‘My overdraft never hits zero’: The week of a 27-year-old drowning in debt on £31k

Location: Leeds – salary: £31k – lives alone

This week’s Money Talks looks at how Tom, a 27-year-old operations coordinator from Leeds, spends his money over seven days. He works full time for a logistics company and occasionally picks up paid overtime, earning £31,000 a year before tax.

Living alone in a rented one bed flat, Tom describes his relationship with money as “constantly stressed but trying to be realistic.”

Between rent, debt repayments, commuting costs and the odd social spend, his week shows what it’s like to manage everyday life while juggling multiple debts. His main focus this year is getting his finances back under control and stopping his debt from growing.

The week at a glance

Location: Leeds

Occupation: Operations coordinator

Annual salary: £31,000

Living situation: Lives alone in a rented flat

Current commitments:Rent (£825 pcm), council tax, gas and electric, phone contract, broadband, gym membership, £6,400 personal loan, £2,300 credit card balance, £1,100 overdraft, student loan repayments

Main money goal: Pay off overdraft and reduce credit card balance by at least half

General attitude toward money: Anxious and avoidant in the past, now more aware but still struggling with impulse spending

Typical daily spend: Low-spend weekdays dominated by essentials, with higher spending on food and socialising at weekends

A week in my wallet

Monday

Meal deal lunch from Sainsbury’s – £4.00

Bus to and from work – £4.60

Shopping (frozen meals, bread, milk)   £17.80

Total: £26.40

Tuesday

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Coffee on the way to work – £3.30

Lunch brought from home – £0.00

Overdraft fee – £6.00

Total: £9.30

Wednesday

Coffee from work cafe – £2.70

Lunch meal deal –  £4.00

Petrol – £25.00

Total: £31.70

Thursday

Lunch from Greggs – £4.40

After work pint with colleagues – £6.50

Total: £10.90

Friday

Coffee and pastry – £5.10

Lunch from a street food stall – £8.50

Takeaway curry – £16.80

Total: £30.40

Saturday

Food shop for the week – £42.60

Uber to city centre – £7.90

Drinks on a night out – £28.00

Takeaway – £9.50

Total: £88.00

Sunday

Coffee on a walk – £3.40

Online subscription renewal (forgotten free trial) – £12.99

Total: £16.39

Weekly total: £213.09

Weekly reflection

Total weekly spend: £213.09

Tom’s week was fairly typical, with spending concentrated around food, transport and a Saturday night out. While weekdays were mostly controlled, small convenience purchases like coffees and lunches added up quickly. The biggest drain came from eating out and socialising at the weekend.

What surprised him most was how much his “small” spends still hurt: “I don’t think twice about a £3 coffee, but when I’m already in my overdraft it makes everything worse.”

Tom admitted that several purchases were impulse based, particularly the takeaway on Friday and the night out on Saturday. “Friday and Saturday were a bit of a blowout. The takeaway on Friday night and going out with friends on Saturday, I know I can stay in, but I don’t want to be bored. In hindsight I wish I’d just cooked at home and had one or two drinks instead of a full night out.”

If he could redo the week, he’d avoid the takeaway and limit himself to one or two drinks instead of a full evening do. He also said he needs to keep better track of subscriptions, as the unexpected £12.99 charge pushed him further into his overdraft.

This week was slightly more expensive than usual due to social plans, but the underlying pattern is consistent. His debts are long standing: A personal loan taken out to cover moving costs after a breakup, a credit card used for everyday spending when money was tight, and an overdraft that never quite gets cleared.

Tom explained: “This week was a little more expensive than usual because of social plans, but it’s mostly the same pattern every week. My debts don’t help, the personal loan from when I moved after my breakup, the credit card I lean on for daily stuff when money is tight and my overdraft that never gets cleared. It just feels like I’m going in circles.”

Tom skipped buying new clothes this week and delayed booking a dentist appointment because of money worries. Nothing positive or unexpected happened financially, though he’s hoping for overtime next month to help make a dent in his overdraft.

Conclusions

Tom’s week highlights the quiet pressure of debt alongside normal life expenses. Rent, bills and loan repayments take priority, but everyday spending still creeps in, making it difficult to break the cycle.

His finances show how debt can build gradually rather than through one big mistake. Convenience spending, social pressure and a lack of savings mean he often relies on credit to get through the month. With stricter budgeting, fewer takeaways and more planned social spending, Tom could start to reduce his reliance on overdraft and credit cards.

Overall, Tom is aware of his situation and motivated to improve, but like many people in their twenties, he’s trying to balance financial responsibility with having a life. For now, it’s about small changes, consistency, and slowly climbing out of debt rather than quick fixes.

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