Latest news with #spendinghabits
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: How Martine McCutcheon ended up bankrupt for a second time after her work dried up and she blew her fortune on high spending
Martine McCutcheon appeared to have a golden financial future at the height of her fame thanks to roles in EastEnders the hit movie Love Actually. But MailOnline revealed exclusively on Saturday how she had gone bankrupt for a second time while her company owed £175,000 to the taxman. The astonishing reversal in her fortunes after a career - which included having a number one single and an Olivier Award as a West End stage star - have led to questions about what happened to the millions of pounds she earned. Now we can disclose that friends believe her money was frittered away thanks to her high spending habits and her acting work largely drying up in recent years. McCutcheon, 49 has previously admitted being obsessed with buying luxury goods such as Ralph Lauren sheets and Gucci bags. She has also made some highly questionable spending decisions such as paying 'thousands' to the Mafia to allow her glitzy wedding to her husband Jack McManus, 40, to go ahead in 2012 in Lake Como, Italy. Her poor health has also hit her earnings potential with her having been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) in 2011 and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in 2022. The final straw appears to have been the break-up of her marriage last year to singer songwriter Jack which apparently forced her to sell their five bed marital home in Surrey for £1,355,000. One source close to the star told MailOnline: 'Martine remains one of TV's most recognisable faces and a much-loved personality. 'You would think her performances in those two juggernauts alone would guarantee her work for life, but it hasn't worked out that way. 'She was well paid for both roles, but they were both more than 20-years-ago, and money does not last for ever if you do not invest it wisely. 'It has not helped that she loves the finer things in her life, and it is no secret that she has spent more than she should have done over the years. 'She has had bits and pieces of TV work recently – but nothing has come close to being a blockbuster role that might get her out of her financial mess. 'It's a real shame as she's immensely talented with a wealth of experience. Hopefully she can turn things around, but she's had a real tough time.' McCutcheon was said to be earning just £1.50 an hour as an assistant in Knicker Box before she shot to fame in 1995 at the age of 18 when she played Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders. She stayed in the BBC1 show until 1998 when her character was killed off, and went on to launch a pop career, having a number one hit in 1999 with her song Perfect Moment. A Laurence Olivier Award followed in 2002 when she played Eliza Doolittle in the National Theatre's stage production of My Fair Lady. And Hollywood stardom beckoned in 2003 when she played Natalie, the Downing Street tea lady who caught the Prime Minister's eye in the romcom Love Actually, alongside Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth. McCutcheon was widely acclaimed for her role as the love interest of the premier played by Grant, and she went to America where agents lined her up for meetings with movie producers But a Tinseltown career failed to materialise, and she instead turned to literature with her novel The Mistress becoming a top ten bestseller in 2009. McCutcheon's personal fortune was estimated as being at between £1.5m and £2m before she found herself another moneyspinning role as the face of Dantone's UK advertising campaign for its Activa yoghurt. But a look at her career in recent years shows shows how work and long term money-making opportunities appear to have largely passed her by since then. Her last major TV appearances were as herself in The Masked Singer in 2021 and a stint on Celebrity Gogglebox the previous year, in which she starred alongside her ex-husband Jack. McCutcheon's big screen role was in 2018 coming-of-age comedy film The Bromley Boys, about a teenager's support for his local team Bromley FC, described as the 'worst football team' in Britain in the late 1960s. Her last notable drama role on the small screen was even further back when she had a brief stint in Midsomer Murders in 2013. McCutcheon previously admitted that her world came crashing down following her diagnosis of ME in 2011, after previously fighting Lyme disease, which can cause fever, and Fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder that creates pain throughout the body. The condition left her temporarily confined her to a wheelchair and battling extreme tiredness and depression while she stayed at home for a month, not wanting to see anyone. She claimed the illness was sparked by the pressures of her role in My Fair Lady back in 2001, coupled with her hectic lifestyle at the time. Martine said previously: 'I became a complete workaholic, I went to work and then I'd go to some shuzzy do, and I tried to escape. Around the time of My Fair Lady, everything was perfect, and I just got ill and it all fell apart for me.' She added: 'You think you can do it all, but all you do is hurt yourself. It all did and then I was a wreck.' Pouring her heart out on Loose Women in 2016, she said: 'It was a real pressure especially on matinee days and then as well as shoots and relationships, and I think that's why I got ME. 'I got a virus, infections and I don't think anything else would have stopped me but that.' She added: 'It stopped me in my tracks. It was horrible. I've learnt a lot. But still now I'm here going: "Should I be here?" 'But now instead of back then, there's another voice saying "Yes, yes you should!" My Fair Lady's producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh previously spoke about how her determination for perfection caused her so much stress. He said: 'She'd be hysterical, beating herself up and saying, "It wasn't perfect, it wasn't perfect." You'd go back and say, "It was terrific, listen to the audience." Six years later, McCutcheon revealed she was suffering with further health issues after being diagnosed with ADD shortly after her brother LJ tragically died aged 31 in 2022. Speaking about the moment she was told of her ADD condition, she said: 'At first I went into denial, completely into denial, because my brother had passed away. 'I've been diagnosed with ME, and I just thought, I can't take this diagnosis on and whatever it means. I need to just keep going at life the way that I am. 'And in a way, I was kind of right. And then when I did finally look at it, I cried, I cried, cried and cried, I grieved, and it was just for if only I'd known how different things could have been, how much more with ease I would have been able to have done things. 'I do look back and see a lot of struggle with what I did. People just sort of think, oh, you know, she had the Midas touch. 'She'd do this, she'd do that. But I was always told by agents, why don't you just stick with one thing, because then you could go all the way to the top in it and stay there. 'Now I look back and I think, my God, it was a blessing that I couldn't, or didn't want to focus on the one thing.' Incredibly, the seeds of McCutcheon's financial implosion appear to have been planted at the time of her glitzy and expensive fairytale wedding to her husband on the shores of Lake Como, five years after they met. Jack later revealed they incurred 'hidden costs' and had to stump up 'thousands' to the Mafia to let off fireworks on the lake. When the mobsters discovered they had sold the rights to the photos and coverage of the big day to Hello magazine, they demanded more cash, which Jack refused to pay, leaving McCutcheon in fear of her life. She once recalled: 'I went, "Oh my God, there's going to be a dead horse's head in our bed!". I was petrified. I was like, "Don't stand your ground now, Jack. Please be quiet". But he wouldn't make another donation.' McCutcheon's mounting debts came home to roost within a year of their wedding day. When she was forced to sell her £25,000 engagement ring. It was also reported that she had suffered a string of 'horrific' miscarriages in the early years of her marriage. She said at the time: 'I just thought my health, money, career have all been taken from me, and now even my engagement ring — the one thing that represents what is solid in my life — has gone.' Things took a turn for the worse when she declared herself bankrupt for the first time in 2013 due to reportedly racking up £187,000 of debts, including £150,000 owed to HMRC. McCutcheon is believed to have been discharged from her bankruptcy in 2014 and got back on her feet financially. She and her husband were able to splash out £1.3m on buying their dream detached home in Surrey in June 2022, but the couple revealed last August that they were splitting up after 18 years together. It later emerged that they had put their home on the market three months earlier in May last year with an asking price of £1.5m. They later reduced the price to £1.25m – meaning they faced making a loss on the property – before securing a sale in January this year for £1,355,000, according to Land Registry records. On top of everything else, McCutcheon has spoken about having bouts of crippling anxiety and battles with her weight. She was reported last year to have lost five stone, dropping three dress sizes thanks to a strict Cambridge Weight Plan diet, although she said she occasionally took a break to enjoy pizza or a gin and tonic. A bankruptcy order in her married name – Martine McManus - was made in March at the County Court in Guildford, Surrey after a petition was filed against her last November by a finance firm called LDF Finance which she owed an unspecified sum of money to. It is not known if the Official Receiver will apply for a public examination of her bankruptcy which would disclose her financial affairs to the world. MailOnline disclosed on Saturday how McCutcheon's company Raven Music Ltd which she launched in February 2017, was wound up by a judge at the High Court on June 4 this year after a petition from HMRC. The company's last accounts filed in February 2023 showed it had assets of £272,977 including more than £211,000 in cash in the bank in February 2022. But at the same time, it had debts falling due for payment in the future for £255,693, including £110,000 in Corporation Tax and £64,790 in other HMRC payments, payable in the 12month period after February 2022. The current financial position of the company has not been disclosed. It had faced a notice for compulsory strike off in February last year, but it was suspended two weeks later. McCutcheon revealed in an Instagram statement last August that her husband had walked out on her. She wrote: 'After much thought and consideration, Jack has decided it's best for us to separate after 18 years together and I accept his decision.' McCutcheon later added: 'I continue to send Jack, all the love, luck and happiness for the next chapter of his life.' The actress also previously once admitted she was 'materialistic' with a love of luxury goods. She once said: 'I love nice things – I consider Ralph Lauren sheets to be a necessity, not a luxury – but I've known what it's like to be poor. 'I'm a Taurean, so I'm very passionate and determined and materialistic. Down the years I've spent a lot of money and saved a bit of money and had a lot of fun. 'And yes, if it all ended tomorrow and I could never afford another Gucci bag, then I think it's safe to say that I've got enough to be going on with.' In an interview with BBC4's Woman's Hour, she admitted that she turned into a recluse when her marriage first came under strain. She said: 'I didn't want to answer my phone. I didn't want to answer the front door, go outside and I would panic out of nowhere and have to pull over when I was driving because I felt this huge fear and couldn't breathe.' The actress added: 'I genuinely felt I was losing my mind. I didn't know if I really was or if it was something that was perimenopausal. 'It would just come on out of nowhere and when I spoke to my specialist about it she said, 'You know this is sadly the case for many women.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mark Tilbury Reveals Three Sneaky Ways Businesses Get You To Spend More Money: 'They Draw You In With A Low Offer'
The biggest businesses know how to get you to spend more money. They optimize the entire customer experience around boosting their revenue and delivering strong returns for their shareholders. Small businesses also use these strategies, and financial guru Mark Tilbury just revealed three of them. He explains some of the sneaky ways companies get you to spend more money. "They draw you in with a low offer," he explains as one of the methods companies use. Don't Miss: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. You can view this advice from two perspectives. If you know what businesses do, you can be a more conscious shopper and reduce how much you spend. However, if you're a business owner, you can apply these strategies to increase your earnings. These are the three sneaky tactics Tilbury mentions in the video. Many retailers put the high-demand items in the back of their stores, knowing that customers will walk around the stores to find those items. While it may sound inconvenient to walk to the back of the store to get what you want, it's done by design. Business owners know that if you spend more time walking in their store, you may pick up some extra items that you didn't plan on buying. It's similar to how people have an idea of what they want when they go to a grocery store. However, if the thing they want is in the back of the store, they may have to walk through the snack aisle to get what they want. Sure enough, it's common for people to walk out of the grocery store with a bunch of things they didn't plan to buy. Walking into a grocery store with a clear list can help you avoid grabbing extra food. Trending: It's no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $250 million in art — Tilbury then mentioned that many businesses use a low-priced offer to attract potential customers. Low offers make it more feasible for someone to do business with you. Auto dealers may tout long-term loans that reduce monthly payments but result in extra interest and fees in the long run. You can also use a lower offer to make a mid-tier price more attractive. For instance, if a small box of fries costs $4 and a large box of fries costs $5, some people may rationalize paying the extra dollar to get more fries, even if the small box of fries would have been sufficient. Business owners can use a lower offer to get people to spend some money with them. Once a customer spends money with you, even if it's just $1, it becomes substantially easier to convert them to other products and wraps up by saying that some restaurants leave candy with the check to incentivize patrons to give higher tips. The strategy works well for restaurants, as giving something for free may make a customer reciprocate with a higher tip. However, this strategy can extend to any business. You can offer a free gift to your customers as a thank you for doing business with you. That gift may have a memorable impact and result in customers returning to your business and buying your products more frequently. It's good to walk into any restaurant or store knowing how much you can afford. Some people may feel inclined to give a bigger tip, but it's important to remember what's in your checking account. Some people don't have to worry about tipping a little extra, but you shouldn't tip if it can result in an overdraft. Read Next: Over the last five years, the price of gold has increased by approximately 83% — Investors like Bill O'Reilly and Rudy Giuliani are using this platform to Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Mark Tilbury Reveals Three Sneaky Ways Businesses Get You To Spend More Money: 'They Draw You In With A Low Offer' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Americans are spending less on luxury items but this market still shines
A new report indicates Americans are spending less on luxury items across nearly every category — except for one. U.S. credit card spending on luxury goods between January and May has dropped compared to the same period last year, CNBC reports, citing new data from Citigroup. But luxury jewelry sales have consistently increased on an annual basis since September, with spending increasing more than 10 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024, the data indicates. There was also an uptick in the number of individual consumers buying luxury jewelry, according to the report. Customers see jewelry purchases as long-term investments, which could be contributing to this trend, Citi analyst Thomas Chauvet told CNBC. 'When you have $3,000 to spend on luxury, you know, are you going to buy a piece of jewelry or a handbag for the same price?' Chauvet said. 'Perhaps the piece of jewelry gives you superior intrinsic value given the precious metals content and superior emotional value and meaning.' An uptick in gold prices could also explain the trend, Chauvet said. 'It is probably sensible to buy a Cartier bracelet now, given they have increased prices by less than 5% since the beginning of 2025, when gold prices have appreciated by over 25%,' he added. Luxury watch spending is also on the rise, with purchases across brands up 14.7 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024. While luxury spending is dropping, it still performed better than expected in May, CNBC reports. Luxury spending only dropped 1.7 percent in May 2025 compared to May 2024. However, spending dropped 6.8 percent in April and 8.5 percent in March compared to the same months last year. President Donald Trump's widespread tariffs could also be playing a role in changing consumer habits, CNBC reports. In April, Trump implemented and then paused tariffs on imports from nearly every country. He then committed to reaching trade deals with ' 90 countries in 90 days.' That pause is set to expire next week, and Trump says he's not planning to extend the pause any further. His administration is now preparing to send letters to countries about the upcoming trade penalties, he told Fox News's Sunday Morning Futures. 'We'll look at how a country treats us — are they good, are they not so good — some countries we don't care, we'll just send a high number out,' Trump said.
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
How gen Z is rewriting money rules: ‘I thrift, I splurge, I save 25%'
From no-buy-years to second-hand shopping, gen Z seems to have its own unique spending habits. A global rise in the cost of living combined with a highly competitive job market means that 69% of gen Z use some sort of budget to manage their finances. Their priorities, and what they choose to save for, are different from their boomer counterparts. Gen Z is more likely to spend money on subscriptions, from meal kits to Spotify. There's also the trend of 'doom spending', which is purchasing non-essential items to cope with either personal or wider political issues. To better understand their spending, four gen Zers tell us about budgeting, saving and what makes them splurge. Occupation: buyer for a food production companySalary: $64,000 (£47,000) Rent (including water): $1,150 (£849) This is my main expense. Fortunately, I inherited a good vehicle from my uncle which should last for 10 years or so. Also my medical and dental healthcare are provided by my employer and they reimburse me for using my mobile. I'm not working towards saving for a house as I don't want to buy one until I'm living in an area where I know I'll be staying for a good few years. I'm thinking of maybe going back to school to study, so I'll probably be leaving Ohio soon. Utilities: $80 (£60) $40 for electricity $40 for internet Travel: about $195 (£144) About $85 on average for gas $110 for car insurance Retirement savings: $1,230 (£908) I came up with the goal of 25% of my pre-tax salary through research on modern money management. I mix this payment between an employer-sponsored retirement plan (401K), a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) and a health savings account (HSA). There are some suggestions that you should save 10% or 15% of your salary for retirement, but if I feel like I have a little bit extra I'll put in 20%. I don't think I'll get great market returns which is why I aim for 25% as it helps me feel safe. I don't trust that by the time I retire we'll have a strong social security system. Food: about $475 (£351) I prefer to shop locally for my groceries which can make it more expensive. I love to cook, and I like buying the pricier grass-fed milk or small-farm eggs for $12 a dozen. As someone who works in food production, it's worth it for me to know exactly what's in my food. Medical/healthcare: about $309 (£230) $100 for upcoming medical procedure [not included in medical healthcare] $530 for six months of medical testing, so about $89 $120 for supplements such as painkillers, vitamins, collagen powder and protein powder Subscriptions: $15 (£12) for Spotify which is my only subscription Fitness: $40 for gym membership (£30) Cosmetic care: about $175 (£130) I don't wear makeup but I use a ton of moisturizer due to eczema and dry skin. I guess skincare is where I 'splurge', but for me it's worth it. Clothes: annual spend is around $500 so about $42 a month (£31) Sometimes I go months without buying anything and other times I spend $200 in one day. In May, I spent $4 for a bra at Goodwill and $62 to get two dresses tailored. I mostly buy clothes secondhand or vintage, but I'll splurge on a new pair of jeans, because the sizing is so particular. Eating out: about $250 (£185) I've almost completely stopped getting takeout for myself. I only save it for social events. Although I will treat myself to a coffee once or twice a month. Most of the money I spend on meals outside the house is for my friends' birthday dinners. Very few of my friends save as much as I do, although one of my closest friends gets to save 60% of his income through living at home. If I wanted to save more, the first thing I would cut out is probably eating out and social drinking. After that, I would swap some of my bougie food choices with alternatives from Aldi. Monthly total: about $4,139 (£3,054) Occupation: customer service adviser for a campervan rental companySalary: about $700 a week so $2,800 monthly and $33,600 annually (£24,792) My income is only temporary as my job is seasonal. Prior to last month, I was barely making $1,000 a month. I finished my postgraduate degree last year and spent six months applying for jobs before graduating. It still took nearly two years before I landed my current job. My wife works as a barista and her salary is similar to mine – I just created a shared bank account for us so all our expenses come out of it. When it comes to saving, we put away money for emergency expenses like car breakdowns or vet bills. I don't believe in having a lot of money just sitting there in a savings account. Anything I do save I plan to put in safe investments but I'm pretty pessimistic about the stock market right now. We would love to build our own small home on vacant land since housing is so unaffordable, but that's a major long-term goal. Rent: monthly spend for my wife and me is $1,700, so alone it's about $850 (£628) Utilities: $78 so about $39 (£29) $45 for phone $25 for internet $8 for renters' insurance Travel: $575 so about $288 (£213) $150 for gas $250 for car insurance $100 for car repairs $75 for public transport Food and household: $285 so about $143 (£106) $250 for food $25 for bathroom supplies $10 for household supplies Dog bills: $216 so about $108 (£80) $111 for insurance $105 for food Fitness: $17 (£13) Subscriptions: $40 so about $20 (£15) $20 for Spotify $12 for Hulu $8 for Apple arcade Eating out: $100 so about $50 (£37) Monthly total: about $1,515 (£1,121) Occupation: data scientist for a bankSalary: $72,000 (£53,1325) I paid off my student debt about two years ago and started saving straight after I finished my undergraduate degree. I have high variable entertainment and travel costs as my significant other lives in the UK. My at-home entertainment costs are pretty low. I have no streaming services and if I do spend money, it's mostly on going out with friends, soccer leagues and seeing movies. Rent and utilities: about $1,850 (£1,366) About $1,825 for rent $25 for phone Renting is insanely expensive. My aim is to save enough for a down payment on a house and even though I make a pretty good salary, I am still nowhere near able to afford one in an area where I want to live. Travel: $160 (£119) $60 for gas $600 for six months of car insurance, so about $100 This month it was $1,200 as I took a road trip and needed to buy new tires. Groceries: about $300 (£222) I'm at home two to three times a week so I tend to cook and bring any leftovers I have into the office. Dog bills: about $50 (£37) $10 for food About $40 for medicine and vet bills Fitness: annual spend is around $300 so about $25 a month (£19) I run, play soccer, or use the gym in my apartment block. Equipment like running shoes, football boots and league fees are the only costs and they're pretty infrequent. Cosmetic care: about $4 (£3) I don't really spend much on skincare or cosmetics but when I do, it definitely averages out to less than $5 a month. Clothes: I mostly thrift so spend only about $20 a month (£15) Eating out: about $100 (£74) I eat out only two or three times a week – nothing fancy. This can be higher when I'm traveling, which is fairly often. Miscellaneous: about $267 on average for four return flights a year to the UK (£197) I try to visit my partner in London every couple of months. Round-trip flights are around $800 and we spend a bit more on dates, eating out and entertainment while there, but I do have a place to stay when visiting so there are no big lodging costs. Among my friends my expenses are pretty average but it depends on where they live as my friends who live in Washington DC spend way more. Nationwide I'm definitely in the higher-earning, higher-spending category though. Monthly total: about $2,776 (£2,049) Occupation: part-time teacher and writer Salary: about $700 a month and $8,400 annually (£6,198) I'm self-employed and still live at home with my family so don't have any rent or utility expenses. I'm also still on the family's health insurance. I do not actively budget my money in terms of allocating a specific percentage for different expenses. Rather, I keep a record of my income and expenses and I adjust my spending as necessary. For me, non-essential spending is money spent on things that I can technically live without and be content, such as a special TV/streaming subscriptions, new clothes, decoration for my room, books, CDs/digital music, hobby-related goods, or 'fun' purchases, like an antique. Splurges just come at random times for me. Sometimes it's because I find something really special that I want to purchase, other times it's because I find something that is the only one of its kind left for sale. My passions are music and history, so it's usually one of those two things I'm spending money on. For instance, I splurged once on buying antique newspapers from the first few weeks of the second world war. Another time, I splurged on buying an antique first (and only) edition of an old English book by Jane Porter. I will also sometimes give to charities (mostly overseas) that I appreciate – more so lately. Food: $140 (£104) as I don't eat out much at all. Savings: $455 (£336) I'm young and because of my lifestyle I don't have certain expenses that I will probably have in a few years (like a car, gas, auto insurance etc.) so I save most of my money. Miscellaneous: about $95 (£71) for TV subscriptions and work-related software costs. Monthly total: about $690 (£510) All names have been changed
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
How gen Z is rewriting money rules: ‘I thrift, I splurge, I save 25%'
From no-buy-years to second-hand shopping, gen Z seems to have its own unique spending habits. A global rise in the cost of living combined with a highly competitive job market means that 69% of gen Z use some sort of budget to manage their finances. Their priorities, and what they choose to save for, are different from their boomer counterparts. Gen Z is more likely to spend money on subscriptions, from meal kits to Spotify. There's also the trend of 'doom spending', which is purchasing non-essential items to cope with either personal or wider political issues. To better understand their spending, four gen Zers tell us about budgeting, saving and what makes them splurge. Occupation: buyer for a food production companySalary: $64,000 (£47,000) Rent (including water): $1,150 (£849) This is my main expense. Fortunately, I inherited a good vehicle from my uncle which should last for 10 years or so. Also my medical and dental healthcare are provided by my employer and they reimburse me for using my mobile. I'm not working towards saving for a house as I don't want to buy one until I'm living in an area where I know I'll be staying for a good few years. I'm thinking of maybe going back to school to study, so I'll probably be leaving Ohio soon. Utilities: $80 (£60) $40 for electricity $40 for internet Travel: about $195 (£144) About $85 on average for gas $110 for car insurance Retirement savings: $1,230 (£908) I came up with the goal of 25% of my pre-tax salary through research on modern money management. I mix this payment between an employer-sponsored retirement plan (401K), a Roth individual retirement account (IRA) and a health savings account (HSA). There are some suggestions that you should save 10% or 15% of your salary for retirement, but if I feel like I have a little bit extra I'll put in 20%. I don't think I'll get great market returns which is why I aim for 25% as it helps me feel safe. I don't trust that by the time I retire we'll have a strong social security system. Food: about $475 (£351) I prefer to shop locally for my groceries which can make it more expensive. I love to cook, and I like buying the pricier grass-fed milk or small-farm eggs for $12 a dozen. As someone who works in food production, it's worth it for me to know exactly what's in my food. Medical/healthcare: about $309 (£230) $100 for upcoming medical procedure [not included in medical healthcare] $530 for six months of medical testing, so about $89 $120 for supplements such as painkillers, vitamins, collagen powder and protein powder Subscriptions: $15 (£12) for Spotify which is my only subscription Fitness: $40 for gym membership (£30) Cosmetic care: about $175 (£130) I don't wear makeup but I use a ton of moisturizer due to eczema and dry skin. I guess skincare is where I 'splurge', but for me it's worth it. Clothes: annual spend is around $500 so about $42 a month (£31) Sometimes I go months without buying anything and other times I spend $200 in one day. In May, I spent $4 for a bra at Goodwill and $62 to get two dresses tailored. I mostly buy clothes secondhand or vintage, but I'll splurge on a new pair of jeans, because the sizing is so particular. Eating out: about $250 (£185) I've almost completely stopped getting takeout for myself. I only save it for social events. Although I will treat myself to a coffee once or twice a month. Most of the money I spend on meals outside the house is for my friends' birthday dinners. Very few of my friends save as much as I do, although one of my closest friends gets to save 60% of his income through living at home. If I wanted to save more, the first thing I would cut out is probably eating out and social drinking. After that, I would swap some of my bougie food choices with alternatives from Aldi. Monthly total: about $4,139 (£3,054) Occupation: customer service adviser for a campervan rental companySalary: about $700 a week so $2,800 monthly and $33,600 annually (£24,792) My income is only temporary as my job is seasonal. Prior to last month, I was barely making $1,000 a month. I finished my postgraduate degree last year and spent six months applying for jobs before graduating. It still took nearly two years before I landed my current job. My wife works as a barista and her salary is similar to mine – I just created a shared bank account for us so all our expenses come out of it. When it comes to saving, we put away money for emergency expenses like car breakdowns or vet bills. I don't believe in having a lot of money just sitting there in a savings account. Anything I do save I plan to put in safe investments but I'm pretty pessimistic about the stock market right now. We would love to build our own small home on vacant land since housing is so unaffordable, but that's a major long-term goal. Rent: monthly spend for my wife and me is $1,700, so alone it's about $850 (£628) Utilities: $78 so about $39 (£29) $45 for phone $25 for internet $8 for renters' insurance Travel: $575 so about $288 (£213) $150 for gas $250 for car insurance $100 for car repairs $75 for public transport Food and household: $285 so about $143 (£106) $250 for food $25 for bathroom supplies $10 for household supplies Dog bills: $216 so about $108 (£80) $111 for insurance $105 for food Fitness: $17 (£13) Subscriptions: $40 so about $20 (£15) $20 for Spotify $12 for Hulu $8 for Apple arcade Eating out: $100 so about $50 (£37) Monthly total: about $1,515 (£1,121) Occupation: data scientist for a bankSalary: $72,000 (£53,1325) I paid off my student debt about two years ago and started saving straight after I finished my undergraduate degree. I have high variable entertainment and travel costs as my significant other lives in the UK. My at-home entertainment costs are pretty low. I have no streaming services and if I do spend money, it's mostly on going out with friends, soccer leagues and seeing movies. Rent and utilities: about $1,850 (£1,366) About $1,825 for rent $25 for phone Renting is insanely expensive. My aim is to save enough for a down payment on a house and even though I make a pretty good salary, I am still nowhere near able to afford one in an area where I want to live. Travel: $160 (£119) $60 for gas $600 for six months of car insurance, so about $100 This month it was $1,200 as I took a road trip and needed to buy new tires. Groceries: about $300 (£222) I'm at home two to three times a week so I tend to cook and bring any leftovers I have into the office. Dog bills: about $50 (£37) $10 for food About $40 for medicine and vet bills Fitness: annual spend is around $300 so about $25 a month (£19) I run, play soccer, or use the gym in my apartment block. Equipment like running shoes, football boots and league fees are the only costs and they're pretty infrequent. Cosmetic care: about $4 (£3) I don't really spend much on skincare or cosmetics but when I do, it definitely averages out to less than $5 a month. Clothes: I mostly thrift so spend only about $20 a month (£15) Eating out: about $100 (£74) I eat out only two or three times a week – nothing fancy. This can be higher when I'm traveling, which is fairly often. Miscellaneous: about $267 on average for four return flights a year to the UK (£197) I try to visit my partner in London every couple of months. Round-trip flights are around $800 and we spend a bit more on dates, eating out and entertainment while there, but I do have a place to stay when visiting so there are no big lodging costs. Among my friends my expenses are pretty average but it depends on where they live as my friends who live in Washington DC spend way more. Nationwide I'm definitely in the higher-earning, higher-spending category though. Monthly total: about $2,776 (£2,049) Occupation: part-time teacher and writer Salary: about $700 a month and $8,400 annually (£6,198) I'm self-employed and still live at home with my family so don't have any rent or utility expenses. I'm also still on the family's health insurance. I do not actively budget my money in terms of allocating a specific percentage for different expenses. Rather, I keep a record of my income and expenses and I adjust my spending as necessary. For me, non-essential spending is money spent on things that I can technically live without and be content, such as a special TV/streaming subscriptions, new clothes, decoration for my room, books, CDs/digital music, hobby-related goods, or 'fun' purchases, like an antique. Splurges just come at random times for me. Sometimes it's because I find something really special that I want to purchase, other times it's because I find something that is the only one of its kind left for sale. My passions are music and history, so it's usually one of those two things I'm spending money on. For instance, I splurged once on buying antique newspapers from the first few weeks of the second world war. Another time, I splurged on buying an antique first (and only) edition of an old English book by Jane Porter. I will also sometimes give to charities (mostly overseas) that I appreciate – more so lately. Food: $140 (£104) as I don't eat out much at all. Savings: $455 (£336) I'm young and because of my lifestyle I don't have certain expenses that I will probably have in a few years (like a car, gas, auto insurance etc.) so I save most of my money. Miscellaneous: about $95 (£71) for TV subscriptions and work-related software costs. Monthly total: about $690 (£510) All names have been changed
