WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.
We’re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they’re spending their money on over the course of one week.
Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We’re looking for readers who will keep a money diary for a week. If you’re interested send a mail to [email protected] We would love to hear from you.
Each money diary is submitted by readers just like you. When reading and commenting, bear in mind that their situation will not be relatable for everyone, it is simply an account of a week in their shoes, so let’s be kind.
Last time around, we heard from a PhD candidate earning €16K and managing in Dublin. This week, a customer service clerk on €38K in Dublin.
I’ve been living in Dublin for four years now. I work in a customer service/collection/billing department and I’m quite happy with my work arrangement since the pandemic started last year as I am working from home.
Unfortunately, this will end sometime in Q1 next year. I’ve lived in Ireland for 19 years. I’m originally from Germany and came here for work. I was in shared accommodation since the first week in Ireland, but at some point the previous landlord wanted to increase the rent, which was fine for me but my other three housemates were not able or didn’t want to pay this, so we decided to leave after the notice period ended.
After that, I decided to look for something for just myself. I started looking for apartments in late 2016, even as far away as Baltinglass in County Wicklow as it was cheaper to buy, (around €80K) but after careful consideration, the 100km commute every day would be a huge waste of time along with money for car maintenance and fuel, so I tried something more local and got lucky.
I bought a 2-bed-2-bath apartment, the asking price was €120K in a bank sale but after a little bidding war it ended at €130k and the other party didn’t bid any more which was good for me. I bought it with cash with 100% of my savings of the previous 12 years up to that month in 2017. I was planning to take out a small mortgage – €40K over five years which is the minimum amount – but the bank delayed …….
Source: https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/how-i-spend-my-money-43-5566550-Oct2021/