I’m a 25-year-old therapist with £1,900 in savings: Here’s what my weekly spending looks like

Location: Manchester – therapist – living alone

Alex is 25 and lives in Manchester alone, where she works as a therapist earning £21,200 a year. She is currently balancing rent, student loans, and subscriptions while beginning to build more financial stability.

With £1,850 in savings and £210 in her bank account, Alex is in the early stages of working toward longer term financial goals, including building an emergency fund and saving for a deposit.

She describes her relationship with money as improving, saying she now feels more comfortable saving as her income allows for a bit more flexibility: “I’m comfortable with saving now that I have more wiggle room to do so.”

For Alex, this week was slightly more expensive than usual, with spending centred around essential costs like food, subscriptions, and fitness, alongside some social spending.

This week’s Money Talks looks at how consistent, planned spending can still add up, and how building structured saving habits is becoming a key priority.

Name: Alex

Age: 25

Location: Manchester

Occupation: Therapist

Salary: £21,200

Living situation: Lives alone

Current commitments: Rent, student loans, subscriptions

Main money goal: Building an emergency fund and saving for a deposit

General attitude toward money: “I’m comfortable with saving now that I have more wiggle room to do so.”

Typical daily spend: Around £40

A week in my wallet

Monday

No specific spending recorded

Total: £0

Tuesday

Food shop – £25-£30

Total: £25-£30

Wednesday

No spending

Total: £0

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Thursday

Dinner and drinks – £30

Total: £30

Friday

No specific spending recorded

Total: £0

Saturday

Gym membership (monthly) – £24

Amazon Prime subscription – £9

Total: £33

Sunday

Food shop – £25–£30

Total: £25-£30

Total weekly spend: Approximately £140-£160

Weekly reflection

The biggest surprise this week was the cost of the food shop. While each shop felt manageable, the overall total stood out more than expected by the end of the week.

All spending was planned and essential, reflecting a thoughtful and controlled approach to money. Even so, Alex noted that she has had to skip or delay certain things due to financial constraints. Compared to a typical week spending was slightly higher, largely due to everyday essentials adding up. If she could change one thing, it would be to build a more consistent saving habit – specifically setting aside a fixed amount rather than relying on whatever is left at the end of the week.

Alex explained she’d like to “save a set amount rather than what’s left over” at the end of her spending.

Conclusions

This was a fairly typical week for Alex, with spending focused on core essentials like food, subscriptions, and maintaining her routine, including the gym, alongside occasional social spending. Her approach to money is becoming more stable, with most purchases planned rather than impulsive, showing a growing sense of control over her finances.

The main opportunity for improvement lies in consistency – particularly when it comes to saving. Moving toward a fixed saving strategy could help her make steadier progress toward her goals. Overall, Alex is focused on building a stronger financial foundation while maintaining a balanced lifestyle, with clear goals around saving and increasing financial security.

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