There is a particular kind of financial dread that arrives at the end of summer.
The children go back to school, the evenings begin drawing in and suddenly the spending we pushed to the back of our minds is sitting there in black and white. The credit card has the holiday on it. The overdraft covered the days out. Buy now, pay later instalments are starting, just as uniform, school meals and travel costs hit the account.
If that sounds familiar, please know that you have not “failed” at money. Summer is expensive, especially for families trying to cover six weeks of childcare, food and entertainment while keeping up with ordinary bills. But this is also the moment to act. A debt problem is usually easier and cheaper to deal with…