When I was about 6 my parents threw me a giant birthday party, and it seems a lot of people couldn't be arsed to buy anything that year so I got £50 in cash in total that my mum looked after. I'd never been so excited; to me that was so much money. Even now I rarely have that much money to spend on myself.

Fast forward a week later, and I ask my mum when I could go out and spend the money - little me had plans. She told me she had no idea what I was talking about. I kept insisting but she told me I was mistaken. I remember looking at my grandmother and asking her if she remembered, and she wouldn't look me in the eye. My mum used to take money a lot from her and I think she was getting to avoid upsetting my mum and her kicking off.

I grew up in a house where there were bailiffs knocking on our door constantly. For several years I wasn't allowed to eat lunch because my mum said if I got it my sisters would have to go without. It was such a tumultuous way to be brought up. Realistically, that money probably went to pay off the debt that the party amassed. I could have had a sleepover with a couple of friends instead and been just as happy, but I think my mum got into a cycle of trying to keep up with the Joneses when we didn't have the money to do that.

I'm in my 20s now and I trust my mum with nothing.