A mother-of two, who works for the NHS, revealed her own series of spending cuts in a bid to show how she and her children were suffering under the cost-of-living crisis
A mum-of-two who works for the NHS has taken to TikTok to reveal her savvy saving measures amid the cost-of-living crisis. Highlighting how she tightened her belt to “survive” on her salary, as rising prices grip the nation, she’s become a voice for many feeling the pinch.
Many parents are grappling with higher expenses while striving to maintain the best of quality of life for themselves and their children. To stay afloat, some workers are stretching themselves thin by extending hours, undertaking additional shifts or even juggling second jobs. Working tirelessly as a full-time Band 4 assistant practitioner for the NHS, Mercedes is shedding light on her fiscal challenges via social media.
Assistant practitioners, who wield expertise in specific clinical areas, aren’t registered health professionals but are essential cogs in the health service. Their remit typically falls within Band 4 salaries that range between £26,530 and £29,114, according to the NHS health careers website.
In one heartfelt TikTok video, which has received more than 74,000 views since it was published, Mercedes said: “This is what I don’t spend my money on anymore and I’m still surviving.”
She added: “I’m an NHS working mum and like many of us, I’m juggling the guilt of wanting to give my kids everything but secretly wondering how I’m gonna make it till payday. Embarrassingly it took until my credit card was completely maxed out and I couldn’t get approved for another one to finally realise that I needed to wake up and do something about this.”
Mercedes has shared five things she’s stopped purchasing in order to manage on her current income. These are:
1) New and full-priced clothes
She confessed there was a time when she bought new clothes every month as a pick-me-up, but it “never worked”. Now, she turns to Vinted for her shopping needs and only buys new items during sales.
Mercedes revealed that she’s been wearing the same clothes for years now, only regularly buying new clothes for her children from Vinted.
2) Regular haircuts
The mum disclosed that she used to get her hair trimmed every six weeks, but now lets it grow out, fringe included. With long hair, she feels she can get by without frequent salon visits, only opting for a haircut “every now and then” when her budget allows.
Mercedes admitted: “It’s not ideal but it saves me money.”
3) New home decor
The NHS worker added: “New home decor for the house and seasonal items. I used to love going out and shopping for bits for the house but I just can’t afford it, and it all adds up really quickly.
“You walk around, even somewhere like B&M, and before you know it you get to the till and you’ve spent £100.”
4) Nights out
Mercedes also mentioned that she used to enjoy nights out with friends, but finds it “immensely expensive when you pay for drinks and taxis”, noting that “most places now charge for you to get in”.
Mercedes doesn’t miss dining out and instead invites friends over for a get-together with a “bottle of cheap Aldi wine”.
5) Impulse spending
She concluded: “[I] guess the biggest one is impulse spending. I used to spend here and there, a coffee here, an extra item from Aldi, the odd cheeky takeaway but actually, those cheeky spends were draining my bank account. I never realised until I totalled it all up exactly how much I was spending.”
Mercedes does make exceptions for certain activities that are “completely non-negotiable”, such as gymnastics and dance classes for herself, and kickboxing lessons for one of her children, as she doesn’t want to deprive her kids of these experiences.
