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 an IT consultant who is originally from Scandinavia. She moved to London around two years ago and just recently was able to move to a studio and live on her own for the first time. It does cost more but it’s worth it.
Industry: Consulting
Age: 27
Location: London
Salary: £42k
Paycheque amount per month: £2,550 (after tax and pension)
Number of housemates: 0
Monthly Expenses
Rent: £975
Loan payments: £100 (I pay my credit card bill to my home country)
Bills: £110 (electricity, water, internet, council tax)
Transportation: £230, covers Zones 2-6 + a bit further
Phone bill: £18
Health insurance: Deducted from the salary
Savings: £200. I try to save £400 a month but I already bought flights for a holiday from this month’s salary so £200 is more realistic.
Spotify: £10
Netflix: £6.80
Total: £1,649.80
Day One
6.35am: I make a latte with my Nespresso machine to take with me when I leave the house. Sadly, though, I forget to take my lunch and breakfast with me and will have to buy them.
8.30am: I head to the office café and buy a croissant, it is the start of the week after all. £1. I make a tea at work, free.
10.10am: I’m hungry again and remember I have some bread in the freezer, make that.
11am: My colleague takes me for coffee at our office café, she pays for both. We have a Starbucks at the office and the drinks are heavily subsidised. Starbucks is definitely not my favourite but with these prices, I can’t really avoid it, either.
12pm: Lunchtime! As I forgot my lunch at home, it is back to the café again. Work is getting all my money today. I buy a salad and Diet Coke. £4.30
1pm: I head outside and buy a new cardigan, tea towels and snacks. £14
5.30pm: I am the worst at doing grocery shopping so I always just buy a few things when I need them. I pick up some toast, chicken, salad, strawberries, white chocolate on the way home. £8.70
7pm: I eat the lunch I left at home as my dinner and prepare tomorrow’s lunch, a chicken sandwich and some strawberries. I spend the night watching Netflix.
Total amount spent: £28
Day Two
6.45am: I arrive to the station and get a coffee from Nero, free as my stamp card is full.
7.30am: I make breakfast at work, rye bread and cheese, already have those in the office fridge.
8.30am: I go for coffee with a colleague to the office café. We always try to compete whose contactless payment gets accepted first, he wins. I feel bad and insist I get to pay next time.
11am: Another coffee break with another colleague, I pay for both. £1.80
12pm: Friends at work persuade me to come to a new restaurant with them for lunch. I try to resist but go with them and have chips and a Diet Coke. Not doing good with lunches this week. £6.50
2.15pm: Another latte, manager pays. Did I mention I come from a country where the coffee consumption is the highest in the world?
5pm: It’s raining so take a bus to home from the station.
Total amount spent: £8.30
Day Three
6.45am: Latte from Nero. To be honest I get coffee from the station every morning but I’m thinking of getting rid of this habit soon. I have calculated how much it is a month. At the moment I feel when I know how much it is I make a conscious decision to use my money for coffee, so it’s not that bad. £2.10
8.30am: Coffee with colleague, I pay for both but I have a full stamp card. £1.30
10am: I’m tired and bored. I go to the café and buy a Diet Coke and chocolate caramel shortcake. £2.20
12pm: I have lunch from home, chicken sandwich. I also have some salty liquorice that I have at my desk. For some reason, my colleagues don’t appreciate quality sweets so there’s still some left from my previous trip home.
12.15pm: It is Mother’s Day in my home country next week so I order my mum a shirt as one of her gifts. £12
2pm: I go to the mailroom to get my new Nike trainers, I ordered them on the day before starting money diaries, so doesn’t count!
6.15pm: To the pub, things get a little out of hand and we end up drinking more than we thought. No idea how much I spend so have to check it from my bank statement. £25
11pm: I’m drunk, I’m lazy and it’s late. Uber home even though it’s only a 20 min walk. £5
Total amount spent: £47.60
Day Four
6.45am: I’m a bit hungover so go to Sainsbury's to buy a smoothie and snacks. I also go to Nero to get a coffee. £5
8am: Office café serves English breakfast on Fridays, I have toast, eggs and hash browns. After two years in this country I still don’t understand the full English breakfast, beans look disgusting. £1.80
8.30am: We have a team meeting and manager pays for coffees for everyone. She has also bought us some chocolate, which helps with my hangover.
12pm: Lunchtime, I have fish and chips and a Diet Coke from the café. Perfect for my state of mind today. £4.60
2pm: More liquorice from my desk.
5.30pm: Another grocery shop of the week. I buy cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, yoghurt, chicken and milk. £16
8pm: I go on a Tinder date, guy pays for the drinks. I try to pay for the next ones but fail. This is something I’ve had to get used to, back home you’d normally pay for everything equally. When I first moved here I really tried to pay a lot more but noticed some men almost got offended by that. Nowadays I probably give up too easily. £0
Total amount spent: £27.40
Day Five
11am: I have a little lie-in and make breakfast, granola, yoghurt, berries and coffee, I have everything at home.
5pm: I go to east London to see my friend. We wander around a few stores but I don’t find anything. We’re thinking of going to eat something. We’re both trying to save money so end up to Wetherspoon's, only because of the price. It smells awful inside so we go outside and have burgers. Very glamorous Saturday evening. £6.60
9pm: I go home and buy some home supplies on the way. £6
Total amount spent: £12.60
Day Six
10am: I wake up and have granola, berries and yoghurt for breakfast, free.
11am: New Look is having a sale on their website, I order two dresses, a blazer and shoes. Half of this is going to my sister, though. £24
1pm: I go to Wilko to buy storage boxes, £5, and to Primark to buy socks and leggings, £5
3pm: I go for a run and leave my bank card home to prevent any spontaneous purchases.
8pm: My friend comes over and we spend the night assembling Ikea furniture and drinking wine. We also order Japanese food from UberEats. I had the wine at home so only pay my half of the Uber bill. £8.50
Total amount spent: £42.50
Day Seven
7am: I’m not feeling well so decide to stay at home today. I take full advantage of my Netflix subscription and drink tea the whole day. Somehow coffee just seems too much when I’m sick.
3pm: I go pick up my New Look order and stop by Sainsbury's on my way home to buy some groceries. I always think I can’t do one big grocery delivery a week as I’m living alone. This week has shown me that might be a more sensible option. £15.70
6pm: I cook dinner (for the first time in a week – I know), chicken, potatoes and carrots in oven. I pack half for tomorrow’s lunch.
Total amount spent: £15.70
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