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 an insurance manager on €95K in Dublin. This week, a sales team lead on maternity leave in Dublin.

I’m a 33-year-old woman currently on maternity leave, living in south Dublin with my husband, two kids and a dog. I came to Ireland 9.5 years ago from another European country and have settled down here.

Me and my husband have been sharing finances for the past six-to-seven years, so we don’t really go half-half but just randomly pay off things. We had also been religiously saving in previous years so that we could afford the house — but mostly the location — that we had been dreaming of. We tried to keep our overall expenses under €500+rent (pre-inflation price!). I feel if you cut off all the non necessary stuff (takeaway coffees, meals, drinks) you can save a good bit each month.

Last year, we finally bought our house and refurbished it. We also got a new car two years ago, which we paid in full. We are still saving for different refurbishment projects but overall living in a more relaxed environment financially. In saying this, we are trying to save €2,000 per month and also saving all the child benefits separately on child saver accounts for the kids.

I’m the main earner in the family — my husband’s yearly wage is probably half of mine, so we have to be very strategic about how to reach our monthly savings goal.

Occupation: Team lead in sales

Age: 33

Location: Dublin

Salary: €60,950 plus quarterly bonus (could be around €10,000 gross)

Monthly pay (net): €3,306.02

Monthly expenses 

Transport: €70 on petrol

Rent: €1,713 mortgage — husband pays for it

Household bills: €41.99 Internet +€110 electricity

Phone bill: €20 prepaid a month

Health insurance: Paid by work

Creche: €734 with NCS

Groceries: Around €700-800

Subscriptions: Child Paths for crèche — €5, don’t have anything else — no Netflix, Spotify, YouTube

***

Monday

7.30 am: My baby decided to wake up — after two feedings during the night. My husband woke up with our toddler and got her ready for the day.

8.10 am: Time to head to crèche. I’m taking both kids, so my husband can take our dog for a walk.

12.30 pm: The husband is working from home today, so I prepare some chicken with chips in the oven. He bathes the dog during his lunch break and gets some stuff ready from the attic for my mom’s arrival.

4.30 pm: Just finished some online shopping for our wedding anniversary, little surprise comes with a price tag of €21.15. Time to go and collect our princess from the crèche.

6.00 pm: Toddler gets fed and goes for a bath. Some jumping on the bed follows and then she goes straight to sleep.

9.00 pm: With toddler and baby sleeping, I go downstairs to clean up the kitchen and the living room.

10.30 pm: We call it a day.

Today’s total: €21.15

Tuesday

7.30 am: Baby wakes up after three feedings during the night — the joys of motherhood. Husband gets the toddler ready.

8.10 am: Time to head to crèche and drop off the husband at the Luas stop as today is, unfortunately, an in-office day for him.

8.30 am: Do some shopping in Aldi (€11.66) and in Lidl (€45.29). My phone’s credit balance is low, so it’s a €20 charge.

12.00 pm: Head out for a walk with the dog and the baby. Lunch is a ready-made meal which I bought during the weekend.

4.00 pm: Buy an Aircoach ticket for my mom. It costs €14.10 which I find really expensive compared to the last time I used it.

5.00 pm: Toddler collected. She eats some of the chicken I prepared for her earlier, but more demanding for strawberries. Ready for bath and sleep.

8.30 pm: Kids are sleeping so adults try to organise the house. We’re having some bites in the meantime.

11.00 pm: Go to bed.

Today’s total: €91.05

Wednesday

7.30 am: Same story as every day. Baby got up three times during the night. Husband is looking after the toddler.

8.10 am: Out again for crèche and Luas drop off — we really hate office days.

12.00 pm: While my baby sleeps, I manage to cook and do two rounds of laundry.

2.30 pm: While having my lunch, I encounter a rat in the back garden. Unfortunately, we have had this issue for a couple of weeks. I go out to the shop to get even more traps — an advanced one costs €39.

5.00 pm: Toddler collected. She only ate the prawns from the soup that I cooked. Husband gives her a bath and gets her ready to sleep.

7.30 pm: I realise one ingredient is missing from the food my mom is going to cook on Thursday — it’s a run to the shop and I end up buying some more things for €6.03.

9.00 pm: Collect mom from the Aircoach stop. It’s her first time seeing our new baby since the last time she visited us was in October.

Today’s total: €45.03

Thursday

7.00 am: Baby and toddler wake up at the same time. My mom has some time to spend with the kids.

8.10 am: Drop toddler to crèche and drop husband off at the Luas stop. Finally, we can go shopping with my mom. Some random food stuff that I pick up costs €9.64 and €15.77.

11.00 am: Mom starts to cook my favourite dish along with a cake I haven’t had for a long time.

Related Reads

Money Diary: An insurance manager on €95K in Dublin

Money Diary: A primary school teacher in Munster settling into summer pace

Money Diaries: A corporate events planner on €58K living in Dublin

2.00 pm: We have a great lunch. She enjoys spending some time with her new grandson. Time for me to go out with the dog for a walk.

4.30 pm: Princess collected, fed and played with.

6.00 pm: My husband arrives home and we follow the usual evening routine.

8.30 pm: Finally have dinner together after the kids are asleep. We go to bed around 11pm.

Today’s total: €25.41

Friday

6.00 am: It’s early and both kids have decided to wake up. Today is my daughter’s 2nd birthday so with this, we no longer qualify for 2 under 2.

8.10 am: Crèche time with a birthday caterpillar cake I bought earlier.

9.00 am: As the rat is still joking with us and eats all the bait but doesn’t get caught, I decide to buy a live trap cage. Trip to the city centre with mom. The trap costs €30.99. Shop assistant tells me it’s very hard to catch them — not the reassurance I was looking for!

10.00 am: I drop by SuperValu for a plant and some small things for €11.96. I head to the post office for a One4all voucher (€152). My mother-in-law had her 60th birthday on Wednesday and we’re going to celebrate it on Saturday together with my daughters. It costs €16 for three balloons. We stop by Tesco with my mom for some things (€18.91). It’s her shopping (mostly chocolate she can’t get back home) but I end up paying for it.

4.00 pm: Spend some time playing with the baby before walking the dog, having lunch and just chilling after a busy morning.

8.00 pm: Kids asleep. Time for dinner and a small clean-up. We go to bed around 10 pm.

Today’s total: €229.86

Saturday

5.30 am: Toddler decided to wake up. Baby sleeps until 7.30 am. Dog gets a walk.

10.00 am: My mother-in-law arrives and pays me for the present I got her for our daughter (€20).

2.00 pm: After our toddler is up from her nap, we head to our favourite Indian restaurant. Although it’s a short stroll away, it’s raining so we take both cars (parking 2×3.70= €7.40). The bill comes to €205 but I add some tips. Final price is €230. We only go to a restaurant three or four times a year, but it is always a Michelin plate or Michelin star one (I can cook average food at home).

5.00 pm: We are full, but we cut the cake and sing Happy Birthday before my mother-in-law goes home.

6.00 pm: The evening routine kicks in. Bath, sleep for the kids, and none of us want to even think of food. Early bedtime at 9 pm.

Today’s total: €217.40

Sunday

8.20 am: My husband takes both kids downstairs and lets me sleep in. We have breakfast together.

9.00 am: Head to SuperValu and Lidl with my mom. It comes to €21.50 and €11.49 altogether.

12.00 pm: Lunch is salmon with Moroccan couscous. Toddler refuses to eat it. She gets some hummus.

2.30 pm: After the toddler’s nap, it’s time to go to the playground.

6.00 pm: Evening routine kicks in and we get ready for the next week. Husband will be off and we have some DIY projects in mind that we will hopefully be able to start or even accomplish while my mom can look after the baby.

Today’s total: €32.99

Weekly subtotal: €662.89

***

What I learned –

• This was an extraordinary week with birthdays and my mom’s visit. A normal week probably would have been very boring to read. Still, I find we spend lots of money on groceries — no idea how others keep it low. I try to buy quality food and lots of fresh fruits for the kids. This is something we didn’t really do while we were only a couple before the kids came along. 
• I am well aware of our financial situation and keep track of spending. Keeping finances and savings “clean” helped when we applied for a mortgage. With saving money for the kids, I am trying to teach them from early on how to get around with having some money.
• Catching a rat is really not easy. We’re close to €100 spent on traps and still no luck, only that this rat is definitely well fed. In general, I’m an animal lover and I like rats, but not when they are in my back garden. I don’t want to use poison because of our dog, but that is my very last solution. Please share if you have any advice.