Taking inspiration from Refinery
29’s Money Diaries, I’m kicking off my blogging journey with a weekly money
diary. I will aim to do one of every three months, so I can track my progress
with my spending. You can read each post daily for a week to see what I’ve spent
my hard-earned cash on!
Monday 21st
May 2018
5.15am: My first alarm goes off and I press ‘snooze’ and
roll back over to have a little doze.
7.17am: I wake up with a jolt. I’ve slept through all six of
my alarms and had started dreaming that I was some kind of regional manager
giving a tour to an important Canadian…
I have roughly ten minutes to get ready (lucky I washed my
hair last night) so I quickly jump in the shower, brush my teeth, find my work
uniform. I’ve run out of deodorant, so I use my boyfriend’s lynx and spray so
much of my own perfume I almost choke on the fumes. I love Mondays.
7.35am: I get the bus from the stop outside my house. I
missed one due to trying and failing to lock the front door, but fortunately
there was another one four minutes later.
I tap my Oyster card. I topped up my monthly ticket online
yesterday, so don’t need to worry about paying for travel for a month.
£0
7.43am: I get to the tube station where another 1000 people
get off the bus alongside me. I have two tube stations close to me: one I have
to walk to, and the other I can get to by bus.
The one I have to walk to is usually a safer bet, because it
serves more than one line. The one I get to by bus only has access to one line
– the dreaded central line.
I’ve learned that providing I’m here by 8am, I should be
able to get on the train without having to wait for six to stop first. I walk
down the platform to an empty spot and pray that the tube Gods have been kind.
They have.
I manage to squeeze onto the first train that arrives. Even
better, I get into the space right by the emergency exit door and ventilation
window.
I’m very happy with this, until some man tries to get into
the gap in the door next to me. I do what any Londoner would do: Glare at him
sending bad thoughts whilst moving out of the way.
£0
8.02am: I’m finally at Oxford Circus. I was aiming to be in
work by 8am this morning but I’ll only be a few minutes late. Definitely still
going to grab a Starbucks on my way though. I got an email this morning that
they have a ‘star dash’ on which means the more drinks I buy, the quicker it
will be to get my free one. I top up my Starbucks card and order a Grande soya
latte.
£5
8.12am: I get to work. I officially start at 8.30, so I
spent the 18 minutes doing my make-up (which I didn’t have time to do before I
left.)
12.10pm: Time for lunch. I go with my friend from another
make-up counter and we eat in the staff canteen. It’s great that I have the
canteen as it’s so cheap and provides hot food, a luxury that so many in retail
don’t have! I get 2 slices of bacon, a portion of mushrooms and 2 slices of
toast.
I plan to drink water as it’s free and I’m trying to be healthier
(hahahhahahahhha) but I cave and get a bottle of 7up from the vending machine.
£2.81
4.30pm: I finish work, and the same friend from lunch has
waited for me so we can grab a drink.
I have a brow wax booked at 4.45pm so I rush to the other
department store down the street. I know the girls that work there, so we have
a good chat whilst they wax my brows. This month, all the profits from the wax
goes to charity so I’m happy to pay the £22.50. I even get a free mini mascara
as a thank you.
I go to pay, and discover I have £15 on my beauty loyalty card
so it only costs me £7.50. Result!
£7.50
5.05pm: We’re in the pub and we have limited ourselves to
one drink. (By one drink we mean one bottle of wine.)
My friend buys it as she owes me from last time we went out.
6pm: One bottle down and it clearly wasn’t enough… I order 2
glasses of wine. I get discount because of where I work down the street.
£10.50
6.30pm: I have exactly half hour to get home as we have a
viewing for the room one of my housemates is moving out of. I’m hungry so I
grab a McDonalds on the way which I try to eat discreetly to the disgust of my
fellow commuters. Hot food really does stink out the tube.
I drink my chocolate milkshake and look down at my phone,
avoiding eye contact.
£5.19
7.02pm: I make it home just as the viewing is leaving. The
house is too far away for her apparently… I leave a voice note for my friend
annoyed that I had to go home so soon.
8pm: We have a surprise viewing at 8pm. My housemate forgot!
We all sit drinking cups of tea and getting to know each other. I’m still a
little tipsy, but I think I keep it together.
9pm: I help my boyfriend with his references for his essay
which is due tomorrow. As soon as I finish my head hits the pillow and I fall
asleep.
Total Spend: £31.06
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