Money Diary: A Senior Mental Health Support Worker On 26.5k

This week: "I'm a 26-year-old senior mental health support worker for a mental health charity, living and working in Yorkshire. I work from home but do face-to-face visits and home visits so I am out of the house most days. The aim of my service is to work with parents and help them with their mental health to be able to sustain work or education in the future. I used to struggle with an eating disorder and my relationship with food isn’t the greatest still. I try to eat intuitively but that doesn’t always happen. I start a new job with the police in two weeks and I'm really excited to start a new career. This is something I have been dreaming about for a long time and I can't quite believe it’s coming true.

I bought a flat last year and live there alone, although I have been with my boyfriend for eight years now. We definitely want a future together and to get married one day but right now we are just taking our time and enjoying life. Although he doesn’t pay any of my bills, he does earn more and so tends to pay for things when we go out (I do try to split but I think he likes to pay for fun things and treat me when he can)."

Occupation: Senior mental health support worker
Industry: Charity
Age: 26
Location: Yorkshire
Salary: £26,446
Paycheque amount: £1,700 depending on mileage for the month
Number of housemates: None
Pronouns: She/her
 
Monthly Expenses
 
Housing costs: £415 mortgage.
Loan payments: £225 car (I don’t currently pay back my student loans as I don’t earn enough).
Savings? £1,500 (I just bought a flat so I'm trying to build this back up).
Pension? I pay 5% of my salary and my company contributes 4%.
Utilities: £32 Wi-Fi, £100 energy, £26 water, £55 car insurance, £13.56 car tax, £78 council tax. I also put away £120 for service charge and £16.70 for ground rent a month and pay these every six months.
All other monthly payments: £77 phone (don’t ask, I know it’s a con). Subscriptions: £10 Spotify.
 
Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?

I went to university for my degree and I used student loans to pay for it. I think it's probably £10,000 more now than it was when I graduated (eurgh, interest).
 
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? What was the attitude to money in your house?

I don’t really remember having any conversations about money growing up. My parents worked really hard to put me and my siblings through an independent school so we didn’t have a lot extra. Being in that kind of school made me hyperaware of our financial situation and I always felt less than because of that. My parents don’t have the best financial situation so I think the fear of ending up like that has made me quite strict on money and security in property and being financially safe for retirement.
 
If you have, when did you move out of your parents'/guardians' house?

I moved out at 19 for university and came home when I graduated and stayed with them until 25 when I bought my flat. 
 
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life?

I would say 25, when I moved into my own property. 
 
What was your first job and why did you get it?

I had a paper round, probably age 13, but my first proper job was as a lifeguard at 16. I used to be a competitive lifesaver so it was an easy progression and the pay was great for my age. I got jobs quite early on to have money to spend on doing things with friends, buying clothes etc.
 
Do you worry about money now?

Yes, all the time. After buying my flat my savings took a hit and I definitely don’t feel I have enough saved to cover myself if anything were to happen unexpectedly. 
 
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income?

My parents very kindly gave me £17,500 towards my flat deposit when they sold their house, which meant I could have a lower mortgage. I am so grateful for that and could never have got on the property ladder without them at this age.