Money Diaries: A Civil Servant On €95,500 Living In The Midlands
Midlands Civil Servant Details Weekly Finances on €95K Salary
In a personal finance diary published by The Journal, a publication that features a series examining how people in Ireland handle their finances following a previous entry from a technical program manager on an €85,000 salary living in Dublin, a 33-year-old accountant working as a civil servant in the Midlands details a week of household spending, earnings, and budgeting alongside a €95,500 annual salary. The author, writing anonymously for the publication’s “How I Spend My Money” series, outlines a net monthly pay of €4,371 after pension contributions while living with a spouse and a six-month-old baby.
The essay reports that the household is actively rebuilding savings following a costly period that included a house build, a wedding, and the arrival of their first child. According to the published account, the diarian allocates €550 monthly to savings, though annual expenses and unexpected costs frequently require dipping into those funds. The author notes that grocery prices and utility bills have climbed over the past year, reducing the purchasing power of their household income.
Household Outlays and Fixed Monthly Commitments
Shared monthly expenses outlined in the diary include a €1,099 mortgage payment and €800 designated for groceries and household items. Utility and service costs comprise roughly €220 for electricity, €140 for TV and broadband, €84 for health insurance covering the family of three, €32 for bins, and €30 combined for two mobile phone bills. Transport costs run €85 monthly for charging two electric vehicles primarily at home.
Personal monthly financial obligations listed by the author include a €452 car loan repayment, €100 in road tolls, an €85 gym membership, and €22 in miscellaneous subscriptions. Annual expenses paid out of savings include €390 for car insurance, €120 for car tax, and a €1,500 golf membership. The author’s spouse is currently on maternity leave, meaning the household has avoided ongoing childcare costs thus far, though the diary notes this expense will materialize when work resumes. Outside of work, the author enjoys playing golf once a week, attending local club matches during the GAA club championship season after finishing playing the sport two years ago, and going to the gym or running three times a week.
Daily Spending Log Across the Workweek
Monday’s spending totals €5.90 for a shop-bought roll during a work-from-home day. Tuesday, designated as an office anchor day involving a commute to the city, accrues €133.75 in expenses, including €9.55 for overnight oats and coffee at a motorway service station, €4.10 for a coffee near the office, €14.25 for a chicken ranch sandwich for lunch, and €105.85 for a previously scheduled online grocery delivery.
Thursday records €33.00.