No savings and £26 in the bank: The weekly spending of a 25-year-old sales worker on £30k

Location: Leeds – sales – living with partner

Ilka is 25 and lives in Leeds with her partner, where she works in sales earning £30,000 a year. She is currently managing a mortgage while trying to regain control of her finances and begin building savings.

With no savings and just £26 in her bank account, Ilka is at a turning point financially, focusing on paying off debt and starting to put money aside for the future.

She describes her relationship with money as inconsistent, admitting she’s kind of “erratic and careless.”

For Ilka, this week was more expensive than usual, with spending split between essentials like petrol and food, alongside social plans and impulse purchases because of boredom.

This week’s Money Talks highlights how small, frequent spending – particularly unplanned purchases – can quickly add up, and how awareness is the first step toward change.

Name: Ilka

Age: 25

Location: Leeds

Occupation: Sales

Salary: £30,000

Living situation: Lives with partner

Current commitments: Mortgage

Main money goal: Paying off debt and starting to save

General attitude toward money: “Erratic and careless”

Typical daily spend: Varies significantly

A week in my wallet

Monday

Lunch at work – £7

Online clothes shopping – £60

Total: £67

Tuesday

Frozen yoghurt – £4.99

Total: £4.99

Wednesday

Fuel for work – £40

Gift and card – £30

Frozen yoghurt – £3.99

Total: £73.99

Thursday

Vinted purchases – £25

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Total: £25

Friday

Fuel for work – £40

Total: £40

Saturday

Drinks with friends – £80

McDonald’s – £10

Total: £90

Sunday

Pilates class – £17

Tulip picking ticket – £11.30

Flowers picked – £8

Food and drink – £25

Total: £61.30

Total weekly spend: £362.28

Weekly reflection

The biggest surprise this week was how much was spent on boredom-driven purchases, particularly food treats and online shopping, which felt small at the time but added up quickly.

Spending was a mix of essential costs – like petrol and mortgage-related living – alongside impulse buys and social spending. Ilka also had to delay plans due to a lack of funds, including cancelling a meal date with a friend and putting off buying holiday outfits ahead of a trip in four weeks.

Compared to a typical week, this one was less representative, but it highlighted a recurring pattern of inconsistent spending and difficulty sticking to a plan.

If she could change one thing, Ilka says she would focus on selling unused clothes to both declutter and generate extra income, rather than continuing to buy new items.

She also notes a key habit she wants to break: Prioritising new clothes over saving money.

Conclusions

This week reflects a common financial pattern for many young professionals – balancing essential costs with social life and convenience spending, while struggling to build savings.

Ilka’s spending shows how easily impulse purchases and “small treats” can escalate, particularly when driven by boredom rather than necessity. At the same time, her awareness of these habits is a strong starting point for change.

The main opportunity for improvement lies in building structure: reducing impulse spending, creating a clear budget, and finding ways to increase cash flow, such as selling unused items.

With a mortgage already in place and clear goals around saving, developing more consistent habits could help Ilka move toward greater financial stability while still maintaining a social lifestyle.

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