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 an engineering director on €75K living in Co Wicklow. This week,  A clerical officer on €32K living in Leinster and trying to save for a deposit for a mortgage.

I’m currently living at home with my parents in Leinster (not Dublin) as house prices here are crazy. I began my job in the local authority at the beginning of the year, and this has allowed me to really start putting away money for some long-term goals.

Before this, I was working as a yard operative and delivery driver. I’m relatively good with saving, so the pay bump compared to my last jobs is helping me figure out how to do this better.

I’m trying to save up for a mortgage deposit at the moment, but options around me are limited. My girlfriend and I have talked about buying a derelict and doing it up, or else I’ll try to transfer to another county with lower prices.

My main hobby would be music, and I’m on the go with that a lot of the time, so that brings in a little extra income from gigs, etc.

Occupation: Clerical officer

Salary: €32,000 thereabouts

Monthly pay (net): Roughly €2,000

Rent: €400 a month to my parents

Household bills: The money I give my parents covers bills

Phone bill: €20 a month

Health insurance: €45

Subscriptions: €20 Union dues, €30-odd for charities (Unicef and Uplift), €22 Spotify for me, mam, and my brother, €12 Patreon for an education channel I like, €6 for a streaming service, and €5 for The Journal.

Other: €75 the odd time for speech therapy, €50 for my half of a couples’ gym membership

Savings: €440 every month, and I’ll top it up with spare cash I get from gigs etc when I can

9.20am: Wake up late as it’s a bank holiday. I stayed in my girlfriend’s flat as I was coming home late from a gig, so I’m woken up by the cat. Text one of the lads in the band to see if he wants to go for a coffee before heading off on the bus. His bus is in 20 minutes, so I’m up and out the door in five. I buy us the coffees and a cookie for myself (€9.00). I wouldn’t normally have sugar for breakfast, but it’s the end of a long weekend. I’ve been running on fumes the whole weekend with gigs, so I figure that I fell off the wagon on Friday and it’s best to just let it be.

11.00am: My girlfriend and I have a busy day ahead so it’s off to the gym first of all. We got a couple’s membership a few months ago and have been using it relatively often (I’m trying to get into a habit). The place is absolutely packed as it’s pretty small, and I’m very tired, but I get through it. They have coffee and protein food at the counter, but I wouldn’t pay for either. The bars are full of crap, and my heart rate is already up.

12.45pm: Showered and out the door to head off on our date. We had planned this a while ago as we haven’t had many chances for dates recently, between work and gigs. We’re strapped for time today unfortunately, as we have to make a friend’s house to drop off birthday gifts, and then we have a rehearsal in the evening, but you take it where you can.

1.30pm: We get to the restaurant in a nearby town. I haven’t heard of it, but herself has. It’s a miserable day, but the place is absolutely stuffed. It’s in an old, converted church, which is pretty cool. The girl at the desk tells us it’ll be a 45-minute wait for a table (Jaysus!), so we get coffees in the meantime and a couple of protein balls. My girlfriend pays for these, as I said I’d get the lunch. The pair of us are absolutely starving at this stage.

2.15pm: I opted for some fancy yoke of a coffee, and it’s alright. Caramel and sea salt (it was far from caramel and sea-salt you were reared…). The sweets are out in full force today. They’re fairly on it with the timing, as we get called to head to our table. Staff are super stressed out with the amount of people.

3.20pm: Food was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. I just ordered an Italian club sandwich with a few chips. Tasty stuff, and the howling in the belly is quieted for now. We enjoyed the place well enough, but left with the impression that they aren’t........

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