Michelle Dewberry’s life in money

I TV presenter and businesswoman Michelle Dewberry, 38, discusses her financial mistakes, impulse buys and former £30-a-week pay packet

n 2006, Michelle Dewberry won

The Apprentice

– but she quit working with Sir Alan Sugar after just nine months, and has since made a name for herself as a top businesswoman and TV presenter. Here, she shares her life in money...

I STARTED MY CAREER AT A SUPERMARKET

“It was a Saturday job at the checkouts of Kwik Save in my home town of Hull. I earned the minimum wage, I think. However, my first full-time job was as a Business Administration Apprenticeship at St John Ambulance Headquarters. At the time, I earned £30 a week.”

CABS ARE THE LUXURY I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT...

“I work in London and driving and parking aren’t easy at all. Hailing a taxi to get from A to B is very convenient and means I can work while I travel.”

I ALWAYS BUY BRANDED AT THE SUPERMARKET...

“I’m branded all the way. That way, I know what I’m getting. Although some branded products are really changing their taste recently, for example the new flavour Lucozade is horrible!”

MY BIGGEST MONEY MISTAKE WAS...

“I have a couple, but my biggest one was probably deciding not to buy an investment property in London in 2008 [after winning The Apprentice in 2006]. I’m originally from Hull and I never believed that people would pay much more than the house prices at the time, so I didn’t see it as a good investment. How wrong was I?”

I’M NOT A BARGAIN BREAKS GIRL...

“Who doesn’t love luxury holidays? You only live once and I say spend more if you can afford it. Good service is one of the reasons I prefer luxury travel. And I’m a big believer in spending money on experiences and memories that will last a lifetime, rather than ‘things.’”

MY MOST RECENT IMPULSE BUY WAS...

“As a little treat for myself I purchased a state-of-theart ipad. I even bought a keyboard and pen to carry around with me so I can work on the go and use it for meeting notes. But the pen was £75 and I’ve already lost and replaced it twice! I’m not sure it was the smartest thing I could have bought.”

MORTGAGE AND BILLS ASIDE, MOST OF MY MONEY GOES ON...

“Socialising – I eat out most days, usually dining at restaurants, and I also spend most of my evenings, particularly weekends, out with friends.”