Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week, we're with a 29-year-old events organiser living in south London in a flat that she owns. She's recently taken a big financial hit by way of an awkward break-up that cost her a lot of money (they lived together), so is trying to save up to pay back kind friends and family.
Industry: Events
Age: 29
Location: London
Salary: £37,000
Paycheque amount per month: £1,985.44 after tax and student loan
Number of housemates: 1
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £635 (mortgage). I’m really lucky in that I had some inheritance money a couple of years ago that allowed me to buy a flat. I rent out my second room, which helps me to cover the costs.
Loan payments: £25 (Cycle to Work scheme)
Utilities: £350
Transportation: +/- £30. I commute in and out of work by bike most of the time, which helps me to keep costs down and stay healthy at the same time. I lose track of what I spend on contactless on the evenings and weekends but guess it's around £30/month, although this doesn’t take into account drunken Ubers across London...
Phone bill: £27
Credit card: £45
Savings? LOL
Total: £1,112
Day One
8.30am: I have bran flakes and blueberries at home and a cup of tea.
9am: I would normally cycle to work but I have some big meetings at our central offices this morning, so have to be a slave to public transport. Travel card for the day: £6.60
10.30am: In anticipation of a long editorial meeting, I stop for a bottle of fizzy water at Pret. 99p
1pm: I’m really not normally this organised, but I was one of those people who brought leftovers for lunch today, so no money spent! Feeling smug.
5pm: An unwelcome visit to the dentist to have a filling replaced but luckily I already paid for this on last month’s paycheque. The only cost on this occasion is a semi-paralysed face.
6pm: I head down to the anti-Trump marches outside Downing Street to have my say. The atmosphere is amazing, and it’s great to feel part of something so unifying at a moment of such confusion and anger for any liberal-minded individual.
7pm: My housemate makes me some soup for dinner.
8pm: I go for a swim to unwind from the protest. Priceless (£4 in financial terms).
Total amount spent: £11.59
Day Two
8.30am: Cycle to work.
9.30am: I eat bran flakes and blueberries at my desk (already bought last week). No prizes for originality over here but I have a very strict diet, so tend to eat the same thing every day.
1.30pm: I head over to Tesco and buy lunches for the rest of the week. I normally buy components to make a salad and prepare it in the kitchen at work. £11.64
6.30pm: I receive a problematic email from my ex.
7pm: I go out for an unnecessarily expensive sushi dinner with my pal and get really pissed to forget. Bye-bye savings. Hello £40 bill.
9pm: Aaaand I’m too drunk to cycle home. Uber. £12
11pm: Feeling anxious so order a book on anxiety, of course. £12.99
Total amount spent: £76.63
Day Three
8.30am: I’m hungover today but luckily can work from home. Breakfast… you know the drill.
11.30am: There are builders in my house doing some work, so I go to a local café to work and buy a tea, only to find the wi-fi isn’t working. £1.20
12pm: Back at home, I eat leftover sushi for lunch.
7pm: I decide there’s only one thing for this hangover: more wine. I walk down to meet a friend at a local pub. She’s currently unemployed so I cover the drinks. £18
10pm: It’s raining so I catch the bus home. £1.50
Total amount spent: £20.70
Day Four
8.30am: I left my bike at work the other night when I was drunk, so have to join my fellow commuters on the train. £1.50
1pm: The materials I bought on Tuesday have me covered for lunch today. Thanks, past self.
6pm: This trying to save money isn’t working out so well. I got a bonus for referring a friend of mine to my company this month, so take said friend out for a celebratory dinner. £50
7pm: We go for drinks – he pays but I am restrained for once this week.
10pm: I celebrate my sobriety by cycling home.
Total amount spent: £51.50
Day Five
8am: I make the most of the sunshine and cycle into work.
11am: Feeling bored, I book a train ticket to see my best friend next month in Bath. £21
1pm: On my lunch break I somehow end up in Topshop. I can’t explain what happened next. £60
1.30pm: I take my colleague’s advice to “treat myself” too literally and buy some sushi. £7
6pm: I get totally soaked cycling home in the rain but at least I didn’t spend that £1.50, which will go some way to counteracting the lunchtime splurge.
7pm: Head to the supermarket to buy food and wine for dinner for my housemates. £26
8pm: Go to see a friend’s band play at a local pub. £4
8.01pm: It’s Friday so I buy my friends a round. £21
Total amount spent: £139. Oops.
Day Six
11am: After a morning in bed, I eat some breakfast at home and spend the day cleaning the flat.
5pm: I decide to rebalance myself by heading to a yoga class at my local studio. £13
7pm: My friend comes over and orders a takeaway, which he conveniently pays for.
9pm: We cycle over to the cinema in Greenwich to see La La Land, so I return the favour and pay for the tickets. £28
11pm: Cycle home from the cinema and crawl into bed.
Total amount spent: £41
Day Seven
11am: I spend another day sorting the flat out after all the building work and eat mainly cereal.
6pm: I cycle over to the gym and back.
8pm: I eat leftovers for dinner and pour myself a long bath.
Total amount spent: ZERO POUNDS. I’ve finally got the hang of this.
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