Money Diary: A Transfer Guide In Portugal On £345 A Month

This week: "I'm 42 and have UK settled status, but I left London for Portugal during the pandemic. Since my last Money Diary covering my redundancy, I have done numerous interviews. I got chosen to do some very well-paid project-based consultancy, but the client ended up cancelling the project. I decided to do some training in tourism in May and I now work on a zero-hour contract for a tourist start-up while I search for another opportunity in project management or consultancy work."

Occupation: Transfer guide (I’m not a licensed guide, so I do not guide people visiting a destination, I just take them from A to B, take care of them and help the guide).
Industry: Tourism (temporarily while trying to get back to project management or consultant roles).
Age: 42
Location: Portugal
Salary: It is a zero-hours contract. I will likely make €3,000 (based on the job starting in May until the end of the year).
Paycheque Amount: The last one was €400 plus tips. I don't pay taxes (the first year as a freelancer in Portugal, you don’t pay taxes), so what I make goes into my pocket.
Number of housemates: One — my partner, M.
Pronouns: She/her

Housing costs: Right now I’m paying €340 as I make way less money than M, but in the past I was the one paying more.
Loan payments: None.
Pension: I’m on a waiting list to get notified when PEPP (a unified pension scheme across the EU) will be available in Portugal.
Savings: €124,500 in deposits (some long term, some easy access), including a €4.7k emergency fund.
Utilities: €15 electricity, €13 water, €15 5G broadband (my share).
All other monthly payments: €5 phone. I no longer have weekly massages, as they no longer offer the shorter and cheaper ones. So far I’m okay just with yoga and stretching, as the warm weather helps my condition. Subscriptions: €1 Disney+ for my share, €49.99/yearly Uber One.

Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I have a BA from my home country. I am lucky as my parents paid the fees and I was able to commute every day (although it was exhausting) from their home. I spent six months of my degree in a foreign country with two EU grants that covered all my expenses for that time.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
My parents lost a lot of money following 9/11 and other relatives and acquaintances lost capital in poor stock investments. This made me very conservative with money. There was never a formal financial education but there were general rules about never borrowing money. I had great holidays all my youth and we dined in nice restaurants, however, when my dad was made redundant, we struggled. My mum had to hide some spending from my dad, even if she was buying me a few books. 

If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?
I moved out to participate in the Erasmus scheme when I was 20. However, once I came back I was in and out for another two years between apprenticeships and low-paid jobs. I moved out for good at 23 and shortly after started cohabiting with my partner, M. When we both were out of work in London due to COVID, my parents kindly let us stay with them for a few months until I found a job and we moved to Portugal.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
At 23. Nobody covers any aspect of my financial life now. M and I have separate finances, but we do treat each other, depending on who has a better cash flow at the time (we've both had stints of unemployment and M has a few months when there is no work in her industry). For the next couple of months I will be in the worse situation so I am confident M will be offering some drinks/meals, as we normally do.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first real paid job was a six-month contract as a marketing and communications assistant for an airline where I had done my internship during uni. They offered me the same role in the Nordics, this time paid (€500/month plus two return tickets). It was little money, but I loved the job.

Do you worry about money now?
I do and I don’t! I don’t worry about the present as I am optimistic and I have good savings, but I do worry about the future, especially if I were to find myself unemployed again at an older age. I also worry about retirement (I am scared of looking at my combined pension from all the countries I've lived in).

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
Yes. When my grandpa passed away, my mum, extremely generously, gave me €60,000 from her inheritance. She said since I don’t have brothers or sisters, the money would one day be mine anyway and we have less when we are young. I've only ever used part of it when out of work to get me by and to pay the deposit on rentals. The rest is still invested. I know I am lucky and it was completely unexpected as I didn’t ask for any of it.

8:30 a.m. — Waking up in...Ibiza! Today is our wedding anniversary and we booked this treat a long time ago. I used the voucher they gave me last year when my return flight from Bilbao was cancelled (see the previous MD), so I didn’t pay anything for these return tickets.

9 a.m. — We have breakfast included as I have the Genius level with Booking.com — it is a freebie. We grab seats on the terrace with beautiful views of the bay and the pool. I have tea, a hash brown, tomatoes, cheese, a spoonful of scrambled eggs, guacamole on toast, a bit of fruit, juice and the best chocolate cookie ever. Selfies are in order with this panorama!

10:15 a.m. — We get changed and head off to the beach next door. We rent two sunbeds and a parasol for the whole day. My half is £10.79. We chill, read, watch boats passing by and bathe in the warm sea.

3:30 p.m. — M goes to a nearby minimarket and surprises me with a mini of pink cava, chilli plantain chips and mixed nuts. We toast to our anniversary. I’m touched. There is a background of music coming from our hotel’s pool where a DJ is playing for a few hours, so Ibiza! 

6 p.m. — We go to the room, as I can’t wait to get the salt off my skin, take a shower and put some aftersun on. We make love and I am genuinely happy and relaxed. Our previous big anniversary fell during the height of the pandemic, so I am really appreciative of everything now.

8 p.m. — There is a Latin night at the hotel’s restaurant, with a good value deal: guacamole with nachos, a cocktail (we get Palomas) and three tacos for £21.62 per person. A friend wanted to gift us an experience, so this was paid for by her (she Revoluts me the money).

9:30 p.m. — There is a hippy market in town, so we take a walk there and browse. M buys two items. I see nothing for myself, but I get a beautiful pareo for M, £9.51.

11 p.m. — Back to the room, I get ready for bed and prepare a backpack for tomorrow’s excursion. 

8:15 a.m. — We wake up after a great night's sleep (I heard only one person screaming briefly, compared to the previous night, which was a festival of slamming doors and making noise).

9:45 a.m. — After breakfast, we hop on the ferry to Formentera. We booked the return tickets online. They were expensive, but I didn’t want to miss visiting the smaller sister of Ibiza. My parents have given us a bit of cash to make this Formentera Day as our anniversary gift, so I pay with that.

11:30 a.m. — We buy an on-board bus ticket that includes a transfer to two separate beaches and then back to the port. We first go to the famous Illetes Beach. It is beautiful, but the sun is scorching and there is no shade. We swim, and once dry, hop on the bus for the next beach, more South. My parents have given us a bit of cash to make this Formentera day trip as our anniversary gift, so I pay with that.

1:45 p.m. — We walk from the bus stop to the beach and check out some nice shops along the way. We buy a bottle of water, four postcards and stamps (yes, we are weirdos who still send postcards to a chosen few). My half is £4.32.

6:20 p.m. — Back to the hotel. We rest and refresh, then get changed to go out for dinner to a place we booked this morning.

8:20 p.m. — We get a table on the veranda and order a bottle of water, two glasses of cava, a seafood paella and share a cava sherbet as dessert. We use the last of the money from my parents' gift and cover the difference. My half of the difference comes to £10.81. They offer us a shot, on the house.

10:40 p.m. — We take a walk, drop the postcards in a mailbox (we wrote them before going to the restaurant) and return to our room.

11:40 p.m. — We check in for our flight and pack a bit before falling asleep.

8:30 a.m. — M wakes me up as we decided to go for an early swim.

9:30 a.m. — When we return to the room, we see the police arriving at the hotel. There is a frenzy, we hear a stretcher being rolled , but there is no rush...we hope that doesn’t mean someone died during the night.

11:20 a.m. — We finish packing and check out. The room was already debited to my card before arriving. However, we need to pay the tourist tax in cash. My share is £11.42 for the whole stay.

12:40 p.m. — We walk to the bus stop to go to Eivissa, the island’s capital. A one-way ticket is £2.59. We take a taxi to go up to the castle, as it is too hot and we have backpacks too. I pay £2.59 again.

3:20 p.m. — After visiting the cathedral, taking photos and wandering the streets of the old town, we stop at a beautiful cafè and order two Thomas Henry sodas: Mystic Mango and Pink Grapefruit. The grapefruit one is much better. I pay for both, £6.05. We then walk down the old town and buy some cute souvenirs for our mums and M's sister. My share is £8.65.

5:15 p.m. — We get something for dinner from a supermarket. For a pack of baby carrots, a spinach and goat cheese tart and a small water, £2.59.

5:50 p.m. — We find our way back to the bus station and jump on the next one to the airport. A ticket is £3.11.

9:40 p.m. — My period is coming, so I’m still hungry. There is 50% off on sandwiches, as it is the last flight of the day for this aircraft, so I pay £3.46 for a heura burger with vegan cheese, mustard and caramelised onions. Yummy!

11 p.m. — Home.

8 a.m. — We don’t have everything we need in our cupboard for breakfast, but I remember we have cereal bars in our emergency bag (which we started after the last earthquake scare!).

9:45 a.m. — I realise I still need to give M £25.95 for a flight to go back home. I send them via Revolut. Put the laundry on.

10:30 a.m. — Off to the supermarket. We get a punnet of blueberries, avos, carrots, eggs, apricots, mozzarella pearls, a bag of rocket, cooked beets, shimeji mushrooms, a bucket of Greek yogurt, a small kombucha, cans of tuna, mouthwash, canned corn, a pack of corn tortillas, a Fevertree tonic, wild rice and a slab of salted caramel choc. My half is £15.13.

2 p.m. — Our kettle broke the day we left for Spain, so we browse the internet for a replacement. We find one that has controlled temperature, a two-year warranty, and which will be delivered in just a couple of days. I transfer £14.70 to M.

3 p.m. — Our friend G picks us up by car and we go for an ice-cream at a place near the river for views and fresh air, £2.59. Today they have a small artisans market on-site: I buy a cute small bowl to replace one I broke last month, at the bargain price of £3.11.

11 p.m. — After dinner, we end up watching a few episodes of Not Dead Yet on Disney+, then we go to sleep.

8:20 a.m. — Wake-up. Read the news and check messages.

9:05 a.m. — Breakfast of tea and a bowl of cereals with Greek yogurt and blueberries.

9:30 a.m. — I check Eventbrite as tonight there is a gig at the yoga studio and cafe I collaborate with. June was less busy due to many Bank Holidays and concurrent events, so it is good to see numbers are back up. I send a WhatsApp to the owner to update him.

10:45 a.m. — I got some disconcerting news about work: it seems like the ops manager quit while I was in Ibiza. There has been no official announcement, but it seems to be true. That would be a big blow, as he was the one piecing everything together. Everything is at risk without him and without an immediate replacement.

1 p.m. — One of my cousins will be visiting next week. We exchange messages about her program. It is her first visit to the country and she will bring her new boyfriend, so we are all pretty excited.

3:30 p.m. — Trying to merge BA Avios with Iberia. After what seems an eternity, I stop, as it looks like I need to close my BA Household account before I can transfer the miles. I remove M from the household account and make a mental note to try the next step in a few days.

7 p.m. — We have a salad with rocket, beets, toasted almonds and horseradish.

8 p.m. — We get to the yoga studio cafe. The place is full! I get a bowl of watermelon gazpacho, a vegan brownie and a sparkling water, £8.04. I send £4.32 for the music.

11:15 p.m. — Back home and to sleep.

7:45 a.m. — Wake up. Scroll news and socials. Have the same breakfast as yesterday.

9:30 a.m. — Half-hour work on Eventbrite and the studio’s website.

11 a.m. — Back home after taking sandals to be glued, £8.65. I then went to our local bakery for a sourdough ciabatta, £1.73. Then on to the local market for a handful of small potatoes, a punnet of radishes, lemons, cucumber, carrots, red onions, a bell pepper, cheese, apricots, parsley and mint, green beans, a punnet of cherries and a kg of tomatoes, £12.97 for my half.

12 p.m. — After an hour of LinkedIn work, I set the table as I am working up an appetite.

5:30 p.m. — This morning I applied for a PM job and as I passed the first level of screening, they sent me a test to complete: 40 questions of English and logic in 20 minutes. Fingers crossed, I have done well and I will hear back from them in a few days.

6:30 p.m. — I set the table and cook dinner: I make an Asian-style soup, and avo and egg on toast with sliced beetroot. We have that and then herbal tea and a small chocolate.

10:30 p.m. — After watching Rye Lane on Disney+, I crash into bed. It is sweet and weird, in equal measure, to see the places we used to hang out at in a movie.

7:05 a.m. — Wake up early as today I need to clock in at work at 9 a.m.

8:05 a.m. — I leave home to catch a bus to the port. I pay with a transport card that already has credit in it.

9 a.m. — Time to start my shift. Today I’m also training a new guide in our company’s procedures. The guide is great and we work well together.

2 p.m. — I meet M and we go to a nearby outdoor bar where I had seen an offer for fish tacos for £4.32. She gets a Coke and a chicken taco, I get the one from the offer — it is really tasty. I pay with a fiver I just got from tips, so it doesn’t count.

2:25 p.m. — I take a bus to go back home. I use my prepaid card for the trip, and I still have a good amount of credit left.

4:45 p.m. — A good friend swings by, as we have a couple of items we need to give back to her from a party we did last month. We have a chat and snack on cashews.

5:45 p.m. — I’m hungry and tired, so I browse offers and I order 2-for-1 pizzas from an excellent place and I add a bottle of water by mistake. After offers and Uber credit is applied, I pay £7.59.

"I am not surprised and I’m pleased about this spend tracking. The flight or the kettle are not everyday expenses, nor is a milestone wedding anniversary. I’m lucky that my parents and one of our best friends were kind enough to mark the occasion with a gift. Weekly, I could cut down further on my expenses, but I do need the occasional takeaway or treat, as some days are harder when I either think of the global scenario or my job-seeking perspectives. So, I try to stay calm, positive, see the glass half-full, count my blessings and give it all in the job I currently have. Better times will come."