Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on TheJournal.ie that runs on Wednesdays and Sundays and looks at what people in Ireland really do with their cash.
We’ve asked readers to keep a record of how much they earn, how much they save, if anything, and what they spend their money on over the course of one week.
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.
Last time, a 30-year-old software developer on €77,000 wrote how he balanced an active social life with saving and investments. Today, a 32-year-old HR manager in Sligo walks us through his week which involves saving for Christmas.
I’m 32 and live in Sligo where I work for a large manufacturer as a HR business partner.
I used to work in Dublin but I made the move back home to Sligo two years ago. The cost of living and property is much more expensive in Dublin, but I spend more on transport in Sligo because I need a car to get around.
I own an apartment in Sligo, which would never have been possible in Dublin. My mortgage comes to €540 per month which I know is much cheaper than Dublin rent.
Most of my financial goals are long-term. I would like to buy health insurance but other priorities just keep coming up. I want to continue saving for a pension in the hope that I may be able to retire before 70! The idea of buying a second property is also appealing although a very long way away.
Outside of work I enjoy eating out, going for drinks, spending time with family and friends, reading and going to the gym.
Occupation: HR Business Partner
Age: 32
Location: Sligo
Salary: €45,000
Monthly pay (net): €2,850
Mortgage: €540
Mortgage protection: €15
House insurance: €10
Management fees: €85
Pension: €270
Car loan: €255
Petrol: €170
Car insurance: €60
Car tax: €23
Electricity: €100
Phone bill: €55
TV and broadband: €85
TV licence: €13
Medical expenses: €200
Groceries: €200
Subscriptions: €10.99 Netflix, €9.99 Spotify, Gym €19
Savings for Christmas: €42
Savings for holidays: €200
General savings: €200
This week my expenses were relatively high, so my extra spending came out of savings.
***
7:30am: My alarm goes off and I struggle to get out of bed - no matter how much you love your job, Monday is Monday! By 8:10am I’m showered, changed and fuelled by coffee, ready for the day ahead (or at least the drive to work).
8:30am: I arrive at work and spend the morning with my head down.
11:00am: Time for a cup of tea and something to eat. I’ve never been good at eating in the morning so I’m trying to make sure I get something into me before noon. Today it’s a bowl of porridge.
1:30pm: Lunch time. Our canteen in work offers free food which is a great perk. Today there is a carbonara on the menu which I can’t pass up.
3:30pm: The day is nearly over, but I’m flagging so I skip out of the office and grab a takeaway coffee in the local shop (€2.50). I could grab a cup of the instant coffee in work but in all honesty it tastes like muck!
5:30pm: I leave the office and drive into town. I need to grab a few bits of clothes for work. I pick up a few bits in Penneys (€45.60) and pay for parking (€3).
7:00pm: I get home and make myself a chicken curry. There’s plenty left over so I’ll get tomorrow out of it as well. I’m wrecked after all of today’s excitement and settle in for a quiet night of TV.
10:00pm: Lights out
Today's total: €51.10
7:30am: My alarm goes off and I get up for and get ready for work. I leave the apartment at 8:10am and arrive in the office by 8:30am. It’s amazing how much of your life you get back when you are not commuting in and out of a city centre.
10:30am: It's break time so I grab some tea and porridge again. To mix things up I put a spoonful of honey in it!
1:30pm: Lunch time. On the menu today is chilli con carne which I grab with some salad.
5:00pm: I leave the office after a busy day and head to the gym for a swim to dust off the cobwebs.
6:30pm: I grab a few bits in Tesco on my way home from the gym (€4.40). Once I’m home I eat the rest of yesterday’s leftover curry and do some laundry and ironing – who says I don’t lead a rock and roll lifestyle?
9:00pm: I catch up on some TV and head for bed around 10:30pm.
Today's total: €4.40
7:30am: I get up and get ready for work and I'm in the office by 8:30am.
10:30am: I have a quick bowl of cornflakes to keep me going for the morning.
1:00pm: It's lunch time and today the canteen has poached salmon and garden vegetables – when I think about how much money I used to spend grabbing a sandwich it sends shivers down my spine.
3:30pm: Looks like this afternoon is going to need a jolt of energy so I pop out for another one of those cheeky coffees from the local shop (€2.50).
5:00pm: I leave the office and head home. I’m having a friend over for dinner this evening. We're both decent cooks so we take it in turns to have each other over for dinner.
6:30pm: I cobbled together a caprese salad and chicken alfredo - not the most complex thing in the world but decent, hearty food. My friend brings a bottle of wine with her which is more than welcome.
9:30pm: My friend leaves and I do a spot of clean-up and catch a bit of TV before bed at 10:30pm.
Today's total: €2.50
7:00am: I get up, shower and get ready for work. I’m a bit earlier than usual as I want to be in the office by 8:00am to get stuck into something quite heavy while the office is fairly quiet.
10:30am: The morning has flown in! Time for a little break with a cup of tea and my trusted old friend - a bowl of porridge.
1:30pm: Lunch time! I have chicken korma today which is lovely as always and cost me nothing!
5:00pm: I leave work and head to the gym. I’ve been really lazy this week, so I make up for lost time by doing an hour of cardio. I’ll be back tomorrow to do some weights, I promise…
6:30pm: After finishing in the gym I head to Dunnes Stores to do my weekly grocery shop. I know I might be crucified for admitting to doing my shopping somewhere that’s not Aldi or Lidl, but it suits me well and their €10 off when you spend €50 makes it worth my while. This week I need to buy laundry detergent and cleaning supplies as well as my weekly shop, so I spend €61.12 where I would normally spend €45.
7:30pm: I'm back home and I put the shopping away and make a stir-fry with oyster sauce. I relax for the evening and watch some TV before bed.
Today's total: €61.12
7:30am: It’s Friday!!! Usual routine and arrive into work at 8:30am.
10:30am: I grab a quick break and have some tea and porridge.
1:00pm: It's lunch time. On Friday it’s usually something fun and a little unhealthy. Today it’s pizza – I am very happy.
4:00pm: I’ve worked extra time so I’m treating myself to an hour off today to catch up on some life admin.
4:30pm: I get a haircut (€13 plus €5 tip). Considering I would pay €20+ for a cut in Dublin this feels very reasonable.
5:15pm: I treat myself to a decent bottle of wine (€13.99) and a sharing bag of crisps (not for one I swear) for €2.50.
5:30pm: I arrive home and reheat yesterday’s stir-fry. I would normally go out on a Friday but it’s been a long week and I skip the after-work pints and chill out at home with my bottle of wine and some cheese before bed.
Today's total: €34.49
11:00am: I’m being really self-indulgent today and have a lie-in. When I eventually get up, I make myself a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel – this is what weekends are made for!
12:00pm: I catch up on some reading. I love reading, but I’m terrible at making time for it so I’m challenging myself to read a book every two weeks.
3:00pm: I pop over to my friend’s house and stop for petrol on the way (€59.76). We catch up for a while and head out to dinner later. It’s my treat as it’s their birthday soon and I don’t see them nearly enough. Dinner and drinks for two comes to €90.40 – it seems expensive but we had three courses and a bottle of wine.
11:00pm: I head home and watch Netflix for a while before bed.
Today's total: €150.16
9:00am: I wake up and catch up on some housework. The stuff dreams are made of!
11:00am: I head to the gym and do some weights. I’ve been very bad this week – maybe I need a gym diary instead!!!
2:00pm: Mam and Dad come to visit. It’s been a while since I have seen them properly so it’s nice to catch-up. I nip out to the shop and pick up a bottle of wine (€10.49). I do a roast chicken which takes up a good chunk of the afternoon.
5:00pm: We eat and they leave shortly afterwards. I spend the rest of the evening getting ready for the week ahead and relaxing in front of the TV.
Today's total: €10.49
What I learned:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Any chance we could have a diary from someone who’s on the dole/disability/carer’s/single parent etc?
@Kate Harding-Wythe: It’s up to those people to submit the money diary, if you are one of those people then you should email them and ask for the document. They can only publish what they receive.
@Kate Harding-Wythe: his free lunches are are added on to whatever the company is selling, probably making it non competitive
@Gerard Doyle: what? seriously?
I have to find this company….free dinner every day ….but then goes home and cooks and eats another dinner…. seriously, who eats 2 dinners every day..
Relatively tame this one, I miss the auld little bit of gossip on the side of boyfriend /girlfriend etc. So, on Saturday pops out to friends and puts petrol in the car, then has a bottle of wine before getting home? Those country folk and their boozy driving! You know what’s great at soaking up alcohol… Dishwasher tablets! though these hardly accounted for the extra in the shopping, must be what the 200 savings a month are for.
@ThatLJD: you did notice this person bought like, laundry detergent, right? That’s a far more important purchase than dishwasher tablets, tbh
@ThatLJD: yeah a hint at getting laid
She is trying hard to convince herself she does not regret moving back…ah bless…
@Pablo Rojas Coppari: it’s a man not a woman…. ah bless you couldn’t read the article…
Fake news!
@Brian: yeah, nobody earns €45,000 a year!
@Chin Feeyin: A HR manager is on around €100k. Garbage
@Whoswho: you havin a laugh?
@Whoswho: they are not!!
next time Journal, please state if the person is a male or female…oh hold on, are you allowed to these days????
@Mark Johnson: it literally says it in the first line, “Today, a 32-year-old HR manager in Sligo walks us through his week which involves saving for Christmas.”
His… maybe learn to read?
@Mark Johnson: You people only have one joke, and it’s tired!
@Mark Johnson: Why does it matter if this person is male or female?
MOVED OUT OF DUBLIN …HINT HINT…!
Stop with these stories no one cares.
I enjoy these articles, yes they are fluff, but it can enjoyable reading fluff sometimes
Fair play
Wouldn’t get out of bed for such a low wage
@Dave Forde: That’d be about right.
Time to drop this what I do with my few bob section.
Nobody really gives a flyers If Joe blogs has a corn beef & tayto sandwich for lunch.
or if he drops in to the local spar to buy a cheap bottle of plonk. or even if he splashed out on a round in his local.
Where on earth was this person parking in Sligo that they paid €3 to pop into Penneys at 5.30. Theres only 1 Penneys in Sligo town and the obvious place to park would be Wine Street which is 1.20 an hour (could only have been an hour as parking charges stop after 6.30 in Wine Street). If Wine Street car park was full most of the places to park nearby are run by the city council so the same price per hour, if they parked in quayside shopping centre its €1 per hour if I recall correctly.
@Margaret: Since when is Sligo Town a city?
I would have liked to hear more about that “friend” that called around Wednesday night with the wine.. Bom Chicka Bom Bom!!
This guy earns less than me and takes home more. How’s that possible? This guy pays more into his pension than I do and still he takes home more.
@Teresa Ryan: he’s paying around the right amount. Does your pension come out before tax? I earn a lot more than him.and come out with less after Dublin rent and tax than he does after his mortgage. Makes you think!
Easy saving for this person is to use dunnes vouchers to buy alcohol too. Usually have 5 or 6 bottles wine offers with 10 euro vouchers be a tidy weekly saving. Just try not to drink all the wine the same week. Also food store in sligo does 25 chicken fillets for 25 euro. Freeze and use as needed.
The Diary of Adrian Mole
I’d love to know the gym with pool for 19€ the month. That must be outdoors lol. And parking is never ever 3€ per hour. Most people park for free at the Tesco car park in town or pay a maximum of 1.20€ the hour, until 6.30pm.
have your say