I believed in money tree admits mum
TV show hears of debt nightmare
A BIG-SPENDING Scots mum told TV viewers across Britain how she became debt-free.
In a special festive edition of ITV consumer programme The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Lisa Marie revealed she was in huge debt for more than a decade and owed creditors about £13,000.
The 31-year-old, from Glasgow, said: “Twelve years ago, I was a student and stupidly took a £3000 overdraft a bank offered me at the time.
“In the next few years, I took out a couple of other overdrafts and a store card and the charges for the overdrafts became absolutely crazy.
“When I was a teenager, I thought this was ‘ free money’ – nobody tells you money needs to be paid back.”
Lisa Marie needed money for a car and had to borrow from her grandmother. She said: “I was pregnant with my little boy at the time so needed a car. I had to
I thought this was ‘free money’ LISA MARIE ON HER TEENAGE APPROACH TOWARDS DEBT
THRIFTY MUM borrow money off my gran. I felt so bad about it and knew at that point I needed to get help. After watching a Martin Lewis show, I went to Citizens Advice and came up with arrangements for each of the creditors I had.
“You worry about it for so long. When the pressure was released, I felt a weight off my shoulders and slept better.”
Lisa Marie spent the next five years on a strict budget with holidays at home, no going out, no takeaways and no extras.
She said there were times when she felt she would never clear the debt but she persevered – and then something unexpected happened.
Even though bank charge reclaiming closed a decade ago, Lisa Marie watched an episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show Live and thought she might still be eligible – and reclaimed £1600.
She said: “I’ve managed to get out of all my debt and next year, hopefully, I can start saving for my own house.”
She added: “It’ll be the first year in my adult life I’ll not have something to pay after Christmas.”