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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 a venture capitalist from Sheffield...
"I earn a pretty good salary for my location but not that great for my industry, although I really love my job. I'm at the stage now where I'm considering options in London, where I would earn at least three times my salary and look to buy a house there. I save regularly into a H2B ISA and LISA and also a fixed-term account. Beyond that I don't budget at all. Living alone and being single, socialising is really important to me and I probably eat out a couple of times a week. I'm never quite sure if I'll be home so I do a food shop as I go. I love clothes and tend to buy every season. At one point I was getting deliveries weekly but I do return a lot as sizing can be so varied. My weakness is designer bags. I bought one (a Valentino Glam Lock) in April and I've got my eye on a Gucci Sylvie bag next, although with this type of purchase I save up and shop around consignment stores for the best price. I’ll wait months or up to a year until I find a deal. Looking to the future, I'm thinking that I really need to accelerate my budgeting, especially if I relocate. Although I am thinking about buying a convertible next year!"
Industry: Private Equity
Age: 31
Location: Sheffield
Salary: £42k
Paycheque amount: £2,408 monthly plus annual bonus c.£5k this year
Number of housemates: 0 (I don’t think I could live with anyone ever again!)
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £675 for a one-bedroom flat. Includes Wi-Fi. It’s just gone up from £645 after two years.
Loan payments: Student loan taken pre-paycheque: £100. Credit card: £200. Years ago I was in a low place and ignored some credit accounts and so ended up with a couple of defaults, which finally dropped off my credit file at the beginning of this year. Throughout that time I used a Capital One card to help rebuild my credit, paying for petrol and parking and paying off in full every month. I recently got an Amex Gold card for the points, lounge passes and priority ticket booking. I still pay it off every month.
Utilities: Water: £46.35 quarterly; Council tax: £82.80; Electricity: currently £160 a month because British Gas didn’t register my meter readings for over a year. I think my actual usage is £50. I’m planning on switching suppliers, most likely to Bulb.
Transportation: £50. I usually walk to and from work and only really use my car on evenings and weekends. It’s a diesel and really economical.
Phone bill: £15 sim-only tariff. Managed to blag 50% friends and family discount from an acquaintance, which I’ve rolled over by changing the tariff rather than the contract.
Savings: £400 into a Club Lloyd’s monthly saver which will give me interest of 3% at the end of 12 months. £200 into my Help to Buy ISA. I also have a LISA but the interest rate is much higher on my H2B. I’m taking advantage of that and the fact it has no withdrawal fees and will transfer my full £4k allowance to the LISA before the end of the financial year.
Other? Gym: £43 (after what became an unhealthy obsession with the gym, going five or six times a week, I’ve taken a break for a few months. I think I’m ready to go back, though. Spotify: £4.99 (brother’s student code used). Amazon Prime: Six-month free trial using my brother’s uni email. I have no shame! Netflix: Free using a family account.
I also tithe 10% of my salary to my church. I’ve only recently started doing this as I’d never understood it. Now I’ve looked into it and feel it’s the right thing for me with the bonus that the money is being put to good use, as my church has loads of outreach programmes for those in need in our city and beyond.
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Day One
5.30am: Wake up in a London hotel. I went to an investor dinner last night in a private room and all the champagne I had has disturbed my sleep. Scroll through IG then doze off.
9.30am: Have a fortifying cooked breakfast and head into our London office. Although it’s a Friday, I have term sheets to get out and board calls to do.
12pm: Catch up with a friend for lunch. We recently made up after not speaking to each other for months. I’m a champion grudge-holder (I once didn’t speak to my dad in the same house for three months!) but I’m trying to change. Truffle fries and a fishcake restore my soul. Work will reimburse me £10 and I’ll pay the remaining £5.
4pm: Head back up north on the train. Grab a bottle of water at the station, which I’ll expense. The carriage is pretty quiet so I finish off some work. Have a slight moment of annoyance when a guy gets on and I can hear his music from across the table (why is it always the worst kind of dance music?) but luckily he switches it off and falls asleep.
6.30pm: After a couple of days away, I go to my happy place: Home Bargains. I only need one thing (plastic shot glasses for jelly shots) so debate whether to grab a basket. I stop fooling myself and pick one up. I come out with an aroma diffuser, toilet discs, fabric conditioner, carpet stain remover and garlic crackers but no shot glasses (out of stock) – but I do get my friend a housewarming/birthday present and gift bag. Have an awkward moment where I try and use my Amex and it ends up freezing the till, with people lining up behind me (FYI they don’t accept Amex!). £21.01
7.15pm: Try the shop next door and still no shot glasses. Head to Tesco and finally find them! No basket this time but I need a new bulb for my cooker hood and spot some salted caramel cake protein ice cream on special offer. Also buy a big pack of Starburst gum, £10.50. Realise I forgot to get vodka at Home Bargains! After years of refining, my recipe calls for the cheapest possible brand (the impurities are the secret ingredient). I pop into my local newsagent. £6.79
8.15pm: Use the shot glasses to make jelly shots for my friend’s party tomorrow night. On my way back from her place I think about what I’m going to eat for the weekend so stop at Waitrose to look at the reduced aisle. I’m out of the house so much it doesn’t make sense to buy fresh food in bulk and so I don’t really keep much in the fridge. Find a solitary cod fishcake, also Actimel and Greek yoghurt are half-price so I get them, alongside crumpets for the weekend. £5.16
8.30pm: Finally get home, plug in my new diffuser and eat some of the crackers I bought earlier for dinner. I’ve eaten out my last five meals so I just want something light. I curl up on the sofa to catch up on my shows. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Bodyguard but episode 4 was a lot more exciting than the previous one! Also catch up on the new Jersey Shore. I keep forgetting how funny it is and Vinnie is still bae. Go to bed around 11pm.
Total: £48.46
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Day Two
8.30am: Wake up. I find as I’ve got older, I’ve lost my ability to sleep in! Play around on my phone for a while and then doze until my alarm goes off at 10. Have a couple of the crumpets I bought yesterday and get ready. I’m singing backing vocals for some tracks a friend is recording today.
11am: Head to the live venue and pay for four hours’ parking, which is the maximum stay, £2.80. We’ll be recording for five hours so I’ll have to move it at some point.
1.15pm: Recording is going really well. The harmonies are tight and creativity is flowing. We break for lunch and it’s the only break we’ll have so I need to move my car now. Find another road and pay for three hours. £2.10
4.30pm: All done! My body aches from being stood up the whole time in one spot. I’m also starving so head to M&S. I find fresh burgers reduced to 80p and brioche buns for 20p! I love an M&S bargain. My personal best haul was £35 of food for £5 about an hour before closing. I also get some salad because my body is a temple. Unfortunately, the one I like isn’t reduced, £3.30. Get home and sit in my car for 30 minutes before I have the energy to get out. Have one of the burgers and my fishcake from yesterday. Decide against the salad today. Start watching Ocean’s 8 and then pause it to have a nap. My friend’s party starts at 7.30pm so naturally I set my alarm for that exact time.
7.30pm: Alarm goes off and I wake myself up slowly. My bed is looking really comfortable and I wonder if my friend will mind if I don’t go. Decide that I really should and start getting ready. I’m ready, but Uber evidently isn’t. Spend a bit of time trying to avoid surge pricing and finally leave at 9.45pm. No one is surprised that I’m late but it’s an open house anyway which surely means timing is flexible. £4.32
12am: A few jelly shots and chilled vibes later, the party’s over. We’re all too tired to head out anywhere and I can’t wait to take my bra off. Wait until Uber surge goes down to 1.2x and decide going home is better than saving pennies, £5.15. Fall into bed without taking my makeup off. I never do this but I’m exhausted and spend an awkward night using my hand as a shield to avoid getting it on the pillow. Give up and wash my face at 4am.
Total: £17.67
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Day Three
8.30am: Wake up. Spend an hour browsing for new clothes online. I really need a wardrobe overhaul as a lot of my being late is not knowing what to wear. Find some cute things and leave them on browser tabs for later. I’m interrupted at 9.30am by a phone call from a number I don’t recognise. Turns out to be a guy from my past wanting to reconnect. I have zero romantic interest in him now and tell him so but somehow end up agreeing to meet up after the promise of free food. Immediately regret it but that’s a problem for Future Me to worry about.
2pm: Meet a friend for lunch after spending the morning on my phone/catching up on Greenleaf and eating crumpets. We’ve not seen each other for ages so it’s nice to catch up. We go to a Sardinian restaurant. We’re the only ones in there but the food is insane! We share a Sardinian garlic crisp bread and I get a traditional lamb pasta dish. It’s massive and I’m full halfway through but it’s so delicious I refuse to not eat every last bite. I know the owner and he gives us free limoncello. We split the bill. £15
7.30pm: Head to church after spending the afternoon doing life admin. I finally got around to returning a £102 clothes order. I usually pay for clothes on my credit card so I only end up paying out for what I keep. The sermon is spot on for what I’m going through right now and I leave feeling so much lighter and positive.
9.30pm: Decide against eating again today as I had a late lunch. Get myself ready for work then get into bed, checking out the latest on the LPA x Revolve tea via Diet Prada’s IG. Fall asleep around midnight reading Reni Eddo-Lodge.
Total: £15
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Day Four
8.15am: Alarm goes off and my intentions of springing out of bed go out of the window. I check my IG before reluctantly getting out of bed.
12.30pm: Work has been a blur, I've got a million things to do and I'm only really in the office for three days this week. Go and pick up my now reheeled fave pair of going-out shoes (£7 already paid for). I was going to get them resoled too but the total cost was almost the same as the shoes cost new! I missed breakfast because I wasn't hungry but now I'm starving. Head to M&S for a salmon skewer and salad meal deal, £5; can't resist getting some wasabi peas for an afternoon snack, although they aren't yellow labelled, £1.20. I have a few domain names that I bought years ago and am not ready to part with. Two of them are up for renewal but I only do a year this time in the hope I’ll have let go of my foolish dream of making money from them by then. £24.58
6pm: Finally leave work after back-to-back meetings. Pay for parking, £5.50. I’ve had some anxiety recently and I’ve been driving to work to avoid unnecessary people. It’s a choice between driving or not going to work so I’ve chosen driving in the short term. I book my pre-holiday eyebrow appointment, which takes a small deposit, 60p. My eyebrow lady isn't the most convenient to get to but she's the only person in the world I trust with them (one of my friends still comes up from London to see her!).
7.30pm: Go and visit a friend and her baby for cuddles and a catch up. It feels like all my friends are having babies now but I'm embracing being an aunty and getting to hand them back! Uber Eats sent me a £10 off £20 code so we order woodfired pizza from a local place. It's so crispy and delicious. She pays and I transfer her my share. £7.50
10pm: I'm exhausted. Get home and fall into bed, catching up on Insecure until I fall asleep.
Total: £44.38
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Day Five
8.15am: Start the day with my usual alarm/IG routine. (Who actually gets out of bed straightaway?)
9.30am: Buy porridge from the office tuck shop. 30p
1pm: The last month has been mad for me at work but this week especially so. I’m writing two term sheets, I have one new investment due to close next week and one potential disposal. I love what I do but sometimes it’s just too much for one person to handle. Order sushi for collection, which gives me 10% off over picking it up from the restaurant. £4.50
3pm: Someone’s leaving card and collection comes round. I always put in a couple of quid even if I don’t really know them. Do unto others and all that. £2
7pm: Finally leave the office. Pay for parking, £5.50. Get home and eat the remaining burger and salad (my body is a temple) with wine (in semi-ruin).
10pm: I’m going on holiday next week and haven’t had time to do anything including buy holiday clothes. End up panic buying some from Boohoo (manage to combine two codes for a 20% discount). I previously paid for unlimited next-day delivery so they’ll arrive tomorrow, £135. I also find some things I like on ASOS. I spend about 45 mins trying to find a code. I even ask my brother for his student code but it doesn’t work. I hardly ever shop online without some sort of discount but finally have to admit defeat. At least shipping is free, £111. I fall asleep at 1.50am still looking at clothes.
Total: £258.30
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Day Six
7.30am: Wake up, check my phone, then doze until my alarm at 8.15. Have one much-needed snooze. After hearing nothing from the blast from the past (BFTP) guy, I see a "Hi" WhatsApp. It’s too early and I’m too tired to deal with this.
9.30am: Get to work and buy my usual porridge, 30p. I normally bring my own in but I haven’t seen the type I like on special offer. At least the profits go to charity.
12.30pm: Head to M&S for their chicken and salad meal deal, £5. Their clothes sale is on so I look for some new bras and work clothes. I find a couple of bras and a pair of comfortable work heels in the sale too. £40.50
3pm: It’s my last day in the office for a while so I’m trying to get everything done. I don’t really do caffeine and I’m worried my lack of sleep will push me to having sugar so I take a satsuma from our weekly fruit box. That doesn’t work so I end up having two chocolate digestives.
5.30pm: I haven’t finished everything but I’ve got things to do as I’m flying out to Spain tomorrow. Pay for parking, £5.50. My Boohoo order has arrived but I hate everything so it’s going back. I reorder a couple of things in the size up and this time there’s a straightforward 20% off code on their website. £58.50
7.30pm: Go to my weekly church house group. We always meet at someone’s house and have dinner together. Although I need to pack I’m really glad I went as we get to share some deep things with each other that have been playing on my mind the last week. Contribute £1.
10pm: I get home and I desperately need to pack for my work trip tomorrow so instead I decide to watch YouTube videos while lying on my bed. I’m the Chair of Procrastinators Anonymous. I decide to delete the message from BFTP without replying. I don’t need that drama in my life. Finally start packing. Go me! Decide to buy a cheap phone tripod on eBay for my holiday, £7.49. Finish packing and fall asleep at 1.30am.
Total: £118.29
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Day Seven
9am: Have a lie-in today and then get ready to leave for my trip.
10.30am: Uber to the station (£4.15) and bottle of water there (£1.45) but both expensed. I get on the train to Manchester Airport and although I have work to do I decide it’s a good time for more holiday shopping. Get a couple of pairs of jeans from Tu at Sainsbury’s. The sizing, quality and price are great and they do different leg lengths, £33. Do a Fashionworld order with a 20% discount code. I spend £175.69 but it goes on my account and I’ll return what I don’t like.
12.30pm: Arrive at the airport and check in. Buy another bottle of water (£1.99) but will be expensed.
3pm: My flight was delayed by 45 minutes. I haven’t eaten all day and I’m starving. Plane food it is. The guy next to me snags the last hot bacon cheese sandwich so I get into the tapas mood with olives, nachos and Spanish dried sausages. £9 (expensed).
6.15pm: My plane lands and I speed walk to get to immigration. I have a conference call at 6.30pm. Find a quiet corner but my work phone is saying no service, the Outlook app is permanently loading and my laptop isn’t showing the full conference call details! I decide my colleague can handle it alone and give up. Get a taxi to my hotel. £26 (expensed).
8pm: Check in – the room is lovely. I stay in a lot of hotels with work and sometimes my germophobia kicks in and I get the ick, but none of that here. The receptionist tells me there are some local restaurants in a nearby square so I head there and find one that is full of locals. I get a Spanish menu and test my skills with the help of Google. They offer me an English menu but I want to practise. Order some wine, £2 (we can’t expense alcohol) and dinner of prawns and pizza, £20 (expensed). Too full to finish my pizza and there’s not even space in my dessert stomach. Roll back to my hotel where I watch TV until I fall asleep around 11pm.
Total: £210.69
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The Breakdown
Food/Drink: £61.05
Entertainment: £0
Clothes/Beauty: £554.29
Travel: £30.87
Other: £66.58
Total: £712.79
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