I now consider the money I put into my pension to have been a mistake.

There are times when I feel over-rewarded for what I do for a living, especially when I compare what I can earn to what my brother earns as a firefighter.

My mum was a dinner lady and a cleaner while dad worked night shifts as a hydraulic engineer. They did not have a lot of spare cash and only ever bought what they could afford. We never had a car and cycled everywhere. We never went to restaurants. I did not know what Chinese food tasted like until I was 15.

I have a fall-back fund for the quiet months. I am a single working parent and it gets lonely when things are insecure.

My number one financial priority is security. Not having to worry about how I am going to meet the bills and not owing anybody anything. I keep my outgoings as low as possible and save as much as I can.

I spend hundreds of pounds a year on candles and it is such a waste of money. It is burning cash whatever way you look at it but I love them.

I never got into debt because my parents had drummed into me at a young age: if you can't afford it, you can't have it.