This week: “I’m a 35-year-old associate director working across PR, digital and influencers. I have lived and worked in London for the past 13 years, with a few stints of travelling and living abroad. I bought my tiny flat two years ago. It was a real project as it took a year to complete and it needed to be completely renovated. I moved back home during lockdown and managed to save enough (£15,000) to rip everything out and completely redo it (on a very tight budget). I bought a lot from eBay/Marketplace/secondhand to make my vision become a reality. Even though it was hard work (it took another six months to finish and I was living between home and with friends for a year) it was totally worth it and is now my happy place. I’m quite thrifty and always search for the best price for something. I love to travel, eat out and socialise, so this is where the majority of my money goes. I do really want to meet someone that I can have a family with and settle down so I am currently battling the London dating scene — it’s wild out there! I’m very lucky to have a strong, supporting group of female friends as well as a close family network, which I really cherish.”
Occupation: Associate director
Industry: PR and communications
Age: 35
Location: London
Salary: £68,000 per year
Paycheque Amount: £3,655
Number of housemates: I live by myself in a one bed flat
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: My mortgage is £960.
Loan payments: I pay £344 for my student loan and I have about a year left until it’s paid off. I’m looking forward to paying it off as it’s quite a big chunk each month!
Savings?: £3,594.65 in a Moneybox cash ISA; £776.55 in a Moneybox LISA. My ex-boyfriend (we broke up last summer) owes me £1,750 which I’m really hoping I get back. This was cash I transferred to him, and money he spent on my card without my permission. He was financially reliant on me — in addition to what he owes me — so I’m only just getting my finances back on track. I also have roughly £350 in crypto, which I don’t really understand it if I’m honest.
Pension?: I pay £147 and my employer pays £110 (3%).
Utilities: £86 council tax; £27 water; £40-£60 energy (depending on usage).
All other monthly payments: £28 for phone handset; £35 phone bill (unlimited contract); £8.49 phone insurance; £7.54 home insurance. Subscriptions: £15 Class Pass; £16.99 Raya; £15 Body by Ciara; £170 gym/members’ club; £50 International Rescue Committee; £190 travel insurance.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I went to university where I studied history of art and visual studies, and received a maintenance and university fee loan. It seemed like such a lot of money when it came into my bank account (lol that I’m still paying it back).
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents definitely prioritised making memories with us when we were younger, but I know they worried about money and worked hard to make their finances work. My mum was the breadwinner and often worked away from home and very late/early, while my dad had a local job and took on more of the childcare — which was unusual 25-30 years ago. When I was about 21, my mum was made redundant and didn’t get another job for six months. It was a really hard time with so much uncertainty but it forced my parents to look at their spending and also change their priorities. Mum ended up setting up her own thing and in a few years was making so much more money that took them my surprise (and I mean they could do a few big trips and experiences). They both came from working class backgrounds and worked really hard to make sure my brother and I could learn musical instruments and attend drama lessons, et cetera. I feel very grateful for the childhood they gave me growing up.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house? I moved out when I went to university and then moved back for a bit in lockdown when I was buying my flat (little did I know I would spend as long there as I did). My dad had a stroke a few years ago and so I spend quite a lot of time at my parents’ house helping them out and keeping the peace. My mum has found it difficult going from an equal relationship to more of a carer role, so they rely on me quite a lot to be there.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? I was financially responsible for myself after university (except when staying at my parents’ house over the years).
What was your first job and why did you get it? I worked in a hotel as a waitress and chambermaid at 14. I also did some babysitting and cat feeding in our village.
Do you worry about money now?
Yes, I do. I worry about not having enough savings to be able to afford to freeze my eggs or having a baby on my own if I don’t meet anyone. My parents have both now retired and I want to make sure they can enjoy the rest of their lives and not worry about money. I know having grandchildren is so important to them and I worry I won’t be able to give them that.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
My parents bought my grandparents’ house from them when we were younger to release money for them so they could go on holiday and enjoy their last years. When they died, my parents sold the house and gifted my brother and me £20k towards a deposit to buy a house, which I am incredibly grateful for. Looking back it must have been such a stretch for my parents to juggle two mortgages and all the costs of bringing up two children, too.
8 a.m. — Wake up and bask in the luxury of a slow morning; I catch up on messages from last night. Enjoy chilling in bed with a coffee and no rush to be anywhere.
9:40 a.m. — Wash my face, brush teeth, put on gym gear and meet my friend L for an F45 class (I pre-paid 10 classes for £35 and this is the fourth session). I really like that every session is different and it goes really fast. Today’s session is triple threat cardio which is hard but feels good.
11:05 a.m. — Walk five minutes home to down a chocolate protein shake and grab my stamp card for nails.
11:10 a.m. — Pop across the road to get infills at my local salon. Halfway through taking them off she suggests a completely new set as the acrylic is old. I take her advice and settle in for the full removal process, £35.
12:30 p.m. — I’m attending a clothes swap later with a friend so after eating I find and iron three items, shower and get ready as quick as I can.
12:30 p.m. — Get to the venue and it’s such a lovely set up. I hand over my clothes, accept a glass of natural wine and peruse the rails while catching up with friends. I pick up three lovely new items and I’m over the moon that they are free!
3:16 p.m. — Leave the venue and walk into town to meet my friends R and T at a bar close by. I pop into Selfridges on the way and buy a new lipstick as I lost my newest one, and I feel like the way karma works, as soon as I buy another I will find it. I use a voucher gifted to my by work so it’s free!
4 p.m. — R buys me a vodka soda and we chat for a bit and make a plan for the evening before getting the tube back to near where we live. I buy us all a tinny from M&S and a protein bar as I’m feeling snacky, £11.30. Return travel comes out at £5.60.
5:30 p.m. — Get to the pub and my friend A joins us. I buy us both a vodka tonic for £15 and she tells me about the half marathon she is running in a few weeks. I sponsor her, £30.
8:30 p.m. — We move to another pub and snag the perfect table. I pay £8.27 for the Uber and spend another £68 throughout the night on various rounds of vodka tonic for me and pints for friends. We bump into a few other friends and a few others leave, and we all share some mushroom choccy, which makes us all quite giggly.
11:30 p.m. — We run into a few guys we know before leaving to go to a cocktail bar around the corner. N and I have got together a few times before and after a few drinks we leave the group and head back to mine, £27.
2:31 p.m. — We walk back to mine, have a beer and listen to music before going to bed and having sex; it’s as good as I remembered. No idea what time we went to sleep.
Total: £200.17
8:44 a.m. — Wake up, have sex again and then roll around in bed and chat.
10:53 a.m. — Feeling a little bit hungover and SO hungry, but don’t want to be late for another friend so I rush out the house!
11:30 a.m. — Meet my friend B at the tube and embark on a journey across London for lunch with three others to celebrate my friend’s engagement, £5.60. Arrive and get a voice note from said friend that she is pregnant, has really bad morning sickness and can’t make lunch. Shed a tear as I’m so happy for her as know how much she wanted to get pregnant (we have spoken about it a lot over the years).
12 p.m. — Meet our friend at the pub for a drink before lunch; B gets us all a Guinness and we sit outside, share a bag of crisps and catch up.
1 p.m. — Lime bike to the other pub where we are meeting K for lunch. I buy a £3.99 24-hour pass as it always works out cheaper.
1:25 p.m. — The pub is so cute! Catch up with K who is here for work from LA and we all order pints. I decide to get a starter selection over a roast as, being veggie, they are never that appealing. We also share a bottle of red and a Basque cheesecake, bliss. Catch up on work, life and dating; £52.50 for my share.
3 p.m. — I have a friend’s leaving drinks as they are moving to Asia. I don’t really want to leave as I’m having a nice time but don’t want to be a no-show. Get an Uber to the pub, £16.90.
3:30 p.m. — Arrive to a room full of old friends and SO MANY BABIES. Everyone asks me what’s new and I feel like I have nothing good to update them on. I’m still single with no babies. I manage to fight back tears and make the most of seeing friends I have not seen in years but feel quite overwhelmed and emotional. Buy a pint, £5.80.
5 p.m. — It’s starting to die down so I decide to go back to the pub where B and F have met F’s fiancé. Get an Uber to the pub as I’m too drained to think about public transport, £13. I arrive at the pub and catch up about F’s wedding as B and I are bridesmaids. There seems to be a constant bottle of wine and my glass keeps getting topped up.
7 p.m. — B and I get the tube home and debrief from the day. I’m meant to have date number two with L from last week tomorrow but as I’m now out and about, I text to see if he wants to go for a local pint. I buy eggs and bread from my local shop on the way home as its my fave, £4.27.
8:30 p.m. — L is keen, so walk five minutes to the pub. It’s actually so nice, way more cosy than our first date and I laugh a lot. £13.40 for drinks.
10:30 p.m. — Get home, change my sheets, eat and lights out for work tomorrow.
Total: £115.46
7 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I immediately reset for 8 a.m., more sleep needed after a hectic weekend.
8 a.m. — My alarm goes off again, I scroll my phone for a bit before getting up, packing my bag with some random items for lunch (two boiled eggs and half a tin of kidney beans), then I shower, dress and cycle to work.
8:45 a.m. — Get into work, make a coffee and crack on with my to-do list in between catching up with colleagues and discussing our weekends.
10:23 a.m. — Between meetings I make Greek yoghurt, muesli, peanut butter and chia seeds from work breakfast supplies.
1:22 p.m. — Power walk with two colleagues for fresh air. I pop into The Ordinary to pick up the new retinal emulsion after being completely convinced by a Refinery29 article. I also get an AHA moisturiser as I find it helpful to have in my makeup bag for gym/on the go, £21.30.
1:30 p.m. — I buy two avocados, coriander (there was no rocket) and cucumber to supplement my lunch. It actually makes a nice salad and I finish off with some choc chip oatcakes from the snack cupboard, £4.13.
4:30 p.m. — The guy I went on a date with last night texts and asks if I still want to see him tonight. We had pencilled today but in honestly I really want to chill and not drink tonight. I tell him I need to recharge but definitely want to see him again, and he says he can arrange something when he’s back from his holiday in two weeks’ time.
5:22 p.m. — Power through calls and meetings before cycling home, putting on a wash, collecting two parcels and buying some groceries for the week. I get butter beans, sparkling water, sunflower seeds, eggs, oats, cottage cheese, frozen peas, rocket, cucumber and daffodils for £14.88.
6 p.m. — Put my shopping and random parcel contents away (linen waistcoat from Vinted, mop heads, Carmex and raw cacao) and get ready for my F45 class.
7 p.m. — Class done and I feel really good. I usually let myself off on a Monday but I feel great and proud of myself. Walk home and then make a protein shake and a salad with the above ingredients and curl up on the sofa with a hot water bottle.
8.23 p.m. — See an advert for a 70% off Anthropologie sale. I see a dress I really like for £16! I buy it in two sizes and also add a cute fleece and some clogs. I’m a prolific returner so I won’t keep it all, £111 (spoiler alert: I only keep the dress).
9.23 p.m. — Hang up second batch of washing, do my skincare (including the new serum), refresh hot water bottle and start watching The Gentlemen as everyone is raving about it.
10:35 p.m. — Sleeeeep.
Total: £151.31
6:35 a.m. — Wake up naturally and lie in bed knowing I have some time before I need to get up.
7 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I catch up on messages and emails from overnight.
7:30 a.m. — Get up, make a coffee and start work. I chat with my boss about a client call later and we decide we really need to present a deck to get them to buy into our ideas. I start putting one together as quickly as I can while attending internal meetings throughout the morning.
10:30 p.m. — Make another coffee and two boiled eggs with marmite, butter and sourdough toast between calls and frantic deck creation.
1:30 p.m. — Roast a cauliflower with harissa and make a salad with rocket and quinoa (pre-cooked in the fridge) followed by two squares of dark chocolate. I continue to hop from one meeting to another and put on a wash at some point.
3 p.m. — Run through the deck with my team and feel really happy with our ideas, especially as it was a touch last minute.
3:39 p.m. — The client does not join the call, lol, so typical. This does win me an extra 30 minutes so I crack on.
5 p.m. — I have not left my seat all day. I have a quick shower and change into workout clothes before my 6:30 p.m. class.
6:30 p.m. — Arrive at the class minutes after my friend texts to say she won’t make it. I then realise it’s a partner class meaning you have to buddy up with someone and take it in turns. I would really just rather work out on my own but I suck it up and it does go quick.
7:30 p.m. — Get home, have a protein shake and then make a shredded greens and miso soup with butter beans while watching TV (Below Deck, as I’m barely watching it). Continue to review some reports and decks while intermittently chatting with some guys on dating apps. I have recently got back on the apps as I know I want to meet someone who wants a long-term relationship. I feel that by making a profile, responding to messages and going on dates there is a level of intent that you don’t get when you meet them on nights out. Worth a try?!
10:30 p.m. — Cleanse, tone, serum and moisturiser before making a hot water bottle and getting into bed. Watch a bit more of The Gentlemen, then sleep.
Total: £0
12:53 a.m. — I wake up to an intermittent bleeping and figure out it’s my fire alarm which must be out of battery. I fumble around and find a screwdriver and eventually manage to get the cover off. I look for a new battery but don’t have any. The bleeping stops so I go back to bed. I’m now wide awake and see a message from a chef I was seeing who has finally
brought a necklace I left at his house to his restaurant, so a friend who works there can collect it. YAYYY! It takes me ages to get back to sleep.
6:30 a.m. — I wake up at exactly the same time as yesterday, weird! Snooze until 7 a.m. and then read through some messages before getting ready for F45.
8:55 a.m. — Get home, shower, put on clean comfies for a WFH day and make a black coffee.
9:11 a.m. — Get straight into work; I’m back to back with client calls and team meetings until 12 p.m. I make another coffee and chocolate protein shake in the 3-5 minutes in between.
10:23 a.m. — I knew I was getting my period as soon as I woke up and here it is. Get my hot water bottle to soothe cramps and decide to work from the sofa.
12 p.m. — I make my go-to brekkie of two boiled eggs, marmite toast (rye bread) and some butter.
12:20 p.m. — Drop off a parcel and buy some batteries to hopefully pacify my smoke alarm, £9.98, I then meet my friends I and S who are working in a cafe for a lunchtime walk around the park. Fill them in on the two dates from last week and N from Saturday. My friend tells me that she thinks N has a girlfriend which is a bit confusing as he told me he had just come out of something. I know I wasn’t thinking about anything long-term with him but it’s more confirmation that meeting boys on nights out can’t be trusted.
12:58 p.m. — Get back home and in time to make a super-refreshing Ribena and sparkling water before logging on to an hour wrap call with project stakeholders. I then head straight into a senior team meeting and then on to a new business call with a brief from my old agency who want to partner with us on a pitch. I have a moment in the call when we are asked to share something positive in our personal life over the last 90 days and everyone on the call is getting married this year or pregnant. I fight back tears. I know I’m emotional because of my period and focus on something good that happened at work instead.
4 p.m. — Race out the door and cycle to my friend’s house where I’m getting a mesotherapy treatment. She is a qualified anaesthetist and runs a clinic twice a month. The treatment is injections under the eyes to rejuvenate, she uses numbing cream and we catch up while it’s working (pre-paid).
4:53 p.m. — Cycle back in time for a call with a few colleagues and then reply to emails and review a few documents as I’ve been back to back all day.
6:42 p.m. — Make quite a random dinner of leftovers and eat it watching First Dates and clearing my inbox. I also buy silk Kitri dress on Vinted for £35.
9:22 p.m. — Clean my teeth, refresh my hot water bottle and get into bed so I can watch more of The Gentlemen.
Total: £44.98
7 a.m. — Wake up from my alarm. I have a message from my ex making another excuse about not being able to pay me the money he owes me this week. I screenshot it and send it to two friends who tell me I need to come to terms with not getting the money back and move on. I ask for proof of why he can’t pay me and he sends me an annoyed voice note. It’s not the ideal start to the morning.
8 a.m. — Meet L at F45 and do the workout. We are working together for this one and it’s all lower body which is sweaty and good. I fill her in on the text and she give me her honest thoughts and tells me about a quote she read that morning. My friends supported me through a relationship that turned pretty scary and completely broke down last year, and I’m still coming to terms with some of the things that happened. It’s hard to hear his voice and still not have things resolved.
8:45 a.m. — Skip the cool down and rush home to shower. We are having headshots at work so I want to blow dry my hair and look presentable. I need to get a card and set up the surprise breakfast we are doing for my fave colleague as it’s her last day before her wedding and honeymoon.
9 a.m. — Get the tube to work, £2.80. Stop off on the way to pick up a Vinted parcel on my cycle to work as it won’t be there when I get back to London.
9:20 a.m. — Get into the office and breakfast is beautifully set up by our office manager. I didn’t get the card in time to give it her at the surprise breakfast and feel bad. I had no time to put on makeup and everyone asks me if I am okay (I must look like shit, haha). I am feeling a little bit shaky and emotional so try and get my head down and focus on my to-do list.
1:30 p.m. — Busy morning of meetings. I find a spare moment to put on makeup (thankfully) and enjoy breakfast at my desk (oats, Greek yoghurt, blueberries and peanut butter). I pop out to buy a card (work will pay) and some arnica as my eye is still a bit bruised from the needles, £5.40.
2 p.m. — I make myself a salad with chickpeas and boiled eggs I bought in and the avocado, coriander and cucumber I left in the work fridge.
5 p.m. — Leave to get my train. I have been rushing all afternoon to pull together info for this pitch, as well as a meeting with my client and preparation for another client presentation tomorrow (Friday afternoon client presentations should be banned, imo).
5:45 p.m. — Jump on the train and spend an hour and a half finishing off my presentation for my director to review so I can send it this eve; £22.40 for my ticket home.
6:47 p.m. — My parents pick me up from the station and we drive home — I’m starving! They have made a lentil and roasted veggie salad which we eat as soon as we walk through the door. I follow with Greek yoghurt and muesli as I’m still hungry.
7:47 p.m. — Send the information for the pitch to my old agency so it can be incorporated in their pitch tomorrow. Spend the evening catching up with my parents and drinking tea. My dad is really struggling with his memory post-stroke so I try to spend as much time with them as I can. My internet comes out of my bank, £29.
10:07 p.m. — Take my makeup off, teeth brushed and straight to bed.
Total: £59.60
7 a.m. — Wake up, and my body hurts. That’s what four days of F45 will do to you. Text from my brother that he’s on track to get home around 10 a.m. I decide to do some light yoga and stretch out this morning instead of my normal weights that I do at home on the Body By Ciara app.
8:30 a.m. — Make a coffee and settle down to work. I love working from my parents’ place as it’s so cosy and nice to have them around. I review some Friday reports and eat some Greek yoghurt with toasted seeds, oats and a drizzle of tahini.
11:20 a.m. — The prodigal son returns! We have a quick cup of tea and then I go to work upstairs to work without distraction so they can all catch up.
12:30 p.m. — Pop into town on my lunch break to post a Vinted parcel and go to the supermarket with my mum. She buys groceries and I run into Superdrug for Carmex, tampons, a sheet mask and some cute scrunchies for a Friday treat, £15.51.
1:30 p.m. — I have some homemade vegetable soup with my family and then some leftover chocolate I found in the fridge.
5:41 p.m. — My brother and I go for a walk into the village and to forage some wild garlic (it’s giving Housewives of Clapton). We finally find some and collect a full bag.
6:27 p.m. — Get home and start making dinner. My parents are out with friends for the evening. I whip up a wild garlic pesto and then make some homemade hummus and stir through. We snack on this with some crisps while catching up. My brother has a beer and I stick to elderflower cordial and sparkling water, which is stunning.
7:50 p.m. — We cook pan-roasted salmon with leeks, cannellini beans and rose harissa. It all comes together and is really delicious.
9 p.m. — We finish dinner, clear up and start watching Severance. I’m not 100% sold and quite distracted on my phone.
11:07 p.m. — So ready for bed!
Total: £15.51
Food & Drink: £216.28
Clothes & Beauty: £217.81
Home & Health: £44.38
Entertainment: £0
Travel: £78.56
Other: £30
Total: £587.03
Conclusion
“Wow, that feels like a lot of money, especially on food and drink! I do always get the post-night-out guilt that I have spent so much on food and drink but it’s hard not to when you are single in London. I usually walk and cycle most places, but I was out of my neighbourhood both days on the weekend, so that all adds up! I don’t tend to spend anywhere near as much when working as I’m quite good at making lunches and coffees at home. Is it sad I spent nothing on entertainment? Note to self: Get some hobbies that don’t include drinking.”
If you are experiencing depression or mental health issues, please get help. Call Mind on 0300 123 3393 or text 86463.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. If you are in immediate danger, please call 999.
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