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Three years I did everything right. And in the end I was left with nothing. Here’s what happened next. My name Tom. I’m 34. I’m from Leeds. Before you carry on reading — one thing first. I’m not the sort of person who posts personal stuff online. Never have. Always thought it wasn’t my place. Everyone’s got their own problems. But a few people I told this story to in person said: “Write it down. It might help someone.” So — here you go. First — who I am I grew up in Leeds. My dad worked in the textile mill in Morley his whole life, right up until it closed. My mum worked in the school kitchen in Beeston. A normal West Yorkshire family. Not poor, not rich. Just people who work, pay the bills and get on with it. I didn’t go to university. Not because I couldn’t — I just didn’t see the point of taking on £50k of debt for a bit of paper. I went straight into work. At 19 I was a warehouse lad. Later I did odd shifts and casual work. Eventually I got on with the council’s refuse crew — from 27 I was a permanent member of the bin lorry team: early starts at 4am, lifting wheelie bins, throwing sacks into the back of the truck, dealing with the hydraulics, the smells, the muck on your boots. It’s tough work, honest work — you come home knackered but you know you’ve done a day’s graft. I never wasted money. Never went to Magaluf every summer. Never upgraded my phone every year. I rented a flat in Beeston — £860 a month. I drove a 2015 Honda Civic. I cooked at home. Went to the pub maybe a couple of times a month. I lived modestly. I thought I was doing alright. Or at least — I thought so. What my month looked like on paper Take-home pay — about £2,240. Rent — £860. Council tax — £158. Electricity and gas — up to £195 in winter, around £85 in summer. Every Eon Next bill made me a bit uneasy. Fuel — about £115 a month. Car insurance — £79. Groceries — tried to keep it to £175, rarely managed. Phone — £25. Internet — £35. Laptop finance — £21 a month. All in — rou
