Mia Westrap

So I kind of set myself a year because I wanted to, A, see whether I could actually meet a New Year's resolution for myself. And B, I think if I just set myself a month... That wouldn't have been a long enough time for me to undo any of the problematic behaviors I had around spending.

So I, to really, really rewind, I grew up, my mum was a single mum of three children. She worked really hard, but we just kind of had like the basic necessities. There was no big holidays or anything like that growing up. So there wasn't really any money to budget. And following that, I didn't learn how to budget money. My financial literacy was at an absolute zero percent.

So I, to really, really rewind, I grew up, my mum was a single mum of three children. She worked really hard, but we just kind of had like the basic necessities. There was no big holidays or anything like that growing up. So there wasn't really any money to budget. And following that, I didn't learn how to budget money. My financial literacy was at an absolute zero percent.

So I, to really, really rewind, I grew up, my mum was a single mum of three children. She worked really hard, but we just kind of had like the basic necessities. There was no big holidays or anything like that growing up. So there wasn't really any money to budget. And following that, I didn't learn how to budget money. My financial literacy was at an absolute zero percent.

I couldn't afford to do anything. I didn't unfortunately in 2017 my best friend passed away from cancer and he had kind of celebration of life up in London because he was a journalist and I couldn't afford to get there I could only choose between going to like the funeral or that party essentially um So that's when I began to realise, OK, I really do not understand where my money is going.

I couldn't afford to do anything. I didn't unfortunately in 2017 my best friend passed away from cancer and he had kind of celebration of life up in London because he was a journalist and I couldn't afford to get there I could only choose between going to like the funeral or that party essentially um So that's when I began to realise, OK, I really do not understand where my money is going.

I couldn't afford to do anything. I didn't unfortunately in 2017 my best friend passed away from cancer and he had kind of celebration of life up in London because he was a journalist and I couldn't afford to get there I could only choose between going to like the funeral or that party essentially um So that's when I began to realise, OK, I really do not understand where my money is going.

It's like it disappears into thin air. And then over the years, no matter how much my income improved... What I ended up with at the end of the month stayed exactly the same. And so, yeah, I essentially it just got to a breaking point at the end of 2023 where I didn't have enough money to hold up a long distance relationship.

It's like it disappears into thin air. And then over the years, no matter how much my income improved... What I ended up with at the end of the month stayed exactly the same. And so, yeah, I essentially it just got to a breaking point at the end of 2023 where I didn't have enough money to hold up a long distance relationship.

It's like it disappears into thin air. And then over the years, no matter how much my income improved... What I ended up with at the end of the month stayed exactly the same. And so, yeah, I essentially it just got to a breaking point at the end of 2023 where I didn't have enough money to hold up a long distance relationship.

I was anxious because I rent and that's becoming more and more precarious by the day in the UK. And I just felt like I needed more of a security blanket because it was just this overwhelming stress that I was experiencing.

I was anxious because I rent and that's becoming more and more precarious by the day in the UK. And I just felt like I needed more of a security blanket because it was just this overwhelming stress that I was experiencing.

I was anxious because I rent and that's becoming more and more precarious by the day in the UK. And I just felt like I needed more of a security blanket because it was just this overwhelming stress that I was experiencing.

So when I was planning my no-buy year, I thought it would be best to kind of color code my spending. Type A. Yeah, exactly. Type A. So I made a green, yellow and red list. Green was the things that I could spend my money on without question. So that was bills, rent, groceries.

So when I was planning my no-buy year, I thought it would be best to kind of color code my spending. Type A. Yeah, exactly. Type A. So I made a green, yellow and red list. Green was the things that I could spend my money on without question. So that was bills, rent, groceries.

So when I was planning my no-buy year, I thought it would be best to kind of color code my spending. Type A. Yeah, exactly. Type A. So I made a green, yellow and red list. Green was the things that I could spend my money on without question. So that was bills, rent, groceries.

I didn't put any limit on the groceries that I was going to buy because I knew that it was going to be a year of me cooking my own food. So I might as well try and purchase things that I like and not try and skimp too much there. Yellow... was the category of items where I was allowed to spend money, but only if there was a caveat attached to it or specific circumstances.

I didn't put any limit on the groceries that I was going to buy because I knew that it was going to be a year of me cooking my own food. So I might as well try and purchase things that I like and not try and skimp too much there. Yellow... was the category of items where I was allowed to spend money, but only if there was a caveat attached to it or specific circumstances.

I didn't put any limit on the groceries that I was going to buy because I knew that it was going to be a year of me cooking my own food. So I might as well try and purchase things that I like and not try and skimp too much there. Yellow... was the category of items where I was allowed to spend money, but only if there was a caveat attached to it or specific circumstances.

So if my laptop charger broke or something that I use every day in the kitchen, for example, broke, then I would replace that. It was more replacements than anything. And then red was the long, long, long list of things that I was not going to let myself buy for an entire year. So that was meals out, carbonated drinks, which I was very much addicted to at the time.