My Money is a new series looking at how people spend their money – and the sometimes tough decisions they make. Here, Olivia Davies from Salford records her spending over a week, and shares how easy it is to spend money on clothes and make-up.
We’re looking for more people to share what they spend their money on. If you’re interested, please email [email protected] or get in touch via our My Money Facebook group and we’ll aim to contact you.
Olivia is 20 and is currently a second year student at Salford university, studying broadcast journalism. She also works 20-30 hours a week at Nando’s.
When she’s not working, studying or on holiday, she loves to go to the gym, keeping herself fit and active. She can’t wait for you to have a read of her blog to see what a young, part-time student and worker really spends her money on. She says there’s no hiding any of her spends now. Over to Olivia.
Olivia’s week: Cheap but lethal wine, facial wax strips and free chicken from Nando’s
9:30
It’s Monday, and I’m still off university for another two weeks! So, it’s off to work for me at 12:30 until 16:30. I’ve been working around 20-30 hours a week at Nando’s, bringing in money for me to save and spend!
10:50
As I’ve got nothing to do until work, I had a quick browse online to do a little bit of TLC. As every girl knows, we’ve got this obsession to keep on top of our eyebrows, lashes, skin, and body, so I thought this extra time was a good excuse to treat myself! I ended up buying Bondi Sands everyday gradual tanning milk as everyone knows how much easier this is than trying to get that perfect streak-free finish with instant tan at 23:00. I also bought myself some facial wax strips! Being a dark-haired girl, the moustache and mono brow is always there.
I got these products through Pretty Little Thing, where I’ve got free next day delivery for a year! So I only ended up spending £14, including delivery. I tried to get student beans discount on these products but they don’t do it on beauty for some reason.
16:30
I’ve finished work! And the beauty of working at Nando’s, free food! So, no spending money on my lunch when I’m on a shift, happy days. I helped myself to a red pepper dip, a quarter chicken (medium spice of course) and some of the new saucy spinach.
22:30
Gym classes, done.
Tesco shopping with the mother, done.
Tea, done.
Bath, done.
Time to relax and get to bed, this Monday I didn’t spend too much, no bills came out and no money came in. But I did treat myself a little, (the Tesco shopping I didn’t pay for, I was just helping my mum do some of the weekly shop).
Total spend: £14
10:00
I’ve just woken up and there’s no work today! So, I’m going to get up, get ready, and then go out for lunch with my Nana. We’ve found a lovely little place to have our lunches recently, and we’ll see if she’s treating me or not, but I always, always, offer to go halves!
14:30
Lunch finished with the Nana, we enjoyed a lovely chicken stroganoff and finished with meringue nest and summer fruits! I offered to pay, as usual, but Nana insisted this was on her and that I should get our next lunch! £0 spent on lunch today, lovely stuff.
21:00
I’m going out next weekend to Newcastle and of course, I need a new outfit, but recently I’ve been trying to buy new outfits off Depop and not off the original sites! It’s so much better to buy second hand and do your little bit to recycle clothing, so I had a scroll and found a perfect little red Oh Polly dress for only £23 with delivery. The dress on the original site is £38 so saving myself a lot of money considering it’s only ever been worn once.
Total spend: £23
9:30
I wake up to messages asking me to come in for the morning shift (9:30-17:30) instead of my evening shift, which sees me working 17:30 until about 1:00, I say yes! I’d much rather work the morning and have my evenings free, so I pack a quick breakfast of yogurt and berries into my bag and get to work for 10:00. They didn’t mind me being slightly late as obviously I was asked last minute. If I decided not to bring my own breakfast, I could’ve had some at work, I could’ve been very tempted to get a McDonald’s breakfast from the restaurant next door.
17:30
It’s finally 17:30 and I’ve finished work, enjoyed my free lunch as always, and I was in the debate of going to the gym or going to see my boyfriend. My legs were still killing from the two gym days previous so I decided to rest up, and see my boyfriend.
19:00
Jordan, my boyfriend, decides it’s time we need to go to the Trafford centre and get him the Vans he’s wanted for so long! We buy his Vans and debate getting some tea but we choose the option, “we have food at home”. I swear we’ve grown old already! I also took a look round some shops for some wet-look leggings, as they seem to be what everyone wears nowadays, but I can’t find any I like, and I’m not about wasting money so I leave it! Which leaves me spending a grand total of absolutely nothing today!
Total spend: £0
9:30
No work today, and I’ve not been rung to come in last minute either. I stayed at my boyfriend’s last night so I drive home and get on with some house chores, so the mother doesn’t bite my head off!
13:00
My mum’s actually started doing gym classes, and she’s desperate for a stopwatch to time her classes and make sure she’s filling the classes right, so I have a look on Amazon for her, I find a nice blue watch but the delivery wouldn’t let me have it for another week… too long, I’m impatient. I did have free next-day delivery but it was a trial for six months with being a student, so I decide to wait until tonight and use my boyfriend’s account to order the watch and save some dollar.
18:00
Fast forward time a little bit and I’ve gone to the gym but I’m now waiting for the next class to start. While waiting I get a little thirsty but I forgot my water bottle, so I have to buy one for £1.
So, as you do, I start scrolling through Instagram and see this gorgeous make-up artist. I’ve been looking for someone to do my make-up for my birthday in a couple of weeks. I message this MUA and she immediately replied, £20 now as a deposit, and £20 on the day, which somehow to me, makes it seem that little cheaper in two instalments… so that’s me £20 down within a matter of minutes.
22:00
Gym’s all done, and I’ve drove to my boyfriends, to see him of course but to also rob his Amazon Prime account to order the stopwatch wrist timer for my mum. I pop in my own card details on his account and BOOM, suddenly £14.99 less rich!
Total spend: £35.99
8:00
First of all, Friday the 13th… everyone sees this as a bad luck day, but I like to be unique and see it as a day of luck… it’s payday every Friday so my bank balance has nicely been topped up, but that also means it’s time to pay my rent!
I pay my mum £60 every Friday when I get paid. If I can’t afford it one week, which is rare, she does let me off, because she’s an angel, or if she owes me any money then she lets me keep the rent. My mum never asked for rent, but I feel because I work and still eat, and use up all the electric, it’s only right of me to pay my way.
19:00
Fast forward to the evening and I’ve finished an eight-hour shift at work, where I successfully didn’t spend a penny! But now I’m at the Trafford centre, and I’ve got a long, long list of things I need! Such as jeans, a new foundation and wet-look leggings. Anyone that knows me, knows I always wear the same things so it was time to treat myself. I go to Topshop and buy some blueish jeans… but with student discount it comes down to £37.85 instead of £42! Every little saving helps! But my spending didn’t stop there… I also purchased a new foundation, my skin is really dry so it’s hard for me to find anything that sits nice but I heard lots of good things about Fenty hydrating foundation so here I am, £27 more out of pocket, after treating myself to that particular foundation.
20:00
Oh, don’t worry, the spending hasn’t stopped yet, Friday 13th seems to be unlucky towards my bank account. We decided to go for a meal but I grab tap water, and a pizza so only end up spending a bargain of £10.25, happy me!
And to top it off, we go to my friend’s house where I buy a bottle of £4 summer fruits wine, cheap, but lethal! Trust me… oh, and don’t forget the £10 petrol I need to put in every Friday (joys of driving).
Total spend: £149.10
9:00
I’ve woken up, not a hangover in sight! But then I remember, I forgot to get my wet-look leggings yesterday so I quickly get on Pretty Little Thing and order two pairs. One is in a size 8, and the other a size 10, as my sizes in pants are always different so I’ll just send one back! I end up spending, with student discount, £22.50. I’m a bargain hunter if I do say so myself…
Early Saturday wake up means one thing, early gym session, with the mother, I hop in the car with her and we go to her body balance class! She smashed it, as always.
13:00
Time for lunch after the gym, there’s nothing really in the house to eat as mum hasn’t done the weekly shop yet, so we nip to the corner shop and she buys me stuff to make an omelette! My favourite.
15:00
Now it’s time for my three-nine shift today! I was so tempted to buy myself an iced latte from McDonald’s before work, everyone knows I’m an iced coffee addict! But after my heavy spending yesterday, I decided it better to make my own at work (mine are just as nice anyways)!
20:50
Home time! Doesn’t seem like I’m going to spend anything else today, go back to my boyfriend’s tonight and probably straight to sleep for me. I’ve not got the energy at night, I’m definitely more of a morning girl!
Total spend: £22.50
10:00
Well, that was a lie-in and a half for me! 10:00 is a late rise for me, it always puts me on edge for some reason getting up that late. But today is a chill day, I have work at half five tonight, where I’ll be staying on for a close, but I’ll worry about that later.
13:20
Today, so far, I’ve been helping my boyfriend clear out his room. I bought him a lovely bracelet for Christmas but he somehow lost it this summer and we’ve been looking for it ever since. He always seems to lose his most expensive items as just last week he lost his airpods… I’m starting to think me helping him “clear out” his room is really his last desperate attempt to find his bracelet.
14:15
IT WORKED! We found his bracelet, and I’ve never been happier. It was hidden somewhere between all his unfolded clothing in his wardrobe, at least I won’t have to fork out for a replicate this Christmas! Win, win.
17:30
Before I know it, it’s time for me to start work. I’ve come in to a hectic shift, to say the least, and I can’t already wait for it to die down. I knew I should’ve bought a coffee before I started, I won’t have time to make myself one now with how busy it is!
Total spend: £21.99
Olivia’s spending outcome
It’s been a very spontaneous spending kind of week, I’ve got to admit. I don’t always buy myself new jeans, make up, and facial waxing strips, even though I wish I had the income that would let me! Oh, but wait, it’s Monday, and it’s the 16th, which means one thing for me, it’s my gym payment day, which already leaves me with £21.99 out of pocket and I’ve not even been to sleep yet.
Rent – £60
Clothing – £83.35
Beauty – £61
Petrol – £10
Food and drinks – £15.25
Gifts – £14.99
Leisure – £21.99
Total weekly spend: £266.58
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