During the recession following the 2008 financial crash, Ann-Marie Gaynor was going through a marital breakdown; suddenly finding herself single parenting three children under the age of seven, jobless and €17,000 in debt.
A self-described Celtic Tiger baby, Ann-Marie says she never saw the top limit on her credit card as anything other than a target.
When one was maxed out she would successfully apply for another one.
“It was debt that would have been paid off quite easily if I was still in a marriage, but I wasn’t... The first time I became an adult on my own was at the age of 30.”
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Ann-Marie is also known as Irish Budgeting Mammy on Instagram where she shares what she’s learned from turning her finances around.
The key steps included engaging with the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) and going back to college as a mature student.
The Longford woman is now a clinical nurse manager.
Gaynor also joined the #DebtFree community; a movement originating in the US where people engage in hardcore economising to clear debt and save money.
In this episode of Better With Money, she outlines what she’s learned along the way and encourages others to regain control of their finances.
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan.
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
- Money Advice and Budgeting Service
- The Insolvency Service of Ireland’s Back On Track web site
- Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
- If debt is causing serious mental distress, reach out and speak to an organisation like Samaritans
