Lauren Finn, a 26-year-old pub manager from Putney, south west London, managed to clear £8,000 of debt within eight months by eating 40p Tesco pate and white bread for every meal, but the extreme diet caused her to go from a size 12 to a size 20.
How the debt started
Lauren's financial troubles began after a failed business venture, overspending, and a broken leg that left her unable to work for eight months. Speaking to Kennedy News and Media, she said: "I started a business when I came out of university but it just didn't work out - from that I got into about £1,000 debt."
She then entered full-time work but admitted to spending her entire wage and more because nobody taught her about budgeting. By the time she was 26, she had racked up £3,000 of debt. A subsequent accident broke her leg and kneecap, forcing her onto statutory sick pay.
"Obviously living in London that pays for nothing so I racked up about £7,800 debt by the end of it," Lauren explained. The debt took a massive toll on her mental health, as she watched friends buy houses and have children while she struggled.
The 40p pate diet
Determined to clear the debt by August 2024, Lauren and her partner, who was still at university, had only £40 per week for food. She chose to eat Tesco pate and the cheapest bread for every meal.
"I chose the pate because it was cheap and I liked it. Cheese was too expensive, ham you didn't get as much, and it had more flavour to it than just bread and butter," she said. The diet, combined with her inability to exercise due to her injuries, caused her weight to balloon from a size 12 to a size 18/20 over eight months to a year.
Lauren also sold her car for £800, took a £1.75 bus instead of a £6 tube, and moved into university halls with her partner and three other men to save on rent. She even played online games for up to 10 hours a day to earn gift cards for food and cat food.
Debt-free and raising awareness
After a stressful eight months, Lauren cleared the debt by April 2025. She said: "It was the most amazing feeling when the debt was cleared - the first thing I did was book a holiday."
Now she uses her TikTok page to break the stigma around debt, saying: "I think people need to learn that what they see online is not the full picture. A lot of people do have debt, they just don't speak about it."
