{"id":630789,"date":"2026-09-20T20:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T20:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/630789\/"},"modified":"2026-09-20T20:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T20:42:11","slug":"money-diaries-a-chef-on-e43k-living-and-working-in-dublin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/630789\/","title":{"rendered":"Money Diaries: A chef on \u20ac43K living and working in Dublin"},"content":{"rendered":"

WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal<\/a> that looks at how people in Ireland really handle their finances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are you a spender, a saver or a splurger? We\u2019re asking readers to keep a record of how much they earn, what they save if anything, and what they\u2019re spending their money on over the course of one week. If you\u2019re interested, send a mail to money@thejournal.ie. We would love to hear from you.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s be kind.<\/p>\n

Last time around, we heard from an IT consultant<\/a> on \u20ac76.5K living in the southeast of the country. This week, a head chef on \u20ac43K living and working in Dublin and saving towards starting their own business.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"download\"<\/p>\n

I am 28 years old, still living at home with my mam and sister. I\u2019m the head chef at a gastropub in Dublin, which is about a 25-minute drive away from home. I got my driver\u2019s licence earlier this year, which has saved me a lot of time and money. Before that, my options were either an hour-long, two-bus commute or to get a taxi, which costs around \u20ac22 each way.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the year, I\u2019ve started taking saving more seriously. I\u2019ve been working towards the goal of starting my own business. I have a savings amount I want to hit before I start, which I should hit by the end of this year. I cut back a lot on travelling, concerts and even eating out this year. I get paid weekly and I\u2019ve been trying to put at least \u20ac100 away every week \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s a bit less if I have something on that week, sometimes it can be more. Anything I have leftover at the end of the week usually goes into my savings. I also started saving in the credit union instead of the bank so it wouldn\u2019t be easy for me to take back out like I have in the past.<\/p>\n

Occupation: Chef<\/p>\n

Age: 28<\/p>\n

Location: Dublin<\/p>\n

Salary: \u20ac43,680<\/p>\n

Monthly pay (net): \u20ac2,782<\/p>\n

Monthly expenses\u00a0<\/p>\n

Transport: \u20ac203<\/p>\n

Rent: \u20ac400<\/p>\n

Phone bill: \u20ac65<\/p>\n

Groceries: \u20ac240<\/p>\n

Subscriptions: \u20ac16.99 for Netflix, \u20ac12.99 for Spotify, \u20ac6.99 for Prime<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Monday<\/p>\n

8.00am: I get up for the day, put on my workout clothes and do 45 minutes on my walking pad while watching Gilmore Girls. After that, I have a shower, change into my work clothes and have breakfast (two Weetabix) and pack up my lunch and dinner for the day. Unfortunately, my car broke down a few days ago, so taxi it is for today (\u20ac21.50). I start work at 10am.<\/p>\n

12.30 pm: I eat a ham and cheese sandwich and tomato soup for lunch that I packed. I started meal prepping lunches and dinners in advance over the last month. Being a chef is quite chaotic and there\u2019s usually no time to make yourself something healthy or even eat most of the time, which sometimes led to me not eating during a 12-hour shift and then ordering a takeaway when I got home (a surefire way to slap on the weight, waste money and, on top of that, it\u2019s terrible for your mental health).<\/p>\n

6.00pm: I heat up the dinner I brought with me and eat it as I\u2019m filling in some of the day\u2019s paperwork. I buy a Diet Coke from the bar to go with it (\u20ac2.00). I love Diet Coke.<\/p>\n

10.00pm: Finish my shift and head home. Luckily, I get a lift and don\u2019t have to pay for another taxi. Once I\u2019m in, I jump in the shower, get into my pyjamas, have a little snack and watch TV in bed until I doze off.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac23.50<\/p>\n

Tuesday<\/p>\n

10.00am: I wake up later today as it\u2019s my day off, but stick to the same morning routine: get up, walk on my walking pad for an hour while watching TV, then shower, get dressed and make breakfast.<\/p>\n

12.00pm: An auto-electrician arrives to look at my car. After spending more than an hour looking at it, he tells me he can\u2019t figure out exactly what\u2019s wrong with it, just that it\u2019s something happening with the electronic control unit. Great. He gives me a few options and leaves to let me think about it (\u20ac60). I\u2019m seriously considering getting rid of it.<\/p>\n

1.30pm: I eat my lunch and watch some TV. It\u2019s payday today. I get paid weekly, so I send my rent straight away (\u20ac100) and put my \u20ac100 into savings.<\/p>\n

2.00pm: Spend the rest of the day going between doing a few bits around the house and watching TV.<\/p>\n

7.00pm: I heat up my meal-prepped dinner of chicken curry. It\u2019s so handy to have a meal ready to go, so I won\u2019t be tempted to order a takeaway<\/p>\n

9.00pm: Not much happening today. I get into bed and read my book before falling asleep.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac260.00<\/p>\n

Wednesday<\/p>\n

9.00am: I get up and do my usual morning routine (go for a walk, shower, get dressed and have breakfast). Before I implemented this routine a month ago, I had little to no energy and my mental health had taken a hit, but even going on walks every morning has really helped me.<\/p>\n

1.00pm: I eat my lunch at home before heading out to my local shopping centre to meet a friend I hadn\u2019t seen in a while. We stop in Starbucks for a coffee (\u20ac8) and a chat and then browse around the shops for a while. I pick up a new book while we\u2019re out. (\u20ac14.30)<\/p>\n

3.00pm: I go to Aldi before I go home to pick up my food shopping (\u20ac54.60) so I can meal prep before I\u2019m back in work tomorrow.<\/p>\n

4.00pm: Once I\u2019m home, I put away all the shopping and start my meal prep. I always cook enough for three meals so I don\u2019t get too sick of it.<\/p>\n

5.30pm: Clean up the kitchen after putting the prepped meals away, heat up my dinner and just relax for a while.<\/p>\n

9.30pm:\u00a0It\u2019s been a long day and I have a long shift tomorrow, so I read a bit of my book and go to bed early.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac76.90<\/p>\n

Thursday<\/p>\n

7.45am: I get up, do my usual morning routine and get ready for work. I order a taxi again because I haven\u2019t sorted my car situation yet. (\u20ac22.10)<\/p>\n

10.00am: I get to work and get a coffee \u2013 the best part of the day \u2013 before getting stuck in. There\u2019s a lot to do today as Thursday is the day we start heavier prep for the weekend. I fill in all the morning paperwork, set up the kitchen and turn everything on, then go through the fridge, organise everything to see what we have to prepare for the day and then make a prep list. Once that\u2019s done, I start off all the big prep that can be finished and out of the way so as not to disrupt service too much (anything I don\u2019t get finished can be finished up by the other chefs coming in at 12pm) and then I start setting up for lunch service.<\/p>\n

12.30pm: I\u2019ve got three other chefs working now, so I take the opportunity to eat my lunch I made and start on next week\u2019s roster.<\/p>\n

6.00pm: It\u2019s been a busy one. I heat up my dinner and eat it quickly with a Diet Coke (\u20ac2.00) before getting back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

8.00pm: I\u2019m supposed to finish at 8pm today, but it got busy in the last hour and I still have to do orders and fill in the rest of the paperwork. Another 45 minutes go by and I call it a day and get another taxi home. (\u20ac24.00)<\/p>\n

9.00pm: Get straight in the shower once I\u2019m in the door, then into my pajamas and straight into bed. I scroll on my phone for an unhealthy amount of time before I fall asleep.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total:\u00a0\u20ac48.10<\/p>\n

Friday<\/p>\n

7.45am:\u00a0Up and do my usual routine. I\u2019m more tired today and not in the mood to do my walk, but I make myself do it anyway. I\u2019m on my way to work by 9.30am \u2013 luckily, I\u2019ve got a lift this morning!<\/p>\n

1.30pm: I have my lunch and a second coffee to help wake me up. I forgot to say, we get free coffee at work, so no cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6.00pm: It was less hectic today, so I\u2019m able to leave on time today, and the sous chef is in to do orders. I got a taxi home (\u20ac21.10). I should have got the bus because I was off that bit earlier, but I just wasn\u2019t in the mood.<\/p>\n

7.00pm:\u00a0Get home, heat up my dinner and watch some TV with my mam and the dog.<\/p>\n

8.00pm: I meal prep my dinner for the next three days while I\u2019m still in the mood to do it. Even though it\u2019s a pain cooking after a long day of cooking, this really helps me keep on track.<\/p>\n

10.00pm: Not much else happens for the day. I have a shower, go to bed and read for the rest of the night.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac21.10<\/p>\n

Saturday<\/p>\n

7.30am: I wake up and do my usual routine. I try to get to work a little earlier on Saturdays because it\u2019s the busiest day besides Sundays. Another lift this morning thankfully, so no taxi for me.<\/p>\n

9.40am: Arrive and do my usual morning set up. I also go to the desk and check the bookings for the day and make a mental note of our busiest times and how many platters we have on for the day, then check with the bar staff about what games are on and what times. This helps keep me organised for the day knowing when I\u2019ll get my rushes.<\/p>\n

12.00pm: I eat my lunch before we kick off for the day, and order another coffee to really make sure I\u2019m alive.<\/p>\n

1.00pm: It\u2019s already time for a Diet Coke (\u20ac2.00). Money well spent.<\/p>\n

4.00pm: We\u2019re hour six into my shift and I\u2019ve already heard my name being called probably a thousand times. It\u2019s still crazy to me how uncommon common sense is. I get called to solve the most basic of problems and have to hold the hands of grown men constantly. I really need to book some time off.\u00a0<\/p>\n

6.30pm: I heat up my dinner and eat it really fast, before jumping straight back into service.<\/p>\n

9.00pm: No orders today luckily, so I get a taxi straight home. (\u20ac25.70)<\/p>\n

10.00pm: Showered and in bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac27.70<\/p>\n

Sunday<\/p>\n

7.45pm: I wake up do my usual routine and head to work in a taxi (\u20ac23.50). I really need to get the car sorted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

10.30pm: Sundays are the best and busiest days of the week. We\u2019ve got five chefs on today and bonus points that there\u2019s no lunch menu on a Sunday.<\/p>\n

12.45pm: After I\u2019ve organised everyone and everything for the day, I eat my lunch and have a coffee.<\/p>\n

8.00pm: I didn\u2019t have much time except for service today. Sundays are always hectic, but they fly by. I add up all the hours on the roster again because by Sunday, they\u2019ve usually changed quite a bit, and send them on to the owner. I also do my orders before heading home for the day in a taxi. (\u20ac25.50)<\/p>\n

9.15pm: Late dinner today as I literally didn\u2019t have time to eat. I\u2019m starving at this stage, so I eat it quickly before heading to bed for the night.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s total: \u20ac49.00<\/p>\n

Weekly subtotal: \u20ac506.30<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

What I learned \u2013<\/p>\n

After keeping track of my money for the week, I\u2019ve realised I do spend quite a bit of money on Diet Coke (well worth the investment though, if you ask me). I have bought a multipack in the past and brought it in to keep in the fridge for when I want one, but I do sometimes forget, so possibly something I can work on.
\nThe car situation wasn\u2019t ideal this week, and the taxis obviously set me back quite a bit of money. I think I\u2019m going to have to sell the car and get a new one, so not an ideal situation at all. I could have got the bus at certain times instead of taxis, but when you\u2019re doing 10 and 12-hour shifts, you really want to save as much travel time as possible and my commute without a car is two buses and an hour long.
\nOverall, I did spend a good bit this week, but in general, I\u2019m really proud of myself this year for sticking to my savings, my routines and not ordering rubbish takeaways all the time. I have really turned myself around the past few months and even though this week was hard, I still kept my good habits going with the routines and the meal prep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WELCOME TO HOW I Spend My Money, a series on The Journal that looks at how people in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630790,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[72,176,5028,35835,35836,61,60,1087,35837,174,175,6896,4996,35838],"class_list":["post-630789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-business","tag-finance","tag-finances","tag-hismm","tag-how-i-spend-my-money","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-money","tag-money-diaries","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance","tag-saving","tag-spending","tag-spending-and-saving"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}