25/9/25
What I Spent This Week as an Office Manager Making $54k
Ever wondered how others really manage their money?
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: £2,585 ($3,464)
Household income: £4,869 (after tax) ($6,523)
Dependents: None
Fixed monthly costs (your share only):
- Rent: £710 ($951)
- Council tax, utilities & internet: £200 ($268)
- Transport: £120 ($160)
- Credit card: £400 ($536)
- Groceries & house essentials: £150 ($201)
- Car finance, insurance & tax: £225 ($301)
- Mobile data: £10 ($13)
- Investments: £100 ($134)
- Savings: £300 ($402)
- Health insurance: £60 ($80)
- Pets: £30 ($40)
- Gym: £90 ($120)
- Personal care: £50 ($67)
Amount left each month after essentials: £500 ($670)
My Relationship With Money
Did your parents or guardians educate you around money?
Not really. I was raised in Brazil, in a relatively mid-upper class family but I never had interest in learning or understanding about personal finances - though was also never encouraged by them to do so. I do love my parents, but I believe in the need to provide me with everything I needed, they 'spoiled' me in that way, and never explained what a credit card statement was... or actually what was paying for my private school or University. Sadly, I took this for granted and thought, great... money comes easy!
Although I always appreciated their hard work, I just only started understanding what that actually meant... paying for our comfortable life, mine and my sister's expenses, all the budgeting, and so on.
What was your first job – and why did you get it?
It was at Walt Disney World (Orlando- USA). I had done an exchange programme in the USA and wanted to go back. I applied for the Walt Disney International College Programme as I wanted to earn whilst still a university student. But again... it goes back to my thinking that time when I thought 'great, I'll have money and can spend on having fun!'.
Did you worry about money growing up?
I personally didn't, thanks to my parents. However, since I moved to the UK (24 years old), my lack of understanding or interest then made me learn the hard way here, and I had lessons learned. It took me a while to realise the snowball of credit card debt I found myself in, and didn't know how to get out as I had to balance bills, rent, and all that. So I started feeling ashamed, not wanting to share with my family, and consequently- felt anxious day and night.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself?
When I met my partner, I realised I was stuck in this debt world and decided to share it all with him from the beginning of our relationship. It was one of the hardest moments of my life, I felt trapped and like nothing would let me out of it and it felt almost as if sharing it, made it real... and it was very much real. For my relief, my partner was very understanding and comforted me (not with money) but slowly helping me change my spending habits.
From that point on, I was determined to change my situation and budgeted to pay off my debts (made this my priority). I then came across Female Invest, which opened my eyes to a whole new world of understanding and since then, I genuinely enjoy organising my finances. Finally, I am slowly building my financial safety net.
Do you worry about money now?
I still do, but I think it's more a reflection of what I was so used to feeling. I do feel it's lifting its weight slowly... :)
What is your biggest money regret?
Not asking questions or being more curious about money when I was younger.
What financial goals are you working towards?
Buying a house and having a good 'F*** U Fund' available.
Who is your financial role model?
My first proper contact with it was at Female Invest, so I would say this community.
Reflections on My Spending
It's comfortable, I have been studying a lot with Female Invest and although it might sound like we don't do much and haven't spent a lot (based on this week), this is just a simple routine we enjoy, cosy, the two of us and our cats.
I found out that I'd rather not spend much in our daily routine and prefer coming home to cook, so the money we save we can either invest, save towards a short term goal - for example, we're travelling to Indonesia in two weeks, but this has been paid off months ago, and now we're just comfortably waiting to live this adventure. I learned this works for us, and my anxiety with money :)
What I Spent in a Week
Day 1 – Monday: £0
• No-spend day: went to the office, brought leftovers for lunch I cooked on Sunday
Day 2 – Tuesday: £4.75 ($6.37)
• Milk and yogurt: £4.75 ($6.37)- I worked from home but ran out of the essentials!
Day 3 – Wednesday: £0
• No-spend day: I worked from home and in the evening made batch cooking.
Day 4 – Thursday: £68 ($91.12)
• Petrol: £68 ($91.12) - I went to the office and again, took my homemade lunch with me. I also make my coffee at home and take it to work.
Day 5 – Friday: £22 ($29.48)
• Pet food: £22 ($29.48) - I went to the office, took with me my lunch and coffee.
Day 6 – Saturday: £0
• No-spend day: Me and my partner went for a walk in the forest and cooked at home. We enjoyed a lazy day with our cats.
Day 7 – Sunday: £40 ($53.60)
• £40 ($53.60) - Dinner out with my partner
