This week: “I’m a 28-year-old architect living as a lodger in Greater London. I’ve bounced around across multiple jobs (and house shares) around London, but I’m finally settled in my job and looking to put down longer-term roots. I’m in a relationship, however my finances are quite separate from my partner, although this will change soon when we get married. After spending seven years working and studying towards qualifying as an architect, I’m finally able to enjoy more free time and ‘me time’. I’m hugely money conscious, but I’m learning to go out of my comfort zone to spend on new experiences and visiting family and friends abroad. In the long term however, I’m saving towards a house deposit and wedding. This is a challenge given how poorly architects are paid compared to the years of education (and debt) we acquire. I supplement my income with freelancing and odd jobs, and these mostly go towards saving for my short term wants and goals.”
Occupation: Architect
Industry: Education
Age: 28
Location: Greater London
Salary: £35,000 base salary excluding bonuses and between £2,500 and £4,500 from freelance jobs
Paycheque Amount: £2,158
Number of housemates: Two
Pronouns: She/her
Housing costs: £700 rent
Loan payments: £58 student loan
Savings?: About £15,600: £6,500 in a House ISA — I opened it last year and will try to deposit the maximum each year. I loaned my sister about £2,000 to pay off credit card debt; this is repaid monthly and goes straight into my ISA. £5,500 wedding fund, about £100 in an investment fund as a test which is currently losing money! £1,500 in various savings pots.
Pension?: I pay the minimum 5% contribution, and my employer pays 3%. However, this is done as salary sacrifice which is more tax efficient while my net income stays the same. I have no idea how much is in there, definitely not enough.
Utilities: £0 (included in my rent).
All other monthly payments: £10 phone. I also tithe 10% of my net income to local churches and charities in some developing countries. This used to be 10% of my gross income but I reduced it due to the rising cost of living. Subscriptions: £2 to a newspaper outlet; £120 gym subscription every three to four months.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Architecture requires studying for an undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree and professional diploma. My parents paid for one year of undergraduate, but it was too much of a burden, so I used SFE tuition and maintenance loans (the postgraduate architecture degree is considered a continuation of the undergraduate by SFE). I got the minimum maintenance loan and have worked while studying pretty much since sixth form. I paid for the diploma in instalments as I was working full time as an architectural assistant.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
We didn’t talk much about money, but my parents’ finances were negatively affected by moving the family back to their home country and life in a less developed country. I went from being rather naïve to having to sort myself out. I was kicked out of boarding school temporarily and received collection letters from university due to late payment of fees. This was quite traumatic. However, they were both very generous while I was growing up, and I’m looking forward to rewarding them for that when I can afford to.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I technically moved out from my parents’ home country at 15 — back to the UK for boarding school, but I’d often go back for holidays or when I was between school terms or jobs. My parents paid for those flights.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I last received pocket money from my parents five years ago. I don’t expect any other support. I stay with my partner a few days a week to save on travel fares and we plan to share the big upcoming costs, a wedding and house deposit.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was working in a local shop near my sixth form boarding school. I got it for pocket money as I felt bad asking for additional cash with my parents’ situation.
Do you worry about money now?
I worry mostly when I get an unexpected bill — freelancing seems to make my SLC (Student Loan Company) payments spike, which is annoying. I’m desperate to get on the property ladder in the next few years and not have housemates (except my partner) or a landlord anymore. I was scared of credit card debt, but I’ve started using a 0% interest card and it’s been manageable so far for larger purchases.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
My parents saved £1,800 in a kiddie account which I was given this in 2020. It really encouraged me to start saving (I was privileged not to need it for bills, debt, et cetera, so I put it away).
6:45 a.m. — Wake up, get ready and grab my work lunches for the days I spend with my partner, J. On my way out I chat to my landlord about a (once leaky) ceiling stain being painted over.
7:30 a.m. — I leave home a bit late, but thankfully a bus pulls up a few minutes later, £1.75.
7:45 a.m. — I change a couple trains and I’m grateful for no delays, £3.50.
8 a.m. — Stop by Greggs for a sausage roll; I get vouchers through work so it’s free (and habit forming).
9 a.m. — I get to work and power through as I have an end of day deadline. Usually, I have time to chat to my lovely colleagues but not today!
1 p.m. — I keep working halfway into my lunch break. I use the last 30 minutes to call my GP and reschedule an appointment, then heat up my batch-cooked lunch of fried rice and chicken. I marvel at how kale shrinks to nothing in the microwave.
6:30 p.m. — I meet my deadline (yaaay *tired voice*) and log off feeling dehydrated and needing to pee. I chug water and walk to the gym which is around the corner from the office. It’s a great, sweaty session. I then catch the bus to J’s, £1.75
8.30pm: Arrive at J’s and jump in the shower. I notice we have so many washes — beard, face, body, intimate… Are all these necessary?! My dinner is leftovers from a party he attended — ribs and some birthday cake. We chat about our days and plans for the rest of the week.
11:30 p.m. — Cuddles and bed.
Total: £7
7:30 a.m. — Wake up and shower while J dozes; only one of us is in the office today.
I wear something nice as I’m meeting a friend after work. Hop on the bus, £1.75.
8:45 a.m. — I walk the rest of the way to work while listening to a cute voice note from J’s mum. I then pop into a shop for a pastry, £1. Morning carbs are very necessary.
9 a.m. — I get to work and help myself to complimentary peppermint tea and some fruit I brought in yesterday. The morning is filled with meetings, emails and drawings.
1 p.m. — I avoid working through lunch and go for a wander. I pick up a little gift for a friend’s birthday, £16. This goes on my credit card. I also buy afro hair toiletries and use student discount as my card is still valid from my diploma, £13.48.
1:30 p.m. — I also buy juice and gum, £2. Eat pre-packed lunch at my desk.
5:45 p.m. — The rest of the day is filled with meetings. I head off to the nearest train station to see my friend in Central London, £3.40.
6:30 p.m. — I meet up with my friend for dinner, £15 (thanks, student discount!). I leave with a doggy bag, which is pretty standard for me.
9 p.m. — I head back to J’s on the tube and bus, £4.55. I generously offer my leftovers, which he gratefully demolishes.
10 p.m. — We have pre-engagement counselling online, £50 each. This was important to me due to some family issues. Therapy is covered as part of my employer’s health insurance plan, so I’ll be able to claim this back.
11 p.m. — I snack on popcorn and pack my bags as I’m heading home tomorrow.
12 a.m. — Zzz.
Total: £107.18
7:30 a.m. — Get up and ready.
8:20 a.m. — Pepper J with goodbye kisses and nab some food from his fridge for my next few lunches. I then hop two buses and get to work on time, £1.75.
11 a.m. — I snack on bits I brought in while pushing out some drawings a client’s calling for. I listen to the Hamilton soundtrack and mouth the words in lieu of belting them out.
1:30 p.m. — I work 30 minutes through lunch then reheat my food. I stare out the window as I’m mentally tired! I also drink some instant coffee provided in the office.
5:45 p.m. — I round off a day of drawings and meetings. I’m glad to see the team moving together and working cohesively. Before I head out, I do some life admin printing (in black and white to minimise my guilt even though it’s allowed). I then gather my numerous bags and head home.
7:30 p.m. — Ride trains and buses home, £5.15. I get off the bus and see a text from my housemate/landlord asking if I want takeout for dinner. I decline as it is out of budget. I get home, drop my bags in my room and head out to the local for a ready meal, chicken, juice, bread and veg which comes to £10.60.
8 p.m. — I pop the meal in the oven and unpack. I then realise I double-bought juice I already have. I add copious amounts of chilli and seasoning to the meal which I eat while watching a movie.
10:30 p.m. — Video call with J and head to bed by midnight.
Total: £17.50
8:30 a.m. — I wake up later as I’m WFH today. Shower while listening to vibes: Joseph Solomon, Ari Lennox, et cetera.
9 a.m. — At my desk I open my inbox to some construction crises — I attend to them ASAP.
9:30 a.m. — So hungry! Head down and make a smoothie bowl (feeling like an influencer) with frozen berries and banana. I also drink a fibre supplement. I realise I have fairy cakes to go with the bowl and I’m very happy.
1:30 p.m. — I’m in and out of meetings and everything is urgent. I work 40 minutes into my lunch break, 10 minutes later than planned. I reheat a lunch of rice, chicken and frozen kale which is way better value than fresh (it only took me 28 years to find out).
6 p.m. — I log off and flop on the bed, then decide to wash my hair and start a deep conditioning mask.
6:30 p.m. — While conditioning I respond to emails from a freelance client. Due to some delays on their part, I won’t be able to start work this weekend. On the plus side this gives me the weekend off and I should still get the work done and invoiced by month end.
8 p.m. — Finish washing and blow-drying my hair. I have natural afro hair which I only trust myself to handle with tenderness.
10 p.m. — I begin an ambitious braiding style while watching podcasts on YouTube. Doing my hair myself saves me £20 to £30 on washing and more than £50 on styling, but it is time consuming. Halfway through my arms are exhausted, so I plait the rest up in large sections for later (which never ends up happening, btw).
11 p.m. — Video call catchup with J who admires my hairstyle so far. Smart move. He listens to me recount my stressful workday. I then have juice and crackers for a light and extremely late dinner.
12 a.m. — I should go to bed but I’m not sleepy at all. I decide to clean the bathroom.
12:15 a.m. — I dig out an unopened library book. I’ve stopped purchasing books as I’m a fast reader and a renter with limited space. Plus, the library is free, except late fees which have snagged me a few times. I can’t focus on the book but try and fail to resist my phone.
1 a.m. — Order an item for a DIY project, £5.89. Fall asleep at some point.
Total: £5.89
8:30 a.m. — My alarm rings and I realise I fell asleep with the lights on and my glasses on. I reply to messages and wash my face. Start work at 9 a.m.
9:30 a.m. — I grab a breakfast of coffee, fruit and a cupcake. My yoghurt has gone off and I’m too lazy to make a smoothie bowl. I snack on rice cakes, juice and dried fruit soon after as I’m still hungry.
1:30 p.m. — I work halfway into lunch, as usual. Thankfully I do more drawing and less meetings and emails today.
1:45 p.m. — I think the last portion of batch-cooked rice smells funny, so I dash to a Greggs near home and pick up chicken bites and a sausage roll. I pay £1.90 for the bites and use a voucher for the roll. I quickly make a smoothie bowl when I get back to feel more nutritious.
4 p.m. — I log off early and head out to visit my friend, F. I stop to pick up a snack for me, £5.80. I then go to the shops nearby F’s and do a big food shop for her which comes to £48.62 with shopper discounts.
6 p.m. — The bus and trains come to £6.90 as I’ve missed off-peak time. When I arrive I unload the food and get loads of hugs. We video call another friend together and then put on a series to watch.
8 p.m. — I head home, £2.90 (yay off-peak!). I catch up with my sister, D and then J via video calls. D asks for prayer as she’s having a hard time. My relationship with prayer and God is not the same as it once was, but my words feel genuine which makes me happy.
11 p.m. — I snack on biscuits (after flossing, silly me) and put on an old school movie, The Barbershop using J’s streaming subscription.
1 a.m.-ish: Fall asleep.
Total: £66.12
7:45 a.m. — It’s the weekend! I’m awake earlier than planned as I left the curtains open a crack. I stay in bed till hunger drags me out. I then shower and head out.
9 a.m. — I catch the bus into town, £1.75. On my way I book train tickets for myself and D to visit family in another town, £52 for both of us on my credit card. We also buy the Two Together Railcards, £15 for my half. She’ll buy food for the journey and a gift for the family to even out our spending.
9:20 a.m. — I pop into a shop for breakfast: a pastry and fruit, £3.80. I try to get cashback, but it doesn’t work so I wander around looking for a cashpoint. I’m buying African food items, and some places don’t take card.
11:30 a.m. — I buy ingredients to make a dish from home that I’m craving. I visit two shops to compare the price of plantains (three for £2, what?) and a butcher, £44.18. My mum brought some dried ingredients, oils and spices round from her last trip to her native country, so I don’t need to stock up on those. I stuff what I can in my trolley and get the bus home, £1.75.
12pm: I unpack and do laundry. As a household we do laundry at off-peak times (evenings and weekends) when energy is cheapest.
1:30 p.m. — Lunch is random leftovers from the freezer with chicken and salad. I hang my laundry and put a second load on. I spend the rest of the afternoon on video calls with cousins, aunts, and members of J’s family. It’s so heartwarming but I wish we weren’t all flung around the globe and in different time zones. Thank God for WhatsApp!
3 p.m. — I watch Barbershop 2! Amazing. Loving the throwbacks and the feature of Queen Latifah’s Beauty Shop. The themes of gentrification aren’t lost on me as an architect and Black person.
5 p.m. — I drift into a nap — these are such a luxury as my weekends were always work and study filled before I finished my diploma.
5:30 p.m. — My alarm wakes me up as I have a call arranged with a potential client. The work they want done sounds amazing, but the timescale given is way too short. I emphasise this to protect my work/life balance but also say how much I’d want the job. I’ll have to wait to hear back.
6:30 p.m. — I tidy up my room a bit, putting away hair stuff from my styling earlier in the week.
8 p.m. — I bring in the laundry and wish it smelled like the laundry conditioner and not “outside”.
8:30 p.m. — I decide to make sandwiches with pantry ingredients and leftover chicken to clear out the old bits of food in the fridge. These will be train snacks for me and D tomorrow.
9:30 p.m. — Have video calls with my mum and then J. He starts falling asleep so rather than letting him go to bed immediately I talk faster till I’ve downloaded my day.
10 p.m. — I head to my room and veg out. I catch up with D about the trip tomorrow and finalise a meeting time since we have super-off-peak tickets (I hate the rigidity of advance singles).
12 a.m. — I scroll on Instagram and see a post about someone earning almost three times my salary in another sector; this triggers scrolling for a job search for higher salary work.
1 a.m. — Bed.
Total: £118.48
9:20 a.m. — My alarm rings and blasts me into reality. I run around doing chores, bringing laundry in and regret leaving it out overnight as it’s now damp from morning dew. I shower, dress and pack the sandwiches I made yesterday. I’m unable to go to church today so I will catch up with the online service tomorrow.
10:45 a.m. — I get to the bus stop and realise that the train line I wanted to take isn’t running. Annoying! I have to take a longer route and will miss the train planned. I let D know.
11 a.m. — I tap my Oyster card and get charged the emergency fare. I top up at the station and inhale one of the sandwiches on the train, £3.05 for the trip to the station.
12:20 p.m. — I arrive at the station and buy us crisps and juice. D is running late so I walk around the station shops and buy chocolates for our family we’re going to see. She doesn’t arrive at the train barrier until three minutes before departure time but thankfully we make it. Once seated, I share the sandwiches and snacks and D pays me back for the gifts and food.
3 p.m. — Arrive and head to family via bus, £3.20. We haven’t seen them in a really long time, so all the little ones are so grown up! We have lunch and take a walk down to a park near where they live. It’s good to catchup and see D happy and carefree.
8 p.m. — We say our goodbyes, hugs and kisses and get the bus to the nearest station, £3.20 (I should have bought a return). W then board the train and I see a message to chip in for a friend’s birthday cake. I’ll remember to do this next week to stretch this week’s pocket money. I part ways with D who lives further away.
9:45 p.m. — Arrive home, £2.90 for the trip.
11:30 p.m. — Chill and eventually get to bed.
Total: £12.35
Food & Drink: £135.80
Clothes & Beauty: £13.48
Home & Health: £5.89
Entertainment: £0
Travel: £113.35
Other: £66
Total: £334.52
Conclusion
“This was a pretty standard week for me, except for the £115 on train tickets, the railcard and buying groceries for F. The bigger expenses go on my credit card so I can pay them off in bits, while the rest were paid for from my debit card which I add money to weekly. I’m a bit bummed that my entertainment spend was £0 — as I’m not that great at spending money on things for myself that aren’t necessities — so this is a reminder to make more time and space in the budget for that. I also need to chase up those freelance clients, get work done and get paid!”
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