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WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.
Last time around, we heard from a 27-year-old staff officer on €47K living in the southeast of the country. This week, a 32-year-old call centre supervisor in the Midlands.
I’m 32 years old, currently living in the Midlands and commuting to Dublin nearly every day for work. I’m also studying part-time and I’m in my final year which is mixed between face-to-face lectures and online lectures.
At the minute life consists of getting my dissertation complete for college and trying to fit in a small bit of a social life. I’m in my final year of HR and have spent every Monday and Tuesday evening over the last four years doing this, so it will be such a relief to have finished. I already do a lot of HR-related work where I currently work, but when I finish my course it will help me decide what to do better!
I’m trying to save as much as I can at the minute for a big trip when I finish my exams in May. I really want to do the Camino walk – I have done for a while now, but this wasn’t possible during Covid. I love travelling so even mini-breaks without college in the background will be such a good feeling. I find I can save €200-ish most months as at the minute, my social life is quite limited with being so busy!
Occupation: Call centre supervisor
Age: 32
Location: Midlands
Salary: €29,000
Monthly pay (net): €2,300
Transport: Diesel – €160, fuel – €130, Leap card – €30
Rent: €500
Household bills: €250 for car loan, €2,800 for annual tuition fees [€233 monthly?], €38 for car insurance, E toll tag – varies each month,
Phone bill: €60
Health insurance: Work pays this
Groceries: €160
Subscriptions: Netflix – €15, gym – €32, Microsoft Office package – €8.20
***
4.45 am: Finally get out of bed. I’ve a bad habit of hitting snooze on early starts lately as I’ve let sleeping habits go out the window. Have a shower and a coffee and hit the road soon after. Pay for the Luas parking and ticket (€9.80). My commute is over an hour and twenty minutes most mornings but that’s the price of somewhat affordable rent, I guess.
8.00 am: Check emails and start work.
2.00 pm: Lunch at my desk. I try my best to pack a lunch as much as I can, usually leftovers from the night before. My car insurance (€38.00) and Microsoft package (€8.20) have both left my account.
4.00 pm: Finish work and head for my car and try to get home on time for college online.
6.00 pm: Home and logged on for college, I usually make dinner between classes.
10.00 pm: Log out, shower and bed!
Today’s total: €56.00
5.00 am: Wake without too much snoozing. Shower, coffee and hit the road!
7.00 am: Much the same as yesterday, pay for Luas ticket and parking (€9.80).
8.30 am: Get to work, check emails and get stuck in.
10.30 am: Quick call to the hairdresser – I make an appointment for next week and pay a €40 deposit. The best thing about shift work is getting things like this done in the middle of the week.
2.00 pm: Lunch at the desk. We have no set break times with work as it’s very fast-paced and someone needs to be on the floor on shift. I don’t mind this as it’s all I’m used to here.
4.00 pm: Finish work, get the car and head home for another evening of college.
6.00 pm: Log on to college. It’s quite stressful as I’m in my final year and I feel like it takes up nearly all of my time, but have to keep reminding myself that it’ll all be worth it in the end. I have been doing a balancing act with the two, but I find that it being online helps with college, and I try to work from home or schedule my work days off around this to make it slightly easier.
10.00 pm: Log off and scroll through my phone for a while – something that I need to stop. It’s more of a habit than anything else at this stage.
11.00 pm: Bed.
Today’s total: €49.80
7.30 am: I have the day off today. I have breakfast and clean the house.
8.30 am: Get out on a walk. Fresh air is great when every day is spent in front of screens and one of the best things about living in the countryside.
10.00 am: Head into Dublin for college and meetings. I pay the usual €9.80 for parking and Luas ticket.
1.00 pm: I have my lunch – which I brought from home – then head out to get a few make-up bits and toiletries that I need in Brown Thomas (€48.00) and Boots (€35.50).
4.00 pm: Back to meetings.
8.00 pm: Home and dinner! I usually cook things like pasta bakes and curries that double up for lunch the next day. It makes life easier when I need to spend most of my time trying to get research done. I also avoid takeaways as best I can as I’m not as active as I’d like, so I don’t want to start putting on weight.
9.00 pm: Reply to the last few emails.
10.30 pm: Bedtime.
Today’s total: €93.30
7.00 am: Start of late shifts at work, but still wake early. Make breakfast and head out on a walk.
9.00 am: On the way home, I pick up a few bits that I need from Aldi (€29.50).
10.00 am: Sit down and do a few hours of college work. I try to do a couple of hours every day as I have my dissertation due in under two months and I still have a lot to do for it.
12.00 pm: Early lunch before I start work for the afternoon. I do my late shifts from home, which is always a nice change from commuting.
1.00 pm: Meet with my dissertation supervisor to go through things so far. I like these meetings as they keep me focused on it.
2.00 pm: Start work – another busy afternoon ahead.
7.00 pm: Dinner at my desk!
11.00 pm: Finish up, do my tan and head to bed.
Today’s total: €29.50
7.00 am: Wake up feeling stressed with everything that I need to have submitted to college as well as work. This is happening a lot lately as I feel really guilty when I don’t do as much as I would have liked.
8.00 am: I head out to meet a friend for breakfast. It’s so good to catch up and have a few hours for myself (€11.80). Head to the post office before heading back home (€3.90).
11.00 am: Log on and get some of my assignment due. I was going to wait until after work but decided it was better to split it so I’m not up half the night later on.
2.00 pm: Time for work. Friday afternoon is one of our busier days. Most days consist of constant calls, dealing with complaints, emails and staff training. I have to admit, I still like shift work as it’s what works best for me at the minute in regards getting stuff done for college.
10.00 pm: Finish up. Have a quick tea and finish my last few bits of the college assignment.
12.30 am: Bed!
Today’s total: €15.70
8.00 am: Wake and have breakfast. I usually don’t have big sleep ins as I usually work some of the weekends, so I don’t want to waste them by being in bed.
9.00 am: Walk and then back to get ready to meet a friend for coffee and a cake.
11.00 am: Coffee and a catch up. (€9.20)
2.00 pm: Log on for work.
10.00 pm: Finish up. Feel a bit under the weather, so I get ready for an early night.
11.00 pm: Bed
Today’s total: €9.20
7.00 am: Wake early and get some college work finished. I’m meeting up with the group later to get things submitted.
11.00 am: College group meet-up; I really enjoy these and it makes me feel normal knowing that the others are just getting by and trying to get things done the same way as I am.
1.00 pm: Home for some lunch.
2.00 pm: Get a walk in. This week has been very busy so I haven’t gotten to the gym and I’m trying to keep my steps in. Weight goes on easier in your 30s!
5.00 pm: Get ready for the week ahead. Get a few things for meal prep in Tesco (€18.50) and Diesel (€70.00).
10.00 pm: Another early start tomorrow so head to bed!
Today’s total: €88.50
***
What I learned –
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I live in the city centre and frequently walk home late at night. It’s actually astounding the amount of people out there on the streets. I walked passed the GPO one night before Christmas, it was baltic out, and there must have been 50 or 60 people outside sleeping rough. Families and everything. More recently I have seen the Romanian lads on Henry Street in big numbers too. Only recently though. I think Brexit might have scared a few away from over the water and they feel safer in a European country?
Whatever the reasons or solutions the whole thing is a shambles and a national embarrassment.
And they’ll all be up early in the morning… But Leo, Simon and the rest of the Irish Tories will continue to ignore them.
@DaisyChainsaw: yawn
@DaisyChainsaw: what is it? 4 % unemployment? Always someone else s fault.
@Vincent: Jaysus the Fraperoom is working overtime tonight. Nobody permitted to rain on the blueshite parade, eh?
@DaisyChainsaw: clearly homelessness globally is fine gael’s fault. Who knew they had such influence internationally to roll out their dastardly plans.
@alphanautica: Homelessness is the result of FG neoliberal policies. Varadkar is a committed neoliberal globalist. So yes, his plans are dastardly.
Rough sleepers deserve so much more than this .. those sleeping in hotel rooms are safe , warm and cosy unlike these guys ..
@Suzie Sunshine: We got dead rats for pillow so we be ok. Thanks anyway
@abcyz: and the Internet obviously
This is not right at all levels, i know that there will be always a few people who are quite ok living on the street’s but this is horrible in this day and age in this country. ….. open up the churches and let them sleep there I’m sure God won’t mind nor would a few big men sit with them while they sleep so they know they are safe! Open up sports halls and do the same and then let them have a shower! I’m not very sure about charities too many people at the top creaming it.
@Linda Hughes: open up your own house too. 4% unemployment is really full employment. For some living on the streets as a lifestyle choice. Many have alcohol and drug dependency problems;also people homeless through having fallen on hard times;also some will not accept accommodation unless it is in the area of their choice. Many put themselves in deliberately precarious situations to “bribe” the authorities. Very few ordinary hard working people can arbitrarily choose where they and their families live; they have to budget and live within their means. This means often commuting fifty to seventy miles just to work. Draw an arc from Dundalk to Mullingar to Portlaoise to Carlow to Gorey and you will see what I mean. Less sympathy and more practicality might work. Address the why then solve.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: It’s always their own fault, that’s the neoliberal mantra. Unreported by another side of this problem is those in homes, living under threat of eviction from banks, where every cent they have goes to the banks and leaves no money for food, light, or heat. 34 families in the Midland area received bags of non perishable food last night. Food donated by people and businesses. Over a hundred families, those who have the courage to seek help,are helped every week. One man who has been helped, is in hospital, unable to eat, his mind is so destroyed with the pressure and struggle of trying to live, he’s just can’t eat. He stated he would be happier if he was dead. He seems determined on that course. If he does comitt suicide, the reasons won’t be recorded, if FG gets their way the suicide won’t be recorded, “to spare the families” is the reason given. To keep the truth from the public is the real reason.
FF destroyed the economy in the country. FG has destroyed society. That’s why there are these problems in the country. No other reason.
Well Leo, what you going to do? Is it all their own fault? Is your Indian connections, the men ,women and street children’s predicament their own fault too?
@abcyz: dope
@Vincent: U enjoy Leo’s policies u dope u?
I don’t give a penny to beggars, Irish, Roma or whatever, there are plenty of reasons people end up on the street but there are also plenty of supports if people want to help themselves. If they were to offer a free accommodation/house in Sligo, Donegal or Leitrim, free counselling and support and welfare, they turn their nose up and would say no. Because they’d rather stay in Dublin with their mates, their dealers, the scene and the coin they make every day is worth far more.
We now have a vadkar steering this ship o my god let me get off
@Dermot Keogh: cheerio.
This may sound stupid but would it not be a good idea if all the charities who are set up to deal with the homeless, people dealing with addiction all got together & sat down. They could then together decide what to do. They all have good ideas but why not pool their ideas. I realise that some of the people at the top won’t be needed so they will lose their jobs but it’s charity not a business. Why not work together & sort out this mess as the local councils are doing nothing. The gov officials are doing nothing. The suggestion from all the politicians seem to be “let’s build more houses.” As i’ve said before “open up all the boarded houses the council have on their books” There is no requirement to rip out everything in a house unless its wrecked. This is what councils do before they give out houses. I know some people who work in the local housing dept. They state that there are good kitchens, wardrobes, bathrooms which are ripped out & the exact same put in. A total waste of money but councils. There are some houses that are wrecked by the tenants but they should be left in the house in its condition & if they move out they should go to the bottom of the list. If you have no respect for what your given then you don’t deserve it.
Irish definition of hypocrisy? A previous privileged overpaid RTÉ DJ mocking these unfortunates every morning on national radio while snorting cocaine himself behind our backs.
I love how the keyboard warriors are quick to blame the government and the likes. This was an issue in the 70′s; 80′s; 90′s and 00′s – it will always be an issue. Regardless who is in charge.
This article talks about several volunteer teams walking around with tea/coffee/soup – I’m starting to think that they aren’t solving the problem, they are aiding it. If people don’t get tea served on the street – it might make them go into the hostels; the cafes and the other places to get tea.
Stop the street teams for a while and put them in the hostels and the shelters instead: see if that brings down the numbers on the street?
@Vic’s Burd: I’m one of these volunteers in an outreach charity. At 10.30 last night I phoned the DCC freephone to try to get beds for 2 people. The automated voice was on a loop saying there were no beds left. I called every 5 minutes until 11.05. At that time there were still no beds left and I could opt to queue on the line to speak to a person. I was 46th in the queue! The 2 people said thanks but not to bother anymore. We gave them sleeping bags and food. No more we could do for them. Despite assurances from government spokespersons that there are sufficient beds for everyone in the system, the experience on the ground proves different. To all doubting Thomases, spend 1 night with any outreach service to inform yourself of the reality.
@Ann Birney: you guys are doing a great job.keep up the good work
You are giving up your free time.to help other.
As the saying goes.by the grace of god go.i
We are doomed
Wat u complaining about
This is an apsolute disgrace for Ireland all the talk about taking in refugees trying to look good for who look after your own people first then talk about refugees.
have your say