Money Diary Stepmum In Motherwell

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: "I am the busiest I have ever been in my life at this current moment. I work full-time with a charity as a financial capability officer which entails delivering financial education in primary schools, high schools and colleges, as well as money management workshops to adult community groups. This in no way means I am amazing with my own money, I just know a lot of different techniques for tracking and keeping on top of managing it, which is useful.

I am also a full-time Open University student, doing my first year of my degree in childhood and youth studies with the goal of being a primary teacher in the next five years. I am taking an odd day here and there off my job to do a voluntary placement in a primary school. Along with working Monday-Friday and studying, I am getting married to my boyfriend soon, which is all very exciting but approaching so quickly with a very long to-do list still to be completed. Like I said, VERY BUSY! I am stepmum to a 6-year-old mini-me who stays with us every second weekend and is my little bestie. My fiancé is a full-time high school careers advisor and works basically every weekend in his other job as a musician in a wedding band."

Industry: Money advice charity
Age: 29
Location: Motherwell, Scotland
Salary: £29,500
Paycheque amount: £1,888
Number of housemates: One and a half (my stepdaughter)

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: £454 – split with fiancé
Loan payments: £158 for my car loan, £140 for my credit card
Utilities: All split with fiancé: Sky TV and broadband £62, TV licence £12.83, gas and electric £62
Transportation: Car insurance £48, petrol £75 (roughly – I get expenses for work mileage, so this varies)
Phone bill: £50
Savings? £250 for wedding, £75 for holiday/hen do – I also do a save the change with my bank account, so it rounds my card spending to the nearest pound and puts the change into a savings pot.