Hey all *waving emoji*, I thought it’d been a little while since I did a spending diary. I had a bout of trying not to spend anything after Christmas including no clothes and many snacks so was leading a pretty boring life but spring is upon us, the sun is shining and this money diary starts on my payday. I’m doing a week Friday to Thursday for 7 days because I thought having a weekend right after payday is probably the good makings of a Money Diary. It’ll be a fairly normal week and I can run through a few bits I do with my money too.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous diaries and also in my top money tips blog post I have a spreadsheet for spending. Payday is essentially my fave day because I get to mess about with it and move my pots of money around. On payday I move my savings, pay a bit extra into my pension, move my stocks and shares ISA money and this month I’ve made a repayment for our holiday in September and also put £50 aside for holiday spending money.
Everything I spend in this diary is solely from my ‘disposable income’ pot which is 100% mine to do what I want with, mostly buying stationery and beers, let’s not lie, but that’s what it’s there for. I’ve sorted my outgoings and my various savings and repayments and these are my fun pennies.
Friday
Yas payday, yas. I move my savings, pay a little bit extra into my pension, move my holiday savings etc and then chuck my money to Starling which is mine to spend and I still have £60 from last month in this account which makes me super smug with myself.
Lunchtime trip to Topshop where I spent a small fortune last week due to a lovely birthday voucher from my parents. Had some bits delivered I didn’t like so get a little refund of £24.98. Kicking off the Money Diary with a + for the bank account is pretty good. Side note: I’m wearing the Topshop Orson Jeans in Mid Blue in these pics too and I’m loving them. Great length, good colour and really nice fit on the legs. Having to deal with the classic Topshop too small waist so size up and wear a belt situation but they’re comfortable so I’m enjoying wearing them and styling new outfits with them.
Remember it’s half term and Wilko do pick n mix for £1 so that’s obviously happening.
Palmed off our old dining table for £15 to a colleague and he’s already paid me, what a gem. This is popped into our ‘house account’ where we both transfer money each month for our food shopping and other shared random purchases like plants! So not included in this money round up but thought I’d share because it’s finance related.
See Hannah Gale wearing very cute bargain Marks and Spencer tshirt so obviously must buy. Have a 20% off code so thank you Sparks card. £10.40 for two tops from M&S is pretty great I think. 60p goes automatically to my holiday spending saving pot on Starling as I have the round up thing kicking in which I’m finding to actually be awesome. I’m saving about £25-30 a month with just rounding up to the nearest pound so I’d recommend it.
£11.40
Saturday
Head for a ‘nice coffee’ – £2.60 and to take some of these lovely snaps you’re seeing here for Instagram of some pieces the nice guys at I Saw It First sent me as a gift to feature on my Instagram. As a disclaimer I’ve never worked with I Saw It First before and this relationship is purely on a gifting basis in return for sharing on Instagram. I’m wearing the Stone Shaggy Cardigan and the Florida Mission To Mars Tee which I think is really cute! I’ve wanted one of these crazy big cardigans for ages now.
Head to Tesco and buy squash and a new sauce pan because I have cremates ours and bargain Brew Dog beer (50p!!!) on Shopmium but comes from house account so doesn’t count. And I’ll put the Shopmium cashback back in there when it comes through. Under £15 anyway so dining table cash covers it.
Get home and eat lunch there because we surprisingly still have food. Saturday is usually a date night and we head to the pub to watch the rugby and have a burger (£10.95) and pint (£3.30) each and I finish with a cheeky lime and soda (£1.20).
Natural stop at Sainsbury’s for a pudding and I really fancy a Picnic. So random. 65p, so good.
£18.75
Sunday
Get up, start a workout and give up and do yoga instead because it’s so hard after not working out that much recently. Might never work out again.
Decide to go for a midday cinema trip and grab one free ticket from my Natwest reward account and one discounted with a work scheme we have. £7.29 for both of us (we’ll split this on Splitwise, the best app the stop couples arguing). Grab a snacky meal deal £3.39 and we manage to get free parking so pretty sweet, cheap day all in all.
£7.03
Monday
Browse Arket and Lookfantastic on the bus because I forgot my headphones and must not look at other humans. Decide I’ve just got a load of new stuff (Topshop above!) so might as well get bored of wearing that before I buy new jeans. And tell myself I’ve still got loads of shampoo and conditioner so I don’t need to stock up even if I really want to just buy it.
Head to Paperchase after work and buy Mother’s Day and a lil congrats card for my friend that just got engaged. 63p in total after using my £5 free for my birthday and student discount so feeling pretty great about this one. Pick up shotgun M&S order from Friday.
£0.63 (lol)
Tuesday
Zero spends today from my fun money account because manic day at work. Only have time to run to Aldi on lunch for a little top up shop from house account – £4.22 if you’re interested!
Wednesday
Spent the day in Birmingham at a conference so breakfast £5.55 and lunch £6.75 were both expensed.
I thought this was going to be a super speedy week but it’s waning out quickly towards the end of the week but it’s actual real life! Only spend 47p today in Caffe Nero on syrup for my free O2 coffee. It was actually 50p but the girl let me off with 3p, legend.
£0.47 (even more lol)
Thursday
Hurrah for the spending diary but I’m actually spending again £3.20 on a soy latte from Costa pre-doctors because I want to treat myself before having an injection. Ugh, no thanks.
Head to a fashion re-sale event after work that some lovely local bloggers have set up. All about the sustainable fashion gals! So many busy stalls and met some lush ladies over a gin or two and bought some & Other Stories sunnies that are almost identical to Celine ones for £15. Nearly bought a Whistles coat and Mih Jeans dress too but I wasn’t selling anything so couldn’t justify all the spends!
£18.20
Throughout this diary I have got the bus everyday which I pay for monthly which I sort before my ‘disposable’ income is worked out. This is probably why it doesn’t look like I’ve spent *that* much! Does it?
Total for the week: £54.48 – this is pretty low, I’m off out for a Friday lunch with my friend, going to the Leicester Tigers game on Saturday which will be extortionately priced beers and then out for brunch on Sunday and planning to buy my Mumma a little Mother’s Day gift soon! But all in all pretty normal spending week, I don’t usually spend every day, as this shows. Weekends are usually where I spend the most unless I get caught lunchtime shopping. Do you have days that you spend the most on? Do you think this is a lot for a week?
