LOOKING at the eyewatering figures on her bills, Yasmine Camilla’s blood ran cold as she realised she had racked up a monstrous £60,000 in debt after blowing thousands on unnecessary purchases.
The worst part? Just two years ago, the mum-of-two had celebrated paying off £38,000 credit card debt – but suddenly she was back in the red AGAIN and she had no idea a hidden health condition was the key to breaking the cycle.
She said: “I never thought my wild spending would relapse.
“But I had staggeringly run up another £60,000, including £2,000 on doggy daycare, £4,800 on Deliveroo takeaways, celebratory holidays, £10,000 on computers and phones and even £600 on a tattoo I did not need.
“When I saw the £60,000 total, I was hit by a tsunami of anger, guilt and failure.”
The single mum to a 13-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter, who works as a project manager and lives in Penge, South London, earning £5,000 per month realised that for the second time, she had started overspending and it had got out of control.
She said: “I was on my knees, ravaged with mum guilt because I was the one who let it happen again to my family.”
Yasmine shared her first debt crisis online and amassed 100,000 followers on social media when she detailed how she paid off £38,000.
Through strict budgeting and methods such as envelope stuffing, batch cooking and selling items her family did not need, she had cleared the debt in less than two years.
She says: “It was a huge achievement. The relief I felt was life changing.”
But instead of sticking to her budget, Yasmine let her spending get silly again.
Because she had cleared £38,000, her credit limits were increased, and she was given the permission to spend up to £15,000 on just two cards.
Yasmine went on spending sprees including £600 on new iPhones for the kids, £200 on Amazon stationery she already had, and £250 on new loafers without a second thought.
“If I was short on cash, I put milk or a few onions on a credit card, ignoring the massive red flag warning.”
“I would take the kids to festivals and blow £300 on food.”
Yasmine’s out of control spending
YASMINE was splurging regularly on luxury items which included:
- Deliveroo £200 a month for two years, total £4,800
- New puppy called Sunny, total £3,500
- Doggie daycare, total £2,000
- Redecorating children’s bedrooms, total £600
- Overseas holidays, total £7,000+
- Peloton bike, total £2,300
- Artwork £600 and mirror £400, total £1,000
- Late night online clothes shopping for cruise, total £1,000
- Russell and Bromley shoes, total £250
- Same outfit bought in multiple colours, total £1,000+
- Expensive weekend outings for children, total £2,000+
- Designer tattoo, total £600
- Rented studio office £400 a month for 9 months, total £3,600
- Apple laptop, total £2,500
- Apple headphones, total £400
- iPhone 15 Pro, total £2,500
- iPad Pro, total £1,000
- Russell and Bromley loafers, total £250
- Camp Festival food spend in one day, total £300
- Redecorated kids’ bedrooms again, total £600
- iPhones for 10 and 8 year old, total £1,200
- Groceries on credit card, total £2,000+
- Electric bills on credit card, total £1,500+
- Fiat 500 repayments £130 a month, ongoing cost
- Random office supplies bought twice, total £2,000
The £60,000 reality blow
When her freelance work picked up, Yasmine finally did a financial fitness check, something she had been doing weekly when paying off her £38,000 debt.
She realised was laden with £35,000 across three maxed-out credit cards, a £5,000 car loan, a £15,000 personal loan and £3,000 owed on PayPal. It tallied up to £58,000 of debt.
Yasmine said: “The financial fitness check was a body blow. I could not breathe. The number was terrifying.
To rest her finances, Yasmine decided to consolidate all her borrowings into one loan to make it easier to repay the debt from one place. She made sure the loan company paid off all her credit cards, loans and car finance directly and cancelled the cards for her.
If you’re thinking of doing the same it’s worth comparing how best to pay off your debt. You can use an online pay off debt calculator which charities StepChange and Citizens Advice offer online, download a printable debt calculator sheet or use a search website like ComparetheMarket.com to find the best debt consolidation loan options for you.
“You can also speak to a broker to find a tailored consolidation loan that suits your needs and timeframe,” she says.
“It’s critical to understand what debts you owe, how much interest you pay on them and to have that information on one sheet to help you start to feel in control.
Ending toxic spending habits for good
Yasmine realised she needed a radical solution to stop relapsing into toxic spending habits, and did a deep dive into her emotional reasons for over-spending.
“I have battled mental health issues during my life, but recognising my ADHD had a major impact on my spending was critical,” she says.
Yasmine spoke to her GP and realised she was often chasing addictive dopamine highs whenever she bought anything, from groceries to expensive holidays.
Adults with ADHD are nearly three times more likely to be in debt than those without ADHD, according to YouGov research. More women with ADHD than men are battling debt.
The study revealed 54% of women like Yasmine frequently impulse spend and 59% regularly struggle with budgeting due to ADHD.
As part of tackling her shopping addiction, every time Yasmine feels the urge to buy, she saves the item in her Notes app and enforces a 24-hour pause before purchasing.
She said: “It makes the urge fade and the dopamine spike passes. Twenty-four hours later I don’t feel deprived.”
Yasmine also checks her spending spreadsheet daily because she realised a monthly spend overwhelms her brain.
A weekly allowance instead makes decisions simple and doesn’t allow room for extra purchases.
Yasmine also records every purchase on a spreadsheet, from a chocolate bar to an Underground ticket.
“I log everything the same day. It helps me stay in control and spot problems early,” she says.
Yasmine’s 13 double debt busting hacks
THESE are the rules that Yasmine sticks to, helping her break free of a debt cycle.
Yasmine only buys an item if she hasn’t already got it. Just one shade of red lipstick rather than multiple different ones.
Yasmine has challenged herself to cut down her belongings by 1,000 and sell them on all Vinted to make cash.
She has tried to stop buying things to get a dopamine high. Instead waiting before she buys an item.
She consolidated her debts into one sum so that she could stay on top of repayments and cut interest.
She moved from freelancing to a stable employed job.
Each month she moves all the money earned from cashback into a savings account.
- Backward Grocery Shopping
She starts shopping at the back of the supermarket to avoid the promotions and offers tempting her to save.
She deleted all her takeaway apps.
- Corporate Clothing Challenge
If she needs clothes for work, she buys from Vinted rather than brand new.
She looks for free days out to do with her kids rather than spending cash.
She checks in on her spending each day to keep it under control.
Rather than buying a takeaway, she looks through cupboards to create meals with ingredients she already has
- Digital & Passive Income Side Hustles
She is boosting earnings by surveys and creating downloadable material for social media followers.
Spending rules to stick by
At the same time, the mum took stock of all her belongings and discovered that she owned 40 red lipsticks alone in slightly different shades, worth £1,200.
She went to a make-up counter at her local Boots, asked which colour suited her, then got rid of the other 39 lippies. She did the same for eyeshadows and blushers.
She then decided to live by a simple spending rule: if she already owns something that does a job, she is not allowed to buy an item that does the same thing.
Yasmine built a capsule wardrobe made out of clothes which suited her and would combine together to make multiple outfits, then sold the rest on Vinted, and used the proceeds to pay down her debt.
She adds: “Any money I would have spent on duplicates now goes straight towards my debt.
“Knowing which colours suit me stopped me buying clothes I’ll never wear,” she says.
Yasmine also set herself the challenge of decluttering 1,000 items from her home in a year by selling, swapping or donating them.
Any money raised is used to pay down her debt.
“If I buy something new, it has to be offset on my spreadsheet by removing another item,” she says.
“I’m sharing the challenge on social media and my followers and I are policing each other.”
To beat her takeaway temptation, Yasmine removed all takeaway delivery apps from her phone.
She adds: “When I do get the urge to splurge, the thought of downloading the app is a red flag that I am overspending.
“The kids and I shop our cupboards and create fun meals when we want a treat instead of a takeaway.”
She also uses the ‘backward’ grocery shopping method, starting at the opposite end of the shop to avoid promotions and impulse buys.
If she needs new work clothes, Yasmine uses a corporate clothing challenge.
Instead of paying full price, she challenges herself to find a cheaper alternative or buy the item second hand.
And instead of spending up big on weekend outings with the kids, Yasmine has opted for a free fun fix.
She says: “I never take the kids out in the morning. We eat at home first, then go out, so I avoid expensive eating-out bills.
“I’ve challenged the kids to find as many free adventures in London as possible, and now we try to outdo each other.
Free money to repay debt
To make extra cash that goes towards repaying debt, Yasmine does a monthly cashback sweep.
She joined multiple cashback schemes and whenever she buys groceries, items for the kids, or even pays bills, Yasmine earns cashback, additional rewards, and Nectar points.
Each month she sweeps the apps and moves any money earned into savings pots, including emergencies, kids’ clothes, travel and birthdays.
For example, in December she earned £70 in cashback, which helped pay for Christmas presents.
Yasmine uses her evenings to generate extra income.
She takes part in market research surveys, including one this month paying £150.
“I created downloadable budgeting products when I paid off my first £38,000 and they still bring in around £200 a month in passive income.”
She is now creating more downloadable plans using her new hacks to boost that income.
Her message is to so simplify everything in your life.
“The simpler everything from meal plans, to storage and even the number of clothes or lipsticks you need and use is, the simpler it is to budget and not spend,” she says.
“Realising I needed less and why I overspent means you’re less likely to get into a financial mess.”
