I spend £4.8k a year on takeaways & drink 16l of Pepsi a week – experts showed how I can save £8k to pay off debts
A COUPLE with a takeaway and Pepsi addiction were left in shock as experts revealed how they could save a staggering £8,300 to clear their debts.
Amanda and Charlotte, from Norfolk, appeared on Channel 4’s Secret Spenders in a desperate bid for help from the experts.
Each week, Charlotte drinks 16 litres of Pepsi and the couple fork out £4,800 a year on takeaways.
Amanda revealed how her cleaning business had taken a back seat after she hurt her hand leaving her unable to work, leaving the couple to rely on Charlotte’s salary.
Their monthly income went from £3,000 to £800 – but that didn’t stop them reaching for food apps when an exhausted Charlotte came home from work.
Amanda said: “Charlotte is a takeaway fiend, it is difficult for her because I had a hysterectomy last year, and when I recovered I broke my wrist.
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“So Charlotte has been doing everything for four or five months.
“When she finishes work at night, she’s just knackered and she’s like ‘we’ll just get a takeaway.’
“Sometimes we are getting three takeaways in a day. This may happen four or five times a week.
“Charlotte can cook, she just doesn’t want to.
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“We have nothing and sometimes less than nothing left over at the end of each month.
“I’d really like to stop spending so much money because I desperately want to move back to Brighton.”
The couple estimate that they need to save around £3,000 for the move, but also have nearly £6,000 worth of debt – nearly three times the national household debt average.
Thankfully experts were on hand to help analyse their finances.
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Host Anita Rani told the shocked couple: “In one year you could save £8,384.”
The financial experts broke down the amount and said: “Cutting down on takeaways from £400 to £100 a month will save £3,600.
“With a further £1,920 save by Amanda agreeing to use the soda stream reducing her bottle fizzy drinks spend from £240 to £80 a month.
“Cancelling Amazon and Spotify will bring in £216 and £960 will eventually be saved by switching to sim only phone plans.”
Other savings include £600 from halving their Amazon spend from £100 to £50 a month and £20 from cancelling online classes.
They also could add phones to their contents insurance rather than paying separate insurance, and this will save them £276.
Anita said: “Saving them the grand total of £8,384.”
Breaking down in tears, Amanda said: “That is a crazy amount of money.”
Charlotte said: “Better delete the [food] apps then.”
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The show later revealed one month later, the couple have quit their takeaway habits and will be moving to Brighton soon.