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 financial services employee on €109K living in Dublin. This time, a tax accountant on €100K living in Wicklow.
I’m living in North Wicklow with my wife and two-year-old girl and working in Dublin 2. I’m typically in the office 2-3 days a week. I earn €100K a year plus bonus and my wife is on around €55K. We pay a certain amount into our joint account for mortgage and bills each month – split 67%/33%.
Having had a child and done some work on our house in the last two years, we’ve noticed that our spending money on a month-to-month basis has really taken a hit but at the same time we’re grateful for our jobs and the earnings we make, and particularly for being in a position to afford to buy a house five years ago.
Naturally with a child, we don’t tend to go out or go away as much as we used to but I’m still involved in my GAA club which gives me something to focus on outside of work and family life.
Occupation: Tax Accountant
Age: 34
Location: Co. Wicklow
Salary: €100,000 plus bonus of c.30%
Monthly pay (net): €5,027
Transport: €95 rail taxsaver (gross before tax)
Rent: €1,459 (of which I pay 67% and my wife pays 33%)
Household bills: Gas and electricity €115
TV and Internet: €100 (of which I pay 67% and my wife pays 33%)
Phone bill: €9.99
Health insurance: €191 (me, my wife and child covered) paid for by employer
Groceries: €500 (of which I pay 67% and my wife pays 33%)
Subscriptions: Gym €25, Netflix €20.99, Spotify €14.99
Loans: Car Loan €293, Home improvement loan €487
Childcare: €1,000 (of which I pay 67% and my wife pays 33%)
8.00 am: Late rising this morning as we’re just back from holidaying in Ireland and a bit wrecked. Working from home this morning means I can take it a bit easier to get ready. I get our little lady up and a bottle into her as my wife gets ready for work.
8.30 am: Childminder arrives on the dot and before I face into work I’m out the door to grab a pastry and coffee (€6.50) as I can’t face a boring breakfast.
9.05 am: At the desk for work.
12.30 pm: It’s a cracking day so I head out with the dog for a stroll bumping into a neighbour on route. After I land home I make my lunch using items from the weekend’s big shop – chicken, peppers, onions, feta and cous cous (€0) – and then head back up to the laptop.
2.30 pm: Sun is beating in the window so for some respite I head out in the car to grab an iced coffee nearby (€4.30) – more expensive than Dublin prices and yet I keep coming back!
5.00 pm: I wrap up work for the day as my better half gets home. The three of us plus the dog go out for a quick stroll in the evening sun and bump into a few more neighbours – we have a great estate with lovely green areas which lend nicely to kids, adults and dogs being able to hangout outside on nice days.
7.00 pm: After that, it’s back for a dinner of chicken fajitas with the Sprint series on Netflix as entertainment for the evening.
10.00 pm: We turn into bed.
Today’s total: €10.80
8.00 am: Another lie-in for the lads! Working from home again and our daughter isn’t waking at the crack of dawn these days means I can take another leisurely morning while my wife shuttles herself out the door again. Have my breakfast at home today (Dunnes’ weetabix) (€0)
8.30 am: I’m out the door once the babyminder arrives and drive about 5 minutes to grab a coffee (€4.00).
9.00 am: Start work at the home office desk.
12.00 pm: After a quiet morning where I get through a good bit of work I drive 5 minutes down the road to the physio for treatment on a football injury. My GAA club covers half the bill (€60) so my total is €30.00. I’d love to see the total amount of money I’ve spent on physios as a result of Gaelic over the last 20 years or so.
12.40 pm: Home, quick walk with the dog and then lunch which is the exact same salad as yesterday (except a yellow pepper this time instead of red) (€0).
4.30 pm: I finish up a bit early today to take over from the childminder. The afternoon flies by with a few calls and a bit of focused work time too.
5.00 pm: Chill out time with my little girl (although it’s not chilled keeping up with a three-year-old) and I get her dinner (Gnocchi no less) and the grown-up’s dinner (salmon, sweet potatoes and veg) on (€0).
7.30 pm: With the daughter off to bed I head down to the GAA pitch for training. On route back I stop off at the ATM to grab cash for the childminder tomorrow. We owe her for a couple of days last week too so it comes to €420 from our joint account (cost to me is €280.00 as my wife puts in a third of the monthly joint account fund). Childcare is so expensive but when it comes to it I see our childminder as being worth every penny and more. She’s helped us rear our child and played such a key role in her development and as parents, we’ll be forever grateful.
9.45 pm: Home and have my dinner (can’t eat before training), TV for 30 mins, book for 20 mins then bed.
Today’s total: €314.00
7.00 am: Earlier start today as I’m in the office. I have porridge for breakfast and then am out the door to get the train into Dublin.
9.45 am: I land at Pearse Station and grab a coffee on the way to work (€3.60).Get to the desk around 10 am.
12.30 pm: Morning of meetings has me starving. Back to my same old reliable homemade salad (€0) – green pepper this time. Mix things up. You’d swear I’d get bored of having the same lunch but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest and I couldn’t fathom having to think of different lunches the evening before. Just stick to the process!
2.00 pm: Americano in work to pick me upafter lunch (€2.60). Coffee isn’t the nicest but does the job.
6.00 pm: Racing for the train home. Wanted to grab a protein milk to tide me over getting home as I’m starving but it was too tight on time.
7.30 pm: In the door and grab dinner that’s been made for me by the better half (fishcakes, baby potatoes and veg) (€0). Watch a couple of episodes of Sprint then relax.
10.00 pm: Bit of a tidy up of the house then head up to bed to read for about 20 minutes before going off to sleep.
Today’s total: €6.20
7.00 am: Up early to get into the office. Quick Weetabix breakfast and then off to the train.
8.45 am: Coffee on route to work (€3.60)and I land in at 9 am.
12.00 pm: We’re out for a team lunch to welcome a new member so yet again we don’t have to put the hand in the pocket for lunch this week.
2.00 pm: Heavy lunch so to try to stave off the fatigue I grab a coffee beside the office (€3.70) and am back at the desk for a few more meetings for the afternoon.
6.00 pm: Just about make the train again and head back to the Garden County. I’ve let myself get too hungry but can’t stomach much before training so I have a banana I brought with me this morning.
8.00 pm: Down on the pitch for training which wraps up in just over an hour. Great for clearing the head after a day of work.
9.15 pm: Home for dinner following which I send a few work emails that I should have done earlier and retire for the evening.
11.00 pm: Book and bed.
Today’s total: €7.30
8.00 am: Lie in again as I’m working from home. After breakfast, I’m out for a coffee (€4.00) before starting the day.
9.15 am: Make it up to the desk a little slower this morning after stalling a bit downstairs with my wife and daughter.
1.00 pm: After an intense morning of meetings the old homemade salad just won’t cut it for lunch so I drive over to the shop and get a chicken stir fry wok dish made up (€7.95). After having lunch with my little girl at the table I’m back upstairs for another couple of calls for the rest of the afternoon.
5.30 pm: Manage to wrap up in time and my head is a bit fried. I come downstairs and me, my wife and daughter head out to visit the creche my daughter will be starting in soon. On route, I Revolut my wife €50.00 for my half of our daughter’s next block of dance classes.
7.00 pm: Home for dinner which is homemade spaghetti bolognese. Daughter goes off to bed and I get the dog out for a stroll in the evening sunshine.
9.00 pm: While sitting watching TV I pay €89.98 for a 20kg for an upcoming Ryanair flight to Spain. We’d booked the flights ages ago but left the baggage until now. Feels like such a rip-off when you’ve to pay it separately. I tried to negotiate my wife down to a 10kg but she was having none of it!
10.30 pm: Bit of reading then bed.
Today’s total: €151.93
8.00 am: We’re woken by our little lady but in fairness to her it’s not at an unreasonable hour. I get up leisurely go downstairs with herself for a while, grab a banana and then head off to the gym.
9.15 am: On route back in get a coffee (€4.00).
1.00 pm: My wife went off to do the weekly shop (€120 which she paid for as the funds in the joint were gone – I’ll pay for the childminder in return next week) in the morning but forgot a couple of things which I buy in the nearby shop for €14.52. This comes out of the joint account so given I put in two-thirds of the joint account funds it really costs me €9.73. I use the eggs I bought to make a couple of boiled eggs on toast for lunch.
6.00 pm: After some fun in the sun down at the playground with my little girl we head home and I make her evening tea. We’re generally good at using food from the weekly shop for her meals and my wife usually batch cooks meals like chicken curry or mince bolognese which are frozen for her little lunches during the week.
8.00 pm: Me and my wife have a couple of pizzas from the supermarket for dinner, with homemade garlic mayo (extra garlic and extra good!), while watching a movie on Netflix.
11.00 pm: Bed.
Today’s total: €13.73
8.30 am: Up and downstairs for breakfast.Fruit salad plus toast for the little lady and boiled egg on toast for the adults. No match or training today (which normally takes up my Sunday mornings) so it’s nice to have some family time.
10.00 am: I spin out in the car for a coffee (€4.00).
12.00 pm: The three of us together with some family go to mass for the anniversary of a close relative near my wife’s family home. On the walk home, we stop at a new coffee shop in the village. My wife treats us to coffees but I add a pastal de nata (€2.95) for myself as I’m starving – totally worth it and it’s my new favourite in recent times.
2.00 pm: We’ve a lovely lunch in my in-laws sitting out the back in the sun and we spend the afternoon in their back garden.
6.00 pm: After a quick trip to the local playground we drive back home from the in-laws, I bring the dog out for a stroll and we get our daughter up to bed.
8.00 pm: Still fairly full after lunch earlier, my wife and I each make our own small meal for dinner. I go with a cheese and onion toasty together with a few sweet potato fries and salad.
10.00 pm: After a bit of TV we head up where I read for another bit before dosing off for the night.
Today’s total: €6.95
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