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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Money Diaries A healthcare worker preparing for retirement in the South East of the country This week, our reader is watching the spending habits and trying to keep on top of it all. 8.01pm, 20 Apr 2025 Share options WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances. We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week. Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you. 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, so let’s be kind. Last time around, we heard from a project engineer on €57K living in Leinster. This week, a healthcare worker on €46K who is preparing for retirement in the South East. I’m a healthcare worker working reduced hours in the sunny South East. I’m a hop, skip and a jump away from retirement and my hubby is retired already. I just thought I would give a diary from a different angle. I’m a spender and very bad at saving, but at least I can cover my costs. Occupation: Healthcare worker for all my years working Age: Over 60 Location: South East Salary: €46,000 per annum Monthly pay (net): €1,342.75 Monthly expenses Health insurance: €255.58 private health insurance for both of us Mobiles/broadband and TV: €107 – I recently changed providers so we’re new customers. Gas/electricity: Hubby puts €120 weekly into our ‘Bills’ account and this covers electricity/gas and phone/broadband per month. I keep an eye on it and top it up if necessary Car insurance/tax/NCT/service: €1,200 per annum Petrol: My job is community based so I tend to put €30 – €40 weekly in the car. House insurance and property tax: €800 p.a. Groceries: Average about €110 weekly for the basics and I tend to call in to the supermarket most days for meat, etc Loan: €120 paying back a small loan in the bank Savings: €120 savings into the Credit Union(they made me jump through hoops when I applied for the loan, but I got it no bother in the bank) Donations: €21 each to International Red Cross and Sightsavers Subscriptions: We don’t have any. 9.00 am: Get up. Had a bit of a lie in as I’m off today. Have cup of tea and toast and scroll through the news. 10.30 am: Do some housework and as it’s a lovely sunny day, I strip my bed and hang out the washing. 12.00 pm: Hubby and myself decide to head to the beach for a walk. Afterwards we have soup and brown bread in a café. (€12.40) 3.00 pm: Head home and relax for a while. 5.15 pm: I put the dinner together. I have chicken, ham, stuffing and coleslaw left since yesterday so I do some chips in the air fryer. If you don’t have one, I strongly endorse them. A fantastic invention! 7.30 pm: I head out for my evening craft class (€7). I’m preparing for retirement and trying out different interests. Advertisement 9.00 pm: Make a cup of tea and watch some telly. I’m a pure night owl so usually go to bed about 12.30 am. Today’s total: €19.40 6.40 am: Today is a work day so I normally get up this time and have my shower. Downstairs I sort out some clothes or empty the kitchen bin, whatever small jobs need to be done as I like to leave the place tidy. Hubby will do a wash or any hoovering later as needed. I have him well trained. 7.15 am: Have a cup of tea, a slice of toast and peanut butter. My diet is shocking and I keep saying I must look after my health, but overall I’m very rarely ill. 8.00 am: Start work. The mornings are always busy, following up with emails, phone call, queries. A quick meeting to sort out our morning. 10.10 am: Another cuppa and some homemade brown soda one of the girls made and I’m out the door. 1.30 pm: Stop off for a bit of lunch in a supermarket. Got a roll and coffee for lunch with a few bits needed at home (€26.42). While checking my bank app, I noticed my health insurance was paid today (€255.58). It usually comes out of my account between the 7th and 10th of the month. 3.30 pm: Back in the office to write up notes and take any messages off the phone. 5.00 pm: It’s a lovely sunny evening so I meet hubby and we do a lovely river walk on the way home. He has dinner ready so no pressure on us. 6.15 pm: Stop on the way home to put €40 petrol in the car for the rest of the week. 7.45 pm: I’m heading out again to my ballad group. It’s light hearted and good fun. We pay €5 per week and a deposit of €20 for an upcoming end of term outing. 10.00 pm: Home, cuppa, scrolling and in bed for 12.30am. Today’s total: €347.00 6.40 am: Up and showered again for work. Cup of green tea and half of a banana (my attempt at being good). 7.30 am: Having done a few household bits and reading the news, I’m out the door. 8.00 am: Start work as per yesterday. Most work days start the same – emails, calls and planning. 10.20 am: Have porridge, chia seeds and the other half of the banana and head off. I travel around my district doing house calls and the traffic and roadworks can make it very trying. 2.00 pm: I call in to a lovely deli and get goats’ cheese, relish and crackers. (€7.35) 3.40 pm: Back at the desk to write up the paperwork. 5.00 pm: Finished for the day. I love Wednesday evenings at home because I’m out the previous two and the TV is always good on Wednesday night. I enjoy programmes where they renovate houses or restore old buildings. 7.30 pm: My son calls with my grandson after training. I have three grandchildren and he is the eldest (9 years old). I give him €10 to get an ice cream on the way home. His birthday is soon so I will look after him then ☺ 9.00 pm: I’m all caught up with my programmes so I start a book I got for Mother’s Day. I think half of the mothers in the country got the same book from a famous Irish author. 12.40 am: Bed. Thank goodness I have no problem falling asleep and sleep soundly until the alarm goes off in the morning. Today’s total: €17.35 9.00 am: Day off again today so this is a lie-in. Once I wake, I have to get up. I decide to have a boiled egg and toast. Hubby heads off to the dentist so we plan to go to the beach for a walk again when he gets back. The weather is great at the moment so we have to make the most of it. 11.45 am: Head to the beach. We’re spoiled for choice here in the South East and we enjoy a long walk. 2.00 pm: We go for a bite to eat. I’m out for food later so I just have the soup and brown bread again and he has the carvery. (€24.20) 3.00 pm: Head home and read a few more pages of my book. I shower and get ready for going out. 6.00 pm: I meet a good friend for an early bird. We are going to a music event afterwards. She’s not great on the computer so I normally book and pay for the tickets and she pays for the early bird. My cost is €39. We have a lovely evening. 10.00 pm: Hubby went to the pub to watch a match so I meet him afterwards for a drink. 11.40 pm: Home and in bed exhausted. Related Reads Money Diaries: A project engineer on €57K living in Leinster Money Diaries: An audit associate on €31K living in Dublin Money Diaries: A laboratory specialist on €70K living in Dublin Today’s total: €63.20 6.40 am: Work today so I’m up and showered. Cup of coffee and slice of toast is bad before I head out the door. 8.00 am: Start work. Catch up with what I missed yesterday, return calls and emails. 10.00 am: I work with a great team and we try to treat ourselves on a Friday, so we take turns to bring in scones and croissants. It’s not my turn this week, but we enjoy a cuppa together and catch up with each other’s news. 10.45 am: Head out to do my calls. How is it that the whole city is on the move on a Friday? The traffic is manic, and it’s not helped by road works and the start of the Easter holidays. It’s at times like these I envy the teachers, but there’s no way I could do their job. 1.00 pm: Because of the late breakfast today, I skip lunch. I told hubby I would bring fish cakes (with gooey cheese in the middle – yum!) for dinner so I pick these up in the supermarket with some salad. (€17.10) 4.00 pm: Finish up for the week. I’m back on Monday. Pop in on the way home to get a gift for a good neighbour of mine who is going in for surgery shortly. (€27) 6.00 pm: Finished dinner and cleaned up. I’m going to take it easy for the evening. I do some of my crafting for next week’s class and then read my book. 9.00 pm: Everything stops for Gogglebox. I really enjoy it, with a glass or two of Rosé. 12.30 am: Bed. Today’s total: €44.10 9.30 am: I’m very late this morning. Start the day with boiled egg tea and toast. Hubby went to do the grocery shopping (I hate that job). It came to €101. After breakfast, I give the house a deep clean. 1.00 pm: Make toasted sandwiches and coleslaw for lunch. 3.00 pm: Neighbour calls to do a few jobs. I wanted to change a few taps and change door handles etc (€120). He has all the gear and in the end, he’s here for over two hours. 6.00 pm: Hubby makes a lovely stir fry and rice for dinner. 7.00 pm: We chill for the rest of the evening as Augusta (The Masters golf tournament) is on the telly. I read and keep an eye on it. 12.45 am: Bed. Today’s total: €221.00 9.30 am: I’m up late again. Throw in a wash and tidy up before having a cup of tea. 11.00 am: Mass. We have a lovely choir that sing a lot of the old hymns we learned in school so I always enjoy them. 1.00 pm: We do a brunch (fry up) from the shopping yesterday. 2.30 pm: Head out for a walk and a spin. Call in for a few craft bits on the way home. (€8.60) 4.40 pm: I call in to my neighbour and give her the gift I bought earlier in the week. We chat for about an hour and a half. 6.30 pm: Neither of the two of us want to cook, so we order takeaway. Hubby pays as I paid the neighbour yesterday. 8.00 pm: We usually go out to a music session on a Sunday night, but we’re both engrossed with Rory and the Green Jacket. I said I wouldn’t stay up for the end, but of course I end up doing just that – and what a finish! I could hardly sleep after it. So well deserved. No idea what time I eventually went to bed. Today’s total: €8.60 Weekly subtotal: €720.65 What I learned - I really need to look at and increase my savings. I have no cushion for a rainy day. I need to change my shopping habits. By going to the supermarket for bits most days, I never get to use my money off coupons. I could put that money in my savings. If you want to do something for charity that won’t cost you anything, I would urge you to please consider becoming a blood donor. It’s a precious commodity often in short supply. It’s easier than getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist and you could save a life. Thank you for reading my diary! Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. 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