WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
Last time around, we heard from a farmer and engineer in Leinster and this week, a software engineer living in London. It’s unfortunate that there is no similar tax-free way of investing your money in Ireland outside of maxing out your pension contributions.Salary: £75,000 + around 10% bonus and some overtime as wellGym membership: £150 for a CrossFit gym near where I liveSavings: £2,000 – I normally put it into a tax free stocks and shares ISA but some months I may have to dip into this a littleMonday 8.00 am: Wake up. I have a little bit of a lie-in today as I normally work from home on Mondays.
2.05 pm: Back from lunch and after changing my drenched t-shirt, I’m ready to get stuck into work again. 8.15 pm: Take the tube home after one hard session. We got beaten last week so the gaffer decides to run the legs off us. No harm I suppose! 5.15 pm: Finish for the day and head for a quick pint with a workmate where I get the first round in before heading to the party.10.15 pm: I get invited along to another free bar, this time belonging to a client we work closely with.
2.00 pm: Log back on and I see there are a lot of issues so I’m stuck on calls for the afternoon trying to help troubleshoot. 12.00 pm: I am horrified to say I just paid £6.95 for a sausage roll. Yes, just a sausage roll. Of all the things I’ve wasted money on, this is certainly up there.