Money Diary: A Senior Delivery Consultant On £75,000

This week: "I’m 33 and live in Kent with my husband (S), our dog (B) and our cat (C). We’ve been together for nine years, married for three-and-a-half and bought our house four years ago. I work as a senior delivery manager at a consulting firm that partners with the Government to build services. It’s meaningful work and although it’s a big shift from the private sector project management roles I’ve held over the past decade, I’m enjoying the change of pace. After experiencing several miscarriages over the past three years, my husband and I are now going through IVF. Because we’re both otherwise healthy and have been able to conceive naturally, we don’t qualify for IVF through the NHS — which means we're covering the full (and very high) cost ourselves. This week, I started the stimulation medication that precedes the egg collection and while I'm quite nervous about the process, I'm also very hopeful that this will work for us. We’re also working through some personal debt from a financially intense few years, including credit cards and a personal loan."

Occupation: Senior delivery consultant
Industry: Business consulting (Government)
Age: 33
Location: Kent
Salary: £75,000
Joint income: My husband is employed part-time with the NHS and also does private healthcare work through his own small business. His income per year is about £28k gross (part-time NHS) + about £20k dividends (from the business). His monthly pay varies depending on what night shifts and overtime he does, but it's usually about £3,500 per month net income. We pool our money into a joint account and all of our bills come of out that.
Assets: We have £4,000 in an ISA, our house, which is mortgaged and our car, which is on a PCP agreement.
Debt: £25,000
Paycheque Amount: £4,300
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Monthly Housing Costs: We own our home, which is mortgaged and our payment is £1,300 a month.
Utilities: £164 council tax; £200 gas & electric, £45 water.
Number of Housemates: One, my husband S, plus our dog B and cat C.
Monthly Loan Payments: £2,350
Pension: There's £42k in my pension and I contribute £146 into it per month, which my employer matches.
All Other Monthly Expenses: £1,200 credit cards (£17k credit card debt across five cards), £300 personal loan (took out in 2021 to replace the roof on our house - current balance is £8.5k), £400 IVF treatment on finance, £450 Car PCP finance, £890 HMRC tax repayment and payments on account £890, £400 stocks & shares ISA, £138 car and home insurance bundle, £65 life insurance, £31 pet insurance, £33 vet plan, £39.35 car service plan, £45 mobile phone, £35 internet, £60 gym membership. All of the loans, household payments and IVF are split with my husband.

Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I went to uni in Australia and took out a government-funded HELP loan (Higher Education Loan Plan) to pay for it. I make annual payments into it based on my UK income. There's about £10k left on it to pay off.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I had conversations with my parents about splitting income into pots and savings and we lived very frugally during my childhood. I got pocket money from my parents for doing 'extra' chores and from that money had to pay 'tax' which my parents put into a savings account for me and put aside money to save up and then got the rest as spending money. When I got my first job my 'tax' payment went up, and I started paying rent to my parents.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I got a weekend job in a bakery when I turned 15 and that was for spending money, rent to my parents and savings.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes and no. I knew we weren't well off - all of our groceries were from Aldi and other cheap stores, our furniture was from charity shops and my uniforms and afterschool clothes were all from second hand and charity shops, but my parents protected me from worrying about money e.g. they never told me 'no we can't afford that', they would reframe the statement to something like 'let's save up for that' instead.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes. While my income is high and my husband's income is very decent, we have high outgoings and lots of debt that we're paying off. We got ourselves into this debt and we are chipping away at it, but it is stressful not to have much 'spare' money.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
I became fully financially responsible when I moved out of home at 20, but I did occasionally have financial help from family. Now at 33, I don't have any financial support from family, but my husband's family is quite well off and has said they would help us out if we got into a bind.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
No.

6:00 a.m. — Buy a return train ticket to London to go to my first IVF appointment for a baseline scan, blood tests and to collect my medication. After five miscarriages, this is the next step and I am equally nervous and hopeful that this will work for us. Use the Split My Fare website and my Network Rail card to get the cheapest possible ticket combination, £41.32.

06:09 a.m. — Get a decaf oat milk latte (no caffeine during IVF - sob) and a pain au chocolat from the train station cafe. Little sweet treat to settle my nerves, £5.

8:48 a.m. — Eye-wateringly expensive IVF meds, £1,008.10. We have a finance plan for the treatment itself, but meds aren't included in that package. Put it on the credit card to make it future-me's problem. The appointment was not as scary as I thought it would be and I feel prepared for the weeks ahead. Injections start tonight!

9:26 a.m. — Get a decaf oat macchiato at the train station while I wait for my train home, £2.89.

11:54 a.m. — Grab a chew stick for my dog B, £2.49. to apologise for leaving him alone while I went to London (I was only gone five hours, but still!)

11:58 p.m. — TFL tube expenses from today's travel come out of my account, £5.80.

8:00 a.m. — Wake up and do my IVF stimulation meds. I’m taking Gonal F and Menopur - both of which are subcutaneous injections given into the skin of the tummy. I’ve already got a couple of little bruises popping up, but now doing the injections doesn’t take me very long and I can move on to making breakfast quickly.

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast of Greek yoghurt and muesli, a wrap with halloumi and scrambled eggs, and a decaf (sob) French press coffee.

10:00 a.m. — Walk into town for a look around the charity shops with my friend P. She buys a pretty purple dress and a matching cardigan. Afterwards, we go for a coffee. P kindly pays.

1:00 p.m. — Take our dog B for a walk in the local park. It’s a lovely day today: blue sky, light breeze, warm but not hot and B walks very nicely on his lead and doesn’t bark at any other dogs. Good for the soul.

3:50 p.m. — Dash back into town to get an emergency prescription for my Sertraline as I realised this morning I had run out but then forgot to get them when I was in town earlier (oops). The pharmacist was not happy with me, but a girl needs her happy skittles, £9.90.

6:52 p.m. — Two movie tickets and a popcorn and drink bundle purchased with my husband's Blue Light Card discount for us to go see the Thunderbolts. I absolutely loved it and think Florence Pugh killed it, £32.

7:30 a.m. — Wake up and make breakfast. Just a wrap with eggs today. The cat (C) is screaming for his breakfast, even though his food comes out of an automatically timed machine at 8am every day. Dog (B) doesn’t want to go out for a wee as it’s raining and he hates going out when it's wet.

8:00 a.m. — IVF stimulation meds. They hurt today. My stomach feels tender and my lower back is starting to ache and my boobs are definitely responding to the meds as well. So sore! I take it easy for a bit on the sofa with a hot water bottle. The cat joins me, curled up like a little bread loaf on my legs.

9:30 a.m. — We take the dog for a walk. It's grey and damp still, but at least he gets to sniff everything within a two-mile radius. Cat remains completely unbothered, snoozing in his favourite spot.

10:00 a.m. — Have a very lazy day today - feeling lethargic and bloated from my IVF meds. My husband puts on a Sunday playlist on YouTube and potters around tidying. I stretch out on the sofa, doomscrolling aimlessly, and doze off.

1:00 p.m. - My husband wakes me up and presents me with lunch, hot garlicky broth with rice noodles, veggies, poached eggs and salmon. The dog stares at us while we eat like he's never been fed in his life.

2:43 p.m. — Small grocery shop for a few top-up bits. Bananas, wraps, halloumi, a prawn salad for my husband's lunch at work, and some chocolate, £17.89.

3:00 p.m. — Demolish the chocolate and fall asleep on the couch again, this time with the dog curled up in the crook of my knees.

6:43 p.m. — Wake up suddenly, feeling sweaty and gross. I have a shower to freshen up and wash my hair. 

8:00 p.m. — I lay out my clothes for tomorrow. I’ll be up very early to go into London for my next scan.

9:00 p.m. — Say goodnight to my husband (he’s off to night shift soon), head to bed and fall asleep quickly.

11:15 p.m. — My husband leaves, and buys fuel on his way to night shift, £17.37.

5:15 a.m. — Early start. I didn’t sleep very well, and wake up very groggy. Starting to experience night sweats from the IVF meds. Do not recommend! 

5:50 a.m. — Buy a return ticket to London using my Network Rail railcard and split my fare again, £37.60. Slightly cheaper this time as I got an advanced single ticket home rather than an off-peak anytime ticket. Bit of a gamble, but it all works out with time to spare. Winning. This trip is for my second scan and follow-up bloods to check that the medications are doing what they are supposed to.

6:00 a.m. — Decaf oat latte for me and cappuccino for my lovely friend P, who is meeting me on the train and accompanying me to my IVF appointment for moral support. She insists I don't need to, but I want to, it's the least I can do, £7.60.

7:15 a.m. — We get to London and walk to the clinic. I'm so grateful to have her with me. It's strange how normal the city looks when you're walking to a fertility appointment. Everyone else is rushing to work and I'm thinking about follicles and hormone levels.

7:30 a.m. — We’re early to my appointment, so we pop around the corner for another coffee. Decaf oat milk latte for me, cappuccino for P. She pays.

8:00 a.m. — Check in for my appointment, and do my injections while I wait for my name to be called. First is my scan, an internal ultrasound to check the development of my follicles. It is uncomfortable, but the technician makes it quick. Then I go upstairs to have my bloods drawn. The nurse says things are progressing, but slower than they'd like, so my meds will be increased. Trying not to overthink it.

9:15 a.m. — All done, and back on the tube headed for home. Make it to Charing Cross and have a bit of a wait for my train.

9:40 a.m. — Get on the train and zone out for an hour.

10:42 a.m. — Arrive at the train station near home. Grab a little treat for the dog on my way home, bribery for leaving him so early this morning, £2.49.

11:00 a.m. — Get home to a very excited dog and a nonchalant cat. Log on for work and get absorbed into meetings and other work all afternoon. Barely have time to make a tea, let alone think about the change in my IVF program.

5:00 p.m. — Early dinner, and set up for a bit of a stretch, followed by snuggling on the couch with the dog. My husband is on a night shift again, so it's just me and the animals this evening.

11:59 p.m. — Tube travel expense comes out of my account for today's underground travel, £5.80.

7:00 a.m. — Up and do my meds. Higher dose really stings. After that, I have a slow morning, pottering around before work. Feeling wiped from yesterday’s appointment and the meds increase. My stomach looks and feels like I’ve eaten a rugby ball. Even bending down to feed the dog feels like an Olympic event.

9:00 a.m. — Log on for work. My usual hours are 9-5, but work has been really flexible with my IVF appointments. Today’s a standard one, a mix of meetings (about four hours worth) and helping my team with admin bits, questions, and general support. Between meetings, I sip ginger cordial and try not to look as nauseous as I feel on Teams.

2:55 p.m. — Big grocery shop ordered from Morrisons, £85.36. Got berries, oat milk, halloumi, feta, Greek yogurt, salmon, chicken, salad leaves, dog food, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, muesli, rice, soda water and ginger cordial. The IVF meds have been making me nauseous and the ginger/soda water combo is keeping me sane!

3:00 p.m. — Quickly unpack the delivery before my next meeting. The dog supervises every item like it were for him. I pay the cheese tax and he retreats to his bed, very pleased with himself.

5:15 p.m. — Finish work for the day. I’m completely drained but grateful to be working. It’s a distraction, even if I feel like my brain is running on fumes.

6:30 p.m. — We throw together an easy dinner, salmon with rice and broccoli. I can't stomach anything too heavy at the moment.

8:00 p.m. — Couch, tea, and trash TV to distract from the nerves about this week's appointments.

10:00 p.m. — Collapse into bed and fall asleep quickly.

5:30 a.m. — Early start for another London trip for a scan. I call in sick today as I barely slept and can’t imagine logging onto work after my scan. My stomach feels like it’s full of marbles and I’m so nervous. I feed the dog and let him out before getting ready (the cat will be fed by his automatic feeder).

5:51 a.m. — Buy a return ticket to London using my Network Rail railcard and split my fare again, £37.60. Same routine as last time, it’s still cheaper than a standard ticket, though it's always a gamble timing-wise.

6:05 a.m. — Grab a decaf oat latte for me and a black coffee for my husband, who's coming with me this time. He managed to get the day off so we can do the scan together and maybe squeeze in a bit of fresh air later, £7.60.

9:00 a.m. — Scan and bloods done. The nurse confirms that the increased meds are helping, but my body is still being a bit slow to respond. They think I’ll need a few more days before egg collection. Trying to stay positive but honestly, I’m shattered.

11:13 a.m. — When we get home, we decide to make the most of the day and head to Reculver Towers with the dog for a walk and a change of scenery. It’s blustery but beautiful. The sea air feels good after the tension of the morning.

11:45 a.m. — Pay for parking, £3.10. Grab coffee and a light snack, £15.75. The dog has the time of his life sniffing every blade of grass and rock on the beach. He is a very good boy and doesn’t bark at any other dogs.

5:03 p.m. — Pop into the Co-Op for a non-alcoholic beer and some chocolate on the way home. Stressing about this week's IVF appointments, even though today’s scan brought a bit of reassurance, £6.05.

7:00 p.m. — Dinner is leftovers from the big shop. I sip my non-alcoholic beer and cling to the placebo effect.

10:00 p.m. — Bed.

11:58 p.m. — Tube fare for the trip comes out of my account, £5.80.

6:00 a.m. — Up early with the animals. The cat is in full chaos gremlin mode, zooming around the house and knocking things off shelves for absolutely no reason. The dog looks mildly offended but also resigned to the madness.

7:30 a.m. — Quick breakfast and meds. The IVF injections have officially taken over my morning routine. At this point, I feel like a human pin cushion. My stomach is so bloated I’ve given up on real clothes and am living in leggings and cardigans.

9:00 a.m. — Log on for work. Work has been really flexible with everything going on. Today is a full-on one, about six hours of meetings plus helping the team with admin bits, answering questions, and generally keeping things running. Feeling nauseous and gross, and glad to have my camera off for most of my meetings.

11:00 a.m. — Quick tea break and a stretch. Even sitting feels uncomfortable at this point.

1:41 p.m. — My husband pays for his Life in the UK test. He’s an Irish citizen, so has the right to live and work here, but he wants to get his UK citizenship sorted, £79.

2:00 p.m. — Back to work after a lunch break of rice, tinned tuna and salad. More meetings, emails and Slack messages. My brain feels foggy, but having work as a distraction is probably saving me from spiralling with anxiety.

5:00 p.m. — Sign off for the day. Absolutely exhausted but relieved to have work done. Tomorrow is another scan and blood test — everything feels very “wait and see” at the moment, which is honestly draining.

5:30 p.m. — I squeeze in a quick dog walk after finishing up work. The weather is decent and the fresh air helps clear my head. The dog is thrilled, sniffs everything, and is a very good boy on the lead; the cat joins us for the first few blocks until I shoo him home before we get outside his mental map.

6:30 p.m. — Easy dinner of salmon from the Morrisons delivery with some veg.

8:00 p.m. — Early night with Netflix and hot water bottles. I’ve officially hit the stage of IVF where moving feels optional.

10:00 p.m. — Bed and asleep before I hit the pillow.

Total: £1,436.51

Food & Drink: £148.14
Entertainment: £32
Home & Health: £1,055.60
Clothes & Beauty £0
Transportation £116.79
Other £83.98

"This was a fairly normal week, except for the train tickets into London and the IVF meds, as I normally only go to London for work once every two months. Recording my spending definitely made me think twice about how much coffee I buy out! For those interested, our first round of IVF that we did was unsuccessful (no viable embryos) and we are starting another round at the end of this week."