Money Diary 31-Year-Old Civil Servant & Mum In Devon

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 31-year-old mum of two (13 and 6), living in rural Devon. We moved here from another part of Devon in November, just as lockdown 2.0 was starting. We relocated to reduce the hour commute (which was not fun with the children) to my new job, which I started in June. It was definitely the right move; I am loving the quiet countryside and the 10-minute commute to work. We made the decision to move as I am tied to this job on a training contract (I am two years into a six-year degree course, which work is paying for); I know that it is a great fit for me and I relish the constant challenges it throws at me. I work at the lowest tier of local government within the town and parish council sector and deal with a range of local issues within my role, as well as ensuring the council is acting legally and within its parameters.

We are young parents, I was a mum at 18. We have just purchased our second home, making the most of the stamp duty holiday. We are both working and studying in order to progress our careers and still can’t really believe we are where we are now. I keep pinching myself that we have managed to do this with hard work and saving everything we had, but it hasn’t been easy! My husband L and I put everything we earn into our joint account when we are paid, other than for things like our own phone bills. He earns more than me but I have split most costs down the middle to show what our usual spend is."

Industry: Local government (town council)
Age: 31
Location: Devon
Salary: £33,499
Paycheque amount: £1,964.40
Number of housemates: Three: husband L and two children A and E

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: £1,100, shared with L.
Loan payments: I'm paying off a student loan from a failed uni attempt a fair few years ago. £107 but comes out of my salary.
Utilities: £90 electric, £75 water, £50 a month saved for oil (we have a tank which needs filling three times a year or so), £266 council tax and £25 BT which includes landline, broadband, TV and Netflix. Again, split with L.
Transportation: Around £20 a week. We have two cars but one mostly stays in the drive. I have factored in the general costs too, as petrol is around £10.
Phone bill: £30 and £6 for A (we bought her a phone outright for her birthday in September).
Savings? We save £400 to a 2.5% interest account monthly, and anything else not spent through the month. We have around £12,000 in savings after moving.