This article had quite a discussion on Reddit. The user earns an okay amount and has a decent amount to live off, but ends up in her Monzo overdraft every month.
Here’s the discussion thread - lots of useful advice for her about how she’d save a fortune making small changes including perhaps avoiding the daily iced latte from Costa (and that might help her ditch her Slimming World fees too), and not doing the Postcode Lottery every month.
Am I reading that right that the financial advice includes £150 PER MONTH for ONE weekend out?!
I live on a low income and this is the line that most shocked me:
“Forgot to bring my lunch to work so get an egg and salmon pot, soup, and coffee from Pret (£8.64)”
£8.64 to replace a forgotten lunch? If I’ve forgotten lunch and had already paid for one that was sitting at home, the most I would spend is £3 on a meal deal - likely, I’d find something cheaper.
I know a relative recently was amazed at how much I spend on groceries after we got into a discussion about how I couldn’t believe the price of those meal boxes to your door and she thought they were ‘very reasonable’, but I don’t think I quite appreciated how different someone’s idea of a packed lunch might be to mine!
It’s factoring in £150 a month for holiday pay (/sick leave), since she’s freelance and doesn’t get any.
No need for that comment.
Just seems a bit silly to drink a high callorie drink if you’re trying to slim down, and budget responsibly 
Obviously no idea if she actually needs to, but in budget terms, it’s a bit self-defeating.
And many people in the reddit thread say the same.
There is a correlation being made that doesn’t have evidence to back it up is all. We don’t know why she goes to Slimming World, she may have terrible self-confidence and body image issues.
Just irks that many people are pointing out those things presuming they are linked.
I agree she could cut back on the coffees to save money.
Yeah, in which case the high calorie drinks every day are a bad option, both financially and lifestyle wise, which is the point. No matter what reason you’re trying to lose weight, it’s a core principle. Switch to a filter coffee for 49p from Costa for the caffeine hit and negligable calories 
Pret 
It’s an article about finances.
Leave her weight and health issues alone. You have no idea what else is going on in her life. THIS is my point.
I can see both sides to this. Whilst her weight and health issues are not the issue in the article, if she is spending a lot of funds on foods/drinks that are known to be awfully bad health-wise then this could be a factor to get rid of that helps on both fronts.
This could, potentially, lead to a reduction in the cost of such groups as Slimming World.
Your point isn’t invalid though, it’s completely valid. But I can see both sides.
It’s equivalent to telling someone they could stop paying for their addiction therapy if they just cut out the vice.
If it was gym membership it’d be a valid point because it’s arguably dumb to spend on extra calories and then more again to burn them off (although it’s a valid lifestyle choice) but it doesn’t seem right to say you could stop paying for the service you use to help you eat less if you just ate less.
Hmm, thanks for sharing @caspararemi! Monzo has been mentioned in these Metro pieces a few times, always an interesting read.
Out of interest, is everyone else drinking a different kind of iced latte to me…? I’m not sure I understand why people are describing it as a high calorie drink when it’s just espresso and milk? 
Agreed, that is incredible! Go to Wetherspoons and get a burger and pint for less, and get to sit down to eat it. Go for a soft drink and save a further £1.
Or, just get a meal deal like you suggested which would be much cheaper. £8.64! Just go to Tesco and buy some rolls, cheese and pickle and have your lunch for the week sorted.
/rant
The starbucks one is 130 calories
https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/iced-caffe-latte
12% of your saturated fat for the day
and maybe most concerning
12 g of sugar
(Not saying this is the one you get, just showing an example from the biggest chain in the UK)
If your short of cash places like costa and starbucks are the last places you should be.
She needs Monzo 
The spending breakdown is a godsend for finding out where the money is going.
She has it - she’s got the £15 a month overdraft cost.
I was actually expecting worse tbh, I’ve seen a couple of “money diaries” where the person is clearly spending way more than they can afford and used as ammo for those “omG thOsE miLlEnNiALs” comments. She seems to be doing well with prepping her own lunches and she’s aware of the problem areas… I think she could definitely clear her debts while still having a couple of treats here and there.
Do I wonder how much of this is due to peer pressure etc. and the societal ideals of spending rather than saving.
The best one I saw was someone that paid for a £8 breakfast everyday with a coffee.
It was the fact it was 7 days a week that was the issue. £56 a week on breakfast