A WOMAN has defended spending thousands on a dog walker despite being in £19,000 in debt.
TikTok user @thatgirlindebt opened up about the realities of her financial situation and claims people “take issue” with her spending habits.
In a video, she shared: “What’s the one thing in your life that you spend money on that people seem to take issue with?
“For me, I am about £19,000 in credit card debt, and I spend £170 per month on a dog walker, which I split with my partner, to walk our two dogs.
“We have a dog walker because two days a week, we’re both out of the house for 10-hour days.
“Nobody is here except the dogs.”
The woman explained how she doesn’t expect family to walk them for free and she doesn’t want to ask strangers via Facebook either.
Their solution was to find an “amazing” woman who takes them on a hour-long walk as part of her dog walking business.
She continued: “I know I don’t have to explain myself, but I get this comment a lot when I do my monthly budget videos: ‘Why on earth are you spending £170 per month on a dog walker?’
“Because we want to, we can, and the dogs deserve it.
“They don’t want to be here alone.”
The pet owner said they walk the dogs before after work, but said it’s “still a really long time for them to be on their own.”
She added: “Also, I think what some people don’t seem to grasp is that the whole point of a budget is to make room for the things you personally need.
“We need the dog walker, so we make room.
“If we really couldn’t afford it, like if we were barely scraping by and couldn’t afford the bills or food, we’d have to figure something else out.
“But we don’t have to; we can afford to pay the dog walker.”
People were torn when it came to her confessional video, which has over 5,000 likes.
One said: “I know its controversial but I don’t believe in having pets when in debt. Just another expense to add to the list but then again I’’m just not an animal person.”
However, many supported her, with one commenting: “Also I applaud you for being a responsible dog owner and not wanting to leave them alone for lengthy periods.”
And one wrote: “Dog Walker here, people without pets see it as a luxury but it’s an absolute necessity for most.
“The amount of clients who no longer have chewed furniture, no ruined flooring, less stressed and happier pets!”
By James Flanders, Consumer Reporter
UK Finance reports that we spend a whopping £2 billion a month using our credit cards.
While that little strip of plastic makes everyday spending easy peasy, it comes at a huge cost.
According to The Money Charity, the average credit card debt sits at £2,485 per household or £1,312 per adult.
And if you’re stuck on a credit card with a high APR and only making the minimum repayments, you could be forking out hundreds of pounds extra in interest charges.
For example, if you owe £1,312 on your credit card and are charged 24.8% APR.
If you don’t make any more transactions and pay £100 a month in repayments, you will pay off the card by September 2025 but at £207 in interest.
However, by hunting around for a better deal elsewhere and switching to a balance transfer credit card with a lengthy interest-free period, you can save yourself £162.
If the same person was accepted for a 28-month-long zero-interest credit card with a 3.4% balance transfer fee and made the same £100 repayments each month.
They would pay off the debt sooner, in July 2025, and only fork out £45 towards the 3.4% balance transfer fee.
Before taking out a new credit card or increasing the amount you borrow, it’s vital to consider the consequences.
You should only borrow money if you can afford to pay it back.
It’s always vital to ask yourself if you need to borrow before committing to a new credit card, personal loan or overdraft.
If you use a credit card, I’d recommend that you always pay off your balance in full at the end of each statement period.
Lenders have a responsibility to help customers who are in debt.
If you’re in a debt crisis, your first point of call should be your lender.
They might help you out by offering you a reduced interest rate or a temporary payment holiday – so check in with your lender if you’re struggling.
