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 man receiving invalidity pension living in the west of the country. This week, a compliance officer on €45K living in the Midlands. 

I’m in my mid 40s and live in the Midlands. I was a senior retail manager for 20 years, but like a lot of people, I re-evaluated my priorities post-Covid and realised how much time I had missed out on with family and friends, working 60+ hours a week, so I decided to make a change.

I was fortunate enough to afford to take a pay cut for a better work-life balance, so I started in an entry-level role five years ago in an insurance company, earning half of what I was previously.

Since then, I have climbed the ladder somewhat, gaining two diplomas along the way. My salary is still quite low, but I definitely made the right decision. I now work three days a week from home with two in the office, and I love the flexibility of my job.

My husband and I live mortgage-free (knowing how fortunate we are). I have two kids – one in college and still living at home, and the other is married.

Occupation: Compliance officer

Monthly pay (net): €2,900

Transport: €72 on my commute to work and approx €200 in diesel

Health insurance: €323 – covers me, my husband and daughter

Groceries: approx €800

Subscriptions: Spotify – €13.99, Netflix – €16.99, Amazon Prime – €9.99, Caroline Girvan exercise app – €11.99, St Vincent de Paul – €21, MSF – €10

Starlink: €60 – we live in a rural area, no fibre. Internet connection was tried and tested with other companies but was terrible. Starlink seems the best of a bad lot

7.30 am: Alarm goes off. I am usually in the office on Monday and Wednesday, but this week, there is a work event on Thursday, so I’m glad to get to sleep in. Breakfast is porridge and berries. I am very much a creature of habit.

11.00 am: Quick cup of coffee with two rice cakes and almond butter, along with a kiwi (with skin on!). I don’t really like them, but they are good for you. I am in back-to-back meetings all day today as we have a project deadline looming.

1.00 pm: Lunch is coffee and a chicken sandwich, followed by a homemade protein ball. My husband also works from home, and we try to have lunch together most days, which I love.

5.00 pm: Log off after an afternoon of meetings. Dinner is always early-ish in this house, normally about 5.30 pm. Today is homemade turkey burgers, with salad for me and chips for him. I attend a dietitian as, with a lot of women my age, my weight is creeping up. But I eat well and train regularly. I don’t need to be thinner, just fit and healthy.

6.30 pm: Feed the cats. We have four cats that kind of hang around. They are neighbourhood cats, but I feed them most days.

7.00 pm: Time for exercise. I subscribe to Caroline Girvan’s workout app, which I find great. I don’t go to a gym; I just have a few weights at home that I use.

8.30 pm: Shower and watch TV. We don’t have a dodgy box or Sky or anything like that. It’s mostly Netflix or one of the apps like the RTÉ Player.

10.00 pm: Can’t keep my eyes open. Off to bed

7.30 am: Alarm goes off. It’s like Groundhog Day! Same breakfast as yesterday and start work at 9 am.

11.00 am: Coffee time. It’s not as hectic today, so I can catch up on emails and get back to people that I was too busy for yesterday. Same as yesterday with the rice cakes and kiwi.

1.00 pm: Lunchtime. Same lunch as yesterday. I get to do a bit of housework. I like getting to do little bits during the week, it means I don’t have to spend as much time on it at the weekend.

5.00 pm: Log off after a relatively handy afternoon. Dinner consists of salmon with pesto, baby potatoes and broccoli. Because I want to eat well, I do all the cooking. My husband looks after the outside jobs, and I do the inside. We built our house about five years ago. We sold our old house at an optimal time. The money we made, combined with savings, allowed us to build mortgage free. We have been finishing it off a bit at a time since we moved in and hope to be finished by the end of this year. The garden area is all that’s left, thankfully, and that’s my husband’s area!

7.00 pm: I head to spin class. I try to go two or three times a week. I love it! It’s €8 per class, which is very reasonable.

9.00 pm: Home, showered and bed. Early start tomorrow.

4.30 am: Alarm goes off. I drag myself out of bed about 15 mins later. Breakfast is a slice of toast with cream cheese and a coffee. I get the bus to Dublin twice a week. It’s a long day, but much cheaper than driving.

6.00 am: I get my bus and buy a ten-journey return ticket for €45. It works out at about €72 per month. I’m at my desk at 8 am. I’m one of the first in, so I catch up on emails and wait for the rest of my team to get in.

9.00 am: The team usually head for breakfast together. I am fortunate to have a subsidised canteen that makes decent food. My second breakfast of the day consists of porridge (90c) and coffee (€2.20).

11.45 am: We tend to have a long team meeting on a Wednesday and takes takes up most of the rest of the morning

1.00 pm: I always have dinner at work so I don’t have to cook when I go home. Those days my husband fends for himself! Today, it’s Beef Stroganoff (€5.30) followed by another coffee (€2.20) I brought a protein ball from home for something sweet.

2.00 pm: After lunch I have a report to finish and that takes me to 4pm. I log off earlier on office days to catch my bus.

6.15 pm: I get home and get a quick coffee and salad sandwich before heading straight back out for my spin class. (€8) 

Today’s total: €63.60

5.15 am: Alarm goes off. I leave slightly later today as I will be later in the office. Breakfast is toast, cream cheese and coffee. I realise that I am running low on supplements. I take starflower oil daily and my husband takes a joint supplement (the joy of getting older). I tend to order a couple of times a year and stock up. I also order my moisturiser (€153). Out the door for my bus at 6.30am.

8.30 am: At my desk. Again, catch up on emails and we have the team breakfast at 9am. Porridge (90c) and coffee (€2.20). I am working on the results of a project I had been on. It’s slow as you have to be meticulous, so it will probably run into next week.

1.00 pm: By the time lunchtime comes, I am starving! Canteen dinner du jour is sausage with gravy, spuds and turnips (€4.30) and another coffee (€2.20).

2.00 pm: Back to meetings for the afternoon.

4.30 pm: Log off for the afternoon. The wider team is having a get-together in the canteen. Finger food and drinks. Promoted as a networking opportunity. I stick around for an hour before hopping on the Luas (€2.60). I’m meeting my husband at the 3Arena as we are attending a concert. He drives up and parks at the Point. Three drinks each (€55.55 – prices at concert venues are extortionate!) and four hours later, we are headed for home after a great night. Fall into bed around 1.30 am.

Today’s total: €220.75

7.30 am: Alarm goes off. I’m tired after a late night. Thankfully, today is Friday. Breakfast is my usual porridge, berries and coffee.

9.00 am: Log on and do the usual email catch-up. Fridays tend to be light work-wise. I’m glad of it today!

11.00 am: Coffee break with my rice cakes and kiwi. I’m working on finishing out my project, but my head’s not in it. In my last role in the company, I finished early on a Friday, and I’m still trying to readjust to working a full day (first-world problems, I am well aware).

1.00 pm: Chicken salad sandwich and coffee. I chat with my husband about our plans for the next few weeks. We are away separately with friends. My trip is all R&R. His is rock climbing. We are total opposites!

2.00 pm: Hand on heart, I do very little in the afternoon work-wise. I want to get ahead on the housework, so I keep an eye on emails and log off at 5 pm. 

5.30 pm: Quick pasta dinner, then I head out to do the food shop. I quite enjoy going to the shop. I like to take my time and see what’s there. I’m guilty of the random middle aisle purchase from time to time, but I mostly work off a list. I go between a couple of different supermarkets to try to stretch money a bit further. Today’s shop comes to €178 and that’s without the big ticket cleaning items. The cost of food has increased massively in the last few years. My shopping has remained mostly unchanged in the last few years, but costs €50-€70 more.

Today’s total: €178.00

7.30 am: Is it that time again? I wake up early every day, I’m just conditioned to it. I like the hour or so on a Saturday morning where I can relax over breakfast and watch trashy TV. Today’s breakfast is eggs and bagels.

10.00 am: I am going away on a girls trip to Spain next month, so I want to pick up some shorts. Before I leave, I put dinner on in the slow cooker. I use the Bored of Lunch slow cooker cookbook most weekends and make enough for Saturday and Sunday.

11.30 am: I head out and pick up two pairs of shorts and a top (€87). I also grab lunch, chicken salad sandwich and a coffee (€9).

2.00 pm: On my way home, I call to see a friend and bring her an apple pie (€6.99). I end up staying far longer than planned, but it’s great to catch up.

5.30 pm: Home for a nice dinner and a relaxing evening

Today’s total: €102.99

7.30 am: Up early again. Sometimes I’d love to sleep in, but it doesn’t happen. Same breakfast as yesterday. It’s a beautiful day so my husband heads out to do some gardening whilst I give the bathroom a deep clean.

12.00 pm: We have a quick lunch before heading to the garden centre. We pick up plants and flowers for some new flower pots. He pays for this.

3.00 pm: We call to see my mother-in-law on the way home. For a woman of 90, she’s in great form. I enjoy her company immensely. I am very lucky with all of my in laws. We get on great.

5.30 pm: Home sweet home. We have leftovers for dinner and do a little bit of planting before settling down to watch some TV and get an early night. I’m in the office tomorrow, so I spend a little time before bed getting organised

Weekly subtotal: €573.34

Apart from the clothes shopping and supplements, this is quite a typical week.

I buy most of the day-to-day items and cover most bills, as we are using my husband’s salary to finish the house. Once this is done, we will have a little more disposable income.

It definitely took time to manage on a lower salary, but you adapt. I am mindful with money for the most part. I buy in bulk, and we rarely eat out or have takeaways.

Being careful has allowed us to get this far with the house. I’m a firm believer in the old saying ‘mind the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’.

© TheJournal