ADVERTISEMENT
Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week: "I am a 26-year-old social work student in the first year of my apprenticeship. I have been working from home since the start of the coronavirus outbreak and due to my own conditions have been unable to complete home visits as I normally would, which is difficult as that’s my favourite part of the job. Social work is not a career I always dreamed of doing; if I’m honest, I fell into it! I applied for a job as a social work assistant thinking, I have no chance, and three years later the authority has invested in a degree so I can be a qualified worker.
My partner S and I moved in together, in a new area, two weeks before the lockdown started. We are extremely grateful we moved in before things went crazy. It’s our first rented home together and the dream is to purchase our forever home in the next couple of years."
Occupation: Social work student
Industry: Local authority
Age: 26
Location: Leeds
Salary: £21,166
Savings: £5,500 in a lifetime ISA
Take-home pay: £1,445. I also get mileage payments which range from £0-£100+ per month but at present I’m obviously not receiving this.
Industry: Local authority
Age: 26
Location: Leeds
Salary: £21,166
Savings: £5,500 in a lifetime ISA
Take-home pay: £1,445. I also get mileage payments which range from £0-£100+ per month but at present I’m obviously not receiving this.
Housing costs: My boyfriend and I live in a rented, three-storey townhouse which we love. I pay £397 for my half. Followed by payment into our bills account of £162 per month to cover Sky, phone, gas/electric, council tax, water, Disney+ and Netflix. We’re lucky that my partner works for Sky so we get a good deal on TV and phones.
Travel: I moved 30 minutes away from work just before lockdown so I haven’t had the full ‘travel to work’ experience yet. I’ve budgeted about £40 per week for petrol, however this will vary depending on the number of visits I have and if I’m at uni that week, as I travel over 100 miles to get there.
Debt repayments: £50 per month to a credit card I used for furniture, although I’ve been paying more lately due to not having to pay out for petrol etc.
Other expenses: £4.99 for Spotify student, £10.56 for prescription certificate (definitely recommend if you're on more than one long-term medication).
Savings: I try to put around £150 into savings each month, split between my LISA and holiday pots.
Travel: I moved 30 minutes away from work just before lockdown so I haven’t had the full ‘travel to work’ experience yet. I’ve budgeted about £40 per week for petrol, however this will vary depending on the number of visits I have and if I’m at uni that week, as I travel over 100 miles to get there.
Debt repayments: £50 per month to a credit card I used for furniture, although I’ve been paying more lately due to not having to pay out for petrol etc.
Other expenses: £4.99 for Spotify student, £10.56 for prescription certificate (definitely recommend if you're on more than one long-term medication).
Savings: I try to put around £150 into savings each month, split between my LISA and holiday pots.
ADVERTISEMENT