Stay-at-Home Parent Ciara Buys Daisy Birthday Candles, Among Other Things | A Guest Money Diary

Hi Rosemary’s readers. I’m Rosemary’s friend Ciara – longtime fan of the newsletter, first-time money diarist. In April of this year, after almost 12 years in the same organisation, I finished working and became a stay-at-home parent to my two children J (6) and M (4).

We live in Dublin 7 and, as you will see, enjoy the many cafes and micro-bakeries the area has to offer. (No, I’m not sure what a micro-bakery is either.) During the week in question I spent a lot on healthcare, as a GP appointment turned into a blood test appointment and I tacked on a hygienist visit for good measure.

Thankfully, our health insurance plan gives money back on appointments, although the premium itself it is a large expense that I resent paying and really, do those companies ever lose out? There was also a large white goods purchase thrown into the week’s mix and, for once, I opted for a slighter more expensive but more efficient model, as the one we were replacing had been cheap, cheerful and, in the end, shite. You live, you learn.

Monday

I wake up to my son J coughing. He’s been hit by the inevitable back-to-school bug and, though he slept well last night, is not sounding great. He has a bad bout of coughing that leads to a little vomiting… a delightful way to start his week. He immediately asks not to go to school so I acquiesce. In fairness, he’s looking pretty shook.

I wake my daughter M up and we make our way downstairs. With J not going to school we have more time than usual so I allow the kids to watch some TV after their breakfast of porridge with peanut butter (one of them eats a little, the other gives me grief about their Dad making it better). I get dressed and J and I drop M to pre-school.

I have a doctor’s appointment this morning so I take J along with me, warning him repeatedly about covering his mouth when he coughs etc.

At this point he’s pretty much recovered and barely coughing – of course. The appointment is quick and costs €65. I’ll get 50% of this back through our health insurance plan.

Next we go to Tesco for some essentials and J gets to pick out a fancy yoghurt for his snack later. He also wants to try a Pot Noodle so I give in and get him one. (He tries it a little later and it’s a no.) Our shopping, which has no meat, no toiletries or cleaning products, and barely fills the small trolley comes to €131.84 after using the Clubcard for discounts.

I also regularly shop in Aldi and occasionally Dunnes online and can no longer see any difference in the weekly cost of groceries. We pack up the car and head to the library next door, where I have a Dog Man book on reserve for J and he finds another one on the shelf. (Free! Shoutout to the amazing Libraries Ireland.)

I complete the morning’s spending with a trip to the new-ish Asian Store in Phibsborough for ground cinnamon and turmeric (€3.38); Boots for cough medicine, Calpol and refills for the plug-in thingy I keep in the kids’ room (€32.97); and 3fe for one takeaway cappuccino (€4.25). We head home and have 40 minutes to eat (I have smoked salmon and cream cheese on homemade brown bread, he has the pot noodle and fancy yoghurt) before it’s time to pick up M. I also remember to cancel the Dunnes delivery I have scheduled for tomorrow as we no longer need it.

The afternoon is spent baking (mini scones for lunchboxes and a flapjack oat bar hybrid the kids pronounce vile), cleaning, refereeing fights, encouraging the kids to get outside and play, picking the last of the apples from our tree, doing laundry and a little admin on a college course I’m beginning in a week.

We have a medley of frozen fish and some air fryer baby potatoes with salad for dinner and, after setting up a diffuser with olbas oil because I’m starting to feel a little congested, I’m in bed reading the new Elizabeth Strout book, Tell Me Everything¹, by 10pm.

Daily total: €237.44