‘I’m 27 and earn £70,000, but still split everything with my girlfriend’
Email money@telegraph.co.uk if you would like to take part in How I Spend It. All our writers are genuine but anonymous
I am a 27-year-old working in sales, earning a base salary of nearly £70,000.
I’ve been saving to buy a home since I started working at 16, and my parents had saved £3,500 for me to start me off. My parents are accountants so have always been very vocal in this area. They encouraged me to regularly save, and understand interest rates and other aspects of personal finance.
I built up my savings over the years as my salary grew (I graduated with a first-class degree in 2018, and started a full time job on £30,000) until I had enough to buy my flat.
It cost £258,000 and I got the keys in June 2022, having rented with friends or lived with family before that. I spent £20,000 renovating and £10,000 furnishing before I moved in.
I am proud that the deposit was all my own money and hard work. The renovation money included contributions from my mum and grandparents. It was very hard to buy somewhere on my own at 26, so this is something I am particularly happy with.
My girlfriend has now moved in with me, as of April 2023, and she contributes £300 (about half) to bills. I didn’t want her to pay the mortgage or rent so she can save more money, and so that we can buy a house together in the next few years.
I aim to save about £1,250 a month, but found that recent purchases, including our puppy, mean that I have been eating into my savings quite a lot.
Sport is my big passion, with cricket, golf and football being my primary interests. I find this is the area in which I spend a large amount of my income.
My other large outgoing is my car. I bought it on finance, and know that with a £308 monthly payment – and a £16,000 balloon payment at the end of the term – it is expensive, but it will make a good family car for years to come.
I feel confident financially, but I get annoyed with myself when I don’t hit my targets. I have allowed myself a fair few treats this year, following the hard work of saving for a deposit. But I know that saving for a family is my overall goal.
Vital statistics:
Age: 27
Income: £69,387. I should also receive a bonus of between £10,000 and £12,500 gross this year, depending on whether we hit performance targets.
Mortgage: £779.78
Council Tax: £207
Subscriptions: £260.60. This includes my golf club membership.
Energy bills: £154. I split this with my girlfriend.
Car: £308. There will be a £16,000 payment at the end of the contract in March 2026, but I am saving for this.
Day 1: Monday
I worked from home today. We’ve just got a puppy and we need more puppy pads, so I ordered some. I can’t resist getting another pet toy, so the order totals £25.72, which I split with my girlfriend.
It’s that time of year again – my railcard has run out. I buy a new one online for £30, but I can expense this through work as it saves them money when I travel on the company dime.
I’m selling some old golf clubs that I don’t use anymore, and postage to their new home costs £13.28.
In the evening, I head off to play some squash, which costs £5.40 an hour for court hire.
During the summer I’ll spend more on going out, especially as there is more sport on, but the winter is usually much quieter.
Total: £31.54
Day 2: Tuesday
The puppy means I work from home again. It’s really nice to spend this time with the new dog, and I am planning to do just one day in the office over the next few weeks while she settles in.
I’ve got friends coming over for dinner, so we take a trip to the shops to stock up before I cook. My girlfriend and I head to Morrisons, where we spend £10.74 between us, or £5.37 each.
The extra bits make all the difference, and the dinner goes well.
Total: £5.37
Day 3: Wednesday
Another work from home day, so I eat out of the fridge for my meals.
I’m not usually a big party person, and I don’t like fancy dress, but we have a party coming up that I need an outfit for. I splash out £32.16 on Amazon and ASOS, convinced by my mates and my girlfriend that I should put more effort in this time.
Now I just have to hope that everyone gets it when I turn up.
Total: £32.16
Day 4: Thursday
Today was my day in the office, so I spent £6.50 at lunchtime. Usually I pre-prepare something and avail myself of the office microwaves, but this time the lunch I bought was really good value, so I didn’t mind spending the money.
Someone at work was having leaving drinks in London, so we got the train in (£7.55, thanks to the new railcard). I spend £29.50 on drinks, which feels like a lot but doesn’t break the bank.
Total: £43.55
Day 5: Friday
It’s time for a haircut, so I spent £18 on a trim. I need to do this about once a month, and it feels like a treat.
After my relaxation, I head to the shops for the weekly grocery run. I know lots of people prefer to do their shopping in bits and pieces, but I find it easier to do it all in one go.
The total comes to £102.10, which I split with my girlfriend. Working from home, it’s important for me to have stuff in for lunch, so this is always a good investment.
Total: £69.05
Day 6: Saturday
It’s my grandad’s birthday, so I take him out for a round of golf (£40). It’s nice that we share the hobby, although he now needs to use a buggy to get around the course – which my sister pays for, as her contribution to his present.
We headed to lunch after our round, which came to £24.40 for the both of us. My family have given me a lot of support, especially with buying my flat and my tuition fees, so it feels good to be able to pay that back, even in a small way.
When I get home, my girlfriend reminds me that our travel insurance has run out (£10.77). It can seem like a silly thing to have to pay for when you’re spending the weekend at home, but seeing horror stories about medical bills abroad is a good reminder that it could suddenly be worth it.
Total: £75.17
Day 7: Sunday
It turns out that, with a new puppy, it’s quite easy to spend a whole day playing with them, and not needing to go out to do anything else.
It’s quite a long time to spend inside, but at least it didn’t cost me anything.
Total: £0
Total weekly spend: £256.84
As told to Madeleine Ross.
Last week’s How I Spend My Money was: ‘I’m 24, have a useless degree and pretend to work from home’. The best of your comments:
Graham Peacock
A most excellent account of doing very little. I did enjoy the story. What a way to spend a week. Glad to hear the youth are putting the wine away.
William Heathdale
You sound far too lethargic to get through (or even into) Sandhurst. Even if you go for a non-commissioned career, you’ll still need to be well motivated.
People can change though - and the discipline and structure of service life are just what some people need.
Verus Real
I broke my back rushing to the comment section. And well, it was worth it.
Great commentary. He’s actually not as bad and quite sensible compared to many other stories I’ve come across. If he tones down on the liquor expenses, that will definitely help.
