Location: Birmingham – salary: £31,000 – lives with girlfriend
Ever wondered what a week of spending looks like for someone working in finance outside of London, trying to balance saving for the future whilst enjoying day to day life?
After looking at another Money Talks diary, we’re now diving into the spending habits of Lucas, a 28-year-old finance associate living in Birmingham.
Lucas works full-time in a corporate finance role, earns £31k a year, and lives with his girlfriend. He describes his attitude to money as fairly balanced: He budgets and prioritises saving, but still makes room for convenience and lifestyle spending. With shared rent and bills, student loan repayments, transport costs and subscriptions like the gym and Netflix, his week shows how small, regular expenses quickly add up – even without any major splurges.
The week at a glance
Location: Birmingham
Occupation: Finance associate
Annual salary: £31,000
Living situation: Living with girlfriend
Current commitments: Shared rent and bills, student loan repayments, transport, gym membership, Netflix and other subscriptions
Main money goal: Build an emergency fund, increase savings toward a future house deposit, and manage student loan repayments more effectively, with an eye toward preparing for children
General attitude toward money: Fairly balanced: “I budget and prioritise saving but still allow room for lifestyle spending and subscriptions.”
Typical daily spend: Moderate on weekdays, higher at weekends depending on social plans
Monday
Coffee on the way to work – £3.20
Lunch meal deal – £4.00
Transport – £4.50
Shared groceries top-up – £18.00
Total: £29.70
Tuesday
Coffee – £3.20
Transport – £4.50
Gym session (covered by membership) – £0
Total: £7.70
Wednesday
Coffee – £3.20
Lunch with colleagues – £7.50
Transport – £4.50
Small household item – £12.00
Total: £27.20
Thursday
Coffee – £3.20
Transport – £4.50
Netflix subscription – £10.99
Total: £18.69
Friday
Coffee – £3.20
Lunch meal deal – £4.00
Transport – £4.50
After-work drinks – £18.00
Total: £29.70
Saturday
Shared weekly groceries – £35.00
Lunch out with girlfriend – £14.00
Casual activity – £12.00
Total: £61.00
Sunday
Coffee out – £3.00
Shared takeaway – £16.00
Total: £19.00
Weekly reflection
Total weekly spend: Approximately £193
Lucas’s spending this week was fairly typical for him, with most costs coming from food, transport and shared household expenses. While nothing felt particularly extravagant in the moment, he was surprised by how quickly smaller, regular purchases like coffee and lunches added up over the course of the week.
The weekend pushed spending slightly higher than average due to social plans, but weekday costs stayed in line with his normal routine. Drinks after work and a casual weekend activity were impulse choices, while groceries, transport and subscriptions were planned and essential.
If he could redo the week, Lucas says he’d cut back on buying coffee every day and make more lunches at home. He’d also like to be more intentional with social spending, setting clearer limits to avoid small impulse costs creeping in.
Nothing unexpected happened financially this week – no repairs, bonuses or surprise expenses – which helped keep spending within his normal budget.
Looking ahead, Lucas wants to build better habits around tracking day to day expenses and reducing impulse spending. Preparing food and coffee at home more often would help free up extra money for savings, particularly as he and his girlfriend think about longer-term goals like buying a home and starting a family.
Conclusions
Lucas’s week is a realistic snapshot of life on a £31k salary outside London. Essentials like rent, transport and food come first, but there’s still room for socialising and convenience spending. His habits show a balance between enjoying life now and planning for future stability.
With a few small changes – mainly around coffee, lunches and impulse social spending – Lucas could easily boost his savings without dramatically changing his lifestyle. Overall, it’s a grounded and thoughtful approach to money, shaped by both present enjoyment and long-term planning.
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