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 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 a fintech worker on €55k living in Dublin. This week, a clerical officer on €31K living in Dublin

I’m currently living in South Dublin with my parents. I was living in rural Japan for a few years teaching English, but I’ve been back in Ireland about two years now. I recently started my first permanent job in the civil service (I was in a temporary position for about nine months). I generally think I’m good with savings, but I don’t really keep track of what I’m spending or budget so I’d like to see whether I’m as good as I think I am. I also have recently had some big splurges (I travelled to Asia in June and recently bought a new laptop).

I’m hoping to move out of Dublin and buy a house in a few years so I’d like to see how much I could save and then work out what my savings may look then. My hobbies are crochet, sewing and reading. Luckily, my mom is also into sewing and knitting so we have lots of fabric, sewing supplies and yarn for crocheting. For reading, I mainly read things online or get books from the library, which helps keep my costs down.

Occupation: Clerical officer

Age: 32

Location: South Dublin

Salary: Roughly €31,000

Monthly pay (net): Roughly €2,000

Transport: €60

Rent: €100 (paid to parents – I have tried to increase that amount but they have refused)

Household bills: Included in above

Phone bill: €20

Health insurance: I currently don’t have any

Groceries: €100 (a bit of a guess as I mainly eat what’s in the fridge)

Subscriptions: I pay €8 for YouTube Music (I started the subscription when I still lived in Japan so I pay the Japanese price converted to Euro, otherwise it would be double the amount), €5.50 for Patreon, €2.60 for Dropout (I have an annual subscription and also pay the Japanese price, converted). I also have an annual subscription to Beacon ($59.99/€51.65, which works out at €4.30 per month)

Other: I started going to counselling again recently which is €80 per session, so that is about €320 a month

Union dues: I recently joined Fórsa so that is roughly €20 a month – the amount deducted is based on my income

***

7.20 am: I wake up, look at my phone for a bit, have breakfast and then am out the door. It’s a short walk to the Luas and when I get off, there is a free shuttle bus that goes from the stop to my office. I’m usually in the office by 8.40am.

Advertisement

11.10 am: Break time. There is a coffee shop nearby but I mainly bring my own tea/coffee to work and keep it in my desk. I’ve been drinking a vanilla chai latte drink that my parents brought back from Germany (it’s in a sachet so you just add hot water to it). I like to read or listen to D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) podcasts on my break. Today however, there are two new people who have joined our team so I decide to be friendly and chat with them.

1.30 pm: Lunch. I have some soup that I bought from Lidl last week and some bread I swiped from the kitchen table. There is a vending machine in the canteen that I have got chocolate from a few times but I try not to as I know it will become a habit. I sit with one of the new people. She was on a different team but has moved to ours. I was first in this morning so she has been shadowing me all day. I have only been in the role six weeks and I’m still not sure of everything so I hope I haven’t told her too much misinformation! Regardless, she seems very friendly. After eating we go for a quick walk, mainly to check out a coffee shop nearby but also to just get out and about.

4.25 pm: I clock out and leave the office. I get a shuttle bus to the Luas, take the Luas and then walk home. I stop by the library on the way to drop off some books I’d finished reading. I use the library a lot. Otherwise I’d be spending a lot of money of books and graphic novels. I do still buy books occasionally, but only if I’m sure I’ll read it more than once. I get home around 5pm usually, which I appreciate.

6.30 pm: My parents are looking to get rid of some stuff but they insist we should try to sell things........

© TheJournal