I’m £19,000 in debt yet spend thousands on a dog walker – it makes people angry

A WOMAN has defended her decision to spend thousands of pounds on a dog walker despite being £19,000 in debt.

TikTok user @datmeisjeindebt spoke openly about the reality of her financial situation, claiming that people are “problematic” with her spending habits.

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In a video she said: “What’s the one thing in your life that you spend money on that people seem to have a hard time with?

“I have around £19,000 in credit card debt and I spend £170 a month on a dog walker, who I share with my partner, to walk our two dogs.

“We have a dog walker, because two days a week we are both out of the house for ten hours a day.

“There’s no one here except the dogs.”

The woman explained that she does not expect her family to let them out for free and that she does not want to ask strangers on Facebook.

Their solution was to find a “wonderful” woman to take them on an hour-long walk as part of her dog walking service.

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 ‘Do you spend £170 a 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 after work, but it “still takes a really long time to get them alone.”

She added: “I think some people don’t seem to understand that the whole purpose of a budget is to make room for the things that you personally need.

“We need the dog walker, so we make room.

“If we really couldn’t afford it, like if we could barely make ends meet and couldn’t pay the bills or food, we had to come up with something else.

“But we don’t have to; we can afford to pay the dog walker.”

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People were divided when they saw her confession video, which was liked more than 5,000 times.

One of them said, “I know it’s controversial, but I don’t believe in having pets if you have debts. Just another expense to add to the list, but I’m just not an animal lover.”

However, many supported her, with one commenting: “I also commend you for being a responsible dog owner and not leaving them alone for too long.” periods.”

And someone wrote: “Dog walkers here, people without pets see it as a luxury but for most it is an absolute necessity.

“The number of clients who no longer have chewed furniture, no more broken floors, less stressed and happier pets!”

How to Shift Your Credit Card Debt Fast

By James Flanders, Consumer reporter

According to UK Finance, we spend a whopping £2 billion every month on our credit cards.

While that little piece of plastic makes everyday spending a lot easier, it also comes with a hefty price tag.

According to The Money Charity, the average credit card debt is £2,485 per household, or £1,312 per adult.

And if you’re stuck with a credit card with a high annual percentage rate (APR) and only making minimum payments, you could be paying hundreds of dollars extra in interest charges.

Let’s say you owe £1,312 on your credit card and are charged an annual percentage rate of 24.8%.

If you stop making transactions and make monthly repayments of £100, you will pay off the card by September 2025, but you will then pay £207 in interest.

However, if you look elsewhere for a better deal and switch to a balance transfer credit card with a long interest-free period, you could save £162.

Suppose the same person were to get a 28-month interest-free credit card with a 3.4% balance transfer fee and make the same £100 repayments each month.

They would pay off the debt early, in July 2025, and then pay just £45 towards the 3.4% transfer fee.

Before you apply for a new credit card or increase your loan amount, it is important to consider the consequences.

You should only borrow money if you can pay it back.

It is always important to ask yourself whether you should borrow money before taking out a new credit card, personal loan or overdraft.

If you use a credit card, I recommend paying the full balance at the end of each billing period.

Lenders have a responsibility to help customers with debt.

If you are in a debt crisis, your first point of contact is your lender.

They can help you by offering you a lower interest rate or a temporary payment extension, so contact your lender if you are in trouble.