[Gayle]

From the outside it probably looked like I had everything - we lived in a big house (although the people next door had a swimming pool which they wouldn't let us swim in), and we got new gadgets - we were one of the first families I knew to get a video recorder (the remote was attached to it by a wire, none of this infra red malarky), and I had some great holidays, plus was often taken to rock concerts by my parents.

But in truth, my friend was far more spoilt than I was - she was given more spending money plus more extras whereas i was given spending money and any treats I wanted I had to buy out of my spending money. I got a clothes allowance which I had to manage myself whereas she got bought whatever she wanted.

Not saying either of us had a bad life because we didn't but just because I looked priviliedged my parents still tried to teach me how to handle money.