Editor’s note: Totals have been converted from EUR to GBP and are correct at time of writing.
This week: “I’m 41, I have UK settled status but I left London for Portugal during the pandemic as I used to work in events and was left out of work during lockdown. I have just been made redundant due to financial restructuring and I am deciding on my next professional move. In terms of money, I only buy new clothes when I need to replace something that’s worn out and mostly spend on experiences, food and travels. I’m not a penny-pincher but I’m thrifty. I do enjoy fine things in life but I also enjoy simple and free things.”
Occupation: Currently on redundancy and looking for a new job as project manager or launching a new business (I had my own limited company in London).
Industry: Pharma (but now that I’m looking for employment, I’m not picky).
Age: 41
Location: Portugal
Salary: €0. My most recent role as a business analyst paid €40,320 + meal vouchers (€1,921) + medical insurance for me and my partner.
Paycheque amount: €0. My redundancy pay amounted to €4,704.
Number of housemates: One: my partner, M.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: €425 rent, although in the low months when M was earning less than me, I was paying more to help. The state gives us back €111 per month as a help to rent so factoring this in, my share goes down to €370.
Loan payments: None.
Pension? No. I opted out in the UK as with Brexit looming, I felt I wasn’t going to stick around (I’m not originally from the UK). I recently learned that the EU has approved an EU-wide pension scheme. Since I have lived in several EU countries, I am waiting for that to be available to sign up.
Savings? €130k in deposits (some long term, some easy access) including a €10k emergency fund.
Utilities: €15 electricity, €13 water, €15 5G broadband (my share).
All other monthly payments: €15 deep tissue massage every week (due to a health issue). Subscriptions: €2 HBO Max. €49.99 Uber One, €100 spa pass (both yearly).
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I have a BA from my home country. I am lucky as my parents paid for the fees and I was able to commute every day (although it was exhausting) from their home. I spent six months of my degree in a foreign country with two EU grants that covered all my expenses for that time.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents lost a lot of money following 9/11 and other relatives and acquaintances lost capital in poor stock investments. This made me very conservative with money. There was never a formal financial education but there were general rules about never borrowing money. I had great holidays all my youth and we dined in nice restaurants, however when my dad was made redundant, we struggled. My mum had to hide some spending from my dad, even if she was buying me a few books.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out to participate in the Erasmus scheme when I was 20. However, once I came back I was in and out for another two years between apprenticeships and low-paid jobs. I moved out for good at 23 and shortly after started cohabiting with with my partner, M. When we both were out of work in London due to COVID-19, my parents kindly let us stay with them for a few months until I found a job and we moved to Portugal.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 23. Nobody covers any aspect of my financial life. Me and M have separate finances but we do treat each other, depending on who has a better cashflow at the time (we’ve both had stints of unemployment and M has a few months when there is no work in her industry). For the next couple of months I will be in the worse situation so I am confident M will be offering some drinks/meals, as we normally do.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first real paid job was a six-month contract as marketing and communication assistant for an airline where I had done my internship during uni. They offered me the same role in the Nordics, this time paid (€500/month + two return tickets). It was little money but I loved the job.
Do you worry about money now?
I do and I don’t! I don’t worry about the present as I am optimistic and I have good savings but I do worry about the future, especially if I were to find myself in unemployment again at an older age. I also worry about retirement (I am scared of looking at my combined pension from all the countries I’ve lived in).
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes. When my grandpa passed away, my mum, extremely generously, gave me €60,000 from her inheritance. She said since I don’t have brothers or sisters, the money would one day be mine anyway and we have less when we are young. I’ve only ever used part of it when out of work to get me by and to pay the deposit on rentals. The rest is still invested. I know I am lucky and it was completely unexpected as I didn’t ask for any of it.
7:45 a.m. — We are woken up by the slamming of the building’s door. Good morning, Lisbon!
8:10 a.m. — Tea and cereals with yogurt and fruit.
8:40 a.m. — I read the news and check my bank account. I was supposed to receive a €10 reward from Revolut which hasn’t materialised. I contact their customer support and in 30 minutes the money is in my account. Result!
10 a.m. — I apply for a role as investor relations associate. It’s not a position I previously held but my experience meets the requirements.
11 a.m. — I receive a call from the organisers of a wine event I applied to. They had rejected my request but now call saying they have a cancellation. I happily accept, knowing the spaces reserved for oenophiles are a minority (the big part goes to press and buyers).
12 p.m. — Lunch is Chinese-style fried rice with egg, napa cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and soy sauce. This is followed by tea and a piece of chocolate.
1:30 p.m. — I feel sleepy so I take a power nap. I then get ready for a dentist appointment.
2:30 p.m. — I walk to the bus stop and play “ticket lottery”. My partner, M, has given me all the transport cards from her last group of tourists — some still have some rides on them, some are empty. I try one and it works!
3:30 p.m. — This dentist is always so thorough. €50
4:15 p.m. — My dentist is close to my bestie’s office so I WhatsApp him and I hit the jackpot: He is in and done for the day. I wait for him for 15 minutes while scrolling through the phone.
5 p.m. — We walk together towards his home, talking about his Tinder dates. The weather is lovely and it is a pleasure to take a stroll. I then make my way to the wine event’s venue.
5:30 p.m. — A girl at the door tells me and other invitees that they are running an hour and a half (!) late. Luckily, her boss arrives and takes us to the session that just started instead.
7 p.m. — I leave after trying two whites and three sparkling. The food pairings are amazing: soup, mushroom goulash and a chestnut crumble of which I have two slices (the guy next to me left early but they kept serving food to his seat). It was interesting to learn about this less-known wine region of Portugal. However the organisation could be better, which I can say as I worked in events for years.
7:40 p.m. — Another game of ticket roulette later (two tickets were empty so I panicked for a moment) and I am home. I skip dinner and just have ginger tea.
8 p.m. — We watch two episodes of We’re Here on Max: a great show with purpose.
9:20 p.m. — I transfer M €10 for some fancy food she bought for NYE. Salmon en croute, sun-dried tomatoes, tapenade, dried cranberries plus tofu for the week.
9:40 p.m. — Asleep embarrassingly early.
Total: €60 (£49.68)
8 a.m. — I am awake around 6.45 a.m., then manage to sleep more until I properly wake up at 8 a.m.
8:45 a.m. — Same breakfast as yesterday.
9:15 a.m. — I put the laundry on, scroll socials and get ready for my massage.
11 a.m. — Fifteen-minute massage done and I walk back home. Last year I had big issues with an elbow, a shoulder and my clavicle. I had months of physiotherapy and I was off work as it was work-related. I no longer do physio but I do yoga every week, stretch every day and I found these deep-tissue Thai massages to be of great benefit.
11:15 a.m. — I receive a call from the recruiter for the finance job. It is my first full interview in Portuguese (kudos to me) and I nail it. However, the salary is not aligned with my expectations and workload. I decline to proceed further but connect with the recruiter for future opportunities. My confidence is on the up.
12 p.m. — The weather is great so we have al fresco lunch on our patio: rice with prawns and peas with a dash of lemon.
1 p.m. — We get worried about family in Valencia as we see on the news that there have been casualties due to mass floods. M’s aunt and cousin are well but we can’t manage to reach them. We see a pic they shared of M’s aunt’s studio destroyed by the water.
1:15 p.m. — I spend an hour helping M with her business: I create an advanced Excel with formulas and pre-loaded data to simplify her future quotes. I enjoy it, and it will save her time in the future. She is grateful for the help. We complement each other well as I am patient and logical while she is brilliant and creative.
2:30 p.m. — M dyes her hair and asks me for help. This is one of my marital tasks. Lol.
3 p.m. — Do a couple of applications. One shows the salary range and it would be great to get this role. Fingers crossed they consider me.
4 p.m. — Spotify blasting, I have a modern Cinderella moment while washing the windows.
5 p.m. — Cleaning windows made me hungry! I take out of the fridge half an avo and put it on rye bread for a lovely snack.
5:30 p.m. — We receive some reassuring messages from Valencia. I do some life admin (#adulting) and then read the latest issue of Vanity Fair. I have a one-year free subscription thanks to a reward.
7 p.m. — Dinner is an omelette with mushrooms, cheese and parsley with a side of napa cabbage with sriracha sauce.
9 p.m. — We get on a video call with our friends that live an hour away in the countryside. We haven’t seen them in a month so we have a lot to catch up on and we promise to see each other soon. We really have a good time together so these sound like nice plans to me.
10:45 p.m. — The lights are off.
Total: €0
7:45 a.m. — My bladder wakes me up #age.
7:55 a.m. — I wake M up with kisses and we have some sexy time.
9 a.m. — I am quite hungry so on top of the usual, I have the last piece of rye bread with salted butter and pineapple jam. Yum!
9:45 a.m. — Every morning I read several international news sites, check my bank accounts and socials. I then reply to a friend from London who wants to agree times when she can visit us, which will be nice.
12:20 p.m. — M needs to leave shortly to pick up clients so I add smoked tofu to a Three Dragons miso soup and make a cheat kimchi for me and a smacked cucumber salad for M, followed by tea and chocolate.
1:10 p.m. — The owner of my local yoga studio gets back to me about a deal I proposed two weeks ago. He needs help with the website and app and I can do it in exchange for a bundle of free classes. I gather some details and I promise to get back to him soon.
1:40 p.m. — I take care of a flower bouquet M received from her last group (sweet). I did a class in London on flower arrangements and ever since I manage to make cut flowers live longer and look prettier.
2 p.m. — I pack for my trip to Spain to see a friend.
2:30 p.m. — I browse the job ads at a company that a friend has recently joined. I then prepare a cover letter to submit with my CV.
3:30 p.m. — I create the barter offer for the yoga studio. I jazz it out nicely on Canva and then share a link to it with the two business owners. One is OOO, the other says they will get back to me next week.
4:30 p.m. — Get ready to go to my yoga class (at another studio) and power up with three dates.
6:10 p.m. — Get the bus (€0 with M’s tickets). We get stuck in traffic so I get to the studio late, but I persuade the receptionist to let me through. I feel bad but it took me an hour door to door. Class is free with a ClassPass promo.
7:25 p.m. — I get a small water and a salad bowl at a shopping mall. It has edamame, rocket, salmon, crunchy onion, quinoa, rice, strawberries (weird, but nice) and four pieces of maki as topping. I pay with the meal card from my ex-company, which I can use until the credit runs out. It only works for food purchases.
8 p.m. — At the mall’s supermarket, I grab reduced spray olive oil for cooking, a small pack of popcorn, a wrap for tomorrow and a bag. I pay with the meal card.
10:45 p.m. — I wash my hair and go to sleep on my own. M arrives late on Thursdays as she has biodanza.
Total: €0
7:45 a.m. — I’m awake!
8 a.m. — Breakfast with M who then leaves for work. I do my usual ritual: news, bank apps. I also buy a €5 data bundle for my trip, even though I think I won’t really need it, but just in case…
9 a.m. — I send our robot to clean around the house while I make some order in the patio and inside. I won’t be around this weekend to do my share of cleaning so I am contributing a bit now.
10:15 a.m. — Snack of olives and some pieces of cheese that we have in the fridge. I then hesitantly update my CV and LinkedIn to show my employment has finished.
11:30 a.m. — I cave and have the wrap I bought yesterday. Call a Bolt Green for the airport, €8.83.
1:20 p.m. — Every time I go to the airport, I have a millionaire shortbread from Soho Coffee Co. as it reminds me of my work breaks in London. I have it with a cup of green tea. I pay with the meal card.
4:30 p.m. — Land in Spain. My friend Z has a surprise in store for me: Instead of going to her place we head to a nearby hotel. She has a gift voucher which is going to expire and has decided we are worth it! The place is nice and very busy when we arrive.
4:45 p.m. — I feel hungry so we go to a nearby bar. I get a slice of tuna tortilla on bread with a tinto de verano (much better than sangria, in my view) and Z gets a Coke. I pay for everything. €6.80
6 p.m. — Z takes one of her infamous naps…two hours! I am not a pro; just 30 minutes for me.
8:40 p.m. — We walk to the old town and have a dinner of pintxos (Basque tapas), going from bar to bar. This is one of my fave things to do in Bilbao when I visit, as food is excellent here. My share for my glass of wine and two pintxos is €10.25. In the second place I have an excellent vermouth and pintxo for €5. In our last stop, I switch to water (bottle) with one last pintxo for €3.85.
10:40 p.m. — We take a stroll along the river and follow music we hear until we find a free open-air gig of a Spanish band. They are good so we stay while it lasts. We go back to the hotel by bus (Z has an extra ticket for me).
12 a.m. — Zzzzz.
Total: €39.73 (£32.89)
8:15 a.m. — Originally this was supposed to be a 48-hour trip but my airline has cancelled my return flight and put me on the one the following day. They then send me an email to try convincing me to switch to the flight that is the day after that. I don’t accept the €30 voucher they offer but if they up it to €200, I will be happy to accept.
10 a.m. — The airline has now ramped up the offer to a €250 voucher. I let M know I want to accept and I will be back on Tuesday instead of Monday. I also see if another friend could host me for the extra night. All the planets align, I click accept and get my new boarding pass and the voucher. I start browsing their network to see where I could fly to for free…
10:15 a.m. — I make myself a cup of tea with the room’s kettle. Shower, read the news, then start trying to wake up Z (she once slept through a WWII bomb’s controlled detonation).
11 a.m. — I grab a banana from a corner shop, €0.19. We then sit down at a café so Z can have a latte and a bite. We talk about our parents as we are very close. She spent several Christmases with us in the past when her own family had made her persona non grata.
12:30 p.m. — Z booked an expensive restaurant which she has been meaning to visit for a while. It is on top of a hill and we decide to walk it, under the sun. It is a steep 40-minute walk.
1:10 p.m. — We have a quick look at the wine cellar (it is a tradition of the place) and we then go to our seat with beautiful views over the city and the surrounding mountains. I have bread, a carpaccio of boletus, a stew of chickpeas with lobster and we share water, a bottle of rose and a slice of Basque cheesecake (too stuffed for individual desserts). My half is €60 (ouch). Before being made redundant, I wouldn’t have blinked. I park my guilt, enjoy seeing my friend so happy and we roll down the hill.
4 p.m. — At the hotel and it is siesta time for us both.
8 p.m. — We get out and stop at a supermarket. I buy coconut pieces to have for breakfast tomorrow plus a bottle of water. €1.77
8:15 p.m. — We are both feeling stuffed from lunch still, so we head to a bar area and have a couple of G&Ts with olives and Z has a small water too. The music is nice, the streets are packed and we have some serious catch-up conversation. My share is €8.50.
10 p.m. — We are back at the hotel and watch a bit of telly.
12 a.m. — I decide to call it a day.
Total: €70.46 (£58.34)
8:30 a.m. — I’m awake and it is another sunny day. I munch on my coconut while drinking tea and reading the news.
11:30 a.m. — I manage to get Z out of bed and since I’m hungry, we go to a café’s terrace. She has a latte and I have a cheese toastie in the sun. I pay €3.20 for everything and consider how cheap it is compared to Lisbon.
1 p.m. — Z has proposed a trip to a place I haven’t previously visited. So we drive to the coastal village of Lekeitio. Z pays the highway ticket. We sit by the harbour and share a portion of baby squid plus two Cokes, €12.
2:40 p.m. — After visiting the local cathedral, refilling our bottle from a fountain and taking a few selfies by the beach, we choose a place for lunch. I have half a portion (in some places in Spain and Portugal you can choose between half or full portions) of garlic mushrooms and a huge portion of patatas bravas, €10.
4 p.m. — We take a walk by the harbour, hoping to feel lighter… Wishful thinking! We then head to the car. Parking is free on Sundays.
5:30 p.m. — Back in town, car parked (free) and I buy three small chocolate croissants for tomorrow. The lady at the till says there is a 2×3 offer, €2.75 for the lot.
6 p.m. — We both shower, chill, I chat with M and with my mum a bit, then read the news. I get more and more anxious at the US election.
8:30 p.m. — We go out, even though we both don’t want to eat. We return to the same bar area. This time we limit ourselves to one G&T each. I choose a local one and ask for a couple of olives, €7.
9:30 p.m. — Z buys gummies and crisps for us both and we go back to the room, put our PJs on and watch a movie (Sherlock).
11:30 p.m. —I think this is when I fall asleep.
Total: €34.95 (£28.94)
7:30 a.m. — I hear Z leaving for work and I can’t fall asleep again. I have a cuppa from the complimentary teas in the room.
8 a.m. — The usual morning ritual of scrolling news, bank accounts and WhatsApp.
9 a.m. — Shower and wash my hair.
10 a.m. — I download LinkedIn so I can browse job offers and send applications while away from home. I do that for over an hour and then pack.
12:10 p.m. — Check out and walk to the river, stopping a few times for selfies. I buy and eat half a bag of crisps, €2.
1:10 p.m. — I meet my other good friend, A, and his girlfriend, D, whom I haven’t met yet. I book us lunch at a place specialised in rice dishes as I am craving a paella. We share a tuna, tomato and cod starter, water, bread with tapenade, a seafood paella (with prawns, langoustines and squids) for three. Me and D share half a bottle of white wine. I then have a sherbet and A has a coffee. A, as he always does, pays for everything. He is one of the most generous persons I know, despite not being rich, and I have learned that fighting with him to pay is a lost battle.
3:15 p.m. — We go for a long walk. I stop at a 200-year-old pastry shop and get a handful of tiny cookies while admiring the shop’s interiors, €3.45.
4:30 p.m. — We take the metro to go to their place. D has a transport card that allows for another person to use it too, so I don’t have to pay.
5 p.m. — I have a Coke at their place as I start to feel sleepy. We chat about anything and everything.
6:15 p.m. — We have a lovely walk and I get to know D a bit. It is so lovely to see them happy together. A has had some horrible health issues and I’m glad he is now doing well. We stop at a supermarket so I can buy M some cecina (cured beef) and local cheese as a present. I try to buy something for A and D but they don’t accept anything, €9.88.
8 p.m. — Back at home and A shows me the best arcade game I have ever seen. It contains all the video games ever made for all types of platforms and devices (Sega, Xbox, Wii, Nintendo, you name it!). It comes with all the accessories one may need (guns, joysticks). The choice is overwhelming so I go for a classic: Street Fighter II. I win the first game but then my elbow issue flares up and I lose all the next games and feel some pain too, so I quit.
9 p.m. — I have herbal tea with the cookies I bought earlier. We watch The Adam Project, which is better than I expected and with a great cast.
11 p.m. — I am off to sleep, hoping all will be well with my return flight tomorrow.
Total: €15.33 (£12.69)
Food & Drink: €156.64
Clothes & Beauty: €0
Home & Health: €50
Entertainment: €0
Travel: €8.83
Other: €5
Total: €220.47 (£182.55)
Conclusion
“Considering I was travelling, I think I did well. Clothes and beauty and entertainment are generally zero spend for me. Travel is in line with what I spend on an average week. I only go to the dentist twice a year, plus I bought something for M from Spain. Food is my big spend, always, as it reflects my passion for food. I normally never skip dinner, and my alcohol intake is never as high as this week, so that probably balances itself out in terms of money spent. I wouldn’t normally spend €60 to dine out but it was a special meal. I am going to invest my energy into finding a new job that pays well enough to keep saving and maintaining my lifestyle.”
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