As the post dropped through my letterbox, I felt sick. It was the end of 2015 and, for the last few months, opening bank statements had filled me with dread.
At the start of the year, I’d launched my own wedding-planning business, thinking it looked fun and lucrative. I reasoned I’d be able to choose my own hours and work around being a mum to my twin boys, then aged three. And besides, who doesn’t want to think about wedding cakes and dresses all day?
Looking back, I was naive. I’d previously left a job in banking with a reliable salary and stability, and I’d taken a low-paid job as a PA, to do alongside my business. But, back then, I was foolishly confident that I would succeed.
I’d been relentlessly bullied as a child and, after going through a divorce when my kids weren’t even a year old, I’d learnt over the years to stay positive and try my best to make things work.
But, with no savings, that was easier said than done. I turned to credit cards and two big bank loans, again convincing myself it was a good idea, that my company would start to boom and I’d pay it all back. But the debt just kept going up.
While I was spending cash on branding and advertising, there was little money coming in. I had plenty of clients, but I wasn’t adding up my expenses, and I realised I was only making about £1.15 an hour profit. In just under 12 months, I found myself £30,000 in debt.
Growing up poor on a council estate, my family always had debt, so it felt like a miserable fact of life. But even though I’d been in debt before, it was never this much.
LIVING HAND TO MOUTH
Faced with pages and pages full of daunting figures and letters demanding repayments, I began to panic.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von WOMAN'S OWN.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 11, 2022-Ausgabe von WOMAN'S OWN.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
MAGNIFICENT MAURITIUS
Pe This istand in the ut 7% Indian Ocean feels Sa: like paradise, says Charlotte Richards
I HATE BEING A MUM
One woman, 55, reveals why she resents all of the sacrifices she made to be a mother
SLASH SUGAR AND SLIM
Trying to lose weight? With these clever tweaks, you don’t have to miss out on the seasonal sweet stuff
DAWN HARPER ASK THE DOCTOR
Doctor Dawn Harper answers all your questions
SEX HORRORS SOLVED!
Stop physical intimacy from turning into the stuff of nightmares with our expert advice
THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE WITH CANCER
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours each year in the UK. Two mums tell us how the cruel disease changed their lives forever
DAWN NEESOM MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on marriage, tea and Absolutely Fabulous!
TRAPPED INSIDE MY HOME WITH A MONSTER
Gemma Williams, 46, thought she'd die at the hands of her partner
AMANDA TO REPLACE CAT?
With increasing criticism directed at the This Morning host, are producers ready to call in a familiar face?
Get the GOSS
Your round-up of this week's biggest showbiz stories