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Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last penny.
This week: "I’m a 31-year-old freelance content manager living in south Yorkshire. I moved here with my partner, B, at the beginning of last year from London (where I’m from). The move up north was motivated by our struggle to get out of rented accommodation and on the property ladder, as well as a desire to try living somewhere different at a slower pace. I found it really hard at first! Since then, we’ve bought our first home and are settled into our new life here, making regular trips to visit our families down south and various other friends who are scattered around the country. I’ve been self-employed since 2021, making the jump after feeling frustrated at the opportunities that full-time employment gave me. B and I now operate as a limited company. We work mainly in the third sector with lots of different clients and projects. I really enjoy how varied my work is — even when it’s stressful, I haven’t regretted my decision. I can get quite anxious about money so I’m always trying to find a balance between enjoying the money I work hard for and not making too many frivolous purchases, especially as our house needs work and we’re getting married next year."
Occupation: Freelance content manager
Industry: Third sector
Age: 31
Location: South Yorkshire
Salary: Variable. On average I make around £45,000 a year.
Paycheque amount: Variable — this month it was £1,700.
Number of housemates: One: my partner, B (and our dog, A).
Pronouns: She/her
Industry: Third sector
Age: 31
Location: South Yorkshire
Salary: Variable. On average I make around £45,000 a year.
Paycheque amount: Variable — this month it was £1,700.
Number of housemates: One: my partner, B (and our dog, A).
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £695 for my half of the mortgage.
Loan payments: I pay for my undergraduate student loan annually as part of my personal self-assessment so this isn’t a monthly expense for me.
Pension? Yes, I pay £200 through my business.
Savings? I have an easy access savings account, which has about £4,000 in it, and a cash ISA with £4,000 in it. B and I cashed out our separate LISAs to purchase our first house together at the beginning of the year. We now have a joint savings account which has £14,000 in it set aside for our wedding, honeymoon and house improvements.
Utilities: £176 council tax, £41 TV licence, £21 life insurance, £58 gas and electric, £44 water, £18 pet insurance, £50 phone.
All other monthly payments: £10.50 contact lenses, £2.99 Apple storage, £20 Trussell Trust donation. Subscriptions: £4 Spotify, £3 Patreon, £11.99 Astrology app.
Loan payments: I pay for my undergraduate student loan annually as part of my personal self-assessment so this isn’t a monthly expense for me.
Pension? Yes, I pay £200 through my business.
Savings? I have an easy access savings account, which has about £4,000 in it, and a cash ISA with £4,000 in it. B and I cashed out our separate LISAs to purchase our first house together at the beginning of the year. We now have a joint savings account which has £14,000 in it set aside for our wedding, honeymoon and house improvements.
Utilities: £176 council tax, £41 TV licence, £21 life insurance, £58 gas and electric, £44 water, £18 pet insurance, £50 phone.
All other monthly payments: £10.50 contact lenses, £2.99 Apple storage, £20 Trussell Trust donation. Subscriptions: £4 Spotify, £3 Patreon, £11.99 Astrology app.
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I did a three-year BA with a student loan. My mum was just above the threshold for additional financial support so I supplemented the loan with a weekend job at a department store in my uni town. During my summer breaks I joined the NHS staff bank and worked for my local NHS trusts.
I did a three-year BA with a student loan. My mum was just above the threshold for additional financial support so I supplemented the loan with a weekend job at a department store in my uni town. During my summer breaks I joined the NHS staff bank and worked for my local NHS trusts.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
We didn't talk about money and it became a heated and avoided topic after my parents' divorce. We were middle class but as a single parent with four children under the age of 10, my mum’s NHS salary had to stretch quite far. Everything felt tighter the further away we got from payday. She relied a lot on my grandparents or other family members for financial support, which became an issue later in life after my grandparents passed away. My mum expected her children to provide the same level of support, which we were not always able to do. Now, due to buying and selling our family home in London, moving to a cheaper area of the country and benefiting from a comfortable pension with no children to look after, my mum has been able to build a large safety net for herself, which has made things a lot easier.
We didn't talk about money and it became a heated and avoided topic after my parents' divorce. We were middle class but as a single parent with four children under the age of 10, my mum’s NHS salary had to stretch quite far. Everything felt tighter the further away we got from payday. She relied a lot on my grandparents or other family members for financial support, which became an issue later in life after my grandparents passed away. My mum expected her children to provide the same level of support, which we were not always able to do. Now, due to buying and selling our family home in London, moving to a cheaper area of the country and benefiting from a comfortable pension with no children to look after, my mum has been able to build a large safety net for herself, which has made things a lot easier.
If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?
I moved into my first shared flat a few months after graduating university.
I moved into my first shared flat a few months after graduating university.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?
When I moved out after uni. I cover all aspects of my financial life, although I know my life is made a lot cheaper by sharing it with B.
When I moved out after uni. I cover all aspects of my financial life, although I know my life is made a lot cheaper by sharing it with B.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked as a babysitter for local families. I used this money for gigs and clothes (as a London teenager in the age of indie sleaze and underage music events, I went to a lot of gigs).
I worked as a babysitter for local families. I used this money for gigs and clothes (as a London teenager in the age of indie sleaze and underage music events, I went to a lot of gigs).
Do you worry about money now?
I carry a lot of money anxiety from my childhood but being self-employed has made me feel more in control of my finances than ever before. I have to keep on top of where my money goes, how I spend it and how I earn it. This has given me a clear understanding of how much my time, energy and skillset is worth and what I want to do with it. We have been working quite hard for the past few years to reach certain financial goals — going freelance, sustaining our business, moving, buying a house — but ultimately our move out of London was motivated by a desire to slow down and not always be chasing a higher paycheque. I’m trying to remember that!
I carry a lot of money anxiety from my childhood but being self-employed has made me feel more in control of my finances than ever before. I have to keep on top of where my money goes, how I spend it and how I earn it. This has given me a clear understanding of how much my time, energy and skillset is worth and what I want to do with it. We have been working quite hard for the past few years to reach certain financial goals — going freelance, sustaining our business, moving, buying a house — but ultimately our move out of London was motivated by a desire to slow down and not always be chasing a higher paycheque. I’m trying to remember that!
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
After my mum sold the family home, she gave each of us £20,000. She called this my inheritance, and wanted me to spend it while she was alive. I put this in a LISA and used it to purchase my house with B earlier this year. B's mum made a similar contribution and we wouldn't have been able to buy our house without it.
After my mum sold the family home, she gave each of us £20,000. She called this my inheritance, and wanted me to spend it while she was alive. I put this in a LISA and used it to purchase my house with B earlier this year. B's mum made a similar contribution and we wouldn't have been able to buy our house without it.
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