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Editors’ note: This diary has been edited to remove potential identifying details. Any comments potentially doxxing OPs will be deleted.
This week: “I’m 27 and I work in the recruitment department at a university. I was born and bred in Brighton, where I lived for my whole life up until two months ago when I moved to Manchester. This is the first time living away from my family and it’s the first time my boyfriend and I — we’ve been together for two years – have lived together. We live with our son, a chihuahua poodle mix. I work from home most days and I feel like I spend most of my money on small little ‘treats’ to perk up my days. Currently, I’m really enjoying renting and living in a fun apartment block — mine has a gym which I love! I’m very creative: I studied musical theatre and I’m always doing something creative on the side of my day-to-day job, whether that’s a podcast, singing at a bottomless brunch or making TikToks.”
Occupation: School liaison coordinator
Industry: Higher education
Age: 27
Location: Manchester
Salary: £30,500
Paycheque Amount: £1,965
Number of housemates: One, my boyfriend L.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £545 for my half of the rent plus £15 for my half of my dog’s rent (they charge £30 a month for him to be here).
Loan payments: My student loan comes off my paycheque and I barely notice it. Last month I paid £12.
Savings?: I have £13k in an ISA to buy a house eventually but it’s not a priority at all. I also have around £2k in a Monzo pot for bills and emergencies.
Pension?: It comes out of my paycheque; around £127 a month.
Utilities: £50 each on electric; £50 each on water. Wifi is included in the rent and we haven’t got to council tax yet as we’ve just moved in but I’m dreading it.
All other monthly payments: £10 for my phone; £5 for Monzo Plus. Subscriptions: £10 Spotify; £13 YouTube Premium.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, I went to uni a few years after I left college. I got a full student loan, plus the maximum maintenance loan.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I was bought up by a single mum who taught me how to work hard for my money and how to respect it. The motto is “If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it”, which is why I remain debt free. I’ve only just got my first credit card and I pay it off in full every month. My mum definitely taught me how to hustle when it comes to jobs. I’m always looking for a new way to make or save money and even If I become a billionaire one day, I don’t think that mentality will stop — I’ll always love a bargain.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out when I moved to uni at age 20. Since then, I have lived at Mum’s for stints of six to eight months in between leases as I always stayed near our home in Brighton. A month ago, I moved to Manchester and it’s the first time in years I’ve been away from my family for so long!
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I’ve been working full time since I was 18 (even during uni, I had a few jobs on the go). I’m very lucky that my parents bought my first car but apart from that, I’ve paid for everything myself. During uni, I may have borrowed from Mum but I always paid it back. Now I’m an adult, I don’t rely on anyone at all.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
When I was 16, I had a Saturday job at a sunbed shop (which I think is illegal?). I did four hours a week for £5 an hour and I was chuffed. I got it because my best friend was in the job before me.
Do you worry about money now?
I’m very lucky to say, no I don’t. I would LOVE more money, of course, but I realised worrying about it really does make everything worse. I’m a big believer in manifesting and if you act desperate around money, it won’t flow to you. I can afford to keep the roof over my head and go for nice dinners every now and then and that’s all I can ever ask for.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
No, never.
8:30 a.m. — I’m woken up by my alarm. I normally like to get up earlier but on my work from home days, I don’t mind so much. My morning routine consists of taking my dog out, making a decaf coffee, skincare (cleanse, tone, serum, face oil, SPF) and then opening my laptop.
9:45 a.m. — I’m caught up on all my emails and tasks for the day. Some of my working days can be really quiet but some can be VERY busy, so I make the most of down time. Breakfast is a vegetable scramble with some vegan bacon. I’m trying to not eat dairy this month to see if it helps to clear up my psoriasis. My boyfriend L and I work from home together, so take it in turns to make breakfast.
11:45 a.m. — I prep some veggies I bought during the week to make a soup. I roast carrot, butternut squash, onion, garlic and peppers. This should be ready to blitz up by the time I’m back from my lunchtime walk. A few days ago, I broke a part of our espresso machine, so I also spend an hour try to fix it — with no success.
12 p.m. — I head on a lunchtime walk, mainly to do an ASOS return. I treat myself to a bubble tea and some Nutella waffles for L and I for £9.90.
12:30 p.m. — I head to an Asian supermarket to stock up on some chopsticks and frozen edamame, £3.30. I then head to a newsagent for some RAW papers for smoking, £2.49.
5 p.m. — After work, I head to the gym in my building and do some arms and some intense stretching. One of my goals this year is to get into the splits — it’s been a goal for years and I’m finally taking it seriously!
6 p.m. — I head to Sainbury’s after the gym for bits for dinner. I pay for some chicken breast, peppermint tea and reduced sushi, £7. I also steal some Quorn nuggets and stir-fry sauce. If it’s a chain, it’s fair game, right?
7 p.m. — We have dinner, chill, shower and then I smoke a joint and read Boy Parts.
9:30 p.m. — I finish my book (great ending) in bed until I fall asleep.
Total: £22.69
7 a.m. — Wake up, skincare, get dressed and out the door by 7:30 a.m. L and I plan to go on a walk this morning to the marina, an area we haven’t explored yet. We catch the sunrise and grab a coffee and pastry from a coffee shop that’s been on my list since we moved. We put it on the joint card, £5.35 each.
12:45 p.m. — After a morning of meetings and reports, I have a look on eBay for a birthday present for L. I end up buying a pair of Carhartt vintage jeans for £25.99, I hope they fit him!
12:45 p.m. — Lunch is soup from yesterday. During my lunch break I try on some outfits and do a bit of separation training with my needy baby (the dog).
3 p.m. — Crack on with more work while I listen to ASMR and eat a few Candy Kittens. Dog training went well, and I even made an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of how long I can leave him without him crying — so far we’ve reached a whole minute.
4 p.m. — I go to the gym and do cardio and stretching. As I work with teachers, my emails tend to get very quiet in the afternoon, so I take the opportunity to use an empty gym and finish work between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
6 p.m. — L goes to M&S to buy a few bits for a pasta dinner. It goes on the joint account and my half works out at £3.43. He told me he stole some spinach, good boy.
7 p.m. — Shower, dinner, fake tan and watch Stay Close on Netflix. I then get in bed to start my new book Romantic Comedy and fall asleep by 9:30 p.m.
Total: £34.77
7:45 a.m. — Wake up, take the dog out and soak in that natural sunlight. I then head back home for coffee, skincare, breakfast (beans on toast) and then check my phone before work. It’s Friday, so hoping today will be chill.
9 a.m. — Spend the morning working from home, in and out of meetings and adding things to my ASOS wish list. I also FaceTime my Mum down south who’s just picked up her new puppy, who is my dog’s daughter. I’m feeling very emotional and homesick.
1 p.m. — Feeling a bit flat today, so I’m sacking off the gym at lunch. I make some Korean rice cakes with a yummy sauce.
2 p.m. — An hour or so later I fancy a treat so I head to a local coffee spot for a pistachio oat latte and a pastry, £7. I cave and have one with dairy. I hope it doesn’t affect the potential healing of my skin.
5 p.m. — Yay, work is done. Time to get ready for my night out while listening to 2000s throwbacks, plus Ariana (obvs). Tonight, I’m meeting some girls from Bumble BFF. I moved to Manchester knowing no one so it’s been nice to have some girlfriends in the city.
6:30 p.m. — Meet the girls at Ducie Street Warehouse. I have a glass of prosecco, £6.80. The restaurant we go to, Diecast, is doing 50% off food, so my hotdog, Caesar salad and glass of prosecco comes to £20 with tip!
7 p.m. — We head to another bar after dinner; it has vintage porn displayed on mini TVs. I get a prosecco and a spicy marg, £21.41.
9 p.m. — On my way home I pop into Tesco to get an easter egg for pud, £1.20. Dairy free has gone out the window today.
11:30 p.m. — In bed.
Total: £56.41
9 a.m. — Today is going to consist of chilling, cleaning, maybe hitting the gym and reading.
10 a.m. — Have a bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast, with an oat flat white made at home. I just signed up for a free month on ClassPass, so I book in a few classes for the week.
1 p.m. — After doing nothing all morning, I go to the gym for some Pilates and stretching. Afterwards, I have lunch — a random combo of air fryer spicy cauliflower and some Quorn nuggs.
7 p.m. — After the gym I have a bit of a pamper: everything shower, hair mask, face mask.
9 p.m. — Read in bed and smoke a joint. Asleep by 9:30 p.m.
Total: £0
8 a.m. — Happy Sunday. Wake up, do skincare, make bacon sandwich and catch up on TV.
10 a.m. — Walk 20 minutes to a train station to get a train to the local IKEA, which is only nine minutes away. I can’t believe how expensive one stop is, £4.90.
11 a.m. — Arrive at IKEA one minute after opening, which feels like a win. I buy a shelving unit, some mustard (lol), spoons, a blanket, a clothes dryer, hangers and a few water bottles. I may or may not steal the water bottle and the spoons. I pay on the joint card and my half came to £24.75.
12 p.m. — The train back to central Manchester isn’t for an hour so I walk around the town to kill some time (with a massive IKEA bag and flat pack shelving unit under my arm). I pop to a charity shop and buy a wrap around cardigan for £3 and then a coffee and vegan sausage roll from Greggs, £2.80.
1 p.m. — I pay for the train home, but I add a fake rail card, £3.15.
2 p.m. — I’ve been putting up these shelves for an hour now while watching Grey’s Anatomy. I make some rice with leftovers and continue.
4 p.m. — The shelves are up and they’re looking good. I style them with empty natural wine bottles, books and plants.
5 p.m. — I whip up some chicken thighs with air fryer cauliflower and then head to a sound bath session.
7 p.m. — It was WONDERFUL. Get home, bath and in bed with my book by 8 p.m.
Total: £38.60
8:30 a.m. — There was a mad storm in Manchester last night, so we had to shut the windows which made the bedroom way too hot. I didn’t sleep well, so let myself sleep in.
9 a.m. — Start work. I have meetings from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. so I make myself a breakfast of toast with peanut butter, blueberries and chia seeds.
1 p.m. — Lunch break! Head to the gym and do leg day, followed by some yummy peanut noodles.
2:20 p.m. — L went for the weekly food shop, I send him £10.10 as my half.
8 p.m. — After a banging dinner of turkey mince chilli, I go down a rabbit hole of looking for wall art for the flat. I order two prints on AliExpress along with a bag, a sex toy and an acrylic stand for my skincare. I split the prints with L so it costs me £20.
11:30 p.m. — Sleep.
Total: £30.10
8:30 a.m. — I went to bed late last night as I read my book, did a sleep meditation, then woke up again for sex, so I only got eight hours — not enough for a growing girl like me!
9 a.m. — Skincare, coffee, tidy the flat and log on.
12 p.m. — A boring day! I go to the library on my lunch break to swap out my books. I return Boy Parts (7/10) and Romantic Comedy (3/10… Didn’t finish it). I also take a loan out of Milk Fed.
3 p.m. — FaceTime my mum. I’ve asked her to kindly send up some of the clothes I left in Brighton as I realise I don’t have enough dressy items here. I pre-pay for an Evri drop off code and it costs me £5.28 for next-day delivery.
6 p.m. — Make fish taco bowls for dinner.
9 p.m. — Get in bed with my new book and I’m asleep by 9 p.m. Perfect.
Total: £5.28
Food & Drink: £98.29
Clothes & Beauty: £28.99
Home & Health: £24.75
Entertainment: £0
Travel: £12.95
Other: £27.77
Total: £192.75
Conclusion
“I’m pretty happy with this total considering I did an IKEA shop and bought a birthday present. I thought I would have bought way more coffees in the week, as I have a hard time restraining myself, but it’s not so bad. I’ve really enjoyed recording my days and my spending. I love journalling but maybe I’ll start doing more classic diary entries instead. I hope you enjoy reading about my week!”
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