Stacey begins her investigation in Greece, where for years successive governments have failed to balance the nation's books. Crippled with one of the biggest national debts in the world Greece recently needed a multi-billion bailout from Europe to avoid bankruptcy, but to secure this loan the Greek government was forced to implement massive spending cuts and tax hikes. These austerity measures have dramatically affected the lives of young Greeks, leaving more than half unemployed and many more in only part-time or temporary work.

In the second episode, Stacey heads to Ireland to see how they are coping several years after the country almost went bust.