Over 30 and Under Pressure: How to Regain Financial Control

The hot topic for us over-30s is financial health and the best ways to improve this condition that so many of us are currently experiencing. A lot of people are still running tirelessly in the rat race, getting nowhere, fast glued to office chairs or collapsed on the sofa at home, wishing for the weekend to come around… only to then complain that two days just isn't enough!

People, men and women alike, are searching for budgeting advice, smart hacks, and of course, new ways to make money, whether through side hustles or investing. The problem with many of the solutions people are chasing is that they’re looking for instant relief to quickly lift the load and alleviate stress. But that kind of short-term thinking is often the foundation for even bigger problems down the line.

For those over 30, the biggest financial concerns are:

1. The rising cost of literally everything vs. stagnant income

2. The long-term fear of retirement insecurity, which only worsens when day-to-day expenses increase and personal debt climbs, creating a massive barrier to saving.

According to PwC, 8.9 million adults in the UK show signs of financial fragility. That means many are now relying on overdrafts to pay household bills that were once comfortably covered by their wages and are struggling to make repayments. Unsecured household debt sits at over £400 billion, with an average of £16,200 per household. Royal London’s Financial Resilience Report reveals that those aged 30–49 are the most financially strained, with 59% dissatisfied with their standard of living.

Is this why, walking through London, we’re often met with miserable faces, short tempers, impatience, and unwarranted behaviour?

Financial strain eventually leads to psychological stress. It affects sleep, mental health, and overall wellbeing, and it doesn't need to stay with us for long before it begins to take its toll.

So, What Do We Do?

There’s endless advice out there: how to get rich quick, shift careers, become your own boss, or live frugally now to enjoy financial freedom a decade later. All these options require patience, consistency, and time, three things many of us in a bind feel we don’t have. And of course, it differs depending on your situation: single, single with children, or married.

Singles may not have the pressure of feeding or sheltering another human, but they’re still bearing the full cost of housing, food, travel, and debt on one income. That often barely scratches the surface, forcing many to house-share with strangers, even while celebrating their 40th birthday.

Single parents are juggling it all, doing everything they can to ensure their child doesn’t go without, even if that means sacrificing their own wellbeing. They’re trying to hold it all together on tight budgets that groceries now seem to mock, even with help from the government or family members.

Then there are the married or partnered parents who share household bills. You’d think they’re in a better position, and yes, in comparison, they might be. But inflation still hits them hard. Childcare costs often resemble mortgage payments. And with more bodies in the home, gas, electricity, food, and water bills all rise.

Maybe the couples without children, in decent-paying or booming businesses, are the ones who’ve got it figured out. And with a growing number of couples choosing not to have children for financial reasons, can you really blame them?

So, Again… What Do We Do?

My honest answer? Discover the beauty of Jesus Christ and allow the Word of God to guide you. Why? Because no matter what you believe, we’re all subject to life’s pressures but with God on your side, every battle feels already won.

HOWEVER, I know many of you, whether you’re faith-based or not, need practical ways to lighten the burden right now.

First and foremost, understand this: although your situation is stressful and uncomfortable, you are not alone. Millions are facing similar, if not worse, struggles. You are not a failure. But it’s time to take control where you can, even in a system that’s often built to work against us.

For those already living on a budget and sacrificing life’s pleasures just to pay bills or clear debt, it's time to monetize your skills. Create another stream of income, even if it’s just an extra couple of hundred pounds a month. That extra money is for your leisure, and your leisure alone.

For those who could cut back, if you're using credit cards to buy clothes you don’t need or going out for extravagant dinners you can skip, pull back for a season. Set a goal. Every time you're tempted to spend that money, save it. And if you're spending money on a credit card? You don’t actually have that money.

These suggestions don’t cover everything, and they’re not revolutionary. That’s intentional.

There are so many ways to slightly improve your standard of living, regardless of your situation. But most of us don’t act. Why? Because the habits we’ve built over the last 30 or 40 years are deeply ingrained. The willpower, grit, and discipline it takes to change our ways? Many just don’t think they have it.

The leaders of this world, the ones in power, will continue to allow greed and the love of money to reign. Not all, but most. The world will do what the world does. We can’t control that. The only thing we can control is ourselves.

For some of us, the mountain is steeper. There's no support system. There are mouths other than your own to feed. But unless you're displaced, fleeing from war or abuse, starving with no access to food or healthcare, there is no excuse. That might sound harsh, but it’s reality.

You can try one or all of the solutions available to you, but if you lack the discipline, power, consistency, resilience, and faith, nothing will change. You’ll keep blaming your circumstances and remain financially broken and mentally stressed.

Everything you need is already in you.

 You just have to tap into it.