What I Spent This Week as a Part-Time Pharmacist Making £20k

Ever wondered how others really manage their money?

In the A Week in My Wallet series, we share it all, because talking about money shouldn't be off-limits. Every week, an anonymous member shares a week of their spending: no names, no filters, just honest stories about life's everyday financial choices.
Ready to join the conversation and help make money talk less taboo? Share your own story via our form here.

About Me

Age: 30‍

City or Region: Belfast‍

Current Salary (before tax): £20,000‍

Monthly Take-Home Pay (after tax): £1,400‍

Household Income (if shared): £130,000‍

Do you share expenses with someone? Yes, my husband.‍

Occupation and/or Source(s) of Income: Pharmacist

Savings: £5,000 in a stocks and shares ISA‍

Debt: No credit card debt, but hefty mortgage (£380k) and student loans (approx. £20k). My financial aim for 2025 was to clear all debt.‍

Assets: About £125k capital in our own home. £5k in stocks and shares ISA.‍

Fixed Monthly Costs (your share only):‍

My husband and I share all our finances; we are paid into the same account. Our mortgage costs £1,600 per month. In total, we allow £2,600 per month (mortgage and bills/utilities, transport and car).

£400 per month for S+S ISAs (split across four accounts - two in our names and two in our sons’ names).

£1,000/month for food/eating out.

Any surplus we try to save into a savings account, but very little is left over at the moment due to cost of living, holidays, and gifts for family and friends.‍

Amount left each month after essentials (to spend, save or invest): Around £800–£1,000.‍

Dependents: Two sons. Neither of them attend childcare as I work part-time (2 days per week). My eldest son is starting school in September.

My Relationship with Money

Did your parents or guardians educate you around money?‍

Yes and no. When I was a teenager, I was given a monthly allowance and once that was gone, it was gone. This taught me to manage my finances and plan ahead. My husband seems to have been more heavily educated on the benefits of investing, and we’re trying to teach our sons (2 and 4 - mainly the 4-year-old) that they can spend their £5/week pocket money or save it up for something bigger the following week, i.e. £10 to spend.

My parents were always quite frugal, as is my husband, and he’s very good at saving money. I find I tend to want to spend more than him, and justify it as we need to live while we’re young. We’re very fortunate at the moment to be able to live the way we do in a relatively cheap part of the UK, but I worry for our sons’ future and just how much income they may need to be able to live comfortably. So, our aim is to emphasise the benefits of investing and saving from a young age.

What was your first job – and why did you get it?‍

I was a pharmacy dispenser throughout my summers at university to get experience and save money, which I would then use throughout the terms at university.

Did you worry about money growing up?‍

No, never. I was an only child and was never involved in financial conversations or education.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself?‍

24. I always knew I had my parents and my aunts (I have two aunts who have no children) that I could turn to if I needed to. I see our stocks and shares investments as our safety net at the moment, and we’re hoping to grow it over the course of the next few years.

Do you worry about money now?

Yes, a lot. My husband has shares in his name through his work but these fluctuate a lot being tied to one particular company’s performance. I worry about how expensive things are, I struggle to justify things to myself now such as a coffee out costing £4 when I could just have one at home or have brought one with me. But I feel frazzled and exhausted having to pre-empt these things constantly. Sometimes you do just have to buy yourself a coffee. We worry ourselves a lot about loss of jobs or emergencies which may never happen.

What is your biggest money regret?‍

Buying the fancy car when I first qualified, but I really loved that car. So technically, my biggest regret is actually selling it when I had my first son and I should have just paid it off and had it now as our second car. Car prices have gone through the roof.

What financial goals are you working towards?‍

We want to be able to comfortably take our sons on holiday and make memories with them. We’re currently aiming for a surplus in the budget of about £5k/year to do this, but it’s proving difficult. We would like to be mortgage free by 45–50.

So it’s trying to find the balance - do you enjoy your children while they’re/you’re young, or work for financial freedom in your fifties?

Who is your financial role model (if any), and why?‍

My husband’s grandfather. He has saved his whole life while finding an extraordinary balance for having fun with his entire family. He is the loveliest, most generous man I have ever met. I hope to one day be able to look after our family the way he has his.

Reflections on My Spending

I think overall, it was a good week with mostly planned expenditures. Nothing extravagant.

What I Spent in a Week

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Day 1 – Monday: £121
• Mouth guard from the dentist: £96
• Clothes for boys: £25

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Day 2 – Tuesday: £466
• Sent to ISAs: £400
• Pharmacy: £12
• Swimming lessons: £54

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Day 3 – Wednesday: £0
• No-spend day

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Day 4 – Thursday: £0
• No-spend day

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Day 5 – Friday: £35
• Amazon (washing tablets): £20
• Window cleaning: £15

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Day 6 – Saturday: £35
• Grocery top-up shop: £35

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Day 7 – Sunday: £20
• DIY shopping: £20

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Total Weekly Spend: £677

This week’s profile highlights the tough balance between saving for the future and enjoying life today. How do you find that balance in your own life? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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