Simone Behal (20), below, from Killarney, Co Kerry

Simone Behal (20), below, from Killarney, Co Kerry, is studying travel and tourism at St John's Vocational Educational College in Cork. Her total spend was £257.02, of which £43.20 was on alcohol.

"It was an unusual and a lucky week. I got £150 back from college, which was money I paid to do an exam. But I couldn't do it because I had said I'd sponsor my sister, Chantal, for her Confirmation, which was on the same day." Simone gets a grant, which is paid in monthly instalments of £196 and she also works on weekends for Cork/Kerry Tourism, in the Killarney office. She is paid £32 per day, working from 9.15 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

She currently has debts, of £1,076 to the credit union, £607 on her credit card and her share of a £53 ESB bill. Her rent is £35 a week. She shares a flat in Cork city with three fellow students. Her most expensive day was Thursday, when she spent £125.84, the bulk of which went on her outfit for the Confirmation.

"On Friday everything was paid for by aunties and uncles and my little sister, Chantal, so I got away with spending only £6.33. I spent 40p on a candle in the Church church - the exams are very near! And I bought cigarettes for my brother Julien (27) who said he had no change."

In the previous week, she went out Saturday night at home in Killarney, when she spent £36.70, £6 of which was for entrance to McSorley's night club. She also went out on Monday night, in Cork when she spent £10.50, £3.50 of which was the entrance charge to Gorby's nightclub. And she spent £2.50 on a cocktail in Rosies, during the happyhour, on Tuesday. "You do have to be careful about going out and watching your money but it's much cheaper in Cork than in Killarney. There are always student nights on in clubs when you'd get cheap drink and free in, like where Smirnoff Ice is 99p, when normally it's about £3."

Simone appears to have spent little on groceries. On Tuesday she records £2.50 as "shopping contribution" and £6.37 on Wednesday is for "shopping". She says that she stocks up on food when she goes home. Going home at weekends costs £9.50 return on the bus.

She spent £5.92 during the week on mineral water, as well as £3.96 on cigarettes - "I have nearly given up", £4.70 on cups of tea and coffee, £10 on Ready To Go Cards for her mobile phone, £1.20 on pay-phones. There were other miscellaneous items such as £5.50 on faketan on Saturday, £2 for a video on Wednesday and £4.99 on a CD on Thursday.