This week: “I’m a 29-year-old HR advisor living in the southwest of England. My partner and I moved back to my childhood city a few years ago after living in London (separately) for five years. I was reluctant at first but after being here for a few years I am loving it. The grind of London really wore me down and being able to have a slower pace of life and being near all my family and our friends is incredible. I am in a job I love and after a rough few years, I finally feel settled and happy. We bought our house at the beginning of this year with help from my Dad and after a few years of renting the same property we have just bought (also from my Dad) so we are really excited that it’s finally ours! We are now starting to shop for longer lasting interiors, however, I get very anxious about spending a lot of money on things like this. My partner is the opposite so I am trying to adopt a more chilled approach to creating our dream home that we will be in for a number of years to come!”
Occupation: HR advisor
Industry: Leisure
Age: 29
Location: Southwest of England
Salary: £30,000
Paycheque Amount: £2,015
Number of housemates: One: my boyfriend, M. We also have a dog, Z.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £600 for our mortgage.
Loan payments: £20 for my Plan 2 student loan.
Savings? I have £49,600.
Pension? I’m still in my probationary period in my new role so I am not yet contributing. However, when I do it will be 5% and my employer will contribute 3%.
Utilities: £36 water, £69 electricity and £110 council tax.
All other monthly payments: £35 gym, £15.75 car tax, £15 phone bill and £28 dog walker. Subscriptions: £15 Courtney Black App, £10.99 Spotify, £10.99 Netflix.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I did a three-year undergraduate degree that I paid for with the max amount student loan available, as well as a grant (I applied for my student finance under my Mum’s income). I had various zero-hour contracted jobs throughout university to top up my weekly spend and my Dad would transfer me a few hundred every month, for emergencies!
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents separated when I was a baby so I grew up with two financial educations. My Dad was very well off and taught me the importance of managing your money and that getting a mortgage is the best investment possible, however, you should also enjoy the money you have earned. My Mum was incredibly frugal and savvy with her finances and always taught me the importance of not wasting food/clothes etc, so I think I have been able to develop a healthy relationship with money. I have taught myself a lot about budgeting, however I have learnt a lot from both of my parents.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out at 19 to go to university and then I stayed at home during the summer breaks. I moved to London immediately after university so I have not really gone back since!
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I would say only within the last year. Up until my partner and I took out our mortgage in early 2023, we were living in a house that my Dad owned and were paying very little rent which allowed us to build up our savings.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was at Costa Coffee when I was 16, working Saturdays and Sundays until I was 18. This enabled me to save up for festivals and new clothes as well as travelling in my gap year.
Do you worry about money now?
In the long-term, not really. I have been very fortunate in that I have had lots of support from my family to get started and due to some very sad family deaths (including my Mum), I stand to inherit quite a large sum of money. However, I am not sure when this will be and I do not want to rely solely on the prospect of this. I enjoy working hard and making my own way! However, day to day I do find myself worrying about money. I sometimes obsess about not dipping into my savings which can make me quite frugal at times. My partner and I want to start trying for a baby and the prospect of not earning very much when on mat leave/having to pay for nursery stresses me out and makes me want to hold on to my savings!
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes, I received £30,000 from my Mum when she passed away and £20,000 from my Granny when she passed away. I was also gifted £300,000 from my Dad to purchase my own home which my partner and I did earlier this year.
7am: I wake up for my first day of work after annual leave in Greece and, oh yes, it’s raining again. Lovely.
7.15am: Get up, do my skincare regime (La Roche-Posay Effaclar cleanser, Simple Moisturiser & La Roche-Posay SPF) and get dressed for work.
7.30am: Take our dog, Z, for a wet and windy walk before work. Get home and feed him. He is so fussy I’m currently having to grate carrot into his food which is such a pain. Grab my breakfast and lunch that I made last night and drive to work.
10.30am: After catching up on everything that happened at work while I was away, I run to the cafe to get an oat milk latte. We get 40% off when we’re working so it’s not extortionate. Oat milk lattes are a literal treat lol, £2.16.
12.30pm: My lunch of giant couscous salad and a Crunchie was definitely not filling enough so I run to the cafe again to get some chickpea crisps. Again, subsidised, £0.90.
4.50pm: Head home from work and drop in on my Dad and sisters as they are heading off on holiday tomorrow and I won’t see them for a few weeks. My sister gives me a huge hug and then informs me she has nits. Great. GTFO as soon as poss.
6pm: Get home, feed Z, put a wash on from mine and M’s holiday, have a shower and cook a quick dinner of sausage, courgette and pesto gnocci. M and I have dinner whilst watching Schitt’s Creek (M loves the TV show, I am undecided).
8.30pm: Notice Z is scratching and licking loads. M take a look at his skin and noticed a few sore red bumps. Not sure if this is fleas or some sort of disease? M said he found a tick in Z’s paw that looked like it had been there for a while so immediately start panicking about Lyme disease. Make a note to book Z in for a vet appointment on Wednesday. Have a little cry as feel like a terrible dog mum.
10pm: Head up to bed as M is working in the study. He runs his own business and often works until late doing admin.
10.15pm: Do my skincare regime. I have just started Skin+Me after suffering with bad skin on and off since 25. I have been to see a private dermatologist four times now and she has never cleared it permanently. I am reluctant to go onto Roaccutane due to the associated mental health risks so I am giving this a go.
10.30pm: Get into bed to read an old favourite, Jane Eyre. Sorry but why does she love Mr Rochester?! He is so rude.
Total: £3.06
7am: Wake up, head downstairs to let Z out. Prep my lunch and breakfast to take to work (ham and cheese sandwich and oats with banana and peanut butter) and head up to get ready for work.
7.40am: Head out to take Z on a quick walk, trying to keep him away from the long grass. Z is with his dog walker today but I need to get my steps in so may as well bring him along!
8.30am: Drive to work, my car is super low on fuel but I like to see how far I can get before I have to top up.
10am: Head to the cafe to get another subsidised coffee and the lovely woman behind the counter gives it to me for free!
4.50pm: Work flies by due to all my post-holiday admin I needed to do so I pack up and head home. Z seems a little perkier when I get home so I text our dog walker to see how he was and she says he was a little clingy which isn’t like him at all. He is still scratching like mad so I conclude it must be fleas. Talk to M about it and we decide to try flea treatment before we spend £50+ on a vet appointment for them to tell us the same thing.
6pm: It’s such a lovely evening so I head into the garden and do a back and shoulders focused yoga class from the Courtney Black app. After the class I make a satay chicken stir fry for me and M.
8pm: M clears up the dinner things whilst I hop in the shower and then we both settle down to watch some TV. M insists we watch Derek and the episode ends up being about a resident in the home that dies and it triggers me big time. I end up in floods of tears missing my Mum. She passed away two and a half years ago from ovarian cancer and safe to say, it’s been an absolute shit show. I miss her so much.
9pm: Me, M and (as a rare treat), Z all snuggle into bed for cuddles and I read more of Jane and Mr Rochester until I fall asleep. I hope I dream about my lovely Mum.
Total: £0
7.30am: Have a little lie in as I’m WFH today, wake up feeling refreshed and in a much happier mood than last night.
8am: Take Z out for a walk and swing by the pharmacy on the way home to pick up my prescription. I get these for free as last year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. It has been quite a journey over the last year to get the right dosage of medication which, combined with managing my grief, has been so much to handle. However, I am very lucky that I am able to see a specialist who is incredibly supportive and I am hoping the dosage will be finally sorted at my next appointment so I can stop seeing her and get on with my life!
8.30am: Realise we have run out of dog food so nip to Co-op and grab dog food, apples and pomegranate seeds, £12.70.
9am: Feed Z, then make myself a breakfast of Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana, pomegranate seeds, granola and my own mix of chia/pumpkin/sunflower/flaxseed (which M calls my ‘rabbit dust’) with a cup of tea and settle down for work.
12pm: A carpenter arrives to do a quote for two small cupboards I would like to have built in our living room. I have absolutely no idea what he’s talking about so I just show him the picture from Pinterest and he says he can do it. M and I moved in two years ago (and purchased the house this year) and I finally want to spend some of the money I inherited from my Mum on making this house ours. Our current furniture is literally the cheapest stuff I could find on Facebook Marketplace and now M and I are talking about trying for a baby next year, I really want to try and make this house lovely. M is convinced he can build the cupboards himself and if this quote is too high, I will take him up on it!
12.30pm: Run to Pets at Home on my lunch break and pick up flea treatment, soothing wipes and some treats for Z, £19 for my half.
1pm: I’m starving when I get home. I make caramelised onion chutney and cheese on toast with a side salad as well as a Twix and some prawn cocktail crisps.
5pm: Finish up work and head to the gym. I run for 20 minutes and then do about 40 minutes of legs. This session is a struggle as it’s my first after lying on a sunbed for ten days! On the drive home I stop at Co-op for wine (chicken wine, IYKYK), £9.
7pm: Jump in the shower, chill on the sofa with a glass of wine and then make halloumi gyros with a tzatziki dip for M and me. We watch an episode of the new Tyson Fury documentary, which is chaotic to say the least.
8pm: M clears up the dinner things and heads up to play his PlayStation, I pour another glass of wine and settle down to try out the new BBC drama The Sixth Commandment.
10pm: Head up to bed, leave M playing his PlayStation, do my skincare regime and hop into bed. Read a couple of pages of Mr Rochester almost getting burned alive by his crazy wife in the attic and fall asleep.
Total: £40.70
7.15am: Ugh, slept terribly. Damn that second glass of vino. Wake up, get ready for work and head down to let Z out who seems to be a lot more himself.
8am: Make myself breakfast and lunch to take into the office, the same Greek yogurt, fruit and granola I had yesterday and a ham, cheese and avocado sandwich with carrot sticks and crisps.
8.30am: Finally admit defeat and head to the petrol station on the way to work. I only have to fill the tank about once a month so it’s not too bad. I pay with my Amex and make a mental note to go through the statement later with M. We always put fuel and groceries on my credit card as it makes it easier to split costs at the end of the month as the amount we pay for food every month varies, £47.50.
10.30am: Seriously flagging at work after my awful night’s sleep. Head to the cafe at work hoping the nice woman who gave me a free coffee is there again but she isn’t. Order an oat milk latte, £2.16.
4.30pm: Reschedule my surfing lesson I was supposed to be having after work today for next week as I am still so wiped. My autoimmune disease has wreaked havoc with my energy levels over the last year and sometimes I have find going to the gym makes me incredibly fatigued the next day. I hoping once my medication is sorted, this won’t happen so much! I get these free with work so it doesn’t cost me anything to reschedule.
5.30pm: Head home and meet M and Z at the park by our house and do a few laps before heading home to shower, get into pyjamas and cook dinner.
9pm: M has gone upstairs to work and I can barely keep my eyes open. Head upstairs to bed and fall straight asleep.
Total: £49.66
7.30am: WFH again today, so enjoy my little lie-in. I still feeling a bit fatigued but get up and out to take Z for a walk.
8am: Get home, feed him and make myself porridge with banana and peanut butter and a cup of tea.
11.30am: Someone has come round to pick up one of the items I am selling on Facebook Marketplace and I make £30, wooo. Just as she is leaving, M comes home to tell me his quote has been accepted by a major company who want to use his services. I am SO proud of him! He moved down from London with me after I lost my Mum and started his own business from scratch – he deserves this! We decide to head out tonight to celebrate.
4.30pm: Quite an uneventful work day. I finish for the day and take Z to his favourite walking spot. He runs around like a madman for an hour whilst I listen to The Receipt’s podcast. Head home to get ready for dinner with M.
7pm: Shower and get ready for dinner, head out to find the place is closed for a few weeks! We hop on an electric scooter that you can rent and head down the road to a new pizza place we saw a few weeks earlier. I get a Caprese salad and a chicken, red onion and mascarpone pizza with two glasses of wine. I put the money I made today towards the meal and M pays the rest, £30.
9pm: Waddle home after all that food, get into my comfies, make a peppermint tea and watch an episode of Narcos with M. Head to bed and immediately fall asleep.
Total: £30
8am: Wake up and head down to make my weekend ritual cup of tea to have in bed. Let Z out, give him breakfast and then take him back up to bed with me where me, M and Z all snuggle in bed for an hour.
9.30am: Drag myself out of bed and get changed into my running gear, wolf down a banana and then I take Z out with me for a 5k run. I absolutely hate running outdoors (and not on a treadmill) as it’s so much harder but Z is loving life which spurs me on.
10am: Manage my 5k in 28 minutes which I’m happy with! Make myself a brekkie of rye bread toast with scrambled eggs and avocado and a coffee, delish. A guy turns up to collect a sofa I’m giving away for free, help him manoeuvre it out onto the street and into his car.
12pm: Potter around doing small jobs such as tidying the front garden, washing the front door (lol) and washing the windows. I feel so old, maybe I am ready to be a mum. A guy turns up to collect a foot stool and I make £35.
3pm: M and I get ready for a friend’s BBQ. He is heading back home abroad so we head over to bid goodbye! I stop at Co-op and pick up a bottle of Picpoul, our friend is kindly providing the food so that’s all we need to bring, £9.
8pm: Many, many glasses of wine and a small amount of food later, M and I say our goodbyes and head back.
9pm: We drunkenly make the short walk home, give Z lots of cuddles and his dinner. I then decide to rent He’s Just Not That Into You for £3.99. I then eat two slices of sourdough and Nutella and fall asleep halfway through. Money well spent.
Total: £12.99
9.30am: Finally have a lie-in! Get up, make a cup of tea and head back into bed after feeding Z.
10.30am: Head out to pick up my car from my friend’s last night and stop off at Sainsbury’s on the way back to grab cereal and Greek yoghurt. Make it back just in time for the Women’s World Cup Final and settle down with sausages, beans and toast that M has made, £3.85.
11.30am: Have my second Sunday breakfast of yoghurt and fruit with a sprinkle of cereal and a coffee.
2pm: M and I head out for a Sunday walk with Z. He goes nuts chasing squirrels and M and I enjoy a coffee. M kindly pays.
3.30pm: Make it home just in time to nip out to the supermarket. End up getting lots more than I intended including bathroom cleaner, tin foil, crisps, wine, loads of fruit and veg, chorizo, milk, orange juice, a whole chicken, ice cream, frozen fruits, dog biscuits, pot noodles, chocolate biscuits, frozen sea bass, oven chips, and tinned sweetcorn, £71.19.
5pm: Spend the afternoon cleaning the kitchen, sorting out the recycling and cleaning the bathrooms whilst M works. Once I’m done, I have a shower, get into my comfies and pop a chicken in the oven to roast.
6pm: Pour a glass of wine and watch the rest of the film I rented last night with some crisps. Get up half-way through the chicken cooking to cut up a sweet potato into wedges and put in the oven and make a salad with green beans, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce and feta with a mustard and honey dressing.
7.30pm: Me and M devour all our dinner. Finish off the evening with Ben & Jerry’s and an episode of Narcos. Make my lunch for work tomorrow (roasted chicken, packet wild rice and some leftover sweet potatoes) and help M with the clearing up.
9.30pm: Head up to bed, leaving M to put Z to bed, do my skincare regime and read a few chapters of my book. Head to sleep around 10.30pm.
Total: £75.04
Food & Drink: £140.96
Entertainment: £3.99
Home & Health: £0
Clothes & Beauty: £0
Transportation £47.50
Other: £19
Total: £211.45
Conclusion
“I think reading this back I need to have a little more fun! It’s been really hard managing a social life whilst grieving and dealing with my health issues, but I feel like all my money goes on boring stuff like petrol and the food shop. I think I need to not be scared to spend a little more money on stuff I love doing and I will try and remember this moving forward.”
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