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 31-year-old NHS manager living and working in London. I live with my partner of six years and we’ve just put a deposit down on a new-build flat in Manchester. I’ve lived in London for almost seven years now, and it’s time for a change. We really wanted to get on the property ladder but also have a bit more space and a slightly slower pace of life. We hope to move in the new year and I’m feeling a mix of excited, sad and stressed. I deeply love the NHS but it is a hard place to work at the moment. Luckily my team is really flexible so I’ve been working compressed hours for a while. It works really well for me and lets me have a bit more of a work/life balance.”
Occupation: NHS manager
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 31
Location: London
Salary: £56,698, inclusive of London weighting.
Paycheque amount: £3,133
Number of housemates: One: my partner, L.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: My partner and I split all our bills and rent 50/50. This comes to £1,206 for my half.
Loan payments: My student loan repayment comes out automatically, around £200.
Savings? I try to save £750 a month. I currently have £5,760 in my wedding fund, £50,000 across two ISAs and £4,559 across various Monzo pots for things like travel, upcoming hen dos and furniture we’ll need to buy when we move. I also have £700 in an emergency pot in case anything goes wrong with our new flat.
Pension? I do, and it is just under 11% of my salary, so around £480. I know the NHS has a great pension scheme, which I remind myself of when I cringe at how much goes into it each month. I have other private pension pots from previous jobs, which I need to consolidate.
Utilities: £185 council tax, £28 water, £107 energy. I split them all with my partner.
All other monthly payments: £6.50 Amazon Prime, £27.50 wi-fi, TV subscription and Spotify, £19 phone contract. Subscriptions: £11 Netflix, £9 Disney+. £225 annual Pilates subscription.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I did. I went to university just before the fees tripled so I had a student loan for one year when the fees were £3,000. I dropped out of that university as it wasn’t right for me and went to another one, which meant I ended up paying the £9,000 fees for three years. I got student loans to cover my living expenses and fees, and my parents kindly gave me £200 a month. I worked in every holiday and was pretty frugal with money during this time.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I grew up in a very comfortable, middle-class home where both my parents worked. My dad in particular was really keen to talk about money with me and my two siblings, and often had conversations about ISAs, how important it is to have a good pension, and investing in things like property. As a result, I feel I’ve got a pretty good handle on those things but I would love to be more confident about other, more high-risk investments too.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I fully moved out at the age of 24, having lived at my parents’ house after I graduated university at 22.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I think when I first moved to London in 2018. I was paying my own rent and all my living costs. My parents have always been really generous in giving me money here and there for treats, which I am incredibly grateful for. I have tried not to rely on this though, and live within my salary.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I grew up in a very small village so my first job was the typical babysitting role at about 14 years old. I was in demand! I would often babysit at least two nights a week, earning £5 an hour. I wanted to have my own spending money and the freedom to do what I liked with it. I definitely frittered it all away in Topshop and on phone credit…
Do you worry about money now?
Yes and no. I know I have a good job that pays well, as does my partner, and sharing the costs of day-to-day life makes it much easier for me. I’m extremely lucky to have such an amazing safety net that my parents have built for me. I’ve got a lot of big expenses coming up though, with completing on a flat in January and getting married in the next 18 months. I worry a lot about the cost of having children. I’ve always wanted three or four but lately my partner and I have been thinking it’s more likely we’ll have two, for affordability’s sake. That is, if we’re lucky enough to have children at all.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes. I received £5,000 when my grandad died and I receive £150 a month from a rental property I co-own with five other family members. My parents have also helped us with the deposit for our flat, around £50,000.
6:45 a.m. — Wake up. My partner, L, and I recently bought a Lumie Em the Nutritionist clock to help overcome the dark mornings and I am really liking the gentler start to my day. I am in the habit of checking my bank accounts first thing, sort of obsessively. I see that my ISA has matured and the money is back in my current account so I take out £25,000 to repay my dad some money he lent me for our flat deposit.
8 a.m. — Log into work from home. When I am at home I like to start a bit earlier so I can have more flexibility in my day, pottering round doing chores as well as working. Luckily today I don’t have loads of meetings so I can crack on with clearing my inbox. I have breakfast in front of my laptop (bad habit): poached eggs on rye bread with Marmite. Deeeelish.
10 a.m. — I need to transfer £245 for a hen do I’m going on in May. I’m paying slightly less as I’ll book my own travel from our new flat in Manchester! I have a “Weddings/Hen Do” Monzo pot so this sort of feels like it’s free. Girl maths serving me well again.
11 a.m. — See that TfL has charged me £5.60 for my travel yesterday. Also see that one of my friends has sent me £33 for her share of the dinner we had last night. I tend to put bills all on one card and then sort it after — gotta get those Amex points!
1 p.m. — I’m hosting a webinar at work today on honour-based violence as part of a series for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It’s not an uplifting session but it is an important conversation. After this, I hit a bit of a slump so top up some bits from Look Fantastic. I get a hyaluronic acid serum, shampoo and conditioner. Even with a discount code it comes to £51, oops.
6 p.m. — I scoff down some salmon and butter beans (my favourite recipe from Em the Nutritionist) and head out to see Bob Dylan with my parents and one of my siblings. My mum isn’t in the best health and I know she won’t want to get the Tube home so I treat us to an Uber, £17.53.
Total: £25,319.13
9 a.m. — Today is my non-working day (I work flexibly, nine days out of every 10) and it’s an exciting one! My mum stayed over last night because this morning we’re going wedding dress shopping! I am so excited. My partner and I got engaged in the summer; we’re not planning to get married until 2026 but I want to take my time planning so starting early makes sense to me.
10 a.m. — Mum and I head over to my appointment, which I prepaid for. We stop for a coffee and a matcha and share a cinnamon roll (Mum kindly pays), before heading into the store. Mum and I both cry when I find *the one*.
12:45 p.m. — After the excitement of the dress, we head to meet my partner for some lunch at a restaurant nearby. As we’re running a bit late for our reservation, I treat Mum and me to an Uber again, £7.91. We all order pasta dishes and a glass of wine, and Mum kindly treats us. I feel so, so lucky to have our relationship and it’s a lovely morning spent together.
2 p.m. — My partner and I walk Mum to the Tube, and we go on to the Natural History Museum to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. We prepaid for our tickets and have a lovely time wandering around the exhibition.
3:30 p.m. — My partner and I head our separate ways as I am going back to my parents’ house for the evening and he is staying in London to go to a gig. I stop at a bookshop on my way and pick up a book on sale and a birthday card, £7.98.
5:15 p.m. — After many, many delays on various Tubes and buses, I sprint to the train station and make the train by the skin of my teeth. My oldest brother is already on and has saved me a seat, win. We catch up on the journey home, and put an order in to collect a takeaway on our way to our parents’ house. £32 for my return train ticket.
8 p.m. — Takeaway consumed, we retreat to watch TV and catch up.
10 p.m. — I head up to bed to read my book, tired from my exciting day.
Total: £47.89
6:30 a.m. — I wake up in my parents’ house, where my oldest brother, sister-in-law and their baby are also staying for the weekend. I love waking up to my parents’ dog and my little niece, they both make my heart melt. The dog crawls into my bed when the baby wakes us all up at 6:30 a.m., and we have a cuddle in bed before I have a shower and make a cuppa.
9 a.m. — My mum, sister-in-law and I all head to a nearby market with the dog. We leave my niece at home with her dad and grandad so she can crawl around without being licked in the face by the enthusiastic dog. Mum picks up some veggies for lunch, and I treat the five of us to some doughnuts, £10 for four.
11 a.m. — We get back home and I get ready to go and meet my friend who is living back at her mum’s house for a while, which is down the road from my parents’. We walk our dogs for an hour and catch up on life. When I get home and check my phone, I see TfL has had the cheek to charge me £2.70 for my delayed journeys yesterday. Oh well.
4 p.m. — I spend the afternoon chatting and catching up with my family, and enjoying the baby and dog antics. We flick through my parents’ wedding album for some inspiration for me. These are some of my favourite afternoons, chilled family time.
6 p.m. — My dad drops me off at the train station and I catch the train back to London. It’s not super far and I do some birthday shopping for my partner on my way. I buy him a tie he’s been eyeing up for a while, as we have five weddings to attend next year and he’s going to need a range! £40 for the tie and delivery.
7:30 p.m. — I get home to an empty flat, bliss. I have a glorious bubble bath, eat the pasta my partner has left for me (what a gem) and read my book until bedtime. Lights out at 11 p.m. I’m shattered after my early start.
Total: £52.70
9 a.m. — A slow morning today so I make tea and bring it back to bed for me and my partner. We lie in bed chatting for a bit before slowly peeling ourselves out to get ready.
1 p.m. — We’re headed for a roast with friends, my favourite Sunday activity. I’ve planned us a little walking route and luckily the weather is on our side. It’s our first time meeting our friend’s new partner and they seem lovely! It takes us just under two hours to walk to the roast pub, with a stop at one of our favourite London pubs on the way. I order a glass of wine at our stop, which my partner pays for.
3 p.m. — Roast time! There are five of us now, and I order and pay for everyone. I’ll Monzo request them all for their shares. Mine comes to £33 for a chicken roast and a glass of red.
4:30 p.m. — Roast consumed, we are very full and need rolling home. It has started raining now and the dark and wet evening is definitely not as pleasant as the sunny and brisk walk here. We run to catch the bus and get home in about half an hour.
6 p.m. — After some scrolling and general faffing about, my partner and I settle in to finish season four of Slow Horses. We were late to this but have absolutely loved it.
10 p.m. — Reading in bed before lights out. A very lovely weekend.
Total: £33
6:45 a.m. — The sunrise alarm goes off and I can’t say I’m thrilled about it. I check my bank account and see £1.75 for yesterday’s bus journey has been taken out. I pull on some leggings and get myself to do a Pilates workout on YouTube, before settling down to start work for the day.
10 a.m. — The Tesco grocery shop we order each week is delayed but it arrives eventually. My partner is in meetings so I unload it all and give the fridge a quick clean while I’m at it. This week the shop comes to £37 for my half. We’ve been a lot better at doing a weekly shop recently and it has really saved us a lot of money, rather than stopping at the shops a few times a week for last-minute dinner ingredients.
3 p.m. — As usual I hit my afternoon work slump. I stick on a webinar I need to catch up on and make a lasagne from today’s food shop. I love the smell of it while it’s cooking, it feels so cosy! We will have this for lunches throughout the week as it makes six portions.
4:30 p.m. — My partner has an unexpected break in his meetings so we spend some couple time together. I love this perk of working from home.
6 p.m. — Wrap up work for the day. On Mondays my partner tends to work late, so I usually have a few hours to myself. Now that the evenings are dark, I like to use this time for self-care. I run a bath, pop on a face mask and read my book for a bit before I start on dinner. We share the cooking throughout the week and Mondays are always my day.
8 p.m. — Dinner made and washed up, lasagne cooling down — I feel very productive for a Monday! We settle in to watch Schitt’s Creek, our comfort show. I scroll on my phone and place an order for some of the wedding photos from my middle brother’s recent wedding. The photographer did a beautiful job! £16.63 with delivery.
Total: £55.38
6:45 a.m. — Wake up, and even from under the cosy duvet I can tell it is freezing. Put the kettle on and watch the snow from the window. Controversial, but I absolutely hate snow and do not understand the excitement about it.
8:10 a.m. — Walk to work feeling pretty grumpy about how cold and wet it is. It’s just me in the office today so I put the radio on and make myself lots of cups of tea to get through it.
12:30 p.m. — After a morning of admin, I stop for lunch. I heat up some lasagne and wish I had some veggies to go with it. It is good though, and keeps me going through the afternoon.
2:30 p.m. — Team meeting time. My team is great but we’ve been struggling recently as we have a few people on long-term sick leave. We spend this hour talking about our priorities for the next six weeks, and do our best to boost morale.
5:30 p.m. — I walk home and am grateful it’s not a long commute for me. Quickly change into some comfies and make a hot water bottle.
6:30 p.m. — I summon the energy to do a short Pilates workout while my partner cooks. He’s a great cook and I am thankful for it!
7:30 p.m. — My partner heads off to play football and I snuggle in to read. The evening passes in a cosy blur, and soon I am tucked up in bed. My weeks tend to get busy from Wednesday onwards so I like to keep Monday and Tuesday clear for some downtime.
10:30 p.m. — Lights out.
Total: £0
6:45 a.m. — Alarm goes off. It is raining so heavily outside, there is not a single part of me that wants to leave my nest. I eventually do, and make tea for both of us.
8:50 a.m. — I’m on site at a different hospital today so I walk to the Overground. Luckily for me, the train is a few minutes delayed so I don’t have to sprint. I then get the bus from the station to the hospital site. My travel expenses will be covered for this journey, as it’s outside of my contracted site.
2:30 p.m. — I get back from our other site and my partner has made soup. I am eternally grateful that this man can cook.
6 p.m. — Finish work for the day and do a quick Pilates workout while my partner finishes work. We then head out to meet our friends at a local pub. I order a red wine, which my partner kindly pays for.
8 p.m. — We head back to our friends’ flat for dinner. My friend and her partner are such gems and we will really miss living round the corner from them when we move to Manchester. We spend the evening eating delicious Mexican food and drinking wine. Heaven.
11:15 p.m. — We head out into the freezing night to do our 10-minute walk home. Straight to do skincare and bed.
Total: £0
“I think other than paying my dad back, and paying for the hen, this is not a bad week! I usually spend money on clothes that I order out of boredom, so I’m glad I didn’t do that this week. I know how expensive things like hens and weddings can be, so I am glad I had a Monzo pot ready for that. Travel has definitely got more expensive so I’m glad I mostly walk to work. This diary has really helped me see that I need to do some organising of my pension, as boring as that sounds, so that’ll be a task for me soon.”
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