Letter: A great lesson in how to manage my financial affairs

I was brought up in the 'have what you like and pay for it later' way of thinking. I used to go shopping with my mum and not understand when she said she could not buy the dress because she hadn't had her 'housekeeping' money yet.

Getting overdrawn was a way of life to me and I used to think, 'well, I can pay for it when I get paid next month.' Big Mistake.

Of course, what happens is the overdraft gets bigger and bigger. The banks love it, eventually turning it into a loan, and you will be paying it back for the rest of your life.

I have never owed thousands of pounds but enough to think, 'Help. What am I going to do now? I feel like I am getting in to debt over my head.'

Each time it happened, something came and saved me just in time, I was lucky. The last time it happened, I was overdrawn more than I was getting paid that month and started to panic. I decided to go on a money course offered at the church which changed my whole approach to managing my money.

In a nutshell, it advised me to have three accounts. One for direct debits (all house bills, regular payments), one for the month's cash (food, clothing, bus passes, dinner money) and the third for savings (Christmas, birthdays, vet bills, holidays and the like).

Basically using an online 'calculator' provided by the course, you can put a certain amount into each account. The cash account is the only account I touch, taking a set amount out each week. I then put amounts required into envelopes.

It is perfect. It sounds complicated but it really isn't and can work for anybody, whatever the outgoings.

Now, if my daughter wants a pair of jeans and the 'clothing envelope' is empty, I say 'sorry, I haven't had my housekeeping money yet'.

A Plant, Muxton