Money Diary: A Portfolio Manager On 72k

This week: "I'm a 30-year-old portfolio manager living in London. I recently moved jobs to a completely different industry, which added a further £25k in salary, and I feel very grateful for the job that I have now. I used to be a splurger and I would say I'm still an emotional spender although I work really hard not to spend recklessly nowadays. My husband and I are currently in the middle of buying our first home together. After getting married I moved into his one-bedroom flat so we are really excited to be buying something bigger together. We've really utilised every space we possibly can within the flat! We also want to make the most of our time together before we start a family in the next year or two so that sometimes means saying yes to nights out and late nights, holidays and eating out."

Occupation: Portfolio manager
Industry: Broadcast and media
Age: 30
Location: London
Salary: £72,000 + bonus
Paycheque amount: £3,663 (my bonus is paid in March and I haven’t received one yet).
Number of housemates: One: my husband, T.
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
 
Housing costs: £600 to cover my half of all expenses, which I put into a joint account for day-to-day spending for groceries, petrol, etc. T pays the mortgage and bills.
Loan payments: £232 car loan, which I will finish paying in April. £372 student loan, which comes off my gross pay. 
Pension? I pay 3% and my employer pays 6%. It's around £180 per month.
Savings? £83,000 sitting in my current account. I will use this for our deposit and stamp duty in a couple of months when we exchange.
All other monthly payments: £10 phone bill, £25 gym, around £14 contact lenses. £13 a month for my Nationwide current account, which also covers roadside assistance, phone and travel insurance. I give my mum £100 every month just to help her out a bit but I’ll most likely have to stop this once we have bought a house. Subscriptions: £20 for a couple of charities, £13.99 Spotify Duo, £4.99 Apple TV.
 
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?

I went to university and took out a student loan. My parents gave me around £120 a month and I eventually got a weekend job in retail to get some additional money in my pocket. 
 
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money?

We didn’t really have conversations about money. When I started earning money I was told to rein in my spending and to save, however my parents didn’t really set a good example for me as they had a lot of arguments revolving around money. This situation made me want to work really hard in recent years so I wouldn’t have to worry about money. Both my parents worked but one parent earned more than the other and that created a lot of friction (the breadwinner made not just financial decisions but all the decisions within our family, which was toxic). When I met my now-husband he really taught me a lot about personal finance and helped me to save better.
 
If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?

Last year when I got married, at 29.
 
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?

I lived with my parents until I was 29 so I never had to worry about a mortgage or rent, which I am super grateful for. This allowed me to save as much as I did while going on holidays, buying large purchases and generally not having to worry about spending. I helped pay for big purchases at home, food shops and takeaways until I moved out last year. 
 
What was your first job and why did you get it?

When I was 18 I worked as a sales assistant at a shoe shop.  
 
Do you worry about money now?

Yes and no, I worry about the high mortgage payments we are now tied to for the next five years but I know we will be okay. Even though we both earn the same, my husband is more of a worrier than me over money and I generally have the approach that we will make it work somehow. I would say that I am ambitious and hardworking so I am determined to work really hard and progress at work so that I can jump salary in the next few years. Luckily I work for a great company that does regular salary reviews, bonuses and promotion panels so I am hoping that my salary rises in the next year or so. 

My dad kindly gifted us £35,000 for our stamp duty. I also got £10,000 when my grandparents passed away. Without this, we wouldn’t be able to buy a home this year.