Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Learn how to manage debt and hear about Megan’s @thatgirlindebt experience.
Jamilla Blake, Bank colleague, speaks to Megan about how she managed the debt she accumulated, which began when she was a student. It is an honest and open conversation about her journey to becoming debt free in 15 months.
Megan shares how her debt began, the emotional impact it had on her life, the moment she realised things had gone too far, and the practical steps she took to regain control of her finances while raising two young children.
They also explore how everyday borrowing works, the importance of budgeting, and how interest rates - including the Bank of England base rate - affect people repaying debt.
💷 Create an emergency fund. Save up a lump sum for emergencies so you don’t have to rely on more expensive forms of credit like credit cards.
💷 Try writing down all your expenses and earnings to get an overview of your incomings and outgoings. Tweak to make savings.
💷 Unfollow social media profiles that make you feel worried or are overly negative. Consider profiles that provide practical advice rather than unrealistic goals, like Martin Lewis.
💷 Being a parent is expensive, try finding offers for attractions, plan your days out so you can economise, like taking home made snacks. Allow some nice things and not aiming to cut all expenses.
💷 Be kind to yourself about your debt. Debt is not something to be ashamed about and most people can improve their circumstances with some changes to their budgeting.
💷 Take time to educate yourself about personal finances and budgeting to help you understand how to take on debt like credit cards, loans or a mortgage.
💷 If you are not paying off debt and able to save, continue the habits of managing debt like budget carefully, keep track of expenses, create or top up an emergency fund, and build savings pots for more expensive life events like holidays, weddings or starting a family.
Test your knowledge in our exciting round of quick-fire questions with Thomas Heath, Bank colleague, in the honourable role of this interview’s Quizmaster.
To finish the interview, Megan shares her thoughts for someone who’s currently struggling with debt. If you or someone you know needs some help getting started managing their debt, you don’t want to miss Megan’s words of advice.
This video is not financial advice:
The content of this interview is for information purposes only and must not be relied upon as financial advice. For advice tailored to your circumstances, contact a qualified and FCA regulated financial adviser.
00:00 Coming up...
00:44 Jamilla Blake introduces Megan
01:06 Jamilla and Megan talk about debt
01:32 Megan shares how she got into debt
03:38 Paying off the debt
04:45 Tips for tacking debt
06:16 How to prioritise
07:50 How the Bank of England affected Megan
09:03 How Megan managed increasing mortgage payments
10:16 Is debt always bad?
12:00 How to budget and stay on top money
13:50 Emergency funds and managing money
15:25 Learning about budgeting
16:30 Social media and debt advice
17:51 Kids and budgeting
18:57 Stigma around debt
20:17 Taking on debt for the first time
21:50 Learning about debt
22:59 Avoiding going back into debt
25:09 What to do at payday
26:04 Quick fire questions with Tom!
30:50 Megan's advice to people struggling in debt
Learn how to manage debt and hear about Megan’s @thatgirlindebt experience.
Jamilla Blake, Bank colleague, speaks to Megan about how she managed the debt she accumulated, which began when she was a student. It is an honest and open conversation about her journey to becoming debt free in 15 months.
Megan shares how her debt began, the emotional impact it had on her life, the moment she realised things had gone too far, and the practical steps she took to regain control of her finances while raising two young children.
They also explore how everyday borrowing works, the importance of budgeting, and how interest rates - including the Bank of England base rate - affect people repaying debt.
💷 Create an emergency fund. Save up a lump sum for emergencies so you don’t have to rely on more expensive forms of credit like credit cards.
💷 Try writing down all your expenses and earnings to get an overview of your incomings and outgoings. Tweak to make savings.
💷 Unfollow social media profiles that make you feel worried or are overly negative. Consider profiles that provide practical advice rather than unrealistic goals, like Martin Lewis.
💷 Being a parent is expensive, try finding offers for attractions, plan your days out so you can economise, like taking home made snacks. Allow some nice things and not aiming to cut all expenses.
💷 Be kind to yourself about your debt. Debt is not something to be ashamed about and most people can improve their circumstances with some changes to their budgeting.
💷 Take time to educate yourself about personal finances and budgeting to help you understand how to take on debt like credit cards, loans or a mortgage.
💷 If you are not paying off debt and able to save, continue the habits of managing debt like budget carefully, keep track of expenses, create or top up an emergency fund, and build savings pots for more expensive life events like holidays, weddings or starting a family.
Test your knowledge in our exciting round of quick-fire questions with Thomas Heath, Bank colleague, in the honourable role of this interview’s Quizmaster.
To finish the interview, Megan shares her thoughts for someone who’s currently struggling with debt. If you or someone you know needs some help getting started managing their debt, you don’t want to miss Megan’s words of advice.
This video is not financial advice:
The content of this interview is for information purposes only and must not be relied upon as financial advice. For advice tailored to your circumstances, contact a qualified and FCA regulated financial adviser.
00:00 Coming up...
00:44 Jamilla Blake introduces Megan
01:06 Jamilla and Megan talk about debt
01:32 Megan shares how she got into debt
03:38 Paying off the debt
04:45 Tips for tacking debt
06:16 How to prioritise
07:50 How the Bank of England affected Megan
09:03 How Megan managed increasing mortgage payments
10:16 Is debt always bad?
12:00 How to budget and stay on top money
13:50 Emergency funds and managing money
15:25 Learning about budgeting
16:30 Social media and debt advice
17:51 Kids and budgeting
18:57 Stigma around debt
20:17 Taking on debt for the first time
21:50 Learning about debt
22:59 Avoiding going back into debt
25:09 What to do at payday
26:04 Quick fire questions with Tom!
30:50 Megan's advice to people struggling in debt
