‘It doesn’t feel like much at the time’: The week of a 29-year-old battling debt on £30k

Hannah spent £47.30 on takeaways throughout the week

18 hours ago

Francesca Eke | Guides

Location: Nottingham – salary: £30.8k – lives with flatmates

This week’s Money Talks looks at how Hannah, a 29-year-old marketing executive from Nottingham, spends her money over seven days. She works full time in marketing with occasional freelance social media work, earning £27.8k a year plus a few extra Ks on the side.

Living in a house share, Hannah describes her attitude to money as anxious but improving. Between daily coffees, convenience lunches, nights out with friends and the odd unexpected outgoing, her week reflects the reality of managing debt while still trying to enjoy life. Her main focus right now is clearing her credit card and getting out of her overdraft.

The week at a glance

Location: Nottingham

Occupation: Marketing executive and freelance social media work

Annual salary: £27,800 + approx £3,000 freelance

Living situation: House share

Current commitments: Student loan, credit card debt, overdraft, rent, council tax, phone contract, Spotify, travel costs

Main money goal: Clear my credit card debt and get out of my overdraft

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General attitude toward money: Anxious but improving, trying to be more conscious and break bad habits

Typical daily spend: Fairly consistent weekday spending on coffees, lunches and transport, with higher costs on evenings and weekends when social plans or takeaways come into play

A week in my wallet

Monday

Takeaway coffee – £3.40

Meal deal lunch from Tesco – £3.90

Bus home from work – £2.50

Takeaway (burger and chips) – £14.50

Total: £24.30

Tuesday

Coffee and pastry from Pret – £5.20

Lunch out with colleagues – £9.80

Top-up on travel card – £6.00

Snacks from the corner shop – £4.10

Total: £25.10

Wednesday

Coffee from local café – £3.60

Lunch brought from home – £0.00

Grocery shop (pasta, sauce, bread, milk) – £18.20

Total: £21.80

Thursday

Coffee from work café – £2.80

Lunch meal deal – £3.90

Drinks at the pub with housemates – £16.50

Total: £23.20

Friday

Coffee on commute – £3.40

Lunch from Greggs – £4.60

Uber to friend’s flat – £8.90

Drinks on a night out – £22.00

Total: £38.90

Saturday

Brunch out – £12.50

Charity shop clothes – £6.00

Takeaway pizza shared with housemates – £11.20

Total: £29.70

Sunday

Groceries for the week – £32.40

Coffee while out for a walk – £3.20

Total: £35.60

Weekly reflection

Total weekly spend: £198.60

Hannah’s week was fairly typical for her, with a few convenience driven extras creeping in, especially around food and evenings out. Most of her spending came from coffees, lunches, transport, and socialising, with a handful of impulse purchases that added up faster than expected.

Hannah says she was most surprised by how much she relies on takeaway and delivery: “I know I shouldn’t, but it’s so easy to just order something.”

She admitted: “It doesn’t feel like much at the time, but when I add it all up at the end of the week it’s shocking.”

If she could redo anything, she’d cook more at home and delete her food delivery apps. She knows this would save a significant chunk of money without feeling like she’s missing out.

The only unexpected cost this week was a late fee after missing a direct debit, which was frustrating but a reminder to stay on top of payments. Aside from that, her spending was pretty typical, with outgoings not different to her usual habits.

Her biggest goal going forward is to clear her credit card debt and finally get out of her overdraft, while also building a proper emergency fund. She’s working on being more intentional day to day and breaking her convenience-led habits.

Conclusions

Hannah’s week is a clear example of managing finances while still trying to enjoy life. Essentials like rent, transport, and groceries come first, but there’s still plenty of spending on coffees, lunches, and nights out.

Her spending habits show a mix of convenience and financial awareness. Daily essentials dominate, but extras like takeaways, pub drinks, and snacks add up when she isn’t being strict on spending. With a few tweaks like bringing her own lunch from home, resisting takeaway coffee and cooking instead of ordering takeaways, Hannah could set aside significant money to pay back debts and start saving.

Overall, it’s a work in progress approach: She’s conscious about her finances and wants to improve, but she also wants to enjoy her life now without feeling completely restricted.