ADVERTISEMENT
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 couple who met 4-5 years ago (depending on who’s counting) and since then have lived separately, together and on the other side of the world. They’ve spent a lot of money (and had a lot of fun) on dating, holidays and travelling adventures. In doing so, they've also learnt how to save, too – via joint bank accounts and savings accounts. They've recently stepped into the next stage of “adulting” and become homeowners, which is scary, exciting and deceptively expensive.
The couple have a shared savings account, which they use to pay for the “sensible” things, and their bank accounts for “fun” money. They also split “sensible” outgoings evenly, and aim to split “fun” outgoings evenly, too – call it Going Dutch.
Occupations: Art Director and Designer
Industries: Creative
Ages: 33 and 29
Location: London
Salaries (separate and combined): £40,000 + £45,000 = £85,000 combined
Paycheque amounts per month: £2,629 + £2,673
Number of housemates: Zero
Industries: Creative
Ages: 33 and 29
Location: London
Salaries (separate and combined): £40,000 + £45,000 = £85,000 combined
Paycheque amounts per month: £2,629 + £2,673
Number of housemates: Zero
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: Mortgage £641.67 each = £1,283.34 in total
Loan payments: Student loans paid off
Utilities: Council tax £161, Internet £30, Gas & Electricity £60, Water paid annual
Transportation: We both have bikes and try and cycle to work 3-4 times per week to save money, unless we have work meetings where we need to be smart. At the weekend it's mostly walking, or an Uber.
Phone bill: £18 + £18
Savings: £1,000 + £1,000 per month to pay for building work and house DIY we are in the middle of.
Other: Gym membership £18 (each), Spotify £9.99 (each), Netflix £7.49, Adobe £45
Insurance: House insurance £20 (each) and life insurance £20 (each) is part of buying a house and getting a joint mortgage.
Loan payments: Student loans paid off
Utilities: Council tax £161, Internet £30, Gas & Electricity £60, Water paid annual
Transportation: We both have bikes and try and cycle to work 3-4 times per week to save money, unless we have work meetings where we need to be smart. At the weekend it's mostly walking, or an Uber.
Phone bill: £18 + £18
Savings: £1,000 + £1,000 per month to pay for building work and house DIY we are in the middle of.
Other: Gym membership £18 (each), Spotify £9.99 (each), Netflix £7.49, Adobe £45
Insurance: House insurance £20 (each) and life insurance £20 (each) is part of buying a house and getting a joint mortgage.
Total: (£882.57 + £1,000 savings) + (£935.06 + £1,000 savings) = £3,817.63
Available to spend for the month: £747.03 + £737.43 = £1,529.43
ADVERTISEMENT