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 solicitor living with my partner in Glasgow. I previously worked long and stressful hours at a large law firm but didn’t much enjoy the ‘work hard, play hard’ culture and made the decision to move to a public sector organisation for a better work-life balance around 18 months ago. Although this meant taking a pay cut, I didn’t mind because I love having the extra time to properly enjoy my evenings and weekends. Plus, I’ve had a couple of pay bumps since joining my new organisation and I now earn more than I did at the firm. I grew up in quite a cash-strapped household and until a few years ago really begrudged spending money on anything that I didn’t deem necessary. However, I’ve been working on my relationship with money and now make sure to spend a fair amount of my hard-earned disposable income on things that make me happy.”
Occupation: Solicitor
Industry: Legal services
Age: 28
Location: Glasgow
Salary: £64,200
Paycheque amount: £3,353.54 (after tax, NI, pension contribution and student loan deductions).
Number of housemates: One: my fiancé, J (and our cat, C).
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £527 for my part of the mortgage. I pay more than J in proportion to our incomes.
Loan payments: £246 student loan, £221 for some cosmetic dental treatment I’m undergoing.
Savings? £16,000 in a high interest, locked ISA, which I plan to put towards a move to a bigger place in a couple of years; £4,000 in a wedding fund, which I add £500 to each month; £5,000 in an emergency fund.
Utilities: £50 gas and electric (my half), £20 wi-fi (my half), £90 council tax (I pay more than J in proportion to our incomes).
Pension? I am a member of a defined benefit public sector pension scheme. I pay in around 7% of my monthly salary.
All other monthly payments: £31 phone, £9.75 contents insurance, £5 pet insurance, £10 charity donation. I pay £54 car insurance, £7 road tax, £6.63 TV licence, £30 building maintenance fee and J pays the other half.
Subscriptions: £21 gym membership, £10 Estrid, £16 coffee subscription, £4.50 Amazon Prime (split with J).
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I studied law at university in Scotland. My undergraduate tuition fees were paid by the government. Based on my parents’ income, I was entitled to the highest level of undergraduate student loan and a personal bursary, which I used to cover my living costs. I worked part-time throughout the majority of my studies to cover ‘wants’ like nights out and clothes. My tuition fees for my postgraduate diploma were paid by the law firm I went to work for when I left university, and I took a further small student loan that year to cover my living expenses.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I don’t remember having many conversations about money when I was growing up but I was aware that it was often tight in my household. My parents ran a small business together (before they separated when I was in my early teens). Their income varied on a monthly basis and it caused them a bit of anxiety. As a child, whenever I asked them to buy me a new toy, my parents encouraged me to save up for it myself, giving me a small amount of money every week until I had enough to buy the item. This definitely influenced my attitude towards money — I’ve been an avid saver ever since my first paycheque.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out to go to university when I was 18, moving back for a few months between finishing my postgraduate course and starting my first full-time job when I was in my early 20s.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I became financially responsible for myself when I moved out at 18 but I didn’t pay any rent or bills for the few months when I went back to live with my mum after finishing university. I’ve been completely financially independent since I was 23.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked in a local supermarket stacking shelves when I was 17. I wanted money to fund my nights out and to have some savings because I knew I wanted to move to a different city to attend university.
Do you worry about money now?
I don’t worry about my own finances at the moment because I have a decent level of savings, my partner and I own our flat, my skills are in demand and I work in a stable industry. I do however worry about the future — potential future childcare costs and also that I’ll probably need to support my parents when they are no longer working as they don’t own property and don’t have much at all in the way of savings/pension funds.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
No.
9:30 a.m. — I wake up at J’s mum’s house as we’ve been in our hometown visiting friends and family this weekend. We laze about a bit before spending some time chatting to his mum. We say our goodbyes and leave to head to my mum’s house.
12 p.m. — I spend some time with my niece, K, and then I drive J and my mum to a nearby farm cafe for lunch. I order a vegan coronation chickpea wrap, J has a tandoori chicken wrap and Mum has pancakes. We all order cappuccinos too. I pay for me and Mum, £27.80.
1:45 p.m. — I drop Mum off at her house and begin the drive home, which is about two hours long. I only recently passed my driving test so I’m a bit nervous on the motorway but J provides reassurance where needed and I manage the drive without major incident.
3:45 p.m. — We arrive home, unpack and relax. I watch some TV and then we spend some time playing with our cat, C, who is energised by our return and literally runs rings around us.
5 p.m. — We head to a local shop to pick up some bits for dinner and the next couple of days. We buy veggie mince, salad, tomatoes, garlic, basil, frozen chips, burger rolls and treat ourselves to some non-dairy cookie dough ice cream. I pay with my Amex; J will repay me for his part later. I try to put as much spending as possible on my Amex to accrue Avios points for cheaper flights, £8.07 for my half.
5:25 p.m. — I put some washing away and start thinking about what I’m going to pack for my holiday to Portugal next week.
6:30 p.m. —We make veggie burgers with olive and basil tapenade, chips and salad for dinner. We eat while rewatching a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother.
8:30 p.m. — We do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. I receive an email telling me that a jewellery website I like is having a 20% off sale. I order two new rings to arrive in time for my holiday next week, £45.19. We eat some ice cream and chill on the sofa.
10 p.m. —We watch an episode of Mr & Mrs Smith on Prime. I’ve been loving this — such thrilling storylines and so well acted.
11 p.m. — We get ready for bed and I do my skincare — cleanse, tone, retinol serum, night cream and eye cream — before reading a chapter of my book. Lights out by 11.30 p.m. and I fall asleep right away.
Total: £81.06
8 a.m. — It’s a bank holiday Monday for us. My alarm goes off but I’m already awake as C has been making a racket running around the flat. I drag myself from bed to the sofa and spend some time researching wedding bands. I find one I like the look and sound of and I’m delighted that we could book them for less than the budget I’d set for evening entertainment. I note this down for discussion later.
9:30 a.m. — I make an oat cappuccino and have a slice of toast with Biscoff spread. I watch some videos about our destination in Portugal on YouTube.
10:50 a.m. — I head to the gym, which is a short walk from my flat. I do lots of sweaty cardio on various machines.
12 p.m. — I get home and shower before doing my morning skincare routine of facial oil and moisturiser with SPF. I wash and blow-dry my hair.
1:30 p.m. — I head to our local supermarket and buy various vegetables, bread, juice, soup, pasta, sauce, garlic bread, a chicken pizza for J, coriander, cereal bars, a readymade salad for my lunch, cat food and litter, £18.05 for my part. Back at home I unpack the shopping and give C a treat. I eat my lunch and watch Dress To Impress — trash TV at its very finest, in my opinion.
3 p.m. — I relax on the sofa and read my book.
3:45 p.m. — I head out to meet my friend L for a walk around a local park. I buy us both oat lattes, £5.70.
5 p.m. — I arrive home and try to muster the energy to vacuum and do a bit of cleaning. I order Futuredew (which I’ve just run out of) and Berry Balm Dotcom from Glossier using a discount code, £30.80.
6 p.m. — It’s finally time to get cleaning. J gets home from work and helps me. Convenient timing on my part.
7:15 p.m. —We finish cleaning and make and eat a dinner of tomato and feta pasta bake with garlic bread.
8:30 p.m. — I start a wedding budget spreadsheet and fill in the costs I’ve budgeted for each item. I add what I’ve already booked (venue and catering). It’s sad how much I enjoy doing this sort of thing.
9:45 p.m. — We get comfy in our PJs and watch another episode of Mr & Mrs Smith while snacking on some chocolate.
11 p.m. — I do my evening skincare routine (same as last night but I swap retinol for niacinamide) and get ready for bed. I finish my book and am disappointed by the predictable ending.
Total: £54.55
7:40 a.m. — My alarm goes and I hit snooze a few times as I’m working from home today. I give C (who acts like she hasn’t seen me in a year) some attention, shower and get ready, opting for no makeup today.
9 a.m. — I log on and read emails that came in over the long weekend. I have a busy morning on a number of different calls to talk about upcoming work and to discuss with my team some pretty complicated advice I’ve been working on for a client.
11 a.m. — I stop to have coffee and snack on a Belvita bar before getting back to it.
1:15 p.m. — I stop for lunch, which consists of some of the soup I bought yesterday with toast and fruit juice. I switch on Dress To Impress and try to shut my brain off after a stressful morning. I’m finishing up for holiday on Thursday and I’m feeling the pressure of trying to get my main workstreams into a good place before then.
2 p.m. — I get back to my desk and spend the afternoon reviewing and providing comments on documents a client has drafted and redrafting some of my own advice.
5:30 p.m. — J arrives home from work and I stop working for a bit to chat to him before getting back to it and drafting an email response to a client’s query. It’s pretty complex stuff so I’ll run it by one of my colleagues tomorrow before I hit send.
6:50 p.m. — Finally log off after a long, stressful day and immediately begin cooking dinner. We’re having veggie mince tacos with tomatoes and peppers.
7:30 p.m. — We eat dinner and relax on the sofa while watching a couple of episodes of HIMYM. J and I spend some time discussing a job opening at a different organisation that I’m interested in as I’m not feeling totally fulfilled in my current role. I decide I’ll apply and put together a cover letter to send with my CV later in the week.
8:30 p.m. — We head out for a walk as I’m conscious that I haven’t been outside at all today.
9:15 p.m. — We wind up at a local pub (oops!) on the corner of the park. I order a fruity beer and J has a lager. J pays.
10 p.m. — We get home and I put my pyjamas on. C is in a funny mood so I play with her for a bit and give her a treat. I love her to bits — she brings so much joy to my days!
10:45 p.m. — I apply my skincare products and get into bed. I browse my to-read list on Goodreads and pick out a book for my holiday: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison. I order it on Amazon, £8.15.
11 p.m. — Lights out.
Total: £8.15
6:30 a.m. — My alarm rings earlier than normal as I’m working in Edinburgh today. I drag myself out of bed and into the shower. I pay for a train ticket on the Trainline app, £12.65. J is commuting today too so we travel together.
8 a.m. — We arrive at the central train station and buy two coffees for £7.10 (I pay for both) before jumping on the train to Edinburgh.
9 a.m. — We arrive and say our goodbyes at the station. I buy a return tram ticket, £3.80. I meet my friend L by chance and walk with her to the office (where she also works but on a different floor). I’ll be seeing her for dinner this evening.
9:30 a.m. — I log on and face a busy morning of online training, trying to juggle emails and replying to messages while listening and carefully taking detailed training notes.
12:45 p.m. — I head to get lunch at the canteen. I order cauliflower fritters, which are passable but not very filling, £2.63. I buy a piece of strawberry and white chocolate loaf cake to make up for the lacklustre fritters, £1.38.
1:30 p.m. — I get back to work redrafting the advice note I was working on yesterday. I’m planning to devote most of my afternoon to trying to get it into good shape before I finish up for holiday at the end of the day tomorrow.
3:30 p.m. — I cease what I’m doing as the head of my organisation is visiting my department and he’s unexpectedly (and alarmingly) wandering around desks in my area, asking what people are working on. My boss introduces him to me and he asks me a question about my work, which I answer with only a minor nervy stutter. My boss seems pleased with how it went. Phew!
5:10 p.m. — I log off and meet L, we jump on the tram and I use my return ticket.
5:30 p.m. — We arrive at a wine bar near the restaurant we’ve booked for dinner. I order a Hugo, £9.50.
6 p.m. — We get to the restaurant and meet our friend D. I order spicy noodles, veggie gyoza and we share a potato dish while we have a lovely time catching up. I also have a cocktail and a beer, £40 for my share.
9:15 p.m. — L and I run to the station and manage to catch our train home in the nick of time.
10:45 p.m. — I arrive back at the local train station and J comes to meet me. We stop off at a local shop and I pick up a sandwich for lunch tomorrow, £3.
11:30 p.m. — We get home, get ready for bed and I fall asleep very soon after my head hits the pillow.
Total: £80.06
8 a.m. — My alarm goes. It’s my last day of work before two weeks off so I really need to have my game face on today. I shower and get ready, opting for very light makeup today given that I’m working from home.
9 a.m. — I log on and spend half an hour working on my (increasingly long and complex) advice note. I join the second part of the training I was on yesterday morning.
11 a.m. — The training breaks and I make an oat milk coffee.
11:15 a.m. — I’m back at my desk and attempt to multitask by responding to some client queries and emails while also listening to the training.
1:15 p.m. — It’s lunchtime and I eat the rest of the soup I purchased earlier in the week with the sandwich I bought last night. It’s one of my favourite supermarket sandwiches: a vegan take on a BLT. I then chill with C on the sofa.
2 p.m. — I spend a busy afternoon writing emails, tidying up my various workstreams and finalising the advice note I’ve been working on all week.
4:30 p.m. — I join a handover call with my boss and feel grateful that I feel supported when I take time off. In my old job it was harder to take leave because there was never anyone with capacity to cover for you, meaning tasks would just build up while you were away, making the return to work particularly painful. Glad those days are behind me!
7 p.m. — I put my out of office on and log off! Very excited. I make tortellini with broccoli and spicy tomato sauce for dinner. J is out with his friends tonight and I’m looking forward to some downtime on my own.
8 p.m. — I do some laundry and catch up on the news.
9 p.m. — I head out to the gym for an hour of cardio. It’s good to get my body moving when I’ve been sitting still for most of the day.
10 p.m. — I get home, shower, wash and blow-dry my hair. I pop on an eye sheet mask and chill, scrolling Instagram for wedding inspiration, which my feed is littered with.
11.30 p.m. — I crack open my new book which arrived today and read the first few pages. I’m immediately hooked. I think I’ve found my genre: girly horror! J gets home from the pub and we chat about his day and some issues he’s having at work.
12 a.m. — We get ready for bed and the lights go out at 12.20 a.m.
Total: £0
9:15 a.m. — No alarm today. I laze around for a bit and C comes to sit on me, which encourages me to laze further.
10 a.m. — I get out of bed, shower and get ready. My new rings and Glossier order arrive.
11 a.m. — I’ve been paid today so I log into my online banking and move some money around into savings pots. Make a coffee and have a slice of toast with Biscoff spread for my late breakfast.
12 p.m. — I start packing for my holiday. I come across a top I want to bring but notice a small hole at the seam so I grab my sewing kit and repair it. I love clothes but I don’t spend much on them, mostly buying secondhand and keeping pieces for years. I finish packing and take a moment to feel grateful for what I have. I didn’t go on holidays as a child and I really cherish these opportunities to travel abroad and experience other cultures. I love getting my holiday clothes out because they remind me of all the wonderful places I’ve seen!
2 p.m. — I eat the rest of my pasta from last night for lunch.
3 p.m. — I head out to run some errands. I stop at Sally’s to pick up acetone and a manicure bowl as I’m planning to remove my dipped nail manicure and do my holiday nails soon, £7.34.
3:30 p.m. — I stop at a couple of local shops and pick up hand soap for £2.95. I then get a first wedding anniversary card for my friends and I stop in at a local wine bar and buy them a voucher, £15.50 for my half.
4:30 p.m. — I get home and make myself an iced chai latte after resisting the temptation to buy an expensive drink from a local cafe on my way home. I decide that I definitely want to apply for the job opportunity I discussed with J earlier in the week so I do some quick updates to my CV (which is already in good shape) and send off my application.
5:30 p.m. — J gets home and we get ready to go out for dinner. I buy a return train ticket, £1.90.
6:30 p.m. — We arrive at the restaurant and I order a tofu poke bowl and cider. We also share starters of nasu dengaku and agedashi tofu. We use a voucher we received as an engagement gift to pay most of the bill and the remaining balance comes to £5.72 for my half.
8:15 p.m. — We get the train back to our neighbourhood and hit the supermarket. We stock up on veggie sausages, frozen gyoza, cat food and kitchen and toilet roll, £8.50 for my part.
9:30 p.m. — We get home and watch some TV while I remove my manicure. I also eat some Ben & Jerry’s.
11 p.m. — I get ready for bed and read some more of my book before lights out at 11.45 p.m.
Total: £41.91
8 a.m. — I wake up and C immediately comes to sit on me. She loves when we’re not up early for work and always wants to cuddle.
9 a.m. — I shower and make iced coffees for J and me.
10 a.m. — I do my final bits of packing for our holiday and we spend some time putting laundry away, cleaning and tidying and changing C’s litter.
11:15 a.m. — I make veggie sausage sandwiches for lunch and we chill on the sofa and listen to some music.
11:45 a.m. — I do another dipped manicure on my nails, choosing a lovely lilac glittery colour. I’m so pleased with the result and feel just slightly smug that I’ve managed to achieve really nice nails without spending money at a salon.
1 p.m. — C’s new cat sitter drops by so we show her around and give her instructions for looking after C. We let her know that C is quite suspicious of new people so she might not see much of her. I get ready to meet my friends H and S for dinner on the other side of the city.
3 p.m. — I jump on a local train and buy a return ticket to the city centre, £1.90. I meet my friend H in town and we head to the subway. I buy a return ticket, £3.40.
4 p.m. — We get to the restaurant and meet S. H and S are friends I made working in a previous job and are both very career-focused so inevitably we spend quite a bit of time catching up about work. I order a banana blossom “fish” and chips, which is just okay. I also have two beers. £40 for my share of the bill.
6 p.m. — We leave the restaurant and head to a local Waitrose. I buy two pre-mixed cocktail cans for £7.98. We head to a local park to meet S’s partner and daughter. We spend some time chilling on the grass and I drink one of my cocktail cans. I’m feeling pretty merry at this point.
8:15 p.m. — I jump in a taxi back to the city centre with H, who needs to run for her train. She pays for the taxi and I get the train home, using my return ticket.
9:15 p.m. — J is still out when I get home so I take some time to do some final holiday prep as we’ll be leaving at 9 a.m. tomorrow. I paint my toenails and apply gradual tanning lotion. I double check that I’ve packed everything important and organise my cosmetic bag.
11:15 p.m. — J arrives home from his night out and is definitely more drunk than I am. He passes out almost immediately and I join him soon after.
Total: £53.28
“This was a pretty typical week for me aside from the bank holiday, which probably incurred a bigger spend than a normal Monday. I’m aware that one of my biggest expenses is going out for dinner and drinks but it’s my favourite hobby so I’m happy to part with some of my cash to keep doing it. My total spend is higher than expected and does go some way to answering the question I ask myself every month: Why do I always seem to run out of cash before payday?!”
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