WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances. 

Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? 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. 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 part-time writer in Co Cork. This week, a 28-year-old advertising account manager who recently made the move to Australia.

This a follow-up on my original Money Diaries submission which was published in February 2025. I previously wrote about my plans to move to Australia and saving for that journey. So how has it all gone?

I’m now 28 years old, and I’m living in Perth after moving from Dublin in September. I have been here for just over four months now and am loving it. Moving abroad can seem daunting with an endless list of things to sort out, but once you’re there, that’s when the fun begins.

Perth is a lovely sprawling city, with incredible beaches, friendly people and a lifestyle that most dream of. It has its drawbacks in terms of remoteness and a less vibrant city life than other major cities, but this is a worthwhile sacrifice. We plan to stay here for our first year. 

Living in Perth allows my girlfriend and me to live together in a beautiful three-bed ground-floor furnished apartment in a small complex of units. We are a 15-minute walk from the beach in Cottesloe, five minutes away from our local supermarket, restaurants and pub, along with being two minutes away from the train station.

We were fortunate to secure the place before arriving – we’re not sure why we were chosen, but we suspect previous Irish tenants may have helped our case. Our salaries go further out here, as there’s no way that this perfect housing mix could be afforded in Dublin by a part-time barista and someone in a standard marketing role. We do not live very frugally and get to enjoy life to the fullest for our time here.

Living in Australia is genuinely great, and for anyone on the fence thinking of it, I urge them to go – even if it’s just for the year. I am lucky that I have a few friends out here, but the people in general are very friendly and welcoming. There’s a great Irish diaspora in Perth without you running into an Irish person on every street corner.

There’s also a reasonable sense of safety in public places and noted lack of rowdiness amongst youths as opposed to in Ireland. The distance from family and friends back home can be tough, especially as it’s my first long stint living abroad, but I keep up contact regularly – with FaceTime and WhatsApp always coming in handy.

In Perth particularly, it’s necessary to buy a car and thus enter into the wild west of the second-hand car market. There is no NCT and the only necessary payment on the car is your vehicle registration, which covers third-party insurance, and your car’s licence, which is usually $50 (€29) per month. This means cars are bought and sold in all sorts of conditions and you can get unlucky at times with vehicles breaking down, etc. We bought our car from a registered second-hand dealer but issues such as a broken air conditioning unit still came up a few weeks after.

I am working on a maternity leave contract here in Australia. On my working holiday visa, you can usually stay with an employer for up to one year before you have to do regional work for your visa to be renewed. Being on a maternity leave contract has quite a transient feel to it and the roles in my industry are slightly different out here. As a result, I don’t think this role will greatly help or hinder my prospects upon returning to Ireland, but it is great to get a different perspective on how the work is done.

That being said, there is plenty of Aussie slang that takes some getting used to, such as ‘servo’, ‘stubbies’ and ‘thongs’ amongst others. I work five days per week in the office out here. Remote work is not really a thing, as Covid never hit Australia very hard, and my hybrid working in Ireland is definitely something I took for granted.

I get paid monthly here, which is a rarity, as most jobs are paid bi-weekly, as is our rent. Superannuation is Australia’s version of the pension and is paid at 12% of your earnings by your employer, separately from your salary, into a specified fund. It’s a great tool for Australians, but the killer blow for the non-Australians is that there is a 65% penalty when you withdraw from it upon leaving the country.

My girlfriend and I split our rent 60/40, along with some larger bills and expenses. The day-to-day expenses, including smaller household bills, are split 50/50. We find this system works best for us, and especially as I am earning more, I find it’s only fair to make it equitable and help out where I can. Our monthly savings are less here than in Ireland, as we had saved hard for the year in the lead up to our time abroad and wanted to enjoy ourselves out here.

Occupation: Advertising account manager

Age: 28

Location:........

© TheJournal