Sai Kham Hloi

I live in a two-bedroom apartment in Dublin city centre with a friend of mine while I study Medicine at RCSI.

My mum taught me how to cook a lot of recipes before I left home, so I usually eat home-cooked meals. But when I feel too exhausted from school work, I just order take-out instead. I do my grocery shopping at Lidl, which is a one-minute walk away from my home and I always take the bus to Beaumont Hospital – bus fares were reduced to €1 recently, which helps a lot!

This week, I’ll be going to Beaumont Hospital on most days for my research project and I’ll be going out for a few drinks with a friend on the weekend.

  • Programme: Direct Entry Medicine (Year 3)
  • Living quarters: Dublin city centre

Monthly expenses

Rent: €1,150 for my room in a two-bedroom apartment.

Number of housemates: One.

Transport: I usually top-up my Leap Card by €80, but because of the cut in bus fares, I’ll only top up €40 from now on.

Household bills: €60 for electricity, gas and Wi-Fi (split 50:50 with my housemate).

Phone bill: €20 for unlimited data.

Groceries: €200.

Subscriptions: €9.99 for Spotify and I use my brother’s Netflix account.

Budget breakdown

  • 8am: I get ready to work on my research project at Beaumont Hospital. I have eggs and a cup of coffee for breakfast (€1.46).
  • 9am: I take the bus to Beaumont (€1), arriving at around 9:50am.
  • 1pm: For lunch, I order a toasted wrap and a can of Coke from the canteen in the RCSI Smurfit Building at the hospital (€4.20). After 30 minutes, I go back to the main hospital building to continue my audit.
  • 3pm: I leave Beaumont and take the bus back to my apartment (€1).
  • 7pm: The previous day I had prepared some meals and made servings of fried rice (€7.15), which I have for dinner.

Total: €14.81

  • 7am: I wake up a bit earlier than usual today as my Principal Investigator is meeting me between 9-9:30am to discuss my research project. Just like yesterday, I have three eggs and a cup of coffee for breakfast (€1.46).
  • 8:10am: I take the bus to Beaumont (€1) and arrive at around 9:00am.
  • 1pm: There’s less work to do today, so I leave the hospital a little earlier (€1).
  • 1:40pm: I stop by Lidl near my apartment on the way back and buy ingredients to make chicken curry for lunch (€4.87).
  • 7pm: I am a bit exhausted as I finish my archery practice at 6pm and I don't feel like eating fried rice again, so I order in KFC on Deliveroo (€11.30).

Total: €19.63

  • 10am: Today I wake up a little later than normal and for breakfast I have a serving of fried rice with a cup of coffee.
  • 12pm: For lunch, I have the Burmese chicken curry leftovers from the previous night with some apple juice I bought the previous night as well (€1.39).
  • 2pm: I plan on making kimchi stew for dinner, so I do some grocery shopping at Asia Market to buy ingredients (€7.74).
  • 7pm: For dinner, I have the kimchi stew with a serving of the fried rice I made last Sunday.

Total: €9.13

  • 8am: I’m meet my consultant today to discuss my research project. I get ready and have the usual eggs and coffee for breakfast (€1.46).
  • 9am: I take the bus again to the hospital (€1).
  • 1pm: For lunch, I have a wrap and a can of Coke (€4.20).
  • 5pm: I leave the hospital and take the bus home (€1).
  • 7pm: Since I had leftover kimchi stew from the previous night, I have this for dinner.

Total: €16.79

  • 10am: I have a lie-in as I don’t have to go to the hospital today. For breakfast, I have the last serving of fried rice with some coffee.
  • 2pm: Since I hadn’t done any grocery shopping recently, I order in a burrito bowl from Boojum on Deliveroo (€10.82).
  • 4pm: I go out to buy groceries from Lidl and Asia Market (€9.89).
  • 8pm: For dinner, I decide to make instant ramen, as it's something I haven’t tasted in quite a while (€1.44).

Total: €22.15

  • 9am: For breakfast today, I once again have my usual eggs and coffee (€1.46).
  • 1pm: I cook some salmon I bought yesterday for lunch and head to campus for archery practice.
  • 7pm: After archery practice, I make pork stir-fry with basil, which I have with some rice.

Total: €23.61

  • 10am: I bought some donuts from Lidl the other day, so I have one of these and coffee for breakfast.
  • 1pm: For lunch, I have the leftover stir-fry from last night again with some rice. Afterwards, I go to the campus to help my friend study for her exam.
  • 7pm: After a long day of studying, my friend and I decide to eat out at the Market Bar for dinner (€20).
  • 8pm: Since it isn't too late, we decide to head to I’Gueuleton restaurant to hang out and have a few drinks (€17.20).

Total: €37.20