‘Admin night’ parties can save Brits £2,400 a year as nation struggles with paperwork overload

• A third of Brits (33%) accidentally break the law by not sorting life admin on time - rising to 44% of Gen Z and 45% of Millennials

• Britain experiencing ‘life admin creep’, where personal to-do lists grow with salaries

• Dedicated ‘admin nights’ rise in popularity, but some Brits opt for part-time careers, sick days or even ‘admin-maxxing’ during working hours to get things done

• Starling Bank partners with Laura Jackson and Vicky Reynal to help Britain host their own admin nights

16th April: Nearly all Brits (85%) are struggling to sort their life admin, despite devoting five hours every week to tackling it. A third (33%) have even broken the law by not getting to crucial tasks like booking MOTs, getting planning permission or replying to Jury summons, according to new research from Starling Bank.

Britain’s biggest admin barriers are stress (29%), boredom (28%) and lack of time (20%), but these blockers are proving costly, with Brits paying an average of £346 in late payment fees and fines for not sorting their life admin on time.* 

To help Britain keep on top of their admin, Starling is championing the ‘admin night’ trend, partnering with founder, creative director and broadcaster Laura Jackson and financial psychotherapist Vicky Reynal to give people all the tips they need to host an effective admin night at home. 

“Admin nights are about making the drab, fab, by bringing your friends together and making time to get through your to-do list, whether it’s cancelling costly subscriptions, finding better deals or making a monthly budget,” said Lora Rowley, personal finance expert at Starling. “We want to empower people in the UK to host their own admin nights so they can overcome the overwhelm and be good with money.”

Doing admin right

More than a quarter of Generation Z (27%) and a fifth of Millennials (20%) have attended a dedicated admin night, more than twice that of Gen Xers (9%) and Baby Boomers (2%). The majority of admin night aficionados (94%) report benefits such as saving money and boosting their productivity, as well as having friends there to keep them on track and share advice with.

In fact, people could save £2,400 a year by joining a monthly admin night, according to Starling’s research, with experienced admin nighters citing savings made from finding cheaper utility bills (36%), cancelling subscriptions (36%), setting up budgets (35%) and allocating their money into different categories or Spaces (28%).**

The knock on effect

Admin nights could be more efficient for Britain than the other methods people use to crack through their to-do lists. A third of the full-time workers surveyed do their life admin during office hours, a tenth have taken a sick day to keep up, while 13% of Britain’s part-time workers cite life admin overwhelm as the reason they work shorter weeks.

Others are getting more creative with their life admin, fitting it into their commutes, health appointments, pub trips and even toilet breaks. A fifth also report cancelling social plans to get their admin done. 

Whatever the admin method, it’s important Brits find one that works for them. Starling’s research indicates that life admin only increases as Brits progress in their careers, with the amount of time spent on admin progressively increasing as salaries do. 

To help Britain host their own admin night, Laura Jackson and Vicky Reynal have compiled their top tips, including menu ideas, a suggested playlist and more.

Laura Jackson, co-founder of Glassette, creative director and broadcaster said: “As a mother, writer and business owner, my to-do list is as long as my arm! But I firmly believe that life admin shouldn’t detract you from leading the life you want to live; you just have to be smart with how you handle it. That’s why the admin night trend is so powerful; it brings joy to the mundane and is already helping people better connect with their communities, and share the tips and tricks they swear by in order to be good with money.”

Vicky Reynal, financial psychotherapist said: “Admin nights help turn your attitude from one of avoidance to one of agency. Setting aside regular time to get things sorted feels empowering - as does putting your own ‘spin’ on the evening. If you choose to share your mental load with your friends and loved ones, then all the better; your community can motivate you, help you, and ultimately hold you to account for your financial goals.”

Notes to editors

*Research methodology

2000 UK adults were surveyed about their life admin and money habits by Mortar Research in April 2026.

Respondents were asked how much their last forgotten admin task cost them financially. 

**Admin night attendees report saving £200 each time the join an admin night, and report monthly frequency as the optimum amount.

About Starling 

Starling is an award-winning, fully-licensed and regulated bank with a mission to help customers be good with money by taking active control of their finances. It offers personal, business and joint current accounts alongside a children’s card. 

Contact: 

Grace Wilson 

grace.wilson@starlingbank.com