What does a 33-year-old spend and save in a week? (Picture: Getty; Metro.co.uk)

It’s easier to assume that those struggling are spending their money on silly things, rather than to question the entire infrastructure of our society’s view on finances.

In the UK we don’t receive financial education in school. Struggling to save money is a source of shame. House prices are high and wages aren’t rising to match. Most of us want to save and spend more wisely, but struggle to make it happen.

To explore the reality of how people really spend and save, without resorting to reductive stereotypes of millennials being poor because they waste all their money on avocado toast, we launched How I Save.



Each week we take a look at how a different person spends and saves their money, then get expert advice to help them (and us) save better.


This week we’re nosing around the finances of Rose (not her real name), a 33-year-old journalist living in London.

How Rose saves:

I earn £29,000 a year. In my savings account right now I have £1,141.

I’m not saving for anything in particular but it will end up being used for holidays or expenses such as tickets for concerts.

The main way I save is direct debit every month. I struggle to save because I’ve been paying off credit cards for all of my 20s and now I earn a decent wage I like to be able to just spend my cash where and when I want.

I use my debit card for nearly all my expenses but have just switched to Monzo in the hopes of utilising the feature that rounds up your purchases for savings.

I don’t do a regular weekly shop – I tend to do an online shop once every four to six weeks for frozen/dried/home items and then buy fresh as and when I need it.

How Rose spends:

Monthly expenses:

£800 on rent and bills into a joint account

£100 credit card – this will be paid off by mid-May based on the current balance.

£100 cash ISA

£15 on NX Rewards, a cashback scheme – as long as I use once a month I can get back the £15 plus the cashback

£5 for joint Netflix

£18 for my platinum account which gives me free travel and phone insurance

£19.50 for contact lenses

£18 NUJ membership

£38 for phone

£36 for swimming lessons

The key to saving for Rose is hiding money from herself (Picture: ella byworth for Metro.co.uk)

A week of spending:

Thursday: I’m working the early shift this week so I have a car into work, and I take my breakfast and lunch in.

I eat yogurt and granola at my desk but mid-morning pop to the canteen for a pastry – £1.10.

I pop out to Marks’ to get my parents an anniversary card but luckily I already have stamps in my purse – £2.50.

Work through lunch and head home after work on the tube and then jump on the bus to save me the ten minute walk the other end – £3.

I eat my packed lunch for dinner, and then have a glass of wine and go to bed early.

Friday: Another 6am start, another bowl of yogurt and granola at my desk. Today’s mid-morning snack is a bagel for £1.

I have bought in lunch and then I go straight home (tube and bus £4.30) but then decide to pop into Sainbury’s for a frozen pizza, a bottle of wine and cookies – £8.80

Saturday: Make a last minute decision to head to my parents for a few days. The train costs £33.75 for a single (plus cashback).



Tube travel into work and to Paddington costs £6.70 and I get a bagel at work, £1.

I take out £30 cash for the few days away as I will need to use the bus and I don’t think they accept contactless. I spend £3.30 in Caffe Nero on a coffee so I have some change from the notes.

Get a taxi from the station to my parents’ house – £9 out of the cash.

Sunday: Very lazy day, treating my parents’ like an Airbnb as they are on holiday. No money spent.

Monday: I take my niece and nephew out for the day so spend £5 on a return bus fare and £13.90 on my card for lunch for the three of us.

I spend £4.90 on coffee for myself and cookies for them later in the day.

Tuesday: I take a day trip out to Glastonbury, £7 return on the bus.

I spent £9.10 to get into the Abbey but proceed to spend an hour sitting with my friend catching up and then walking around the grounds without actually looking at the Abbey.

My friend pays for lunch but I get some desserts for us from a local bakery for £4.10

Wednesday:

I realise I don’t have a return ticket to London – oops – spend £12 on the coach ticket back (plus cashback!)

Pop into Tesco to get some food for the journey home, £2.85.

Tube and bus journey back to my house is £4.80.

Total spent this week: £133.80

How Rose could save: We spoke to the experts over at money tracking app Cleo to find out how Rose could save better. Note: the advice featured is specific to one individual and doesn’t constitute financial advice. Especially on a London budget. Main vice I can picture the headline now: Millennials can’t afford mortgages because they’re wasting their money on contact lenses and anniversary cards for their mums! At a quick scan you’ve not got many red flags (apart from paying for a museum you forgot to go into). 55% of your budget this week did go on travel, most of it impulse. We don’t all get to be the type of person who plans ahead, but you should probably have the foresight to know that a single isn’t going to get you back to London. Kick the habit (by buying tickets earlier) and you could add £2k to a saving account each year. You know this. I know this. But you’re still going to be gleefully rocking up to the station brandishing your card for the train that leaves in 5 mins. Where you’re going wrong If saving isn’t a priority, then you aren’t likely to save. Pretty simple. Your focus has been on getting clear of debt, and you’ve nailed it. Your priorities might shift when you’re finally at base camp zero. Let’s talk then. For a whim-spender: round-ups, autosaving algorithms, or hiding money from yourself are your key weapons in the war against yourself. If you can forget you’ve paid £9 to walk around an Abbey, you can forget you’ve put £200 in a cash ISA. Spending breakdown (after bills and monthly expenses) Safe to Save: £200 a month As soon as you’re clear of credit card fees, let’s double what you’re locking back. Set up a direct debit. This is secret money. You shall endeavour to forget it (we never spoke about this) Safe to Spend: £90 a week / £360 a month Food, fun, tube, cookies for your undoubtedly adorable nieces and nephews Safe to Burn: £15 a week / £60 a month This is your impulse trip fund. Unless you wake up with the foresight to plan trips in advance, this secures one last minute visit home. Or three planned ones. Bottom line: Basically just using this space as a shout out for paying off your credit cards this month. You’re awesome 🙌

How I Save is a weekly series about how people spend and save, out every Thursday. If you’d like to anonymously share how you spend and save – and get some expert advice on how to sort out your finances – get in touch by emailing ellen.scott@metro.co.uk.


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