{"id":539977,"date":"2026-04-19T20:56:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T20:56:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/539977\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T20:56:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T20:56:13","slug":"i-was-so-tired-i-spent-220-a-month-on-takeaways-and-taxis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/539977\/","title":{"rendered":"I was so tired, I spent \u00a3220 a month on takeaways and taxis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the last few years, I have championed a frugal way of living, but it\u2019s been difficult to maintain so far during 2026. As a freelance journalist, my work schedule is unpredictable, and when I\u2019m overwhelmed with deadlines, I am guilty of splurging on convenience purchases<\/a>, otherwise known as the \u201ctired tax\u201d.<\/p>\n

The \u201ctired tax\u201d is a term that describes the unnecessary money we spend when we are too busy, or too tired, for simple tasks. Yet, this habit could see the average Brit spend \u00a3395 a month, according to the wellbeing brand Feeling. While a coffee to go, a Friday night takeaway, an unreturned parcel, or a missed gym class may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of our larger outgoings, it can accumulate to \u00a34,740 a year.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t realise I had succumbed to the \u201cTired Tax\u201d, until I dived into my finances<\/a>. One particularly chaotic day stands out; I was working from home and juggling four deadlines due that week, but I skipped a \u00a329 morning Pilates class so as not to interrupt my workflow. I hadn\u2019t had time to do a food shop, so my kitchen was bare \u2013 even my coffee machine was out of beans.<\/p>\n

New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n

By mid-morning, my energy was flagging, so I trawled Deliveroo for a convenient refuel. However, my quick coffee order escalated to a sandwich, pastry and an extra sweet treat for later, just to save the \u00a33.95 delivery and time going out food shopping. Over \u00a325 later, I was full, but I felt guilty about my frivolous spending<\/a> and ashamed of my laziness.<\/p>\n

Later that week, I had a panel to host, but transport chaos meant I spent \u00a340 on an Uber, after wasting \u00a311.50 on tapping in, but forgetting to tap out, at the Underground station. I grabbed a bottle of water and snacks for the journey (and to perk me up after the inconvenience), plus a \u00a37.15 flat white just to use a coffee shop\u2019s WiFi for a work call in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

That evening, my boyfriend and I opted for a \u00a353 Turkish takeaway as a \u201ctreat\u201d, though truthfully it was because neither of us could be bothered to cook. Suffice to say it proved to be a more expensive day<\/a> than I intended, as it totalled almost half of Feeling\u2019s average monthly overspend. Embarrassingly, these are not one-off occasions, as I have tallied over \u00a3648.51 on convenience spending this quarter, though there are probably other hidden costs I have missed.<\/p>\n

While these convenience purchases felt good at the time, I was swiftly overwhelmed with self-loathing, shame, guilt and regret about my excessive overspending. As a freelancer with irregular income, it often dawns on me the financial pressure<\/a> I am putting on myself to cover these convenience costs on top of my essential outgoings. I then consider the long-term financial impact, and how the estimated \u00a35,000 annual \u201ctired tax\u201d sum could lift a heavy financial burden.<\/p>\n

Recently, my mortgage has increased, expensive building works on my London flat are looming, including a \u00a3500 fire door. And that\u2019s before I can consider saving for quiet periods in my unpredictable career, pension, student loan, and any future plans to get married or start a family. On reflection, this \u201ctired tax\u201d is more like self-sabotage.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u2018I was swiftly overwhelmed with self-loathing, shame, guilt and regret because of my excessive overspending\u2019<\/p>\n

I am not alone in this guilt. Camilla Esmund, a consumer finance expert at Interactive Investor, sees this often. \u201cConvenience isn\u2019t the enemy. It can support wellbeing during stressful periods,\u201d she says. \u201cThe goal is to spend intentionally, not reactively, and realising the cost of convenience could put a roadblock on bigger financial goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Convenience spenders<\/a> like me don\u2019t need to completely overhaul their lifestyle. We can benefit from \u201csimple\u201d changes. Esmund shares her advice. <\/p>\n

Introduce monthly money check-ins <\/p>\n

To truly get a handle on your finances, Esmund recommends auditing all finances with a fine-tooth comb. \u201cGo through a month of spending and tag anything driven by convenience; last-minute lunches, transport upgrades or unused subscriptions,\u201d she says. She also suggests carving out regular monthly finance check-ins to prevent any unwanted costs slipping through.<\/p>\n

Another useful hack is to set up automatic transfers for payday to cover the living essentials, such as mortgage, bills, tax, and Christmas savings, before money is spent mindlessly elsewhere. If possible, Esmund recommends investing any extra savings into an ISA, or other account to bolster your finances long-term. Esmund advises: \u201cMake it a sensible and realistic amount you can afford to put away each month. You may find, as you spend less over time, you\u2019ll be able to tuck a bit more away into savings or investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn the 24-hour rule<\/p>\n

Emotion can be a \u201cpowerful driver for impulse spending\u201d, such as stress or sadness, says Esmund. To combat this, the money expert advises: \u201cConsciously pausing and building in a short delay helps you consider whether this purchase is a want or need, and whether it fits into your broader budget.\u201d She adds: \u201cIf something isn\u2019t essential, give yourself 24 hours before spending. Often, the urge fades, and that small mindset shift can be surprisingly powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pick your \u2018worth it\u2019 spends<\/p>\n

While saving is important, a \u201cbalanced approach to money\u201d is crucial. Rather than going cold turkey, she suggests building a controlled convenience pot, so those purchases don\u2019t derail your savings. She adds: \u201cA simple rule of thumb is to pick your \u2018worth it\u2019 spends. If a taxi home after a late shift genuinely improves your quality of life, keep it. But balance it by cutting back on habits that don\u2019t add the same value.\u201d <\/p>\n

Talk to your friends about money<\/p>\n

To help maintain the long-term savings mindset, Esmund suggests tying savings pot to a specific goal, whether it is a house deposit or a holiday. She explains: \u201cLinking your money to a clear goal gives those small decisions a bigger purpose.\u201d Esmund recommends discussing your finances with friends or family, which I\u2019m open to. However, it\u2019s not just sharing salaries, but \u201csharing habits and ideas can be a powerful nudge away from those small, easy spends\u201d. Esmund also recommends having an accountability partner to keep your finances on track, or to make \u201cadmin night\u201d fun. She explains: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be formal \u2013 involving someone else or just knowing someone else is aware of your goals can help you stay focused.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, tackling the \u201ctired tax\u201d comes down to preparation, mindset and organisation. If I strategically set money aside for living costs, rainy-day savings, budget for controlled convenience purchases, and plan for busy periods, whether it is food shopping for the week or batch cooking in preparation for deadline days, I will save myself time, money and the self-inflicted emotional toll, switching my mindset to intentional spending, and away from feeling guilty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the last few years, I have championed a frugal way of living, but it\u2019s been difficult to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":539978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[84,3363,242,4176,2222,4174,4175,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-539977","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-cost-of-living","10":"tag-features","11":"tag-finance","12":"tag-money","13":"tag-personal-finance","14":"tag-personalfinance","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=539977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/539977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/539978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=539977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=539977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=539977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}