This week: “I’m 27 years old and live in London. I moved here after graduating from university and currently work as a senior project manager in the charity sector. I’ve been in my job for almost three years and while it’s well paid for the sector, I’m not enjoying the work anymore so I am keen for something new. I live with my partner, B, who earns more than me (but I’ve always had more savings). We have been together for almost four years and living together for over two years. Around six months ago we moved into our new flat, which we bought together. We split the deposit equally through our own savings built up from earned/inherited income over time (B also received some support from their parents). We both recognise how extremely lucky we are to have bought our own place and know we are part of the privileged minority whose parents can provide financial support. We got lucky and fixed our mortgage for five years at a low rate, before the economy crashed, so our overheads have never been lower. I think as a couple we have a similar approach to finances and talk about them regularly. We try and strike a balance between making the most of living in such a fun city and saving for the future.”
Occupation: Project manager
Industry: Charity sector
Age: 27
Location: London
Salary: £40,000
Paycheque amount: £2,306.88
Number of housemates: One: my partner, B.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £535 for my half of the mortgage.
Loan payments: Student loan deduction is £95 per month.
Savings? £6,100 total. £3,700 in a stocks and shares ISA, £2,100 in an easy access saver and £300 in a regular saver I set up last month.
Pension? I pay in 7.5% (roughly £170) and my employer pays in 5% (roughly £140).
Utilities: My half of the utilities is £13.50 broadband, £59.50 council tax, £25 water, £40.61 electricity and gas, £6.68 TV licence, £116.65 service charge (including communal heating for the block of flats). B and I overpay into this joint account by £50 a month each to create a buffer.
All other monthly payments: £15 phone bill, £3.99 exercise app, £2.49 iPhone storage, £5 charity donation. Subscriptions: £6.50 Spotify Duo.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I went to university to study an undergraduate degree, which included a year abroad. My fees were covered by a student loan and I received a maintenance loan. My parents covered my rent costs for all three years. I also worked all through my degree to cover my living costs. I worked in a supermarket and as a student ambassador, then in retail and finally as a freelance project manager. I also worked during my year abroad to top up my Erasmus grant.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My mum talked to me a lot about money while I was growing up (Martin Lewis was a household name). She thought it was important that I become financially literate and have good spending/saving habits at a young age. I remember her explaining the need to save regularly and live within your means, check you’re getting the best interest rates and see if there are any incentives for you to switch accounts or providers. She is also very thrifty and made me aware of the sacrifices and decisions she was making to raise me (especially after my parents split up). I feel grateful to have been taught about money and finances and think this should be covered in more detail at school.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out at 18 when I went to university.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I became completely financially responsible for myself after graduating from university.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got my first job when I was 16. I worked in a supermarket, on the checkouts and at the customer service desk. I loved earning my own money and would sign up for overtime shifts – the Sunday shifts (starting at 6am) were golden as you got paid time and a half. I got a store transfer and carried on this job when I moved to a new city for university.
Do you worry about money now?
I am not overly worried about money at the moment as I recognise how financially fortunate I am. That being said, the transition to owning a flat was overwhelming in terms of everything we needed to buy and the cost of decorating. I know I need to keep saving regularly and maintain good financial habits and a rainy-day fund given how expensive life is becoming.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
I received £1,000 from my grandma when she died and £3,000 from my grandad when he died during the pandemic. My dad also gave me £9,000 when I was 19 after my brother got married. He had contributed towards his wedding and said he would give me the same amount when I got married. I told him that I wasn’t interested in getting married or spending thousands on a wedding and would rather use any money he offered towards saving for a house deposit.
7am: Alarm. It’s freezing outside and my brain is telling me it won’t be much warmer outside of my duvet. My motivation to get out of bed is low.
7.20am: I finally get up and throw on some gym clothes and brush my teeth. I’ve started doing home workouts every weekday and find it easier to get them out of the way first thing. I complete a full body stretch workout while catching up on yesterday’s Love Island (my guilty pleasure). The irony of trying to embrace body neutrality while watching the show that most prioritises cis/het beauty standards is not lost on me but I find the pointless drama soothing.
8am: B gets up. They’re taking the day off work as they’ve got a bad cold but will inevitably do some work from home so they don’t fall behind. They make us both coffee while I shower and get ready.
9am: I begin inducting a new staff member who is joining my team. We both join the weekly whole team meeting for updates.
12pm: B is back from doing the weekly food shop. We plan our meals each week and split the cost equally. This week is £17.60 each for three evening meals, standard fridge and cupboard bits, and lunches for the week.
12.15pm: I eat a brunch at my desk of veggie sausages from the freezer, eggs and a bagel.
12.30pm: I meet my friend M, who lives on the same estate as us, to walk her dog. We chat and catch up while walking round a local park.
1.30pm: Arrive back and crack on with more meetings. A framed print that B and I ordered for the living room arrives. I message M to ask to borrow her drill to put it up, and then think we should just buy our own. We buy a drill, £16.97 each. Turns out drills aren’t as expensive as I thought they’d be.
4pm: I have a phone call with a recruiter who reached out to me online about a job. I had to sign an NDA before they sent me the job pack so it’s all been quite secretive. The recruiter tells me more about the job and reveals the salary would be £100-£120k (wtf). I try to play it cool on the phone but think this is way out of my league. I say that I will send him my CV.
5pm: Catch the bus to collect a mirror for the spare room that I found for free on Facebook Marketplace. We had no furniture when we bought the flat so it’s been a mission to buy everything incrementally. Most of our furniture is secondhand; I quite like scrolling through the various sites each day to try and find a bargain.
6.30pm: Arrive home with the mirror and wash my hair while B makes carbonara and salad for dinner.
8pm: We eat together in front of the TV and catch up on our days.
10pm: Read in bed and fall asleep.
Total: £34.57
7am: Alarm. Doomscroll on social media in the dark and say goodbye to B, who is leaving for work. I decide to do my workout this afternoon as I need to run some errands this morning before work. The TfL charge from yesterday comes out of my bank account, £1.65.
7.30am: Watch Love Island with a coffee and edit a project plan that I’ve been asked to make for a job interview later this week. I’ve got another interview later today so I read over my notes for the role.
8.15am: I finish and send off my project plan (fingers crossed it’s good), then rush to shower and get ready.
8.40am: I leave the flat to catch the bus. I agreed to help B return a parcel they bought. My plan is to swing by the parcel drop-off shop on my commute into work.
9am: I arrive at the parcel shop and it’s closed, despite saying online that it opens at 9am. I decide to wait until 9.30am and see if anything changes. I grab an overpriced hot chocolate for £3.25 and start working from a nearby café.
9.40am: The parcel shop is finally open. The man inside asks if I’ve printed the three commercial invoices needed to ship abroad. B didn’t mention any additional forms so I haven’t printed anything other than the returns label. The man says there’s nothing he can do. I scream internally and leave, taking another bus to the office.
10am: I arrive at the office and it’s empty. l crack on with two solid hours of work. One of my team members is off sick so I pick up their actions and answer emails while also printing and completing the three parcel invoices.
11am: I meet my new starter to discuss access requirements, appraisal targets and ways of working. We grab brunch together and I let them choose the restaurant. They opt for somewhere quite fancy and we talk and eat. I order a bacon sandwich and they get truffle mushrooms on toast (both with a smoothie). As it’s their first week, I pay for us both as a treat, £29.81.
12pm: I head back to the parcel shop on the bus, praying I’ve got all the right stuff this time. The man is chilling outside, having a cig. He recognises me and seems surprised I’m back so soon. I show him the forms and (thank god) he accepts the parcel.
1pm: I decide to walk home (instead of taking the bus) while answering emails on my phone. I stop off at my local library to see if they have the book that we are reading this month for book club. I try and use the library instead of buying books every six weeks. They don’t have the book but they can reserve it at another library in the borough. I make a mental note to pick it up later in the week.
3pm: I attend the online job interview. The role is interesting and would be a significant pay rise but it’s a temporary contract for 36 months and I think I’m looking for something more permanent. I manage to answer every question fully but can’t work out if it is going well or not. They said they’ll let me know by tomorrow.
4pm: Full of adrenaline post-interview, I do the 35 minute full body cardio workout I skipped this morning.
5pm: Feeling re-energised, I shower, eat leftover carbonara from last night and do another hour of work.
7pm: I meet my friends M and L and we catch the overground to watch another friend’s stand-up comedy night. M buys us both a non-alcoholic beer and I get us a round in return, which costs £8. The night is free but you can leave a donation at the end so that the performers get paid, £5.
10pm: Arrive back home and catch up with B, who is reading in bed. We haven’t really seen each other all day. I read my book for a bit while they sleep. I eventually switch off the light to sleep around 11pm.
Total: £47.71
6.45am: I wake up before my alarm and say goodbye to B. I’m hoping for a less hectic day today as yesterday I was running on pure adrenaline and chaotic vibes only. This is reflected in yesterday’s TfL charge, which leaves my bank, £7.70.
7am: I get up, drink some coffee and get ready. I tidy the kitchen, listening to a podcast. B’s dad is coming down to stay with us tonight as he has some meetings in London so I tidy the spare room.
8.30am: Log on to my first meeting of the day (joy).
10am: I walk to meet an old colleague for breakfast. They recently left my current workplace so it’s good to see them again. I get a cheese and mushroom omelette, chips, salad and a drink for £9. We catch up about work, life, relationships and plans for the year ahead.
12pm: A roofer calls round to the flat. There have been several leaks in our ceiling since we moved in and I’m liaising with the council (who are the freeholders) to fix them. This is the second time scaffolding has gone up (luckily there’s been no evidence of further leakage since the first time) and I’m hoping it’s all fixed soon so we can paint our ceilings. I feel grateful that we are leaseholders and therefore these repairs don’t cost us anything.
1pm: I receive an email rejecting me from a job I interviewed for last month. I email them back for feedback. I’m disappointed but the interview was over two weeks ago so I had made peace with the fact that I hadn’t got the job, given it was taking them so long to get back in touch.
2pm: Quick lower strength home workout. Lots of squats and crunches. I shower and get back to work.
5pm: I finish work and start prepping for Friday’s interview. This is the job I most want out of everything I’ve applied for.
5.45pm: I get a call with the results of yesterday’s interview, another rejection. They say I interviewed well and that I am first reserve for the role, which is bittersweet. I ask for feedback and they say they will send via email tomorrow. I continue prepping for Friday’s interview.
7pm: B’s dad arrives. I stop my interview prep and catch up with him.
8pm: B arrives home. They’ve been doing an event after work and are knackered and disappointed that it didn’t go as well as they hoped. B’s dad orders us all a pizza.
9pm: The pizza arrives and we are starving. We eat and chat some more before all heading to bed for an early night. I read in bed and sleep around 10pm.
Total: £16.70
6.30am: I wake up before my alarm again. I’m already feeling nervous about tomorrow’s interview and get up to continue prepping while B has breakfast.
7.30am: I shower, get ready for work, eat and continue with my interview prep. I also answer some work emails and make B’s dad some coffee and toast. He leaves to catch the train around 8am.
8.30am: I leave the flat to catch the train to central London to meet another friend.
9am: I arrive at the station and get given a free ginger shot (it tastes disgusting).
9.30am: I meet my friend K, who I haven’t seen for almost four years! She moved abroad to live with her boyfriend and they recently came back to the UK. She’s come to London for a few days and this is the only time we can meet. We head to a nearby Danish café where I order a latte and some fancy mushroom, spinach and truffle pastry. The total comes to £7.40.
10am: We catch up on life as both of us have recently moved house. I promise to go and visit her later in the year for rural walks and sea swims. I then reluctantly head off as I have to attend an in-person workshop.
11am: I arrive at the workshop. I was feeling quite apprehensive about it beforehand as I feel that the work produced thus far isn’t hitting the mark. I know I need to challenge the strategic direction in a way that keeps relationships feeling positive. By the end of the session we end up in a much better place and I feel proud of myself. I catch the bus back to the office.
1pm: I head to a lunch meeting with my manager and two senior executives from the local council. We discuss our current approach to working in partnership and how we may better leverage our resources to create a bigger impact. I order jerk chicken, couscous, guacamole, fried plantain and a ginger beer. My manager agrees to expense the total for all of us on the company card.
5.30pm: I leave the office and take the bus to the library to pick up the book I reserved earlier in the week. I then catch the bus home again.
6.30pm: I arrive home and do a quick upper body and cardio workout. For some reason I’m feeling more motivated to exercise in the evenings after work this week.
7.30pm: I eat some leftover Thai green curry and rice that B made on Tuesday evening. We begin packing a suitcase for the weekend as we will be visiting my mum.
10pm: Read in bed before sleeping.
Total: £7.40
6.15am: I wake up early again as I’m anxious about the day ahead. I watch a pointless YouTube video in bed of an influencer on holiday to calm down. Yesterday’s TfL charge comes out of my account, £7.70.
7am: Say goodbye to B, who is leaving for work. They wish me good luck for my interview and we promise to reconnect over the weekend as this week has been a whirlwind.
7.30am: Scroll through the ‘challenge workout’ that is scheduled for today. I feel like I can’t be bothered with a challenge and decide to have a rest day instead. I make a coffee and finish packing for this weekend.
9am: I start work, completing some admin tasks and emails. I check in with a team member who has returned from sick leave this week. I also read over my interview notes while pacing around the flat to try and calm my nerves.
1pm: Interview time. It’s an enjoyable conversation and they seem to like the task I submitted earlier in the week. I answer all the questions to the best of my ability but as soon as I log off, my brain starts to doubt every response I gave. Given the rejections I received earlier this week, I’m not feeling too confident and it’s hard to tell if my best is good enough to get me the role. I really want this role so know that I’ll be upset if it’s another rejection.
2pm: I eat some more Thai green curry (I can’t be bothered to cook more rice), realising that this is the first time I’m eating today. Adrenaline has been carrying me through and I haven’t felt at all hungry until now. I head outside for some fresh air and do a quick loop round the block. I stop off in the Kurdish shop round the corner and buy two baklavas, £3.70. One is filled with pistachio and the other with almonds and rose (yum).
4pm: I call my dad to talk to him about the interview and catch him up on my week. I am still replaying everything that I said in the interview over and over in my head, which isn’t helping the situation at all.
5pm: I catch the train to Euston and meet B there. I spend £4.55 on train snacks and B does the same, including some crisps and four non-alcoholic beers.
8pm: We get off the train and meet my mum in the station car park. It wasn’t a great journey as the train was crammed and the heating was turned up to the max.
9pm: My mum drives us home and B and I eat a curry feast she has prepared including poppadoms, mango chutney, fish curry, rice and naan bread. We are too full for dessert!
11pm: We spend some time catching up before heading upstairs to bed.
Total: £15.95
8.30am: Finally, a lie-in! B and I laze around in bed and end up booking a week’s holiday for over Easter. B has enough Avios on their credit card to get us both free return flights to Istanbul. We normally make any big purchases on this card as it has better rewards than mine, and I pay for my half in cash (I’ve tended to have more cash savings than B to dip into). B will have racked up loads of points over the past year due to all the paint/tools/furniture we’ve bought.
12pm: After eating breakfast (my mum makes the best pancakes) we head into the city centre. We catch the tram, which costs £3.80 each.
12.30pm: I buy us each a return bus ticket from the city centre to an art gallery. The total comes to £15. I’m shocked at how expensive it is, especially given how you can ride a bus across London for £1.65.
1pm: We arrive at the gallery to see the Althea McNish exhibition. She was the first Black British textile designer to earn an international reputation and her prints were influential in the post-war interior design scene. The exhibition is great and the gallery is such a cool space. I used to go to college nearby so I am feeling nostalgic. We head to the gallery café afterwards where B buys a latte, a caramel shortbread for my mum and a hot chocolate for me.
2pm: We catch the bus back into town for some shopping. We each pick up some bits in Uniqlo. I get a jacket and a bag for £44.80.
3.30pm: We eat a late lunch at a Thai restaurant. We share a platter of starters and choose a main each. I have pork belly with chillies, Thai basil and green beans with coconut rice. It’s marked with a three-chilli warning but isn’t too spicy in the end. Despite B and I attempting to split the bill, my mum insists on paying for it all as a treat.
6pm: We arrive home after taking the tram, £3.80. We are all feeling pretty tired so we chill in front of the TV and do a jigsaw before my mum brings out some sticky toffee pudding. We are still so full but can’t resist.
9pm: My mum is heading out tonight with her friends to a club. She says she’ll be back for around 3am as she’s designated driver this time. Since I went to university, she has got such a good social life and heads off to nights out, festivals and weekenders with her friends, which makes me so happy. B and I consider going to a local pub but decide we are too tired.
11pm: After my mum heads out, B and I chill together some more and then go to bed.
Total: £67.40
10am: Another long lie-in, which is bliss. B got up earlier to go for a run in the park. I’m grateful to be able to starfish in bed by myself. When they get back, we both get ready and eat breakfast before my mum drops us at the train station.
1pm: We knew when we booked these tickets that there would be no direct trains to London due to engineering works on the line. We work out that we can get home via Leeds. We buy our tickets to Leeds, £12.10.
5.30pm: We arrive in London after an uneventful but long journey. B worked a bit on the train while I napped and listened to podcasts. We catch the Tube and train home. When we arrive, we unpack and eat a quick dinner of frozen pizza and salad.
7.30pm: I do a paid online survey to earn an extra tenner and watch some TV.
10pm: I start reading the book I got from the library for book club before B and I both head to bed.
Total: £12.10
Food & Drink: £83.31
Entertainment: £5
Clothes & Beauty: £44.80
Home & Health: £16.97
Travel: £51.75
Other: £0
Total: £201.83
Conclusion
“This feels like an abnormally busy week for me. While the total spend doesn’t feel too high, the distribution across the categories feels unusual. I don’t think I would usually spend so much on travel, given that I often walk to work. I also don’t usually buy clothes on a weekly basis or have so many breakfast dates. However, given that I spent some time socialising with friends during the week, this meant that I spent more money than usual. It was 100% worth it to catch up with friends and family that I haven’t seen for a while. I imagine my weekly food and drink spend could be much higher, especially on weeks where I eat out, go to the pub or on a night out at the weekend. I enjoyed recording my spend for the week as it made me more conscious and reflective of my money habits. I think I’d like to repeat the exercise at another point in the year to compare.”
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