I did a job I loved, but now have no savings - and can't retire like my friends

Last weekend, I had lunch at a scenic restaurant in Richmond. A gaggle of middle-aged women, we spent a leisurely three hours laughing and tucking into steak tartare, profiteroles, and quaffing expensive wine – well, all except me.

I picked at a side salad and sipped fizzy water. Then, when the bill came round, one bright spark suggested splitting it equally. I groaned. Here we go again, I thought as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I’d (intentionally) spent a fiver and they were on their third bottle of sancerre and expected me to chip in. Didn’t they realise I’m on a tight budget?

Don’t get me wrong, I adore my friends. But being the less financially stable member of the group has sadly become par for the course and I sometimes resent their cosy lives; the difference in wealth has a way of destroying friendships.

The symptoms of menopause that look like dementia – and what to do

The seven most common mistakes you can make when selling your home

We’re sweating more than ever – this is how to stay dry

I saved £560 a month without sacrificing fun – this is how

Six easy food swaps to up your fibre intake

Menopause causes Alzheimer’s-like changes to the brain

Some symptoms overlap between the perimenopause and dementia which can be worrying for women but experts say lifestyle changes can help.

Could this explain why more women develop dementia than men?

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, women account for around two thirds of people living with Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia) in the UK.

Some of the symptoms of menopause which are similar to dementia include memory issues, trouble with word retrieval, irritability, anxiety and frustration.

Someone with menopause brain fog may have difficulties with memory or clear thinking, but in dementia, these issues increase over time.

The person’s abilities will decline progressively and they will need more support with everyday tasks.

Memory problems with menopause, however, can improve with treatment, lifestyle changes or time.

I'm a GP – I fell for menopause supplements too. They didn't work

What to do if you have menopause-related brain fog

Managing menopause is a bit like putting together pieces of a jigsaw.

Managing menopause is a bit like putting together pieces of a jigsaw.

British Menopause Society (BMS) trustee Dr Paula Briggs says HRT can help but it’s not the only solution. “It’s important to ensure that you’re eating well and exercising regularly throughout menopause, when your body is under some strain due to fluctuations in hormones”.

The lifestyle changes to make

This supports mental health and sleep but it can be as simple as walking for 30 minutes.

Keeping your brain active can improve your brain health, cognition, well-being and mental health.

Reducing alcohol intake and quitting smoking are also worthwhile, says neuroscientist Professor Barbara Sahakian.

Selling a house can be a minefield

The market is stagnant, first-time buyers are struggling to save enough for deposits and sales are falling through.To help, we asked experts for their tips on completing a sale. From what to do with decor and lighting to marketing it correctly.These are the most common mistakes they see.

If you give people the choice of a renovation project or something that’s finished, they’ll go for the latter.

If you give people the choice of a renovation project or something that’s finished, they’ll go for the latter.

Arsh Ellahi, who has over 20 years of experience in the property industry, says buyers want houses that are done. Warmer tones like stone and neutrals can also help a sale.

The mistakes to avoid

If all someone can see is clutter, they’re more likely to think the house is too small. Space is value.

Show homes come without the personal element and are usually plain but modern. This draws people in.

When the price is set too high, it’s more likely to stay on the market. Your home has to look like good value for money.

The mistakes to avoid

Ellahi says the best offers tend to come within the first four weeks of marketing.

Being present for viewings

If the owners are there, buyers can feel uncomfortable walking around and getting a sense of the place.

Photos are the first thing a potential buyer sees, and poor-quality images will stop stage two – the inquiry and viewing.

Windows should be opened to allow fresh air in, and, if it’s cold, the heating should be turned on to make the house feel inviting and homely.

It’s really important to accommodate viewings on weekends or evenings when they’re most popular.

Solicitors’ fees, agent fees, and capital gains tax are all big things to consider when it comes to finances and being ready to sell.

Navigating hot and sticky weather is often a sensory and social nightmare

With summer approaching, Dr Adil Sheraz of the British Association of Dermatologists, explains why we sweat and what we can do about it.

Why do we sweat?

Sweating is an important part of thermoregulation. When you sweat and it evaporates off the skin, it will take the latent heat with it.

Sweating is an important part of thermoregulation. When you sweat and it evaporates off the skin, it will take the latent heat with it.

We’re covered in three to four million sweat glands and the majority produce a sweat made up of just electrolytes and water. In other words, completely odourless.These eccrine glands function from birth to keep us cool.

When does sweat smell?

Glands in the armpit, groin and scalp operate differently.

They’re under the control of hormones and the glands contain lipids and potentially fatty esters.

The bacteria on our skin will feed off these fatty acids and lipids and cause the odour.

At 55, I thought my night sweats were due to menopause – but it was cancer

Are we sweating more now?

It is not just the weather impacts how we sweat…

The bigger you are (in height, weight or muscle mass), the more surface area you will need to sweat on in order to cool down.

This is why men tend to sweat more than women and why you sweat more when you gain weight.

Medical conditions like diabetesand thyroid problems will also cause increased sweating.

Certain dietary items, including caffeine, processed foods and spicy foods can also trigger the chemicals in our body which cause us to sweat more.

When does it matter?

If it’s impacting your daily life, you will likely have some form of hyperhidrosis and need to speak to a doctor to determine further.

Primary hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating with no underlying cause.

Secondary hyperhidrosis means there’s a condition or illness causing the sweating.

There are two main ways to tell the difference.

Sweating with secondary causes tends to happen all over the body rather than just localised to your palms or armpits.

Primary hyperhidrosis tends to switch off when you’re sleeping as the neurons stop firing. This doesn’t happen with secondary hyperhidrosis.

How to manage sweat

Wear natural or wicking fabrics that prevent sweat patches, or clothes that are cooling for the skin.

One that contains aliminimium is advised as it’s well known for blocking and plugging our sweat ducts.

Where possible reduce dietary causes like caffeine and spicy foods.

Can I save money without giving up fun?

When it comes to financial planning, I’ve always lived month to month, but recently I’ve wanted to be slightly more serious. So I spoke to a range of financial experts for the easiest, idiot-proof ways to be savvier with money – without just hibernating.

Print out your bank statements“This is the hardest step but you’ve got to know what’s coming in and out, down to the pound,” says financial coach Ian Dempsey. You’re more likely to remember what’s on there, and pay attention to it on paper.

Draw an image of what you’re saving for“Anything that requires discipline is much easier to achieve when you [can picture] the end goal,” says Ruth Power, from the Financial Management Bureau.

Go on a money date

If you’re in a relationship, for 30 minutes once a month, take a notebook to the pub/cafe and talk about money with your partner.

They are designed to be compulsive. Removing them gives you an extra layer of resistance.

Marketing emails are designed to reach you when you’re likely to spend money.

How it went when Kasia followed the expert advice

I delete Vinted and only re-download it when I actively want to replace something for my son that he’s grown out of.

I’m no longer buring my head in the sand. Sections of my bank statement flash into my mind when I go to use the Uber app.

Money dates have been uncomfortable. We did have a small argument about buying own-brand beans versus Heinz for example, but scribbling down numbers we want to save has also been exciting.

I have found it easier to be mindful about spending and broke some unhelpful habits, like associating walks with always getting a coffee.

How the UK currently saves

The average person in the UK has £16,067 in savings in 2025.

However, 2 in 5 Britons have £1,000 or less in savings. A quarter have £200 or less.

1 in 6 UK adults (16 per cent) have no savings at all, equating to around 8.4 million people.

Men are estimated to have 82 per cent more in savings than women.

Almost three in 10 (28 per cent) of adults state saving money is a habit.

The truth is, I’m never going to be someone with five side hustles and the financial savvy to become a bitcoin billionaire. But I’m no longer thinking, “where did my salary go?”. The small changes have, over time, made a difference to my bank account, but also my mind and self confidence. KASIA DELGADO

The truth is, I’m never going to be someone with five side hustles and the financial savvy to become a bitcoin billionaire. But I’m no longer thinking, “where did my salary go?”. The small changes have, over time, made a difference to my bank account, but also my mind and self confidence.

Six easy swaps to increase your fibre intake

We asked the experts why it’s so important to include enough fibre in our diets, and how to do it without totally overhauling our diets…

Why fibre is important

Fibre isn’t a fad nutrient. It’s been consistently linked to better health outcomes for decades. Unlike protein, which the majority of people already get enough of, fibre is something most of us (96 per cent) are significantly lacking.  NICHOLA LUDLAM-RAINE, SPECICIALIST REGISTERED DIETITIAN AND AUTHOR

Fibre isn’t a fad nutrient. It’s been consistently linked to better health outcomes for decades. Unlike protein, which the majority of people already get enough of, fibre is something most of us (96 per cent) are significantly lacking.

The small diet tweaks to make

Beans, lentils and chickpeas are fibre powerhouses, with around 6-8g per half-tin. If you find beans tricky to digest, start with microdosing them for a week and gradually build it up to half a can at a time.

One of the simplest changes you can make is to switch to wholegrain versions of everyday carbs. Swapping two slices of white bread for wholemeal adds around 3g of fibre.

How to add fibre to your diet

The skin of some foods can contain up to 50 per cent of the total fibre. Just make sure it’s safe to eat.

Level up the snacks

Berries, raw vegetables with hummus, or a small handful of nuts are all easy fibre wins.

Ludlam-Raine adds a spoon of mixed seeds to porridge, cereal, yoghurts, soups and salads.

EASY WAYS TO ADD FIBRE TO YOUR DIET

Add in, don’t take away

A few extra handfuls of fibre-rich ingredients might be all that’s needed to take your meals from average to fibre-full. Small changes are key because they’re more sustainable and better tolerated by the gut. Increasing fibre too quickly can cause bloating or discomfort.

At 64, and single, my career as a journalist and now freelance-writer does mean I’m facing a miserable sort of penury, thanks to my total failure to make any provision for old age. And it turns out I’m not alone: research from the University of Bristol published this week found that your career – rather than how much you earn – dictates your propensity for saving.

With business, sales and finance jobs being at the top of the pile and creatives (artists, and writers like me) being much less likely to save, fewer than half of us are saving at all. It is almost a cliché, but one I know to be true. I am that typical impoverished creative who – following artistic tradition – pursued my childhood dream to become a writer, but was recklessly extravagant with anything I earned and never bothered to build a nest egg.

Yes, I might have a successful career as a journalist and author, but I have zero pennies in the pot. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been happier in a nine-five with a monthly salary. It sounds idyllic. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

My twenties, when I worked as a features writer for women’s magazines, were a carousel of high-profile dinners, designer outfits, exciting parties and jetting off to interview celebrities. Savings? Forget it. The future was so far down the list of priorities that it disappeared.

I remember seeing a £600 pair of gorgeous black suede Jimmy Choo boots. Despite it being nearly half a month’s salary, I breezed in, swiped my credit card and left feeling a thrilling shiver of pleasure. As an experience junkie, why did I need to think about saving for later?

In my thirties, my friends who were in more financial careers – who’d talk about pensions and spreadsheets (the Bristol study found some professions better equipped employees to save because of skills picked up at work) – started to set up nest eggs, as well as settling down with investment banker husbands. Weddings became a bi-monthly feature before their 2.4 children.

I remember drumming my fingers on the table in boredom at dinner parties as Smug Marrieds talked about getting on the first rung of the property ladder. How tedious, I thought, as I sloped off to some nightclub. In the mid-90s I had an opportunity to do the same but turned it down. When I got my first book deal I could have put down a deposit on a London flat that might have seen me through to my old age. I found a lovely place I could afford easily but changed my mind; I didn’t want the pressure of owning a property.

Instead, I walked out of Joseph in a new brown suede coat with a fur collar, and a new dress from Betsey Johnson and forgot all about the flat. It’s now worth more than £750,000 – and I have never again been in a financial position to buy as I’ve never earned as much since.

I only started to worry about my finances seriously when I hit my fifties and realised that a bestselling novel or a lucrative column wasn’t going to appear. But by then I was unsure how to mitigate the problem. I was stuck in it.

Today, I feel a kind of hopelessness that I’ve left everything too late. My earnings just about tide me over, but I rarely have enough left to stash for a rainy day, let alone for retirement. I love my job but at this rate I will still be tapping away into my dotage. In fact I am so broke, sometimes I cant even afford to heat the flat and spend my days holed up in my bedroom.

I live in a flat left to me by my parents – I pay the mortgage and service charge – but it does at least save me from living in a grim bedsit. This is a far cry from my financially-savvy friends who are talking about stocks and shares ISAs. One university friend who lives in Paris with her family told me I should have bitten the bullet and married my fiancé in my thirties, like she did.

This has become one of the unexpected consequences of my financial situation: friendship needs shared experience to flourish. When our lives take different paths, it can be hard to find a common ground. Last month I was talking to a monied friend on the phone, when suddenly there was silence. Why? We had nothing in common. She wanted to talk about investing and I was thinking about how I could only afford beans and rice for dinner.

I know this is my fault. Both for picking a creative career and having sacrificed saving for a life of momentary pleasures. But now I see that what separates people in mid-life more than anything else – including marriage or parenthood status – is money (or lack of it).

I have become a square peg in a round hole. Everyone else is arranging lunches at nice restaurants, getting mani-pedis and swishy blow-dries, or comparing soft furnishings from Peter Jones, and I am wondering if I can heat my flat. This means the phone has stopped ringing and invitations dried up. There is a stigma about being old and poor, a whiff of Eau de Failure.

A friend who recently bought a house in France didn’t bother inviting me to celebrate the move, because she knew I couldn’t afford it. I only found out when someone put a photo on Instagram.

“You ruin the atmosphere,” a friend who had gone told me later that day over coffee. Turns out that having to always worry about the “poor friend” brings the group down. They feel guilty.

I know they don’t do it on purpose. But what has become clear is that those like me who are stuck in a dull monotony that a lack of money brings find ourselves staring into the abyss with only cans of baked beans for company.

So what’s the answer? While I massively regret not saving sooner, I don’t regret the fun and the excitement that my life bought me. I just never realised I would lose my friendships as a result.