Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last penny.

This week: “I’m a 29-year-old registered veterinary nurse living in rural Wales. I grew up here before moving away for university in 2013, living in England and abroad and coming back to the area in 2022. I live alone and while I love it, it does worry me that I can’t save as much as I would like and will probably not be able to buy a house on my own any time soon. I try and buy secondhand clothes where possible and most of the furniture in my house is from various family members or from charity shops and upcycled because I would rather spend my money on experiences and travelling.”

Occupation: Registered veterinary nurse
Industry: Animal health
Age: 29
Location: Wales
Salary: £28,012
Paycheque: This differs each month depending on overtime and out-of-hours calls but is between £2,000 and £2,200.
Housemates: One: my dog, P.
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: £550 rent for a two-bedroom, mid-terrace house.
Loan payments: £40 student loan (again this differs each month).
Pension? I currently pay the minimum amount, which my employer matches, but I’m not actually sure what that amount is. I have around £11,000 in my pot.
Savings? £12,566 in an instant saver ISA, £4,797 in a Help to Buy, £16,850 in an investment ISA and £220 in a travel pot on Monzo.
Utilities: £97 council tax, £60 electricity, £14.50 water, £26 internet.
All other monthly payments: £70 pet insurance, £12 phone. Subscriptions: £10.99 Netflix, £0.99 Apple, £49.87 gym.

Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I did a three-year foundation degree in veterinary nursing and I was able to get a Welsh government student loan to help with tuition and maintenance fees. I doubt I will ever be able to pay it all off, as my paycheque differs each month. When I lived abroad, I had to pay back £33 a month regardless of my income because I was overseas. 

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
When me and my brother were born, my parents opened bonds for each of us and at age 18, these bonds were converted into ISAs. My parents had yearly meetings with their financial advisor and they encouraged me to do the same, so a few years ago I met with him to discuss my investment ISA. The only conversations I remember having as a child involved my parents urging me not to get any kind of loan (apart from a student loan) and stressing that if I had money troubles, I was to always ask them for help. This has stuck with me into adulthood and they are my safety net if I ever need financial help. 

If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?

I moved out for the first year of university, then for my placement year I moved back in as the practice I was working at was close to home. I moved out again for my third year and then moved back in for about five years after I graduated. In 2021 I moved out to live on my own and to be nearer to work. In 2022, I had the opportunity to work in Canada but due to several reasons I moved back to the UK after eight months and back in with my parents for a while. I moved into my current house at the beginning of 2023 and as much as I love my parents, I feel settled here and hope I will not have to move back in with them any time soon. 

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At age 26, when I moved out to live alone for the first time. Whenever I lived at home, I paid a small amount of rent to my parents but they covered the food bills and other expenses. They suggested this arrangement and it enabled me to build up my savings. 

What was your first job and why did you get it?

As a kitchen porter and later a waitress/bartender at a hotel in my hometown during college. I got it to help pay for my driving lessons and other fun things.

Do you worry about money now?
Absolutely! I don’t have anyone to share living costs with so I do not have a lot of money left at the end of the month. If I do, it goes into a pot for my 30th birthday trip next year. Once I’m home from that, I will use the extra money to build up my savings. With the rising costs of living, I do worry that I may not be able to afford certain things in the future.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
During my placement year of uni, my loan amount was significantly lower as I was not attending lectures and not living on campus, so I used some inheritance I received from my granddad who had recently passed away to pay for that year. When my other granddad died, I put money from him into my Help To Buy ISA.

Day One

7:15 a.m. — Both my alarm and my dog, P, wake me up. Head downstairs to let him out, make a cup of tea and warm up my baked oats. I meal prep my breakfasts and lunches on a Sunday and this week my oats are apple and cinnamon-flavoured. I have a slice with yogurt and blackberries while I scroll Instagram. 

7:30 a.m. — Take P for our morning walk while listening to The Girlfriends podcast.

8 a.m. — Get home, have a shower and do my skincare. I recently started skipping cleanser in the morning and it’s really helped my acne-prone skin. Change into my scrubs, apply foundation and mascara, gather my things, then P and I drive to work.

8:45 a.m. — Arrive at work. I came in to help the vet last night so I go and see how our in-patient is and chat to the vet about the plan for him. Catch up with everyone about their weekends and check the diary to see what procedures we have today.

11:45 a.m. — Today’s snack is a homemade granola bar while I finish a cup of cold tea. I then help the vets with their consults, including taking bloods from a slightly spicy cat. I take the in-patient out for a wee, feed him and give him his medication. 

1 p.m. — It’s lunchtime. Due to the unpredictability of our job, we always try and grab lunch when we can. This week it’s vegetable pasta bake and while it’s in the microwave, I let P out. We are lucky enough to be able to bring our own dogs to work.

1:30 p.m. — For the rest of the afternoon, we clean, do admin and I use our laboratory machines to perform a fluke (a type of parasite) count on a sheep faecal sample. Mid-afternoon, I feel snacky so grab a couple of white chocolate digestives from my drawer.

6 p.m. — Home time! Get P and clock out. We usually have a short walk after work but it’s chucking it down so we head straight home.

6:30 p.m. — Change into my pyjamas and start to cook tea. Tonight it’s cashew curry on a sweet potato. I make double portions so I can reheat it tomorrow. Feed P and watch an episode of Into The Fire: The Lost Daughter while I eat. 

8:30 p.m. — Make a cup of tea and I spend the rest of the evening texting Mum and friends while I watch more episodes and P snoozes. 

9:30 p.m. — Let P out for one last wee then start my nighttime skincare routine (double cleanse with Elemis cleansing balm, then CeraVe cleansing wash, L’Oréal serum and gel moisturiser). Put my leftovers in the fridge and my bins out ready for collection tomorrow morning. Head upstairs to finish my book, All I Said Was True by Imran Mahmood.

10:30 p.m. — Alarm set, phone on loud (in case I get called by the out-of-hours vet) and lights out. 

Total: £0

Day Two

6:20 a.m. — P beats my alarm by impatiently scratching the side of the bed. I lie still for a couple of minutes before I get changed and go downstairs to let him out. Warm up oats and scroll. 

7:25 a.m. — Head out for our walk and it’s snowing?! Listen to another episode of The Girlfriends. 

8 a.m. — Shower, change into scrubs and do my makeup.

8:25 a.m. — Arrive at work, drop P off and check the diary. I’m one of the op nurses today so I set up our theatre room, then take pre-operative bloods from a cat who’s in for a dental.

11:30 a.m. — Quick stop for snacks before me and one of the other nurses X-ray a dog who’s in for investigations. 

3:10 p.m. — Lunchtime. I let P out and quickly eat while I complete some paperwork. A sheepdog with a possible pyometra (infected uterus) arrives as an emergency so I help the vet with the ultrasound.

4:45 p.m. — Now the dog has been stabilised with intravenous fluids and pain relief, we can start preparing her for surgery. We are going to spay her; it carries more complications than a routine spay procedure due to the infection and toxins but she is in good health otherwise so fingers crossed she’ll be okay.

7:45 p.m. — Arrive home. The operation was a success and she will stay in overnight. Extremely glad I only need to warm up my leftovers tonight. I pop my scrubs on a quick wash and try to decide what to watch. After much deliberation I choose Firefly Lane. 

10 p.m. — Let P out, do skincare and start my new library book, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. I’m a quick reader and recently started using my local library as a way to save a bit of money.

Total: £0

Day Three

6:30 a.m. — Usual routine. Let P out, make tea. Today I add peanut butter and some hazelnuts to top my baked oats.

7:30 a.m. — This morning’s walk is soundtracked by Relationsh*t with Kamie Crawford. 

8:05 a.m. — Shower, change and head to work.

9 a.m. — Check on the dog and give her her medication. She’s doing well and will be going home later. By the looks of the diary, it’s going to be a quiet one.

12 p.m. — Take a call from a counsellor to see if she will be a good fit for me. I’ve been considering starting therapy for a while and after speaking on the phone, we arrange a face-to-face meeting next week. 

1:30 p.m. — Lunchtime and I’m really feeling like an iced coffee, even though it’s 1°C outside. I pop to the shop and pick up a packet of Wotsits, too, £2.70.

4:30 p.m. — Today is dragging! I give a cute poodle puppy her second vaccination and discuss dietary advice with her owners, then do a stock order.

6 p.m. — As I’m driving, I realise my indicator light might have blown. Park up at home and ring Dad (because this is a dad thing, right?) who says he doesn’t think he has a spare so to just go to a garage tomorrow and hopefully they’ll sort it. Chat to him while I walk P. 

6:45 p.m. — Contemplate tea. I was going to have chicken stir fry but find some bacon in the fridge that needs using so I make an old Gousto recipe of pesto stuffed chicken in bacon with roasted potatoes and Tuscan beans. 

8:45 p.m. — FaceTime my long-distance bestie, K, to chat and gossip. We try and catch up weekly and will be seeing each other in person, along with our friend B, for a weekend away in a couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to it. 

9:40 p.m. — Text Mum to see how she is as she’s working a night shift tonight. Let P out and decide to take a hot water bottle to bed as my house is BALTIC. Old lady vibes I know but I refuse to turn my heating on just for the three or four hours I am home in the evening during the week. 

10:40 p.m. — Alarm on, phone on loud and lights out.

Total: £2.70

Day Four

6:30 a.m. — Stop alarm, get dressed and find P waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. Let him out and warm up my breakfast. 

7:30 a.m. — Walk P. Today it’s an episode of Call It What It Is. It’s hosted by Camilla Luddington and Jessica Capshaw, who play Jo Wilson and Arizona Robbins on Grey’s Anatomy. It’s a good, lighthearted podcast if you’re a Grey’s fan.

8:10 a.m. — Home, shower, makeup, etc.

8:55 a.m. — Arrive at work and I’m on consults today; my first appointment is a spaniel who needs his monthly injection to help with his arthritis. I love how varied my job is. Every day is different but a lot of people don’t really know what veterinary nurses do. We not only care for the in-patients but also take any blood samples, take X-rays, monitor the anaesthesia during surgery (we can even perform certain surgeries such as stitching up wounds and scaling teeth) and so much more! I get annoyed when anyone asks me when I’m going to become a vet, as nurses are incredible in their own right. 

1:30 p.m. — Drive to the garage to see if they can change my light bulb — they are too busy and ask if I can come back later. Back at work, I heat my pasta and look at some forms the counsellor has asked me to fill in. Due to where I live, I could be entitled to some free sessions with the help of Mind, the mental health charity.

4:30 p.m. — Give a westie his Cytopoint injection, then drive back to the garage and one of the mechanics changes the bulb for me, £12.

6 p.m. — About to leave work, then remember Mum asked me to get food for P as he’s staying with them this weekend. Whenever I go on holiday or have days away, he stays with them. They joke that we share custody but they love having him and I’m incredibly grateful. I pick up a bag of his food and clock out, £28.22.

7:30 p.m. — Heat last night’s leftovers and eat while FaceTiming my mum, dad and my brother, C. I then fill in the Mind forms and email them back. 

8:40 p.m. — Can’t decide whether to have something sweet with my cup of tea. Go to my pantry (read: cupboard under my stairs) and find I have no chocolate. I do find a Welsh cake in my biscuit tin though. Text my friends A and L while watching Firefly Lane.

10 p.m. — Exchange a few messages with a guy on Hinge. At the moment I’m happy with the little life I’ve made for myself but at the same time I feel like I’m falling behind somehow, especially since my friends are getting married, buying houses and having kids. I’m just hoping one day while I’m on a dog walk, I’ll bump into a cute guy (lol). 

10:30 p.m. — Alarm, phone on loud and sleep.

Total: £40.22

Day Five 

6:50 a.m. — Friday’s my day off but P thinks it’s time to get up. I tell him we lie in on Fridays and he jumps on the bed and snuggles down.

7:30 a.m. — Okay, that didn’t last long. He’s nudging me so I get up to let him out, put my uniform in the wash, make a cup of tea and go back to bed.

10 a.m. — Get dressed, have porridge for breakfast and drive to a local country park. Walk for a bit while P has the zoomies in the melting snow. As we pass the drinks kiosk, I treat myself to a hot chocolate. It comes with cream, marshmallows, chocolate sauce and a flake, which is a bit much so soon after breakfast but it’s so tasty. Send a pic of it to our family group chat, £3.75.

12 p.m. — Back at the car and inspect how dirty I am. I fell over coming down a bank; luckily my long coat got the worst of it and I still feel acceptable to run into Aldi on my drive home. I grab berries, sourdough and soup for next week’s lunches and a pizza for tonight, £14.33. 

12:30 p.m. — Sit on the edge of my bed and procrastinate before washing my hair, which I count as a chore. As a curly-haired gal it takes me forever to wash, dry and style it so I try and leave it as long as possible in between washes. 

1:45 p.m. — Heat some soup and make a cheese toastie to go with it. I’m quite far behind on Bake Off so I watch it while P snoozes beside me. 

4 p.m. — Cup of tea time. Take it upstairs to start packing my bag for the weekend and spend too long deciding what outfit to wear for a city night out, which will be quite different from what I wear to have drinks in my local country pub!

7:30 p.m. — Stick the pizza in the oven and choose what movie to watch tonight. I end up watching Rumour Has It while I message the guy from Hinge. 

11:45 p.m. — Skincare then read a couple of chapters before lights out. 

Total: £18.08

Day Six

7 a.m. — Head downstairs, make a cup of tea and chocolate porridge. Get dressed, do my makeup and check the house before I pack the car and drive to my parents’ house. 

10:15 a.m. — Arrive at my mum and dad’s, let P out of the car and he immediately runs into the house to try and find them. Mum asks if I can look at our cat, D, as he has something wrong with his face. He was a stray at my old job, came home with me for the weekend and eight years later he’s still here. It looks like he has an abscess so I tell Mum to ring their vet. Realise I’m late to pick up my friend R. 

1:30 p.m. — Arrive in Bristol and only get a little lost trying to find Z’s flat. I’ve been here before but always got the train so have never had to drive the one-way road. We quickly dump our stuff before heading out to a Mexican restaurant. I order a chicken burrito and a mojito and we all catch up. We split the bill, £30 for my share. 

4 p.m. — On our way back, we stop at a pub and I have a spiced rum mulled cider, which is delicious. R gets this round. We then stop to pick up drinks and snacks before heading back. I get a Thatchers Haze and a Milka bar, £4.38.

7 p.m. — It’s chucking it down so I settle on an all-black outfit for the evening to hopefully hide any wet patches from the rain.

8:30 p.m. — Walk into town. Initially go into Slug and Lettuce but the music is too loud for us to chat so we end up in Cosy Club. The first round of cocktails is on J, then it’s my turn: two mojitos, one English garden and one paloma, £40.25.

11 p.m. — Z has bought us tickets to see a jazz band, which is not my vibe at all but I’m interested to see what they will sound like. Get to the venue and turns out it’s an instrumental band. Z gets us all a baby Guinness, then I have a vodka cranberry, which Z also pays for.

11:45 p.m. — Me and J decide to take a walk as we aren’t really enjoying the music. R and Z are dancing happily so we tell them we will be back later. We don’t know the area so just walk, ending up at a Sainsbury’s because we are hungry. Pick up some chocolate twists and a bottle of water. J pays.

12:15 a.m. — Back at the venue and the band is finishing up. I’m quite sober suddenly and ready to go back to the flat. It’s still raining but we choose to walk home instead of paying for a taxi. Stop by a kebab shop, I pay for three portions of cheesy chips while R gets her own, £11.75. 

Total: £86.38

Day Seven

8 a.m. — Wake up, head into the lounge and make me and J a cup of tea. We all start scrolling and soon find out nearly all the route home is flooded. Decide we should start the journey home soon. Z is still asleep so we start to get dressed and pack up our stuff. Z appears and is slightly confused to see us ready to go but none of us wants to get stuck here. 

10:40 a.m. — Arrive at J’s, which is halfway home, then me and R try and figure out the best way back. Decide to stick to the motorways, wave J goodbye and head off.

12:30 p.m. — Stop for lunch, R treats me to a Burger King and I get myself a gingerbread latte for the drive, £5.75.

2:30 p.m. — Drop R off and get to my mum and dad’s. P runs out to greet me, then immediately goes back to sitting with Dad on the sofa. Mum makes me a cup of tea and we spend the rest of the afternoon online shopping while drinking endless tea.

6:30 p.m. — I’m staying the night here as I have the day off tomorrow so me and Mum are going shopping. Mum’s cooked a roast dinner so we all tuck in while I fill them in on the weekend. 

9 p.m. — Dad asks if I want to watch The Sixth Sense with him and I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before?

11 p.m. —The film was awesome. Let P out for a wee then I head upstairs to my old room. Do my skincare and spend a while reading the film’s trivia on IMDb.

Total: £5.75

Conclusion

“This is an above-average spending week for me. I would not normally spend that much on food and drink, especially alcohol, but it’s nice to go away for the weekend and see friends who I don’t see often. I don’t mind spending more on experiences rather than unnecessary items. I already knew I do most of my spending at the weekends and keeping this diary has shown me that I often go for a few days without spending much money at all.”

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