Episode 2 - Why Earning More Hasn’t Fixed Your Money Stress
You know that feeling when payday hits — and for a couple of hours you feel like the queen of your life?
Bills paid, fridge stocked, confidence high.
And then… two days later, you’re right back to wondering where it all went and why you’re broke again.
That’s the Payday Panic.
That gut-clenching, head-spinning moment when the money that was supposed to last the month… doesn’t even make it through the week.
In this episode, I’m calling out the real reason this happens — and spoiler: it’s not because you’re “bad with money.”
It’s because the entire system is built to keep you financially stretched, emotionally fried, and quietly ashamed.
We’ll talk about how culture, marketing, and even your nervous system keep you stuck in the same payday loop — the one where payday feels like relief instead of progress.
Because the truth is, you can be earning £30k, £50k, £70k — and still feel like you’re one bill away from chaos.
This one’s for every woman who’s ever thought: “I earn too much to feel this broke.”
Let’s unpack it together — with no guilt, no spreadsheets, and no shame.
What You’ll Learn
Why payday highs always crash into mid-month panic
How lifestyle creep and emotional spending quietly drain your income
The sneaky psychology behind “treat yourself” marketing
Why most women see more ads — and spend more — without even realising it
How Klarna, Clearpay, and credit apps turn stress into spending
The cultural lie that “earning more” automatically means financial security
Simple shifts that stop payday from feeling like a reset button
📊 Facts, Figures and References
Lifestyle Creep & Inflation
UK consumer prices rose by 4.6% year-on-year in 2024, with essentials like food and housing up over 25% since 2021 — meaning many households now spend a higher percentage of income on basic living costs.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) – UK Inflation and Cost of Living, 2025:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices
Savings & Financial Security
Half of UK adults have less than £250 saved, and one in ten have no savings at all.
Source: The Money Charity – UK Money Statistics, April 2025:
https://themoneycharity.org.uk/media/April-2025-Money-Statistics.pdfSource: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Press Release — “More people have bank accounts, but one in ten have no cash savings at all.” https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/more-people-have-bank-accounts-one-ten-have-no-cash-savings
Marketing Bias Toward Women
Advertisers spend 30% more to target women online than men — meaning women see more ads, more often, particularly for emotional or lifestyle-based purchases.
Source: EPJ Data Science, 2024 – The Gendered Cost of Online Advertising:
https://epjdatascience.springeropen.com/articles/10.1140/epjds/s13688-024-00473-2
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Use Among Women
68% of frequent Buy Now, Pay Later users are women, making them the majority of the most financially vulnerable BNPL customers.
Source: YouGov, 2023 – Britain’s BNPL Users:
https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/53194-britains-bnpl-users-younger-female-and-financially-strained
Credit & Debt Dependence
The average UK adult holds £4,352 in unsecured debt (credit cards, store cards, or personal loans).
Source: The Money Charity – UK Money Statistics, April 2025:
https://themoneycharity.org.uk/media/April-2025-Money-Statistics.pdf
Cultural Spending Pressure
Women are more likely to associate spending with self-care or empowerment — a result of decades of gendered advertising that equates confidence with consumption.
Source: World Economic Forum, 2022 – What Is the Pink Tax and How Does It Hinder Women?:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/07/what-is-the-pink-tax-and-how-does-it-hinder-women/
