K, who is 6 months old. I wrote a Money Diary in 2020 while I was on furlough and now I’m on maternity leave with statutory maternity pay, which is pretty shocking. We started a joint savings account when we found out I was pregnant to help cover the shortfall during this period. I’m really enjoying this time with my little girl and I am already dreading going back to work.”
Occupation: Service coordinator
Industry: Engineering
Age: 25
Location: Dorset
Salary: £26,966
Paycheque amount: Usually £1,700 but on mat leave it’s currently £750.
Number of housemates: Two: my partner, J, and baby, K.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £875 rent. J and I have a joint account and we pay in £1,600 between us each month to cover rent, bills and a food shop. We used to split this 50/50, however I now put in £450 due to being on maternity leave.
Loan payments: £0
Pension: I contribute 6% of my salary, which currently is working out to about £35.
Savings? £19,000 in a LISA, £9,000 split across regular savings and £2,000 in a joint savings account with J. I have saved this all pretty much myself. I received £6,500 when I turned 18, which was set up when my dad passed away, but I put this towards a cosmetic surgery. I am currently not adding to my own savings but putting £15 a month into a junior ISA for K.
Utilities: £100.80 gas and electric, £169 council tax, £54.50 water and £25 internet. All comes out of the joint account as noted above.
All other monthly payments: £17 life insurance, £70 car, £25 phone (J is paying for this for me currently). Subscriptions: £5 Spotify, £5 Disney+.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I did not.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I grew up with just my mum and brother as my dad passed away when I was young. He had set up a widow’s pension so my mum didn’t have to work as he wanted her to be home with us. At the time I didn’t notice any struggles but looking back, my mum made lots of sacrifices to make this work. We started talking about money when I was about 12. I was given a little pocket money and my mum would talk about how best to use it instead of just using it for sweets. I think she set me up to be the way I am now with money, which is frugal!
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out when I was 23 to live with my partner, J.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I would say I became financially responsible when I moved out. Even though I paid rent when I lived with my mum, it was minimal and allowed me to save and spend as I wanted without worrying. However, now I feel I have gone back to people covering for me as J is picking up a lot and our family is super helpful with K and buying us formula, nappies etc. every so often.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
Weekend job in a local shoe shop at 16 to have some spending money for myself.
Do you worry about money now?
Yes I do. We want to buy a house but J needs to build up his savings, which he’s put on hold while I’m off work. I’m worried about going back to work as I will need to go part-time as nursery costs are astronomical.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes, I received £6,500 when I turned 18, which my dad set up and my mum added to after he passed.
12:20 a.m. — My daughter, K, wakes up. My partner, J, makes her bottle then I get her fed and back to sleep.
7:20 a.m. — We’re up for the day and J goes to make us some coffee while I get K fed and sorted. Have coffee and biscuits while J and K cuddle. Pop a wash on also.
11:50 a.m. — Have a lazy morning and then head out to Tesco to do the food shop.
12:30 p.m. — Get back home and shop packed away. The total came to £71, which we use the joint account to cover and is allocated in our monthly budget. J tidies while I play with K.
4 p.m. — Get everything sorted for K for the night then head out for a walk for some fresh air.
6 p.m. — Eat dinner of homemade Nando’s chicken, halloumi, chips and salad.
6:30 p.m. — Upstairs and giving K a bath while J prepares her bottle and bed for the night.
7 p.m. — K is down and asleep so me and J watch Inside Out 2.
9 p.m. — Head to bed.
Total: £71
1 a.m. — K wakes, get her fed and back down asleep.
7 a.m. — Get up for the day and J gets K sorted while I go make us some coffee and toast for breakfast.
10 a.m. — Have a shower and get ready, pack away yesterday’s washing and put another load on.
11:30 a.m. — Out for a walk into town and drop off a Vinted parcel.
12 p.m. — We get coffee, which J treats us to.
1:30 p.m. — J starts making us a roast dinner while I’m entertaining K and uploading some items onto Vinted.
4 p.m. — Have dinner then tidy up the kitchen and get everything ready for K for the night ahead.
6 p.m. — Bedtime routine with K and she’s down asleep by 7 p.m.
7 p.m. — Me and J watch Ready Or Not then go to sleep by about 9 p.m.
Total: £0
2:30 a.m. — K wakes up so I get her sorted and back asleep.
6 a.m. — Wake up before K to get showered and ready and quickly wrap my brother’s birthday present.
7 a.m. — K wakes up so I see to her and say bye to J who brings me a coffee before leaving for work.
10 a.m. — Meet my mum and brother out for breakfast for my brother’s birthday. I have a veggie fry-up and orange juice, my mum pays.
12 p.m. — Stop at a bakery to get us all some chocolate shortbread, £6.60 for three.
1:30 p.m. — Back home and K is having a nap so I clean the bathroom.
3 p.m. — Play with K for a while and then bring her to the kitchen in her bouncer so I can get everything ready for her for the night.
5:15 p.m. — J is home and cuddling with K while I put together dinner of leftover roast.
7 p.m. — K is down and asleep after J did bedtime so I sit on the sofa reading my book.
8 p.m. — We watch The Rings of Power then head to bed about 9 p.m.
Total: £6.60
1:30 a.m. — Feed K and get her back to sleep.
7 a.m. — We’re up and I have a quick shower before J heads to work. He gets K sorted and makes her bottle so I can feed her.
9 a.m. — K is having a nap so I sort some washing out and then have a clear-out of my pyjamas. I have way too many and with a birthday and Christmas coming up, I know I’ll most likely be getting more!
1 p.m. — After spending the morning playing and tending to K, we decide to walk into town after lunch. We go get K her prescription then go to baby group and sit and sing nursery rhymes for 45 minutes (this is free).
3 p.m. — Walk home with one of the other mums who lives close by. We stop to get a coffee for the walk, £3.40.
5 p.m. — J is on his way home and dinner is pretty much ready so I get K’s stuff ready for the night then we sit and eat together.
6 p.m. — J tidies the kitchen while I do bedtime.
7 p.m. — Once K is asleep I get in bed and watch some TV while J plays on his PlayStation downstairs. I’m shattered and end up falling asleep at 8ish.
Total: £3.40
3:50 a.m. — Well, that is the longest chunk of sleep I’ve had in a while. Feed K and get her back asleep.
6 a.m. — Get up and ready and get everything sorted for K for the day. I am going to my mum’s today to dog-sit for her.
8 a.m. — On the way to my mum’s for the day and singing to K as she isn’t a fan of the car. Head out for a dog walk once at my mum’s.
10 a.m. — Breakfast of pain au chocolat, smoothie and coffee.
12:30 p.m. — Been playing with K and the dog. I have some lunch while K naps.
4:45 p.m. — Back home and get everything ready for the night and sort out some washing.
5:30 p.m. — Have dinner of jacket potatoes then head up to do K’s bedtime together. Afterwards we watch The Rings of Power.
9 p.m. — Sleep.
Total: £0
1:30 a.m. — Feed K and get her back asleep.
7 a.m. — Wake up and J is cuddling with K so I go make some coffee.
9:30 a.m. — Sorted and ready for the day. We head out to a baby group — this was prepaid at the beginning of the term so nothing to pay today.
11:30 a.m. — K is asleep so I walk around the village so she gets a decent nap in.
1 p.m. — Back home and have some lunch then prep bits for dinner while K is in her bouncer.
3:45 p.m. — K is fighting her nap so I head out for a walk and she falls asleep in her pram. I leave her in there to sleep when we get back home and sort her stuff for the night.
5 p.m. — Put dinner together of pie, mash and veg. I tidy up the kitchen while J does bedtime.
8 p.m. — Watch another episode of The Rings of Power but fall asleep towards the end.
Total: £0
2 a.m. — Get K fed and back asleep.
7 a.m. — Awake but stay in bed for cuddles. J brings up a coffee before he heads off for work.
7:45 a.m. — Have a chilled morning and my MIL comes over to see K and me. It gives me the opportunity to have a bath so I have a nice soak then get myself ready. MIL sorts K out and has a little tidy, which I am so grateful for.
12 p.m. — We head out for a walk and stop at Sainsbury’s. I get us a Belgian bun each and get K some formula and nappies, £16.60.
4 p.m. — Spend the afternoon catching up while K and my MIL play and I get everything ready for the night.
5 p.m. — Me and K are now cuddling on the sofa with Paddington on.
5:45 p.m. — J is home and we have a frozen pizza for dinner.
7 p.m. — Bedtime done and K is asleep. We watch Twisters and have some ice cream, then head to bed about 9ish.
Total: £16.60
“Well, this was a very quiet and low-spend week. I knew I was being mindful to not spend too much but I did better than I thought! However, my bank account still seems to be hitting £0 each month so I must make up for it in other weeks. It was interesting recording my week as my life is so different currently. I used to spend money on meals out and going to the cinema and seeing friends at the weekend. Now I spend my time going for walks and coffee but that’s maternity leave life, right? For now I’m going to try to stay as I am and prepare myself for nursery fees.”
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