Money Diary: An Occupational Therapist On £28,500

This week: “I’m a 25-year-old occupational therapist living in Bristol. I’m fairly newly qualified and I work in a stroke rehab rotation. I also work odd jobs as an actor and voiceover actor, but I’m taking a break to focus on occupational therapy work as the winter is super busy and intense in the  NHS. This is definitely the best paid job I’ve ever had; I was previously a health care assistant which isn’t great pay. However, Bristol is pretty expensive so I try not to splash the cash too much. I have a housemate, who I live with in the flat she owns. I’m fairly happy to be helping a friend pay off their mortgage rather than some money-grabbing landlord, but I don’t always feel like I can ask for stuff to be sorted as quickly as I could with a professional landlord, so pros and cons. I  have a boyfriend, B, of a few months who is very sweet, and we do semi-long distance. I’m just in a period of finding my feet and trying to balance my wellbeing, personal life, aspirations and a pretty busy job one step at a time!”

Occupation: Occupational therapist.
I also sometimes earn some income as an actress/voiceover actress.
Industry: Healthcare  
Age: 25 
Location: Bristol 
Salary: £28,500 
Paycheque Amount: £1,790
Number of housemates: One, S
Pronouns: She/her 

Housing costs: £700 rent. I live in a flat that my friend S owns, so this includes bills.
Loan payments: None.
Savings?: £10,000 in a savings account.
Utilities: Bills included.
Pension?: My contribution comes to £200 a month.
All other monthly payments: £27.99 for phone. Subscriptions: £20 for prebiotic subscription; £4.99 for a driving app.

Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you  pay for it? Yes, I did an undergraduate degree in acting, where I qualified for the full maintenance loan. I also worked part time as a carer and lived in a fairly cheap city, so I did alright financially. I then did a preregistration masters degree in occupational therapy, where my uni greedily wanted £5,000 over the standard fees. I also only got a partial  maintenance loan, so I worked part time as a carer but my mum very kindly helped me bridge the gap by loaning me money, which I have just finished repaying. 

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?
I grew up in a household with an abusive father and one of his forms of abuse was financial. I mention this as it left me with quite a confused depiction of finances and lifestyle, as we went on lots of holidays but  couldn’t afford for me and my brother to go on school trips, have new clothes and so on (because my dad controlled the money and spent it on himself). After they broke up, we struggled financially which meant at times going without heating, hot water, et cetera. Because of this, my mum is overly cautious  with money, to the point where she still tells me off for spending, as she wants me to be financially stable and I think it’s very ingrained in her to spend virtually nothing. I also think due to my dad’s influence, I can have a taste for the finer things and be susceptible to treating myself when I feel bad. So I would say the messages were quite mixed, and it’s taken me a little while to find the balance between spending and saving, believing I deserve nice things but also ensuring I have enough for rent and rainy days. 

If you have, when did you move out of your parents’/guardians’ house?
I moved out at 17 just before going to uni. I’ve stayed at my mum’s for a few months at a time since to get back on my feet at various points.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does  anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? 
I would say completely responsible last year, at 24. Up until that point, I was vastly responsible, with probably about five years where I didn’t borrow any money, but my mum helped me out here and there when I couldn’t cover things my myself. I would have been pretty screwed without it! 

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was at 11 years old, stacking up the bowling pins when they were knocked down in my local pub. I got £10 for three hours which was great at the time, but pretty hilarious now. I got it as I was very bored living in my village, my friend did it, and I didn’t get pocket money so £10 for  sweets was pretty great!  

Do you worry about money now? 
I think it’s very internalised within me to be worried about money because of my background. I do worry about what would happen if I became unemployed for some reason or if living costs rose to an unmanageable  level (particularly somewhere like Bristol). But I’m generally quite reassured that I have savings and a caring family who would help me if I  needed somewhere to go. 

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?
My grandma passed away in 2020 and left her house to be sold up and divided between her grandchildren. Chaos ensued but we very recently got that all sorted out. It was an incredibly kind thing for her to do and gave me a chance to pay off some loans and save a good chunk of money which was pretty life changing for me. Cheers, Gran.