Name: Rowenna Hoskin
Occupation: Full-time student (summer lifeguard/receptionist during holidays)
Yearly income: This summer £2,460 and £300
I think I am usually quite a frugal person; I spend my summer saving up money for the next year – working day in and day out so that I don’t have to work during term time. My course is a 9am-4pm in university every day, so not only do I not have time to do a job, but I also don’t think I have the time to spend money.
I have a part-time social media job, which means I earn £25 a month; I hope that this keeps me topped up or acts as a little treat every now and then. So far, my big purchases have been room decorations at the beginning of the year – I also nurtured a plant shopping addiction in which I felt the insane draw of plant shops – like a siren call every time something went slightly awry that day.
I now have over 43 plants. My room is north facing which is not suitable for lots of plants and as such, some of my babies have died. I have put a stop to this habit/obsession as I no longer have any more room for them – yet I still have a hole in my pocket.
Monday
I woke up on Monday with a splitting headache, but I had run out of painkillers. After realising moments later that I also didn't have any food in the house other than ice cream, I knew I had to buy breakfast quick if I were to make it to my 9am lecture on time. So off I trotted to Tesco Express round the corner for a quick bite to eat and some paracetamol.
At lunch time I had to go to Tesco round the corner for a classic meal deal.
That evening I drove to Aldi to get a food shop and topped up the car with petrol.
Spending:
2 chocolate croissants: £1.38
Oat milk for university tea: £1.80
Paracetamol: 25p
Pesto and roasted veg wrap, Kettle's salt and vinegar crisps and a Lipton's iced tea: £3
Food shop: £32.75
Petrol: £15
Tuesday
Having had breakfast and even a packed lunch, I was ready for today to be my best frugal day. A day I finally lived within my budget.
It turns out this was unrealistic. It was production day at university, and I was editor for the day. I had the most full-on day that I could have. At lunch time I needed a treat and so I popped down to Greggs and got lunch.
I then went to Pret for a proper coffee, not the instant ones I have been resorting to for the last month… I told you I wanted a treat.
That evening I went for a drink with my friend but managed to stop at just the one.
Spending:
2 vegan festive bakes: £3.20
Oat milk Latte: £3.35
Gingerbread man: 99p
Pint: £3.95
Wednesday
I woke up late so was unable to make a packed lunch before sprinting to university at 8.30am for 9am shorthand. Hence: lunch was yet again a meal deal, but unfortunately, I had also forgotten my notepad... and then the sweets caught my eye too.
The day was also a very stressful one so, on my way home I popped into the Oxfam book shop and attempted to destress by buying books that I will never have time to read.
Spending:
Meal deal: £3
Notepad: £2
Sweets (on offer – 3 for £1): £1
Books that will remain on my bookshelf gathering dust until at least the summer, unless I can gift them to people and pass that off as the initial plan, rather than filling my shopping craving: £15.64
Thursday
I felt prepared, I had not only a packed lunch but also a tea to take to university. I remembered everything. I was on track. I remarkably stayed on track minus a chocolate bar from the vending machine.
Then my course mate challenged me to a game of rock paper scissors, the loser had to buy the other a chocolate bar. I lost.
Spending:
Chocolate bar: £1
Another chocolate bar: £1
Friday
I had to drive to Pontypridd for an interview for an article I am writing, so I had to get a bit more fuel after some other trips around Cardiff that week.
My boyfriend was coming to visit so I also needed to buy ingredients for a proper cooked dinner, something other than bread which I live off during the week. We also went out that evening for drinks with friends, and I ended up buying rounds.
Spending:
Petrol: £15
Risotto rice: £1.75
Pine nuts: £3.60
Aldi red wine: £4.20 (I know right… and it was quite nice wine)
3x mushrooms: £2.70
Pack of onions: 67p
Drinks out: £25.50
Saturday
Me and my boyfriend went out for coffee in the morning, and then drove to Coney for a surf where we got another coffee.
The rest of the day we did not need to buy anything other than dinner. We left it late so ended up deciding to get a Deliveroo.
Spending:
First coffee: £3.10
Petrol for surf: £5
Second coffee: £2.80
Vegan Wagamama ribs, Gyoza and bao buns: £9.75 each
Sunday
We went to a coffee shop to do work and I got the coffees as my boyfriend bought our drinks for our evening in last night.
We didn’t spend anything else as I had food in the house for dinner and we had enough time to cook – also I got a notification from my bank that I was in my overdraft...
Spending:
Coffee: £5.40
Total spending this week
So overall, I spent 168.78 this week. And I had been trying to save. Looks like next week I'm going to have to be much stricter on myself!
Doing this weekly tracking has freaked me out - if I spent this much every week for the rest of the year I would be completely out of money within the next few months... and I have no more money coming in! I must get better and start taking lunches with me to university, I also definitely must stop buying books and clothes as coping mechanisms.
At least I didn’t buy any plants though!
Would you like to track your spending for a week? Email Emmeline.Saunders@mirror.co.uk to appear in next week's Money Diaries
