WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances. 

Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week. If you’re interested, send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.

Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.

Last time around, we heard from an IT consultant on €76.5K living in the southeast of the country. This week, a head chef on €43K living and working in Dublin and saving towards starting their own business. 

I am 28 years old, still living at home with my mam and sister. I’m the head chef at a gastropub in Dublin, which is about a 25-minute drive away from home. I got my driver’s licence earlier this year, which has saved me a lot of time and money. Before that, my options were either an hour-long, two-bus commute or to get a taxi, which costs around €22 each way.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve started taking saving more seriously. I’ve been working towards the goal of starting my own business. I have a savings amount I want to hit before I start, which I should hit by the end of this year. I cut back a lot on travelling, concerts and even eating out this year. I get paid weekly and I’ve been trying to put at least €100 away every week – sometimes it’s a bit less if I have something on that week, sometimes it can be more. Anything I have leftover at the end of the week usually goes into my savings. I also started saving in the credit union instead of the bank so it wouldn’t be easy for me to take back out like I have in the past.

Monthly pay (net): €2,782

Subscriptions: €16.99 for Netflix, €12.99 for Spotify, €6.99 for Prime

8.00am: I get up for the day, put on my workout clothes and do 45 minutes on my walking pad while watching Gilmore Girls. After that, I have a shower, change into my work clothes and have breakfast (two Weetabix) and pack up my lunch and dinner for the day. Unfortunately, my car broke down a few days ago, so taxi it is for today (€21.50). I start work at 10am.

12.30 pm: I eat a ham and cheese sandwich and tomato soup for lunch that I packed. I started meal prepping lunches and dinners in advance over the last month. Being a chef is quite chaotic and there’s usually no time to make yourself something healthy or even eat most of the time, which sometimes led to me not eating during a 12-hour shift and then ordering a takeaway when I got home (a surefire way to slap on the weight, waste money and,........

© TheJournal