What I Spent This Week as a Veterinary Physiotherapist & Surgical Nurse Making £27K

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.

Monthly Take-Home Pay (after tax): €2,000 (£1,740)

Do you share expenses with someone? Yes, with my partner

What is your overall monthly budget?

My average budget is €1300 (£1,131) per month, including one weeklong holiday per year and a couple of weekends away. Rent for my physiotherapy studio is extra and currently €250 (£218) per month.

Basic expenses are:

• €300 (£261) mortgage
• €110 (£96) for my share of bills (electric, water, waste, internet, netflix, spotify) - higher in winter and lower in summer
• €250 (£218) for petrol, car insurance, tax and mechanic (excluding unexpected breakdowns)
• €200 (£174) for groceries (also work lunches)
• €140 (£122) for sports expenses (ski pass, horseriding, insurance)
• €170 (£148) for travel/holidays (saved for the months in which I travel)
• €60 (£52) for socialising (aperitivo, one dinner out)
• €80 (£70) for other expenses (accountant, website, clothes, make up)
• €50 (£44) towards my investment

Amount left each month after essentials (to spend, save or invest): On average €350 (£305) although this varies as I am self employed and don't have a fixed income

Dependents (if any): None

My Relationship with Money

‍Growing up, did your parents or guardians educate you around money?‍

My parents were working class and we didn't have a lot of money growing up. I learned a lot about the value of second hand items and repurpusing old things! My parents taught me to wait and save up for something that I really wanted, but they also taught me debt is bad and that one should save and wait rather than loan and buy, which is not always true in life. I received €2 (£2) per week pocket money so that I could learn to manage my income and understand its value from when I was quite small. I think I learned to play safe financially from then, but definitely missed out on opportunities earlier in life because of it.

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

My first job was summer babysitting at 14. I remember I was so excited to become "independent" and have my own money like adults did! I sometimes wish I had enjoyed my youth more and worked less, but I did learn to cope better with working life later on thanks to this gradual exposure

Did you worry about money growing up?‍

Yes, it always seemed like there was not enough and every request I made for new items was laced with guilt that I shouldn't be having something new, but make do with what I had.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?‍

For me this was a gradual shift. I moved to London at 18 and had a summer and weekend job, but still relied on a monthly contribution from my parents to make ends meet during university. After completing my studies, at 21 I became financially independent. It took a long time to build a safety net as I spent years living from paycheck to paycheck. I now have an emergency fund and have finally started investing, but I wish I'd had this kind of information and knowledge 15 years ago so I could start sooner!

Do you worry about money now?‍

Yes, I've always struggled with money one way or another. Since moving back to Italy it has required a lot of discipline to save anything at all because of low wages in the country. Now that I'm self employed I make more money but income is not regular and I'm still getting used to it. In low income months I tend to worry quite a lot.

What is your biggest money regret?‍

Buying a house with my ex boyfriend in my 20s because mortgage was cheaper than rent. I was bullied into it, hoped the bank would not give me a mortgage but they did, it was in my name only and when we split up I had to deal with the sale alone, we made zero profit and he kept wahtever I'd paid in too.

What financial goals are you working towards?‍

I'm trying to grow my emergency fund to €12k (£10,442) in case I can't work for some months or my car breaks down. I've set up an investment for 10 years in which I plan to contribute €50/mo (£44/mo) the first year, then €100/mo (£87/mo) for 3 further years and then €500/mo (£435/mo) once I'm no longer paying my mortgage. In 10 years time I'll decide what to do with it, but a part will go towards an "old age fund".

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

My mother, who has always kept her cool around money, even when there was little to go round. I never saw her despair or panic, but always make a plan so we had what was essential and we worked towards affording what was not.

‍Reflections on My Spending Habits:

I try to be disciplined about spending, using pre-allocated funds for fun activities, but I do sometimes make impulse buys like the organic cosmetics after watching a documentary! I'm proud of myself for having taken the leap this week and finally started investing thanks to Female Invest. I always thought it was beyond me, but once you get the jargon it's actually not that hard and very interesting.

What I Spent in a Week

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Day 1: Monday - €1013.99 (£882)
€1000 (£870) lump sum invested in ETFs
€13.99 (£12) for Netflix (which we split between 2 people)‍

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Day 2: Tuesday - €65.92 (£57)
€36.92 (£32) for a concert ticket for Sunday
€29 (£25) in my taxes savings account‍

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Day 3: Wednesday - €95 (£83)
€40 (£35) in fuel (half tank)
€55 (£48) in grocery shopping for the next week, including pack lunches‍

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Day 4: Thursday - €0 (£0)
€0 (£0) took pack lunch and tap water for the day‍

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Day 5: Friday - €14.90 (£13)
€14.90 (£13) in organic cosmetics after watching "The Plastic Detox" on Netflix‍

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Day 6: Saturday - €0 (£0)
€0 (£0) - spent the day at home studying for a CPD course‍

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Day 7: Sunday - €14 (£12)
€14 (£12) for 2 beers at the concert I went to

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Total Weekly Spend: €1203.81 (£1,047)

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