Birmingham Tattoo Artist Tackles £15,000 Debt with Innovative Colour-Coded System
Megan Smith-Evans, a 33-year-old tattoo artist from Birmingham, has successfully paid off £13,000 of debt in just 12 months after accumulating £15,000 through a combination of pandemic-era spending, purchasing a puppy, and frequent takeaways. The self-confessed shopaholic utilized a unique colour-coded budgeting technique to regain control of her finances.
The Debt Accumulation: Pandemic, Puppy, and Personal Spending
Megan's financial troubles began during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was unable to work as a tattoo artist but continued spending as if she still had a full income. She took out a £10,000 loan to support her business, which marked the start of her debt spiral.
Her spending habits included purchasing a Cocker Spaniel for £1,000, followed by approximately £1,000 per month on training and food for the dog. Additionally, she spent at least £200 monthly on takeaways and £300 on social outings with friends, charging everything to three different credit cards.
"I'm a self-confessed shopaholic. I love spending money," Megan admitted. "I love doing experiences and booking holidays on a credit card. I get such a dopamine hit from treating myself. It's so easy to do and it's so easy for debt to mount up."
The Turning Point: A Costly Christmas and No-Spend January
The situation reached a critical point in January 2025 after Megan spent £2,000 on Christmas presents using her credit cards. With few clients booked for January and considering buying food on credit, she realized she needed to take drastic action.
"I had £15,000 of debt and I was thinking of buying food on my credit card," she recalled. "I thought, 'this is ridiculous, I need to do something about it.'"
Megan implemented a strict no-spend January challenge, followed by a no-spend February. She created a colour-coded calendar to track her daily expenditures:
- Green for no-spend days
- Orange for days when she spent on essentials only
- Pink for days when she overspent her budget
The Road to Recovery: Accountability and Strategic Payments
To maintain accountability, Megan created a TikTok account (@MeganSmithEvans) where she regularly posted updates about her debt repayment journey. Each video began with her stating how much debt she had cleared and how much remained.
"I just thought, if I put this out in the world, I've got to do it," she explained. "People would comment under my videos saying 'well done' and it really spurred me on."
Megan also established a budget for the first time ever, using spreadsheets to track her bills and determine how much she could reasonably overpay on her debt each week. She implemented a system where she pays herself a wage every Friday, then makes debt payments based on her weekly earnings.
"Every week is different," she said. "If I've made a few thousand pounds, I'll pay off £400-worth of debt, and if I've had a less good week, I'll pay off £50."
From Debt to Financial Freedom
Through her disciplined approach, Megan has now cleared £13,000 of her original £15,400 debt (which included three credit cards and two loans at its peak). She aims to be completely debt-free by March and has even built up an emergency fund in case she's unable to work in the future.
Remarkably, Megan hasn't used her credit card for a single purchase since beginning her debt repayment journey. She discovered that the satisfaction of paying off debt provided the same dopamine hit she previously got from spending money.
"I found that as I was paying off the debt and spending less, it was giving me that little hit of dopamine that I used to get from spending money," she revealed.
Megan's Top Tips for Debt Management
- Go cold turkey on your credit card - Stop using it completely for new purchases
- Track every penny you spend - Awareness is the first step to control
- Set a budget for everything - Know exactly where your money is going
- Have a no spend/low spend month - Reset your spending habits
- Share your debt journey with others - Accountability can be motivating
Megan's story serves as an inspiring example of how strategic budgeting and personal accountability can help overcome significant financial challenges, even for those who describe themselves as shopaholics.
