My Money: ‘I had to get tickets, it was a huge sum, $519!’

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

My Money is a new series looking at how people spend their money – and the sometimes tough decisions they have to make. Here, Sunneva María Svövudóttir from Reykjavik in Iceland, records her spending over a week and shares tips for saving.

We’re looking for more people to share what they spend their money on. We’re particularly keen to hear from disabled people about the extra cash your disability costs you. If you’re interested, please email my.money@bbc.co.uk or get in touch via our My Money (World) Facebook group, or if you live in the UK, please join our My Money (UK) Facebook group and we’ll aim to contact you.

Sunneva is 20 and lives in Iceland. She works in a bakery part-time as she has just finished at school. Her hobbies are art, bullet journaling, music and make-up.

She recently went head-to-head with another My Money blogger, Chelsea Thomas from California, on World Business Report – have a listen to hear Sunneva talk about what she spent her money on this week.

Sunneva’s week: Dinner at McDonald’s, free acrylic nails and an amazing graduation cake

Today I went out to meet my friend for lunch. We met at a sushi place and I ended up getting some sushi as well as some gyoza dumplings, which cost around 1,700 króna ($13.85, £10.60).

I didn’t do much for the rest of the day besides walk around Reykjavík and talk. But on the night I met my best friend who lives far away from me and we got dinner together at McDonald’s and that was 1,000 króna.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

Today I didn’t really save any money as I had made plans to eat out with two people. I also dyed my hair at home but thankfully my mom offered to pay for the dye so I ended up not spending money on that.

Total spend: 2,700 króna

This day was full of stress, as I was doing last minute things for my graduation.

Early in the morning I took a bus, which I didn’t have to pay for as I have a yearly season ticket, to get my nails done. Usually acrylic nails will cost around 8,000 króna but I got them done for free as a gift.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

After this I had to do some last minute shopping and went to a grocery store and I ended up getting some money from my dad to buy things for the graduation celebration.

I ended up spending 4,000 króna on soda, coffee and things that still had to be bought. For lunch I had some pho noodles which cost around 1,700 króna. I had to go help my mother after that so I was busy until dinner time.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

For dinner I met my aunt, we ate food and went to the movies and that was about 4,000 króna. The rest of the night was spent getting ready for the graduation celebration the next day.

Total spend: 17,700 króna

This was such a big day, so many amazing things happened today.

Let’s start with this morning. I woke up at 8am, and the biggest reason for this is because there were concert tickets that went on sale at 9am.

It was for a concert in London, for a K-pop group called Seventeen, a group I have been following since 2015. So I knew I had to get tickets as they had never been to Europe before. I ended up getting the most expensive tickets for their show in the SSE Arena, it was a huge sum: 64,500 króna ($519, £397). Yes, you read that correctly. It was go all out or don’t bother so, I did it.

After this it was time to get ready for my GRADUATION! I saved money by doing my make-up myself, instead of getting some professional. I had my hair done for free, by a professional. The dress and the shoes I also got for free from Facebook!

In my school we have to wear a cap while we graduate, which costs around 15,000 króna BUT instead of buying one I just ended up wearing my mother’s cap that she had worn years ago, it looked the same so I saved a lot my doing that! I don’t mind wearing things from other people, the dress, the shoes and the cap all looked new.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

The ceremony went by fast and after that I went home to get everything ready for the small family gathering that was happening at 5pm. All the food was all figured out by my amazing mother so I didn’t have to spend any money on that.

The night was so fun, I spent it with my friends and family, and I ended up getting a lot of money as gifts from my family. The last thing I did was go out for KFC with my best friend, and that was 1,200 króna.

Total spend: 65,700 króna

I didn’t do a lot on this day. I had work early that morning and the only thing I spent money on were two things for my mother. Those things cost about 4,800 króna, a lip balm and a foam cleanser. I was happy to finally just get to relax at home.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

I ate dinner with my family so I didn’t spend any money on food that day,

Total spend: 4,800 króna

I didn’t do that much today either. I just had work again this morning and then after such a long week of waking up early I had a very big nap.

When I woke up for dinner I got a phone call from my aunt and she asked me if I was interested to go see the new Star Wars movie – yes!

I took a bus, again I have a bus card so I didn’t have to pay anything for that. She had already bought a ticket so I saved money on that because my aunt is amazing. I offered to buy popcorn for us so I got some snacks that were 1,200 króna.

Total spend: 1,200 króna

On Saturday I just had a calm day at home so I didn’t do anything special or spend any money.

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Sunneva María Svövudóttir

Total spend: 0 króna

On Sunday I met my aunt, again. (Yes we are pretty close even though she is 11 years older than me!) We went to the mall, as she was trying to find some gifts. I bought a white pen that I needed that was 250 króna but after this we drove to her place and we just spent the day watching horror movies.

Total spend: 250 króna

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How does Sunneva feel about her week?

The week was a very busy one, I spent a bit more money on food than I would usually do but since I was rarely at home it just happened that way. I also spent a huge sum of money on something I have wanted to do for so long, go to a concert. I am excited for that, even though it was a huge amount of money. I think that’s what I’m most happy about this week. I do also want to point out the amount of kind people online.

There are so many groups on Facebook that can help with all different occasions, you don’t need to buy a very expensive dress to feel beautiful. Facebook has a bunch of places you can find free stuff, stuff for a low price and such. I highly recommend looking through some pages if you are ever in trouble.

Total weekly spend: 92,350 króna