Interesting that he puts entertainment before feeding himself. £400 on ‘entertainment and socialising’ a month but bin raids to eat.
Article below:
How I Manage My Money: A bird scientist with MS on £2k a month and looking to support a family
‘On one occasion we found 16 fresh ducks in a Waitrose bin, which we used to make a huge duck lasagne’
Dr Rich Howells says his employer has been hugely supportive since his MS diagnosis
In our How I Manage My Money series we aim to find out how people in the UK are spending, saving and investing money to meet their costs and achieve their goals.
This week we speak to Dr Rich Howells, 33, who lives in Portobello, Scotland, with his wife, Lydia. Rich, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2017, is a marine ornithologist, or bird scientist, at the Scottish Government.
Monthly budget
INCOME
Salary £2,000
OUTGOINGS
Most are split evenly with my wife. My share as follows:
Mortgage £373; Groceries £150; Council tax £63; Gas, water and electricity £100 (this will be going up); Broadband £13; Mobile phone bill £10; Home and car insurance £13.50; Car fuel £25; TV licence £25; Home improvements and purchases for the home £250; Entertainment/socialising £400; Saving for future baby £50; General savings £400; Repaying money borrowed from my parents (£6,000) to buy our home £50
TOTAL: £1,922.50
I grew up in a working-class family in Ebbw Vale, in the South Wales valleys. I went to a comprehensive school and was consistently a high achiever. I read ecology at Cardiff University, and, after a five-year break from education and a stint living in Australia, I completed a PhD on climate change and seabirds, which was awarded by the University of Liverpool.
I graduated in 2019 and got a job with Marine Scotland Science. I provide advice on the impact of offshore renewables on seabirds. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2017, a week before my wedding. It was a huge shock. Although I’ve experienced only subtle changes to my symptoms since my diagnosis, recent scans revealed I have new brain lesions.
To combat this, I’ve started a highly effective treatment, which leaves me immunosuppressed. As a consequence, infections pose a real risk to me. Sadly, I can no longer carry out field work at seabird colonies due to the heightened risk.
For me, the greatest challenge I face both in general and in terms of employment is living with uncertainty and not knowing what the future will bring. The possibility of losing my income and being unable to have a decent pension in future is a real worry, but I am doing everything I can to avoid that.
More from Money
The MS Trust has been an invaluable resource for me. Recent research by the MS Trust suggested that 70 per cent of people diagnosed with MS say it has hit their finances. My employer has been extremely supportive. They allow me to work flexibly around my symptoms from home and support me to practice mindfulness and yoga.
As environmentalists, my wife and I are deeply concerned about the planet, and we practise freeganism when possible. We have made use of the Portobello Community Fridge, which is a great initiative helping save waste destined for landfill. Previously, we have also saved thousands of pounds by dumpster diving.
On one occasion we found 16 fresh ducks in a Waitrose bin, which we used to make a huge duck lasagne. On another we found around £200 worth of artisanal balsamic vinegar. We also do batch cooking and I try to make the most of our slow cooker to save on energy. Outside of groceries, we also cycle everywhere, which is good for our wallets and bellies!
I bank with Monzo and use their pots and savings facilities to manage my money. Currently, I put around £400 into a savings account and £50 into a baby fund each month, as does my wife. As we now have some savings, we’d like to explore how to make the most of them. I am also saving money into a pension, but as I may end up not working for as long as most people due to my MS, I am questioning whether this is the right option for me. I plan to look into this further.
My wife and I have achieved our main short-term goal of buying a house. Our next main financial challenge will be supporting a family. My main goal is having sufficient funds to support myself and my family as my disability progresses, but what that means exactly, I’m not sure yet.
>is a marine ornithologist, or bird scientist,
I wonder if he calls himself a bird scientist or if it’s the newspaper dumbing it down for us plebs.
I think the takeaway here is if you want a cheap mortgage and very low council tax move to Portobello
I wonder if he knows anything about Bird Law?
He isn’t living on £2k a month as he splits expenses with his wife. No chance he could have got a mortgage for a house in Portobello on £2k/month.
6 comments
Interesting that he puts entertainment before feeding himself. £400 on ‘entertainment and socialising’ a month but bin raids to eat.
Article below:
How I Manage My Money: A bird scientist with MS on £2k a month and looking to support a family
‘On one occasion we found 16 fresh ducks in a Waitrose bin, which we used to make a huge duck lasagne’
Dr Rich Howells says his employer has been hugely supportive since his MS diagnosis
In our How I Manage My Money series we aim to find out how people in the UK are spending, saving and investing money to meet their costs and achieve their goals.
This week we speak to Dr Rich Howells, 33, who lives in Portobello, Scotland, with his wife, Lydia. Rich, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2017, is a marine ornithologist, or bird scientist, at the Scottish Government.
Monthly budget
INCOME
Salary £2,000
OUTGOINGS
Most are split evenly with my wife. My share as follows:
Mortgage £373; Groceries £150; Council tax £63; Gas, water and electricity £100 (this will be going up); Broadband £13; Mobile phone bill £10; Home and car insurance £13.50; Car fuel £25; TV licence £25; Home improvements and purchases for the home £250; Entertainment/socialising £400; Saving for future baby £50; General savings £400; Repaying money borrowed from my parents (£6,000) to buy our home £50
TOTAL: £1,922.50
I grew up in a working-class family in Ebbw Vale, in the South Wales valleys. I went to a comprehensive school and was consistently a high achiever. I read ecology at Cardiff University, and, after a five-year break from education and a stint living in Australia, I completed a PhD on climate change and seabirds, which was awarded by the University of Liverpool.
I graduated in 2019 and got a job with Marine Scotland Science. I provide advice on the impact of offshore renewables on seabirds. I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2017, a week before my wedding. It was a huge shock. Although I’ve experienced only subtle changes to my symptoms since my diagnosis, recent scans revealed I have new brain lesions.
To combat this, I’ve started a highly effective treatment, which leaves me immunosuppressed. As a consequence, infections pose a real risk to me. Sadly, I can no longer carry out field work at seabird colonies due to the heightened risk.
For me, the greatest challenge I face both in general and in terms of employment is living with uncertainty and not knowing what the future will bring. The possibility of losing my income and being unable to have a decent pension in future is a real worry, but I am doing everything I can to avoid that.
More from Money
The MS Trust has been an invaluable resource for me. Recent research by the MS Trust suggested that 70 per cent of people diagnosed with MS say it has hit their finances. My employer has been extremely supportive. They allow me to work flexibly around my symptoms from home and support me to practice mindfulness and yoga.
As environmentalists, my wife and I are deeply concerned about the planet, and we practise freeganism when possible. We have made use of the Portobello Community Fridge, which is a great initiative helping save waste destined for landfill. Previously, we have also saved thousands of pounds by dumpster diving.
On one occasion we found 16 fresh ducks in a Waitrose bin, which we used to make a huge duck lasagne. On another we found around £200 worth of artisanal balsamic vinegar. We also do batch cooking and I try to make the most of our slow cooker to save on energy. Outside of groceries, we also cycle everywhere, which is good for our wallets and bellies!
I bank with Monzo and use their pots and savings facilities to manage my money. Currently, I put around £400 into a savings account and £50 into a baby fund each month, as does my wife. As we now have some savings, we’d like to explore how to make the most of them. I am also saving money into a pension, but as I may end up not working for as long as most people due to my MS, I am questioning whether this is the right option for me. I plan to look into this further.
My wife and I have achieved our main short-term goal of buying a house. Our next main financial challenge will be supporting a family. My main goal is having sufficient funds to support myself and my family as my disability progresses, but what that means exactly, I’m not sure yet.
>is a marine ornithologist, or bird scientist,
I wonder if he calls himself a bird scientist or if it’s the newspaper dumbing it down for us plebs.
I think the takeaway here is if you want a cheap mortgage and very low council tax move to Portobello
I wonder if he knows anything about Bird Law?
He isn’t living on £2k a month as he splits expenses with his wife. No chance he could have got a mortgage for a house in Portobello on £2k/month.