Lianne is a 28-year-old account manager living in London (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

In our weekly series, How I Save, we usually learn from the scrimping of experienced savers.

Or we’re reminded that the key to saving money seems to be, well, earning a lot of money.

This week’s edition is a little different, in that it’s a lesson in what not to do.

We really appreciate Lianne being completely honest about the reality of her spending (on the condition of anonymity, so Lianne isn’t her real name), but it’s important to note that alongside the usual not-so-responsible purchases of takeaway coffees and croissants, she also spaffs quite a bit of her income on cocaine.




As cocaine is illegal and possession can land you seven years in prison, that’s not an approach to budgeting we can recommend.

So, as you read through this week’s diary of spending and saving, remember that even if Lianne has got more money saved than you do, she’s not exactly a shining example to follow. Don’t worry, we checked she was okay with us saying that.

On we go.

How Lianne saves:

I’m a 28 year-old account manager living in London and earning £55,000 a year.

In my savings account right now I have £7,860.

I’ve saved this much money by getting money from my grandparents. I’m notoriously bad at saving because I spend money the second I have it in my account. But once a year my grandparents give me a cheque for £1,000 that I just put in a separate account and try to forget about. I do end up dipping in there when I go into my overdraft, but try to replace the money I take from there the next payday.

I don’t know what I’m saving for. I’ve given up on being able to buy a house and honestly I don’t care about owning anymore. I know it’s supposed to be important but I could end up moving to Dubai or Australia anyway, so it’s better to not be tied down.

I’d like to have some money saved for security. If I lost my job suddenly I want enough money to live on while I sort out a new job, or say if I needed to suddenly buy a new laptop or TV, I’d like to be able to do that without panicking.

I’ve been with my boyfriend for three years now, too, so I imagine one day we’ll need money for a wedding.

The main way I save is trying to move £1,000 over to my savings account each month, then taking it back into my current account if I end up needing it. I always do.

I struggle with saving because I’m impulsive and I’d rather spend and have fun now than save for the future. If I see I have money in my account I just want to spend it all.

Lianne is a self-proclaimed impulsive spender (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

How Lianne spends:

Monthly expenses:

£850 for rent and bills into a joint account with my boyfriend

£70 for phone contract

£69 gym

A week of spending:

Monday: I bike to work so no money spent on travel, then pick up a flat white once I’ve chained up my bike. That costs £2.50.

I’ve brought in leftover spag bol for lunch and on the way home I get the basics for a week of shopping, £44. I drop everything home then go to the gym for a quick workout.



Tuesday: Uber in because I overslept and can’t be bothered to cycle – £17. I grab lunch from Pret for £4.25.

I’m meeting uni friends for drinks so I pick up 5g of coke for £250 beforehand. I don’t do this every week, just if I know I’m going out or I’m feeling stressed. If I do pick up, I get more than I’ll need because I hate meeting dealers and would rather just do it in one go.

I don’t keep track of my drinks and we do rounds, but looking at my online banking I can see two payments for £6, one for £23, and one for £17.

Wednesday: Cycle in, grab a croissant and a flat white (£4.20). For lunch I grab another Pret sandwich, £4.25. I grab a £9 bottle of wine for my me and my boyfriend to share after work, plus some fresh pasta and sauce (£3.15). We were meant to make a casserole thing so that I could have it for lunch but I’m feeling lazy.

Thursday: Bike in, flat white (£2.50). Everyone’s doing a night out post-work and I look like shit, so I do a quick shopping trip at lunch to get a new outfit. I find a dress for 20% at Whistles, so that’s £119.20.

Lunch is a sandwich, £3.59.

I take it pretty easy money-wise at drinks, just getting a few wines – my online banking says three goes of £6. I do some lines which means I don’t need as many drinks to be on form.


Friday: Feeling rough so I take in an Uber (£16.80) then grab a croissant and a flat white (£4.20). Lunchtime I get a £10 deal for burger, drink, and chips. Dinner I successfully make from that weekly shop, so no extra money spent there.

Saturday: We go for brunch, split down the middle so £14.29 each. Heading to a farmers market costs £1.50 on the bus, then I get a nice candle for £8 and some bread for £2. We have that casserole I was meant to make earlier in the week, watch a film at home, and go to sleep.

Sunday: Whole day spent at home grazing on stuff left in the fridge, so only thing spent is £48 on a weekly shop (including cleaning stuff and toiletries).

Total spent this week: £638.43

How Lianne could save: We spoke to the experts over at money tracking app Cleo to find out how Lianne can save better (and what we can learn from her spending). Note: the advice featured is specific to one individual and doesn’t constitute financial advice, especially for a London budget. So it started promisingly with the cycle and homemade lunch then spectacularly crashed at the Tuesday morning Uber and 5g coke pick up. Lianne, let’s do this. Main vices A couple lines of coke as a way to save money on booze: not exactly budgeting. You’ve also hit the unholy trinity of millennial middle-class spending with Pret, Ubers and flat whites. Add in your trip to the farmers market and you’re one of those generation-shaming articles waiting to happen. ‘Millennial buys £2 sourdough bread rather than houses!’ Although if you’re able to use your flat white as a bribe to stave off the morning Ubers, then you might be onto something? Where you’re going wrong The intention to spend is there, that’s something. But it’s easy to see why that £1,000 a month keeps slipping back into your checking account. You knocked back £620 on one week. You’d need to keep that to around £464 a week to stay within your paycheck and £233 a week to meet your target. Subconscious spends form the centrepiece of your diary: the hungover Ubers, last-minute dress. These build up more quickly than you might realise as they’re a bad-mood solution or time shortcuts. Convenience is hard to fight. Pick a number you’re allowed to waste. Put that money on a separate card. Stop when you’ve hit it. Budget This is a breakdown of how much you need to stick to if you want to leave each month with £500. I can’t tell you which category drugs goes into. Because: lawyers. Safe to save: £500 monthly / £115 weekly / £16 daily Put half of this away in somewhere you can’t touch, and the other you can use as an overdraft buffer. Safe to spend: £1,000 monthly / £230 weekly / £32 daily Your groceries, travel costs. Any overspill goes on planned nights out. Safe to burn: £500 monthy/ £115 weekly / £16 daily Put a cap on your unconscious spending. This is for those lazy Ubers and big impulse buys. Thanks for being honest and giving us a proper look at your spending.

How I Save is a weekly series about how people spend and save, out every Thursday. If you’d like to anonymously share how you spend and save – and get some expert advice on how to sort out your finances – get in touch by emailing ellen.scott@metro.co.uk.

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