Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on TheJournal.ie that runs on Wednesdays and Sundays and looks at what people in Ireland really do with their cash.
We’ve asked readers to keep a record of how much they earn, how much they save, if anything, and what they spend their money on over the course of one week.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes.
Last time, a young engineer walked us through his week which involved going home to Offaly at weekends to work as a referee. This week, a solicitor on €22,000 from Wexford writes about her week.
I’m a 43-year-old single solicitor living in Wexford town. I bought a house in 2004 on which I pay a mortgage. In 2015, I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and I'm currently on a hi-tech disease modifying treatment (DMT) shown to slow progression. I qualify for a Government scheme so I get this treatment for free.
I started my career as a legal secretary and I qualified as a solicitor at 35 - which was during the height of the recession. I eventually got contract work in Dublin, so I rented my house in Wexford and house-shared in Dublin. Working in Dublin was extremely high-pressured and stressful and I worked long hours. Now I work three days a week with a small firm in Wexford. The working hours are flexible and it’s a relaxed atmosphere which cancels out the reduced salary.
I have two rescue dogs who have really helped me with my depression and have changed my life for the better in every way.
Occupation: Solicitor
Age: 43
Location: Wexford
Salary: €22,350 (€37,250 pro rata)
Monthly pay: €1,681.33
Transport: Car loan €216, car insurance €40, car tax €43, NCT and maintenance €21, petrol €86.
Mortgage: €715
Mortgage protection: €15
Home insurance: €25
Household bills: Property tax €20, ESB €47, bins €20, TV licence €13, oil €67, solid fuel €48.
Mobile phone bill: €20
Health insurance: None for me but I pay €28 per month for VHI for my parents - my siblings all contribute too.
Groceries: €250
Wi-fi: none (I use my phone as a hotspot)
Dogs: Fleas and worming €18.66, booster jabs €5, food and treats €35
8:00am: My alarm goes off and I get up and let the dogs out and feed them. I make some coffee, a green juice and lunch for later before getting ready for work. I can walk to work in 20 minutes but as the weather is particularly bad I drive in and pay €4 for parking.
9:00am: I swing by Daybreak for a small carton of milk for the office (89c) and the chemist for some headache tabs (€9). I get Solpadeine because I can’t take Nurofen with my medication and Panadol hasn't worked for the past three days. I used to get stress headaches every week but now it's only two or three times a year thankfully!
11:00am: I take a coffee break and have a banana and yoghurt drink that I brought from home.
1:00pm: At lunchtime I walk with a friend and we have a catch up. I’ve brought a salad into the office so I eat that with some crisps after. I tend to buy groceries in bulk once a week and batch cook every two/three days to save money on eating out.
6:00pm: I finish work and get home by 6:15pm. I let the dogs in, feed them and then make some dinner.
7:30pm: I take the dogs for a walk which I love doing except when it's raining. It's lovely to meet other dog owners out and about as we have something in common to chat about. It also keeps me focused that the dogs depend on me for their basic needs which helps me with my anxiety and depression. I have learned great patience and not to be so precious about material things (when you see your curtains shredded for the second time and all the corners chewed on your kitchen chairs it can be trying).
8:30pm: After the walk, I tidy up around the house. I put on a wash and wash the dishes (I don’t have a dishwasher so I don’t have the expense of tablets!).
10:00pm: I watch some TV before going to bed.
Today's total: €13.89
8:00am: I get up, feed the dogs and let them out. I fill up my car with petrol (€50 goes straight onto my credit card) and then decide to walk to work.
9:30am: I start work for the day, which I usually enjoy. Working in Dublin was so stressful as there was so much to learn and huge targets to be met. There are only two of us in the office here and we get on very well. Some days can be challenging but I enjoy the interaction with the public. I also volunteer with a free legal advice clinic locally which gives me a great sense of satisfaction.
6:00pm: After a busy day at work, I arrive home. As always the first thing I do is let the dogs in and feed them and then make dinner for myself.
7:00pm: Tonight I start a cross-stitch course in the local community centre. I like sewing and decided to take up something new to meet some more people. It’s two hours on a Tuesday for the next three weeks and costs €23.
9:30pm: I arrive home and walk the dogs for an hour.
10:30pm: I wash the dishes and do some laundry before going to bed.
Today's total: €73
9:00am: I get up a little later today because I'm not working. I let the dogs out and feed them and then make some breakfast for myself.
10:00am: I go to the hardware shop and buy paint for upcycling some furniture in my house (€26) and some coal, firelighters etc. for the next few weeks (€48). I put these expenses on my credit card.
1:00pm: My dad makes a big dinner on Wednesdays so I pop around to my parents' house where my sister and nephew are also visiting.
3:00pm: I pop to the doctor to get the flu jab and a repeat prescription. I have a medical card which is very helpful when paying for things like this.
3:30pm: I’ve offered to bring my aunt to a hospital appointment and when I swing by her house (beside a busy school on a one-way street) I sideswiped a parked car. I’m raging with myself and I leave a note and take pictures of the damage. The owner rings me later and I make an enquiry with a garage about a quote for repairing the damage to her car which is €250! I can't help but get upset.
5:00pm: I go home and make a cup of tea and arrange to meet my friend at the cinema to distract me. Food and a cinema ticket come to €21.45.
8:00pm: After the cinema, I walk the dogs and do some cross-stitching in front of the TV for the evening before bed.
Today's total: €95.45
8:00am: I get up and tend to the dogs and then get ready for work.
1:00pm: At lunchtime I go to a nearby charity shop and buy two coats and a pair of new shoes for €40. I don’t usually buy my clothes in charity shops but I have started doing it more recently. I saw a Stacey Dooley documentary about how much water is used in the creation of clothing and consciously made the decision to try not to buy new in future.
1:30pm: I buy some cotton buds and baby oil in the chemist (€2.90) and a packet of biscuits for the office for €1. I ring another garage and get a €300 quote for the work to be done on the other car which is not good but I feel a bit better about the first quote now!
6:00pm: I have a book launch to go to this evening after work so I rush home and get changed. I haven’t time to walk the dogs so I let them run in the garden.
7:00pm: I head to the local library where the book launch is on and attend the drinks reception after.
12:00am: I'm home and head to bed.
Today's total: €43.90
8:00am: I get up and bring one of the dogs to doggy daycare for a half-day treat as she still has quite a lot of puppy energy.
9:00am: I pop to another three garages for quotes on the car repair work - all of which are much higher than the first guy. I text the owner of the car I damaged and go to meet her. She knows the garage where I got the €250 quote so she’s happy to go there.
2:00pm: I pick the dog up from daycare (€10) and meet a friend for lunch (€14.85).
4:00pm: I get home, feed the dogs and I settle down to do some sewing but I find I’m fatigued after the day and we all doze on the couch. I find it difficult to do as much as I used to and I can suffer terrible brain fog also which makes me forget words and affects my ability to finish some sentences or even remember what I just said!
6:00pm: I wake up and make some dinner and then light the fire and settle in for the evening.
Today's total: €24.85
10:00am: I have a lazy morning and tend to the dogs and make some breakfast.
11:00am: I used to go to Slimming World but I can’t really afford it anymore. However, the girls meet for coffee in a local hotel after their early morning weigh-in so I go to join them. Some of them are in my sewing group also. I buy a tea in the hotel lobby for €2.50.
1:00pm: I potter about the house and garden for most of the day. I’m going to Galway with the dogs for a few days next week so I’m keeping my spending money. I don’t really have much money to go socialising with and if I’m honest, I’m not really into the pub scene anymore. It takes me about three days to recover if I’ve been out drinking and the loss of time just isn’t worth it anymore.
Today's total: €2.50
9:00am: I get up and I take the dogs to a local recreational area and let them explore for a bit.
11:00am: I pop in to see my parents and aunt on the way home. My nephew is there also - he’s four going on 84!
2:00pm: I go to Lidl to do the grocery shopping which comes in around €56.
3:00pm: The lady whose car I hit text me to say she will drop it into the garage on Monday and I reply that my father will drop the money to the garage when it's ready. I make a note to ask dad to lend me that money until I can get to my savings.
5:oopm: I finish my Sunday by prepping a chair for painting, lighting the fire, cooking dinner and snuggling down with my two fur babies to do some cross-stitch and watch TV.
Today's total: €56
***
What I learned:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The whole ‘parliament’ thing needs to be examined – It is not democracy to go to the pub then pass legislation that affects the whole population and then not listening to the opposition or not allowing them to talk.
@eastsmer #IRExit: It’s one this to describe the forum examining Dáil privilege as an “expert one”, but exactly how does Mary Hanafin and Conor Brady qualify as legal or constitutional experts?
As far as I can see the only thing they both have in common is an innate ability to look after their own interests and Hanafin ‘obtained’ a diploma in legal studies from DIT. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, another outcome written before the forum meets.
@eastsmer #IRExit: We are governed by a sound bite government of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the fact their intellects are eclipsed by their egos is becoming more apparent each passing day.
@The Risen:
They couldn’t nail him in court now they’re trying to silence him in the Dail.
Paul Murphy’s influence grows stronger by the week.
The rightful heir to Joe Higgins throne.
Comic Gold.
@Hurt Stoogie:
The 2% who brought the government to its knees over Irish Water and have instilled such fear and trepidation in Fine Tory that other much touted financial impositions such as a Broadcasting Charge and and privatised waste management proposals have been hastily shelved.
The current establishment are the enemy of the people and Paul Murphy is our champion.
@Emmet Dillane: 2%? That from a polling company, is it?
In a recent case taken by a certain Denis O’Brien, the Supreme Court ruled that Dail privilege is an absolute right defined as such in the Constitution. So the C.C. has no right to curtail it. The people alone have the right to censure a TD by declining to re-elect him. In a country where there have been too many secrets for too many decades we should value Dail privilege highly now that we are finally electing some TDs with the courage to use it.
There is no basis for using the Dail’s rules to science an individual member. The TDs do not answer to each other. They answer to us.
As the issue is covered by the constitution then I would have thought that the Supreme Court is the only forum which has the authority to definitively decide such matters.
@Jimmy McCarthy: There might well be actions taken by the committee which are then challenged in court.
Did the Gardai, commit perjury and why doesn’t the AG bring charges for it?
No.
Beachside, no.
@Stephen murphy: it appears there’s no offence of perjury in Ireland on the statute books ; though perverting the course of justice does exist.
The establishment cannot contain themselves. We need to overthrow the government.
Is that Mary who the people of Dunlaoighre said no thanks. If it is it really does show no difference between the two government party’s . F/F F/G. Are they getting payed?
Why now does the Ceann Comhairle need to examine when Dail Privilege is exceeded! He is the Ceann Comhairle, and as so, should Know when, or not it’s breached! Why Now does he need an Expert Group to examine this! He either knows his Job, or he doesn’t. Which is it?
@Hurt Stoogie: Put back in their boxes? Not a fan of free and open democracy then are you ye blueshirt bootlick?
You have to laugh at this meaningless bullsh!t. What did we ever do in days before:
Tribunals
Hearings
Reports
Commissions
Inquiries
Probes
investigations
Special task forces
Citizens assemblies
And now Expert forums…..
“Summer recess” youd be amazed what all that free time does to the mind in The Dail Bar. Just wait for the Tin Foil Hat Treaty
What a waste of time and money. Murphy was not convicted of anything yet our Taoiseach accused him of being a thug. Then the Taoiseach should be reprimanded and told to Mind his rhetoric in future.
@Paul Coughlan: Thuggery is not a criminal offence.
@Paul Coughlan: he didn’t accuse him of being a thug . He said that there was a lot of thuggery going on that day . There’s a difference. ..
EXpert FORUM ,can we be tolled what exactly these guys are expert in ,maybe gombeenism .
@The Risen: Murphy and Mary Lou, who lied in the Dáil, need to be put back in their boxes.
@Hurt Stoogie: Just to clarify, before I report your comment, was it directed at me?
@The Risen: you ok hun? PMSL
@james connolly: Someone must have reported all Risen/Jammin’s defamatory comments…
The words kangaroo and court and exceeding your authority spring to mind.
Expert forum to shut up those whom go against the status quo… FG FF LIEBOUR hate the likes of P Murphy. His stature is growing and they need him nullified. Courts couldn’t so Dail will try.. Fools adding to his rise ..
Lols
@Emmet Dillane: yes, the 2% popular party..
@Hurt Stoogie: It’s name calling but never mind I understand your connection with reality is fairly tentative.
@The Risen: poor snowflake.. what comment? That Mary Lou lied in the Dáil or that Pbp are on 2%? Are you jamming?
@Hurt Stoogie: It’s ironic that you resort to name calling given your comment about the “brainless left”
@Hurt Stoogie: Thought so. All mouth, no pantaloons.
@The Risen: watching that runt murphy being put in him box by Leo was one of the truly epic Dail moments.
@james connolly: it was a great moment …
@The Risen: Is “the Risen” your real name shinnerbot?
Solicitors for the Gardaí will like to know when they’re suing you for defamation…
@The Risen: At least he made it to Barcelona to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution. Fond memories include: 15 million dead in the ensuing chaos, dictatorship of the proletariat, Lenin, Stalin. Good times.
@Emmet Dillane: Paul Murphy is no Joe Higgins
@Bryan Kelly: telling lies us free and open is it? Calling names is the resort of the brainless left…
@Diarmuid: But Diarmuid I suspect they can spell better then you can. Maybe we should stop educating these wild left wingers?
@ Butt hurt
Probably time that you considered reinventing yourself again stoogie
@Hurt Stoogie: Poor Risen/Were Jammin/For Connolly is pure jealy he’s not one of the Jobstown Martyrs.
@Diarmuid: the poor snowflake is rather upset that everyone see murphy for the thug that he is
@The Risen: thought what? I notice you don’t engage in discussion re points made about dear deputy leaders lie in the Dáil… all mouth, no actual balls.
Expert Forum needed to establish how those idiots got in the Dail, don’t mind worrying about privileges.
@Kerry Blake: it’s not name calling, it’s stating facts.
@high ho silver: and that gives Murphy the right to break the Dail rules?
One embarrassment after another…
What a load of loaded nonsense
One woman in a 4 person panel. It would have been nice to see gender balance.
have your say