How Much Did Author and Podcaster Caroline Foran Spend In a Week? | A Guest Money Diary

'I’m anxious because I know this money diary will show just how much I’ve been spending of late (of always, to be honest) and delighted because it’s high time I was made aware of it'

Caroline Foran here of Own It on Substack, author of the books Owning it: Your Bullsh*t-Free Guide to Living with Anxiety, The Confidence Kit: Your Bullsh*t-Free Guide to Owning Your Fear, Own It: Make Your Anxiety Work for You, Naked: How Vulnerability Can Be Your Superpower and You Got This: Face Your Fear. Find Your Confidence., and presenter of Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast, which you can listen to here. Big fan of Anchor Baby (annual subscriber to be specific).

I am both delighted and anxious to share my money diaries with you, while Rosemary takes a brief hiatus to deliver her second baby. I’m in awe of her going again; for mental health reasons I will stick with just the one kid and, if you’re in a similar position, you can read why there’s no just about it over here.

Anyhoo, I’m anxious because I know this money diary will show just how much I’ve been spending of late (of always, to be honest) and delighted because it’s high time I was made aware of it.

In my defense, it is the most expensive time of the year, what with the gift-buying and end-of-year socialising that could absolutely wait until February.

More generally speaking, however, my trigger-happy tendency to tap my way through life is currently rooted in an incredibly challenging parenting struggle, one which I’ve written about extensively on Own It.

The long and short of it is that I am at home with my four-year-old son every day as we navigate his extreme, chronic and clinically diagnosed anxiety, which manifests in a significant need for control and crippling separation anxiety. Our days can be very intense, to say the least.

He’s not in preschool because, try as we might, it’s just too much and, at this stage, the expert advice suggests we don’t keep pushing. My own instinct agrees. I’d like to think that, if I was less stressed and had any sort of structure to my week, I might have more of a financial strategy - or set myself a weekly budget. Alas, for now, if I come across something that will buy me a few minutes of joy for my son or something that can give me a bit of a lift (even though my rational brain knows that the dopamine hit will peak and trough within just 48 hours of purchasing), I’m sold. I find a way to justify it.

I am stuck in “life’s been hard, I deserve a treat” mode and I know it’s not sustainable, especially considering I’ve had to shelve most of my self-employed revenue streams to be there for my son, which I’m incredibly privileged to get to do. Nevertheless, here is a very real look at my accounts over the last week. I’m actually mortified.

Sunday

I get a weekly bill for a video editing app that I like but don’t use anywhere near enough to warrant this expense. I now wonder what else I’ve forgotten to opt out of that’s small enough not to notice in the moment but big enough to add up significantly over time. (€9.99)

I transfer to one of my friends via Revolut for a split dinner bill from the previous night. This could easily have cost more, were it not the one night I decide to drive and skip the drinks. (€50)

While my son watches Paw Patrol (I must sit with him; I can neither leave the room nor sit on a different couch), I spot an influencer on Instagram wearing a high street top that ticks the boxes for what I’m looking for for my one balls-to-the-wall Christmas night out of the season (it’s bloat friendly but still chic AND it covers my back where I’m dealing with a surge in breakouts). I tell myself I’ll get tons of wear out of it, forgetting I almost never leave my house for the other 11 months of the year. (€49.90)

I decide to get my Christmas present shopping sorted while I’m stuck on the couch. I make one online order (€115.99) followed by another one (€55) that will sort my husband’s family Secret Santa. Done.

Daily total: €280.88

Monday

How I managed to go a day without spending is actually shocking and encouraging (until I look at how the rest of the week panned out).

Daily total: €0

Tuesday

I pay our weekly cost of Play Therapy which promised to make a massive difference for my son’s anxiety but so far has gotten us nowhere (other than the fact he enjoys playing with her but he’s nowhere near ready to be left alone with her). I think I’ll cap it at the end of the year. (€70)

I order some MooGoo hair and skin care online for my son’s eczema, which is very hard to get under control and has massively flared up of late. My husband also suffers so it seems like a worthy investment. (€64.90)

A delightful pharmacy bill to stock up on everything we need to get through our kid’s sickness: cough syrup, Calpol, Nurofen, Vicks VapoRub, Calpol Plug-In refills (I would be lost without these when sleeping beside my blocked-nose warthog baby but why, WHY are these so extortionately priced?) (€64.90)

Daily total: €230

Wednesday

Our subscription for Netflix comes out (€20.99); what the actual fuck, I thought I was paying €8 max.

I make a SpaceNK order of two Paula’s Choice BHA Exfoliating creams, because it is the only thing that will clear the skin on my back and chest (refer to back-covering top purchase above). It’s about the only investment I make in body skincare and they had 20% off so I got two. (€57)

Daily total: €77.99

Thursday

Another unintentional no-spend day.

Daily total: €0

Friday

Let’s wrap up Christmas gifts. I order my family Secret Santa (€150) which is sent directly to the person I’ve to buy for because she’s big on having the option of returns, so it’s just easier to give her money, thus ruining the whole point of said Secret Santa. That said, it does make it a whole lot easier for me.

I send €100 in birthday present money to my brother via Revolut. It was his birthday in September and I kept saying I’d get to it.

I pay for a personal training rehab session for my years-long back injury and misaligned pelvis. This is a weekly expense. (€65)

After my session, I take myself to have lunch work remotely from a cafe. (€15.89)

Well, I should be working from said cafe but procrastinate by spending €113 on a combined Christmas and birthday present for my two-year-old Goddaughter (I spend this much because her mother, my best friend, happens to be my son’s Godmother and is super generous on my son’s birthdays). Online ordering, Revolut and tap-to-pay were made for people like me.

Daily total: €443.89

Saturday

I can’t believe I managed a third no-spend day of the week – not that I deserve any pats on the backs given the full financial picture. Maybe I just need to make this a rule from now on.

Daily total: €0

Weekly total: €1,032.76

There you have it; certainly excessive but possibly partially excusable given the expense of Christmas.