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 sports officer on €42K in Munster. This week, a scientist on €31K living in Leinster.
I live in Leinster with my husband, two young children and an older stepson. Since having my two kids, I have returned to work part-time to allow me to care for them. My husband takes parental leave and my mum helps out on days we are both working. Between the lack of available childcare options and the cost, we believed that this reduction in pay would work out much the same as paying for a crèche.
We have a joint account for all bills and family expenses and have a monthly allowance of €250 each transferred to our own Revolut accounts. We use this for work lunches and our own personal expenses. We used to be able to save around €1,500 a month before I went part-time but now, with my salary reduction, it’s been hard to put away anything.
Something always seems to come up. These savings would have been used for home improvements, holidays or if anything came up that was needed. Since I’ve moved jobs, we have just been trying to maintain what we have for a rainy day type situation and limit spending to only what is needed. We do save the children’s allowance each month (€280) and plan to keep this for the children’s college fund but I do wonder if there is a better option for saving this, other than a bank savings account.
Occupation: Scientist
Age: 35
Location: Leinster
Salary: €31,500
Monthly pay (net): €2,200
We have a joint account for all house and family expenses but my half would be as follows:
Transport: €100 on diesel, approx.
Mortgage: €550
Mortgage/life assurance: €60
Household bills: Gas, electric, broadband and property tax €170 approx.
Car hire purchase: €245
Phone bill: €28
Health insurance: €105 (includes the two youngest)
Groceries: €200 approx.
Subscriptions: Gym – €40, Spotify Premium – €17.99, Amazon Prime – €10.70, Netflix included in Sky package – €57. Disney+ password from a friend.
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7.30 am: Get up. Husband was already up for an early run and has put the porridge on and bacon for the eldest. I make coffee and get my three-year-old a bowl of Krispies as she won’t eat porridge. I clean up and my husband takes the eldest to school while I get myself and our youngest two ready and make our three-year-old’s pack lunch for preschool.
9.15 am: Husband is home and on parental leave today so he takes our two-year-old out for a walk and I bring our three-year-old to preschool at 9.30 am before I head to work.
9.45 am (ish): Arrive to work and I am continuing my training today in a different department. It’s the department I have specialised in before I went part-time so it’s nice to get back into it.
11.30 am: Head for my break. Have coffee, slice of toast with jam. All provided free from work! Then head back for more training.
1.15 pm: Time for lunch. Head to the subsidised work canteen. Chicken and mushroom vol au vents today, roast new potatoes and peas, yum! (€4.90) Stop at the vending machine and get a peanut butter Snickers (€1.50). Back to work then for 2 pm.
3.45 pm: Head for afternoon break. Have tea and a couple of Milk Tray chocolates someone brought in. Then back to work for more training.
5.30 pm: Home time. Finished my training so delighted with that. I’m now available to cover the department if needed.
5.45 pm: Arrive home. Kids have had dinner so I take over and give them a bath and get them ready for bed. I have some leftovers for my tea and make sure I’ve everything ordered for the weekly Tesco delivery tomorrow (€108.35).
7.00 pm: Bring kids to bed and read them a bedtime story.
7.20 pm: Head to my blood donation appointment. Bring my book to read while I’m waiting and take advantage of the free crisps, biscuits and water. Realise I have had way too many snacks today but I will put it down to energy required to donate.
9.30 pm: Home after donating. Watch some TV with the husband and head to bed about 10.30 pm.
Today’s total: €111.75
7.45 am: Get up. Husband makes breakfast. Sausage and egg bagels. I make coffee. Kids have some bacon and sausage too.
8.30 am: Husband brings his eldest to school. I get myself and our two youngest ready and make my daughter’s pack lunch.
9.30 am: Drop my daughter to preschool. Came in the car today as I’m heading to collect family photos we had taken, but I usually walk if I can.
10.30 am: After collecting the photos, already paid for as part of the package, I bring my two-year-old to the local library. Every Tuesday, they hold a toddler morning. He has a play, we read some books and there is free tea/coffee, juice and biscuits, which we both take advantage of.
11.45 am: Back home and I make crackers and cheese for my son’s lunch.
12.30 pm: Collect my daughter from preschool. It’s a nice day, so she wants an ice cream. We head to the local petrol station, as we need eggs and we like to get them from the local farmer’s vending machine. A tray of 30 costs €8. I get myself a Magnum (€4.75) and a pack of four ice creams for the kids (€2).
12.45 pm: Back home and put my youngest down for his nap. He sleeps till about 2.30pm so I spend this time doing some cleaning, washing and whatever my three-year-old wants to do.
1.00 pm: Tesco delivery arrives and I put away our weekly shop. Have a cream cheese bagel for lunch and a coffee (I love bagels… and coffee!)
2.30 pm: Get my son up and since it’s a nice day, they head out to the garden to play. I get whatever cleaning etc. I can done whilst keeping an eye on the kids.
4.30 pm: I make a start on dinner – chicken pasta bake. I make a small one as well for the kids to have again on Thursday as I’m working and my mum will be minding them.
6.00 pm: Dinner finished. I clean up, get the kids ready for bed, put their clothes out for tomorrow and tidy up their toys. I put out the bins and bring the kids up for a bedtime story and bed by 7pm.
7.15 pm: My husband arrives home from work. He nips up to the kids to say goodnight and has leftover pasta bake.
8.00 pm: He’s watching football tonight so I scroll through my phone and try to clean up my laptop as it’s become very sluggish, although I don’t tend to need it very often these days.
8.45 pm: Husband makes cup of tea at half time and we have a few biscuits.
10.00 pm: Make pancake batter for the morning (always better when left overnight) and head to bed.
Today’s total: €14.75
7.25 am: Woken by my daughter getting into bed beside me. Husband has already left for work.
7.45 am: We get up and I get my son up out of bed. I cook the pancakes with chocolate spread and raspberries for breakfast, which I enjoy with a coffee.
8.30 am: I make my daughter’s pack lunch and decide what to do for tea. It’s payday end of this week so I’m trying not to spend any more money, so decide to take out some sweet potato curry I made in the slow cooker last week rather than having to go shop or cook.
9.00 am: Get myself and the kids ready and manage to head out the door with enough time to walk to preschool today. After, we head back home and I finish cleaning up after breakfast, make the beds, and put on a wash.
11.00 am: We head out for a walk with my son on his scooter.
11.45 am: Back home and make his lunch, beans and toast.
12.30 pm: Collect my daughter from preschool and get home to put my son down for his nap. Yet again, I have a bagel and coffee for lunch and after lunch I make a fresh batch of granola bars with my daughter. She loves having them for school and they are a nice snack for everyone else too.
2.30 pm: Get my son up and head for a walk in the buggy to a photo framing shop. I made a new year’s resolution to not spend so much on takeaway coffees so bring one with me. Quoted €120 to frame some of the family photos we had printed. Not too gone on the frame they had so may look online at doing it myself and see can I get it a bit cheaper.
5.00 pm: Arrive home and give the kids their dinner. I’ll eat later with my husband but I do try one of the granola bars we made earlier.
6.00 pm: Get kids ready for bed and get their clothes ready for the morning. Bring them up for a story and bed by 7pm.
7.15 pm: Husband is home and runs upstairs for a quick goodnight with the kids. I grab a quick shower and get our dinner ready. We eat dinner, do a quick clean up and then cosy up to watch some TV together.
10.00 pm: Head to bed.
Today’s total: €0.00
7.30 am: Alarm goes off, but I scroll through my phone for a bit whilst listening to my two-year-old sing and chat to himself. My husband has already gone to work early.
7.50 am: Procrastinated enough so I get up and get both kids up. Head downstairs and get their breakfast and mine. Cereal today, quick and easy, and a coffee for me. After cleaning up, I get myself and the kids ready. My mum is minding the kids today as I am working. I make my daughter’s packed lunch and take the small pasta bake out the freezer for their dinner.
9.15 am: Mum arrives and I leave with my daughter to drop her to pre-school for 9.30am.
9.45 am: Arrive at work and cover tea breaks and start on a few different tasks my manager has asked me to do.
11.30 am: Tea break. I have a free coffee and a homemade granola bar I brought with me. Back to work by 12.00pm.
1.15 pm: Head to lunch. Go to the canteen and have vegetable curry and potato wedges (€4). Head back to work by 2.00pm.
4.00 pm: Only getting my tea break now as I was trying to complete some testing. Have a free coffee and some chocolate cake someone brought in for another staff members birthday. Back to work by 4.20pm.
5.30 pm: Finish work and head straight home. Kids are ready for bed so spend some time with them before bed time and get a bagel and cream cheese for my tea.
7.00 pm: Put the kids to bed and read them a bedtime story. Go get ready to go to the gym. Have an appointment with a gym instructor this evening where I will be given a new gym programme.
8.15 pm: Head to the gym for my appointment at 8.30pm.
9.45 pm: Home from the gym. I had a shower there, so my husband and I watch a Netflix series before heading to bed by 11pm.
Today’s total: €4.00
5.35 am: Woken up by our daughter. Very unusual for her to wake so early, so after a quick cuddle, I manage to convince her to go back to her own bed.
8.00 am: We all managed to get back to sleep and wake up feeling lucky that our son didn’t wake at his usual 7.30am, allowing us to get a little catch up. I get up and dressed. My husband gets the bacon and eggs on toast ready, while I get the coffees made and give the kids their cereal. The eldest is off school sick today so no school drop off for him.
9.00 am: Finish getting myself ready and the kids dressed and make my daughters pack lunch.
9.20 am: Leave with my daughter and drop her to preschool for 9.30am and make my way to work. Arrive a little late because of traffic but get stuck into some more testing and equipment maintenance.
11.00 am: Coffee break, I brought a homemade granola bar again and a have it with a coffee before heading back to work for more of the same.
1.40 pm: Lunch time. I decide to pop out at lunch to see if I can get some frames for the family photos. I find what I’m looking for in Woodies and buy the six frames I need (€42). I grab a toasted sandwich and a latte from a drive-thru Costa on the way back to work. (€10.75)
2.25 pm: Back to work and I complete a stocktake and some batch acceptance paperwork.
4.15 pm: Go for break. Have yet another coffee and share a slice of tray cake that someone brought in.
4.45 pm: Back to work and start on some document reviews that are due.
5.30 pm: Finish work and head home. Stop for Diesel on the way as the light came on (€50).
5.50 pm: Get home, spend some time with kids, tidy up their toys and grab some leftover dinner.
7.00 pm: Put the kids to bed after a bedtime story and then sit down to watch movie with the eldest and a Netflix series with my husband after he’s gone to bed.
11.00 pm: Husband makes pancakes and I empty the dishwasher before we head up to bed.
Today’s total: €102.75
7.30 am: Get up, kids are awake. Have pancakes and coffee for breakfast. I clear up after and give the kitchen a good clean.
10.30 am: Husband heads off with the eldest for his GAA match. After they have left, my dad arrives to see the kids. We head out for a walk and I call into the local photo shop to have some pictures printed for the frames. (€11.07)
12.30 pm: We stop off at a local hotel and the kids have sausage and chips whilst my dad and I have a latte, Grandad’s treat.
1.30 pm: Back home and I put my son down for his nap. My daughter goes to play out in the garden. I put the pictures in their frames and decide on how I might display them.
2.00 pm: My dad heads off and I make myself a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. I empty the dishwasher and have a quick tidy round.
2.45 pm: Husband gets our son up and he heads out to play in the garden. I put some washing away and then we both head outside and kick some ball with the two kids for a bit.
4.00 pm: Husband takes the kids out for a walk while I get all the downstairs floors washed and the kids’ rooms tidied and organised.
5.00 pm: Put on the rice for dinner. My husband made a curry yesterday so we don’t have to spend any time today cooking dinner. Decide to just give the kids there’s and have ours later. They want to eat out on the picnic bench since it’s a nice evening. My husband heads to the pub for an hour or so. After their dinner, I bring the kids in for a bath and get them ready for bed.
7.15 pm: Bring the kids up to bed and read them a bedtime story. I grab a shower while my husband, back from the pub, gets the dinner ready. Chicken curry, rice and naan breads.
8.15 pm: Relax for the evening watching a movie and a Netflix series. I have a cup of tea and some chocolate my husband bought on the way home from the pub.
11.00 pm: Head to bed.
Today’s total: €11.07
7.45 am: Get up with the kids and have some breakfast. The kids and my husband have cereal, I have a bagel. I make our morning coffee.
9.00 am: My husband leaves to bring the eldest to his soccer training. I get myself and the kids dressed and put on a wash. Me and the kids head out for a walk in the buggy to Aldi. We bring some bottles with us for the Deposit Return Scheme. On our way out of the estate, I see a can and a bottle littered so pick these up to return also. Deposit Return voucher comes to just under €3 (every little helps).
10.20 am: In Aldi, the kids help me pick up a few bits we need for lunches, nappies (I find the Aldi brand the best) and we get a chicken and some veg for a roast dinner today. Kids want ice cream so I get a box of rainbow lollies too (€38.71). Next we head to SuperValu to get some herbs, fresh bread, nice Italian pasta and some Jacob’s cream crackers (some things I can’t bring myself to switch to Aldi brand). I end up buying a pear and almond tart and some custard for dessert this evening (€21.52).
11.15 am: Arrive home, kids play outside while I unpack the shopping and prep the veg for dinner. I make the kids some spaghetti hoops with cheese for their lunch and they eat it outside with some milk. I hang the washing out on the line. Meanwhile, my husband arrives back and gets ready to go trim his parent’s garden hedges.
12.00 pm: I put our youngest to bed for his nap. My daughter and I make some more granola bars for the week. I make myself some lunch, struggle to decide and end up having peanut butter and jam on toast and a coffee. After lunch, I clean up the kitchen and empty all the bins. Husband arrives home just as our youngest wakes from his nap and I play with the kids for a bit.
2.30 pm: I bring the washing in and put away while the kids play outside. I put out the kids clothes for tomorrow. I make a start on dinner and empty the dishwasher.
5.00 pm: Serve up roast chicken dinner for everyone. After we have eaten, I ring the kids up for a bath while my husband cleans up.
6.15 pm: Get the kids out of the bath and get them ready for bed. Bring them up for a bedtime story and put them to bed by 7pm.
7.30 pm: My husband warms the dessert up and we enjoy whilst watching some TV.
8.30 pm: The eldest goes to bed before school tomorrow and my husband and I start watching a new Amazon Prime series.
10.30 pm: Head to bed.
Today’s total: €60.23
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What I learned –
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