Money Diary: A Freelance Drama Facilitator On 14.5k

This week: "I'm a 31-year-old theatre facilitator living in Warwickshire. I'm freelance and work for a number of different theatre companies, running acting and drama workshops for young people. Some of my workshops are regular and some are ad hoc. On top of this, I do admin for a touring theatre company on a self-employed basis. I live with my boyfriend (G) and our 1-year-old daughter (R). G is a primary school teacher on roughly £31k and R is a cutie pie on £0. Since we decided to have a baby, our finances have become a lot more entwined. We each get paid into our current accounts, pay bills out of that and then put the rest into a joint account for household items, nursery fees, grocery shopping etc. He earns more than me so he contributes more financially to the household. I am definitely not savvy with money and basically see earning as permission to spend. The more I work, the more I earn, the more I spend!"

Occupation: Theatre facilitator
Industry: Arts and education
Age: 31
Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £14.5k approx.
Paycheque amount: The average is £1,200. In 2022/23, my best month was £2,217 and my worst was £805. 
Number of housemates: Two: my boyfriend and my daughter. 
Pronouns: She/her

Housing costs: £1,100 rent for a two-bedroom house (I pay £350).
Loan payments: £170 for a loan that I took out to start a business with a friend. Long story short, the business never got off the ground and I no longer speak to that friend. 
Pension? I do not currently pay into a pension. I have had a few PAYE jobs in the past so I think I might have some random pension pots with not much in.
Savings? I opened a Help To Buy ISA just before they stopped offering them, which still has £0 in it, and I have a Monzo pot with my round-ups, which is currently on £26.26.
Utilities: I pay the £194.85 council tax bill. My boyfriend pays gas, electric, water, internet and TV, which before this year was roughly equal but now I think he pays about £250 for all those things. 
All other monthly payments: I pay £58 for my phone and £25.11 car insurance and roadside assistance. Then from our joint account we pay £450 nursery fees, £20 Junior ISA for our daughter. Car tax and TV licence we pay annually. Subscriptions: £7.99 Audible, £10.99 Netflix.

Yes, I have an undergraduate degree in arts management. I was 24 when I went to uni and did my classes in the evening. It took me five years to get the degree and I worked the whole time. Student loans paid the tuition fee but I didn’t have a loan for living costs. 

My parents have very different approaches to money. My mum has always been a "we’re not having an ice cream, there are lollies in the freezer at home" kind of person and my dad is more of a "let’s get an ice cream but don’t tell your mother" type of guy. Together they kept us afloat without us feeling like we were missing out. My granny was well-off and very generous so that played a big part in the finances of my childhood in terms of trips and treats. 

Between the ages of 19 and 24 I was back and forth a lot with travels and various stints away from home but I moved out permanently at 24 to go to uni in London. 

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?

Pretty shamefully, I wouldn’t say I have ever been financially responsible for myself. I have always worked but I went from relying on my parents for loans and free accommodation to living with boyfriends who have split various costs with me.  

I was 16 and I worked in a hotel in the functions team. This mainly meant clearing glasses from drunken wedding guests. I worked in hospitality for about 10 years to subsidise my work in theatre. That first job basically just paid for the smoking habit I picked up to make sure I got breaks at work. 

Absolutely. It is probably the biggest detriment to my mental health overall. I'm now lucky to be in a fairly stable situation with my workload, but being self-employed there is always an element of feast or famine. For example, the three bank holidays in May will probably take a few hundred pounds off my income. Argh!  

When I was 18, I inherited £5k from my aforementioned generous granny. I used this to buy my first car and for my driving lessons plus the four tests I had to take before finally passing.