The Money Controls Me! | Spendaholics | Only Human

thirty-five-year-old Sharon Brown lives in South London and works in the city she's a legal secretary earning 39 thousand pounds a year I've spent five hundred pounds shopping is the be-all and spend all shoes handbags coats dresses the swag she's equally at home in Primark as in Prada and her wardrobe is just as accommodating the money controls me I don't control it yet Sharon has so little of it she's in debt to the tune of twenty seven thousand pounds but rescue is at hand lifestyle coach Jay hunt will find ways to remedy Sharon's situation and perhaps find a way to achieve her dreams while psychological coach Benjamin fry will target the anxieties behind Sharon's compulsive spending what is behind the costume the clothes shopping the loans I'm in debt up to my eyes I need to sort something out otherwise I'm gonna go under it's just ruining my life at the moment [Music] single mom Sharon lives in Brixton South London her teenage son Jamil moved out over 15 months ago she's now got the place to herself despite a respectable salary and a reasonable rent of 290 pounds per month for shopping addiction is playing havoc with the day-to-day necessities I'm accommodating the clothing you know rather than getting the food I'd rather get the skirt I do deny myself for an outfit yes Sharon's generous with her money but it's not helping her bank balance family and friends have no idea just how bad it's become Sharon is not the selfish with our money and I wouldn't say she's sharing his reckless with her money but she does share sharing can be a bit lavish at times especially on the shopping front to her their bargains 150 pounds and it's not a bargain to me Sharon continues to cram her wardrobe with every size shape and color I love this blouse so much Apple Tim white and red and she can't resist the rising crescendo of an online auction it was between me and another person that got me even more determined to win that bid which I did thought I would look like JLo before meeting Sharon Benjamin and Jay borrow the keys to her flat Jay wants to see where the money's going while Benjamin's looking to form a psychological impression it's quite sort of you know it's neat and tidy what's in here not a kitchen that's full of loads of expensive things or products that are gonna go off not much evidence of spending a lot in here I'm struck by normality at unusually I'm struck by things being relatively normal yeah that what really worries me I'm hoping that they won't find a particular item I purchased a couple weeks ago it's a fur coat I don't want them to find that because it's quite embarrassing actually oh look pictures of Jamil he was small what I'm gonna look in here go every color of the rainbow in here look at this oh she's one of those what buy a top buy it in another color and another color that is wasting a lot of money is this also about indecision yeah it's like the bargain hunter who thinks they've cracked it oh look it's on sale so whilst I'm here I'll just get three and what usually happens is you wear the one that you were originally liked and the other two never get worn what's in that envelope end simply by being indecisive gonna be rather than being greedy yeah wow this is where the money's going it looks like another collection of a vast number of relatively modest price things anything she's a quantity rather than quality shopper but this is where her money's going what's in there oh look at that how hilarious is very p-diddy isn't it I gotta try it I've been dying to have a we did he may even get one then oh yes what do you think yes I think that's it that is it I'm sorry - I'm leaving you I've discovered my new profession take it off it's freaky actually okay now we finally found out where the money goes Benjamin you need to put your serious jacket on yeah cause look at this all her stuff Primark new look marks QV c TK maxx loo lots of QV c QV c amazon ebay and look 297 on that card 640 on that one 707 on that one 367 on that one and what's interesting there's a lot of small expenditure isn't it blowout stuff just a constant drip feed of 20 30 40 quids that's quite compulsive the experts have noticed pictures of Sharon's son Jamil in pride of place 15 months ago he went on holiday to Canada to visit his father's family his decision to stay there hit Sharon hard it's just me at the moment which is quite alien because it's always been me and Jamil so this Guinness you know getting used to that that avoid I suppose anxious to leave a long-term inheritance for her son Sharon's keen to climb the property ladder she can't resist comparing herself to her best friend Pauline who owns a holiday home in st. Lucia she owns less than me so if she can do it I don't see why I can't it's also something that you know I'd like to leave for my son but with a debt of twenty-seven thousand pounds Sharon's hopes of a property portfolio are looking very slim it's time for Benjamin and Jay to slam the brakes on her relentless spending [Music] hi Sharon no you nice to meet you I'm Jay there you go around here there are almost 200 t-shirts in this kitchen what this represents is the amount that you over spend on clothes because every t-shirt hanging up here represents 30 pounds that you spend which is 500 pounds a month and 6,000 pounds a year you get through when you buy an item and then buy in another color and then buy in another color and then buy it in another color this is your rainbow wardrobe yeah absolutely that's how much it is at the end of every year does that surprise you that it's so much yes it does does it surprise you that there are so many things which are basically the same but in different colors yeah well this is designed to be a bit of a wake-up call so don't worry about it your your reaction to it is a good one it's a positive one in that that would be a great motivation to help you change so you're happy in here you wanna stay in here for a long time this times when I've been down to Shannon's desk and these light you know to pet to boxes big brand parcels been shopping again showing it's time to drive home the full extent of Sharon's online shopping there you go now do you know what this is feels this actually represents your online shopping addiction what we've got is two thousand seven hundred and eighty four bits of paper here each one of which represents one pound that you've spent the last 12 months I don't realize it's so much did you have no idea how often you shop like this absolutely once or twice a week this is auction website buying gone mental yeah you also with my spies tell me get quite interested in the auction it's a few days before your pager is that correct yes and then you write your checks that arrive at the bank just after your paycheck to pay for the stuff you already bid on and then what happens for the rest of the month if I could give you pound for every piece of paper in this room would you take it instead of all that you bought but first step is get out of this noisy room and get you sat down start talking about where we're gonna go from here still reeling from the shock tactics Sharon is determined to knuckle down and save to help her grasp the true value of money Jay and Benjamin wants her to spend seven days living on the tightest possible budget so how much do you think your average spend is in a week I'd say about 150 pounds how do you make that estimate I feel like I spend that much maybe 200 and max so it's just a sense of what you feel that you've spent yeah it's not very scientific then no we've been through all your credit card statements and your bank statements and everything else and what we've been working out is what your average spend is in a week and it's a bit more than you think all right it's actually six hundred and six pounds and fifty four pence a week that is what you get through every week that's on top of your rent bills which is quite a lot so there's four hundred pounds every week that's going a while that's where the debt comes from from that lack of awareness of what's going on if we put that all over here for a minute because what we're gonna do is work out with you how much money you think you can survive on for the next seven days for your cold-turkey budget all right okay which as the name suggests means that you're gonna be giving up something well I tell you what you can definitely have the six pounds fifty for twenty quid I think that's very kind of you it's really good awake look there what's your bid then you're an expert bidding we might be out probably a hundred pound on top of that confident bid though unrealistic go get my friends that's something you could probably survive without for seven days twenty pound is nowhere near I think realistic is fifty quid an extra twenty quid you got thirty quid extra what if I give you an extra ten pounds is that gonna make a massive difference to your confidence levels of feeding you can get through the week yes see I think Ju put that ten pounds back in the pot okay because we need to discover what it is that's driving your desire for control okay it's fifty quid and the spare right yeah think of it as a positive step towards you beginning to help yourself rather than some kind of war of attrition by us today we are on your side I think she's realized how out of touch she is which is unusual for her she's used to being in controlled everything in her life and then this flat seems very ordered and then suddenly it's like were were you out of control with your money and I think she's been really really surprised at quite how out of control she really is my sense of this is that it's going to be quite an emotional story and that if she's able to plumb the depths which she seems quite frightened of then I'll probably be able to help her a lot and she can probably change quite a lot I want to prove to them especially Benjamin that I can do this I'm selling it best for the next seven days Sharma survived on 56 pounds fifty for those who know her best aren't holding their breath never never she might not access her own money but she will access some for more funds from friends associates whatnot you know we didn't even she'll get more money [Music] Sharon starts her week with a coffee and they clear out rising to the experts challenge she's putting temptation whale out of reach for my babies see you in a week as her brother predicted Sharon won't let the small matter of cutbacks get in the way of her regular fix Oh welcome buy some clothes Benjamin never said anything about not using vouchers so them excellent [Applause] with a well-stocked fridge and all surplus cash and cards whisked from her wallet Sharon only requires the bare essentials to see her through the week juice with an extra fiver on petrol Sharon's in the driving seat she's off to work in the city I work for an international law firm and I work very funny hours I work three evenings in the week and I work for the weekend Saturday Sunday during the day late nights mean public transport is a no-go instead Sharon drives to work with a London congestion charge prepaid her budget remains untouched during cold turkey Sharon must resist the lure of her favorite online stores every time I thought about it I just remembered all those t-shirts hanging my kitchen it really penetrated the mind I don't think I'll ever view internet shopping the same again by day three Sharon spent 15 pounds 78 which leaves 40 pounds 76 for the rest of the week but with a big night out heading our way Sharon thinks she deserves some special treatment I'm going out and Saturday my nails are a mess so I blown him off my budget on this it's important isn't it my priorities right God knows what I'm gonna do for the rest of the week that I'll cross that bridge when I come to it nails food we've been lying there but Sharon stepped right over it and her fingernails have ripped 25 pounds from her budget thank you that leaves just 15 pounds 76 to last 4 days and the big night out I've got my bars to get my bath I felt really good getting my nails done it's like a pampered thing you know just good Sharon's adrenaline kicks in twice today fresh from the nail bar she hits london's big stores to blow her vouchers [Music] [Music] midway through cold turkey benjamin catches up with sharon he's keen to understand what pushes her to buy so many clothes in so many combinations what's it like when you're shopping what's it doing for you what are you experiencing I'm experiencing a high buzz I'm always complimented on what I wear right so and I like that I like that attention they've talked about the positives of shopping there's a negative feeling in there as well there's a there's a sort of anger something drives you to make that purchase even when you know on some level you shouldn't do it I kind of point where you think I'm gonna screw you I'm gonna do it anyway movies I think nothing I what's the point I haven't got him I've got Jamil I haven't got this haven't got that it's only me yeah so in a way what we're talking about in your wardrobe there's many different choices you have is like an armory isn't it it begs the question what is behind the costume and what are you afraid of other people knowing or seeing suppose I can't keep hiding what's very lonely died hit the nail on the head I suppose Benjamin thinks that perhaps Sharon's anger and frustration at Jim ills departure lie at the heart of her spending problem I made it known that I wasn't happy with his decision but I know that he was influenced by the family he was staying with I his father's family yeah do you feel you understand why he wanted to stay there I do when I don't better schools better life better prospects yes to all that I mean I think I resent the fact that it wasn't my choice I didn't I had no control over that yeah it's a big shock a lot of anger of course yeah comes with any shot not a banger definitely and then a massive void and into that void what did you put spending I suppose yeah and I think maybe part of what you're doing with the shopping is you're kind of sabotaging yourself to show rather than to tell how upset you are well if you destroy yourself maybe there's a fantasy that jemelle will then have to come back and save you but then or I'll be afraid of his if he would come back or not if you destroyed yourself would he come back and save you or not one of the things we need to do for Sharon is help her deal with Jim Mills absence I think she's still in a state of shock about his departure and that she hasn't really begun to deal with it and there were various rituals which I'd like to investigate doing with her just to make things more concrete then a phone call from Canada saying hey mom guess what I'm not coming home Sharon doesn't have a good relationship with Jim Mills grandmother his decision to stay with her hurt Sharon in more ways than one it was devastating for not only Sharon of call in in the most way but for the whole family because I feel that Sharon has done nothing but good for him I think she sees it as a rejection of her rather than him just one into which I suppose I couldn't see in a way but she she took it very hard and still does it was hard to hear actually I feel so drained mentally I feel like my head is going to explode I feel like I'm gonna explode I thought if I'm gonna do this Brixton's buzzing but Sharon's decided to stay in and save money her cold turkey budget still stands at 15 pounds 76 but spending eight pounds on a pizza won't help her tomorrow night when she's out clubbing Sharon's looking for a solution I need my money for Saturday when I go out to meet my girlfriend for lunch shopping and clubbing actually my friend owes me 20 quid so that should help me along the way the extra 20 pounds must help pay toward Sharon's dinner and a tube fare 20 pounds Sharon's managed to bump up her budget to 11 pound 76 the big night has just got bigger the nightclub is a roaring success she doesn't spend a penny of her 11 pound 76 and she saves even more by spurning the taxi Sharon starts her final day of cold turkey still clutching 11 pound 76 but not for long her cleaner needs paying and Sharon leaves food and petrol the total damage is 31 pounds 76 bringing her final weekly spend to 96 pounds 54 despite the extra 20 she still 20 pounds over budget I'm socialized I've pampered I'm gonna have a budget on the last day I think that is good I haven't bought anything on the Internet I haven't bought clothes with cash it's a massive difference from what did I say 600 pound a week I usually spend come on I deserve a round of applause [Music] Sharon's cold turkey performance does not bode well if she's to clear her 27 thousand pound debt the news leaves lifestyle expert Jay hunt distinctly nonplussed I just wanted to ask you how you got on on your cold turkey week 20 pound over so tell me what you spent the money on and half my budget was on my nails and I had a night out with my friend yeah and I had to pay the cleaner right overall it was okay and the Tony Pound was the petrol in my car and groceries right so I think it's interesting you think that the 20 pounds over is groceries and petrol whereas I'd say the 20 pounds over was the nails clearly unimpressed Jay hopes her new long-term budget would bring Sharon to her senses when we add up all the money that you're spending every month from your rents to your bills to your groceries to absolutely everything it comes to 3050 pounds every month whereas you're only bringing home two thousand four hundred so you can see here every month you're overspending by six hundred and fifty pounds has a big difference there is quite a big difference were you aware event how much this melon was idea no idea whatsoever this is bad there's quite a lot of areas down here that we've highlighted that we think it's an easy area to make cutbacks on and the first one is shoes and clothes as we know big Sharon favorite area that average Bend is 500 a month okay and we're advocating that that gets cut back to 75 because that I think is going to be the most difficult area for you yes beauty products makeup at the moment coming in at 75 we're going to cut that back to 25 what we're suggesting is that you spend two thousand two hundred and forty pounds every month which is less than the 2,400 you bring home on your salary and the plus point is that you have a bit extra left over which is a hundred and sixty pounds a month that you can either use for bits and pieces or you could start to put towards Sharon's future plans because I know the big sort of future dream is the house instantly sure isn't it I could probably get a decent house out there for about sixty thousand pounds so and I think I can achieve that if I stick to this budget you know Jay has singled out a more immediate problem within the last two years Sharon has taken out three loans to fund her spending sprees total twenty four thousand pounds the monthly repayments have interest rates so high they make your nose bleed you've got four thousand pound loan which at the moment you're paying twenty six point nine percent on the second one you've got is four six thousand pounds and that you're paying off at a rate of thirty two point three percent and then the third one is for fourteen thousand pounds and you're paying that back at nine point nine percent and when we add all that up together the estimated total of loan interests that you've got is seven thousand seven hundred and forty pounds which I kind of view as really being a nice amount of money that could have been a down payment on a house instantly sure I mean that you know that's your dream but that is now currently going on paying back all these loans not good well I think what we should do is address this right now so that we can definitely help with stopping you paying so much unnecessary interest get on that phone to my thank manager the hard facts of Sharon's finances have pushed her into action following Jays advice she gets straight on to the bank to arrange an appointment wasn't seen before I need to review my account I want to discuss consolidating some loans and ones that [ __ ] get long APR okay brilliant thanks a lot bye with Sharon starting to take control of her finances Benjamin wants to help her exercise the emotional demons conjured by jamel's departure he invites her to a meeting at Chislehurst in Kent essentially shopping as your drug of choice to fight against the numbness of all this trauma so we're going to go deeper into the caves because what this is going to represent for you is journeying deeper into the dark corners of your own mind it's in those places you will find what will set you free Benjamin leads Sharon to a remote cabin 100 feet below ground a graphic illustration of her inner mind let's just do a simple exercise let's walk that anger and that frustration out of this cave with us okay what I want you to do is I want you to leave me out of here and while you're doing it I want to hear about your anger and frustrations essentially I want you to bring your deeper self you'll bury itself up to the surface I hate Jim his grandmother I hate what she's done I hate the fact that she's taken my son I'm also upset with Jameel I can't see no way out because he's in Canada and I'm here I do not have any control what I'm here well look Sharon this is your way out your way out is by being honest about how you feel about all this I haven't thought about it some because I've just lost myself in my addiction so talk me through what you're gonna do to bring all that up into the surface just throw some light on it I'm going to stop try to stop clinging on to anger and frustration does that make me feel bad you have repressed anger and you have shopping yeah I haven't shopped for three weeks mixed feelings but there's a sense of pride there doing something for yourself beginning to focus a bit on what is Sharon's life what does Sharon one yeah that is in a way your root out of these dark caves but you'll only get there if you can bear what comes up with it I want you to lead me out because this is you bringing yourself Oh lovely what a relief what I want you to think about is that this is the same sense of relief you can get bringing all those feelings of anger and frustration up to the surface and just letting go it's good it's a different reality isn't it yeah but you will always be stuck down there unless you're prepared to do the work to bring the stuff out okay sorry and that's just the reality and it's the stuff down there that drives you to shop come on asking me at last breath of fresh air Sharon now has the opportunity to live safely on the surface and not to have to hide in her own personal emotional caves to that end I think she has now the chance to investigate her life a bit more fully maybe to take up some kind of pastimes of hobbies maybe to reorganize her work schedule so that she can engage a bit more with the real world at the moment she's still hiding from the real world hiding from I suspect the time when Jamil left my fear is that I won't see Jamil teased until he's probably about I don't know 25 or something stupid like that you know I mean I know it's Kennedy I know he doesn't live on the you know in the moon but I'm probably gonna have dark thoughts about that I'll remember the caves I remember feeling like that in that confined space and wanting to hurry up and get out in the light for Sharon visiting Canada is not an option tension between the families means she is not welcome benjamin has inspired her to sweep out the past and make a fresh start to get the ball rolling she invites her friend Natalie round to help unclutter the wardrobe French Connection so why don't you wear it then I think my bum that's too big in it I think couple is about two years ago is that a green version of the denim and the black con that uses as far as natalie is concerned if it's not in it's out gypsy can I keep these come on Indian is Indian faced with Sharon shoe menagerie Natalie won't pussyfoot around they'll play pin it this one still got a tag on it Green was in but not anymore Muslim Bromley's my juicy flip-flops my Havana's come on I'll just take them for a change my mind [Music] nataly's tough-love has uncovered a wealth of clothes and shoes when Jay arrives the next day she suggests a way of turning these unwanted clothes into some much-needed cash yes it might be worth just you know when you're out and about looking around where you live because there are so many second-hand dress shops and just pop in and ask them what they're looking for and stuff like that was it emotionally difficult or do you Jeff you got to a point now where you're like I just went out it took a lot of pushing from my friend Betty she was quite brutal what yeah she was but she's very good she was good and she's right in the end you know I don't need any of these things and the shoes there's so many of the same yeah in different colors it's this ridiculous really with Sharon's computer and credit cards providing a constant source of temptation Jay's got a plan to keep her on the straight and narrow obviously we're not with you all day every day and I just think with you you know because you do have this great love of shopping it is gonna take a while for that to dissipate it isn't suddenly gonna be overnight that you're gonna be walking past shops gaily thinking I'm not even interested in going in there so I just want to ask you how many credit cards you actually carry around with you on an average day all of them one to say I promise I won't cut them up okay so you got right okay so these are all with you yeah when you're out and about okay sometimes with people it does really help if you focus you're sort of long-term aim to try and override the sort of short-term gains we've actually had some photographs made into stickers now do you recognize this place Musha yeah because this is our long-term Sharron dream so we're gonna take these photographs and we're actually gonna stick them over the top of Sharon's credit cards so that when you get your credit card out it is gonna be a little device to make you just stop and think do you really need that 20-pound pair of shoes or would we rather be putting 20 pounds into the long-term Saint Lucia plan and you can't actually use them with the photos on so don't try this is good do you like that I do they might I might look at and think are me to buy a bikini or it's something you can use for anything and anybody can do it you know whatever you're saving for a house of wedding whatever now I'm going to put these away although I'm quite tempted to use one of them and stick it right in the middle of your computer because I know this is where you spend a lot of time so it would be good to have a reminder there but then I thought no I'll do a more sophisticated version so what I've done it's got the nice little screen saver on your computer every time you're at the computer which we know is quite a lot this is just gonna be continuously feeding into your head Wow what do you feel when you actually see those images does it make it more real yeah it makes me wish I was out there does it yeah that's really good that's a smile on my face that will do the trick actually so what we're hoping is that even when we turn the computer off this is still gonna be running round there's a screen saver in your [Music] three weeks ago Sharon Brown was teetering on a financial precipice snapping up coats and bags in every color and hooked on internet auctions three loans worth twenty four thousand pounds funded her shopping binges but the interest repayments are crippling her dreams for the future Benjamin has tried to repair the emotional damage she suffered when her teenage son Jamil left home and Jays worked out a new budget to tackle the debts and shown her that buying a home in the Caribbean could be more than just a dream our experts catch up to swap notes on Sharon's progress benjamin is still concerned that sharon has been emotionally marooned by jamel's departure I'm just not really sure that I've kind of reached on an emotional level yet and I think with her particular issues and the way that she shops unless I can really get through to her on that level I'm a bit worried that I won't actually be able to help her much with her spending time's running out and I may not be able to reach her yeah well with me I mean I've seen some sort of plus points she's definitely going shopping this and I think that the shock tactics really have helped with that and she dreams of owning a home in st. Lucia and I'm trying to find a way of making this more of a concrete reality I mean she is going to go to the bank and talk to them about consolidating her loans she's never going to be able to afford it tomorrow but I think trying to get her focused on the long term with some visual incentives is definitely the way forward with her because she really responds to visual impacts of things I could probably use that to try to get through to her the emotional connection that I feels missing then maybe I can actually get what I'm not getting at the moment the day of Sharon's meeting with her bank manager has arrived armed with Jays advice she wants to consolidate her three existing loans into one with a lower interest rate and cheaper repayments [Music] after an hour's negotiation Sharon leaves with mixed feelings I was quite disappointed actually because I thought he'd give me a better deal but I thought we had a lot of kraut to do that but apparently he has to go to the bigger people to find out if he can get me a lower APR so while he's doing that I'm gonna shop around to see if I can get a good deal for myself [Music] before Sharon starts her search Benjamin whisks her off to the coast he has planned a surprise activity that he hopes will help her toward psychological release I brought you down here because I want you to use this place to symbolically make it your decision to send your mail on a voyage of discovery I'm gonna give you something physically to release we're gonna let go of a balloon which we're going to send over the water with genell's photograph on it you need to physically redo that party Sharon I tell me something about this picture how old is Jamel here this is one of your favorite fiction - yeah yeah the thing is he's not 10 anymore is he at some point you have to let go a little bit let's imagine there's your boy and he's saying to you mum I want to learn a few things for myself I want to discover a few things for myself can I have your blessing to go I don't want you to go but life's full of opportunities and I don't want to stop you from achieving that tell him I'll let you go with my blessing with all my love with all my hopes and then release the balloon send him on his journey [Music] if you're not blessing I hope you find what you're looking for [Music] [Music] I think it's a huge step forward for sharing and an act of immense courage I'm so impressed with her bravery she so didn't want to do it and yet she understands just by being here today she understands that these are the steps she needs to take to move on I'm not glad I did it but it's done now I suppose I can feel angry towards something it's Benjamin I know the reasons why it should have been done I know all that unless you're in my shoes nobody can tell me how how it feels do you not I mean I can't just because I let go of a balloon with a picture of my son on it doesn't mean that I've let go of what I've been feeling for the past year cuz I haven't it's gonna take time a few days after the beach trip Sharon has had an opportunity to reflect on Benjamin's advice and make a positive response she's keen to move on and spend her money wisely improving her environment for less than 100 pounds gives Sharon a much-needed confidence boost the next day she meets Jay to piece together a realistic plan for buying property in st. Lucia VIP guests now this is what we're aiming towards isn't it this is the future and we thought we'd take a look at the reality of moving you on with your dream and looking at the reality of buying somewhere instantly sure Sharon would still have to repay her 27 thousand pound debt but consolidating the three loans would reduce the crippling interest shifting the debt around on Noor percent interest credit cards and factoring in the 160 pounds saved each month on Jays new budget would give Sharon an impressive son over two years you would end up with seven thousand eight hundred and eighty pounds UK banks don't offer mortgages in st. Lucia so buyers must use Caribbean banks the property value must be at least a hundred thousand US dollars right now that's just over fifty six thousand pounds I know it isn't is it God so it's not like they're setting unrealistic rules the other rule is that you have to have fifteen percent as a deposit so if for example you were going to buy something for the fifty six thousand you would need eight and a half thousand pounds but you're almost going to have that yeah after two years how do you feel about that Sharon's dream but it's achievable do you yeah I think I can do it and it's something to focus on rather than close what we think you are gonna do it and we're quite confident so I've actually got here two envelopes one of these contains a list of suitable properties in st. Lucia and this envelope contains a return ticket to solution and you're going to look at those properties and you're gonna start focusing of Sharon's dream I'm not what do you reckon at homework I know how important it is to you that you get this and it's gonna be Joe Mills legacy and you know that is what you really want to do i can't believe i'm gonna go to san lucia to look at properties I'm gonna buzz them on the same buzz I'd get if I were in clothes shopping but better so a better buzz yeah I don't know I want to do this I'm gonna follow it through now while Sharon has taken holidays on set Lucia she's never looked at the property an issue speedily resolved by an eight-hour flight Jay's two-day fact-finding mission should open Sharon's eyes to what she could achieve given the right financial focus it's a one-bedroom house in an affluent suburb of Castries the islands capital city size it is yes the asking price is $325,000 how much does that equate to in serving about 65,000 Wow it's brilliant if you want to put that into posit yeah well clearly excited by the possibilities Sharon must factor in the hidden cost for overseas buyers the aliens land holding license it's just over 1,300 pounds and must be set up with a solution government before the sale can proceed so Lucia is well-known as a playground for the rich and famous but even on Sharon's budget there are still incredible deals to be heard her last stop is in a resort popular with European and American tourists enough to consolidate my clothes how much do you reckon I could get a wing one-bedroom condo 85 us a night oh no I go yes at roughly 48 pounds per night the rent alone could be enough to cover the mortgage with her Whistlestop tour drawing to a close there's time for Sharon to reflect on her discoveries it's been a great trip very positive this made me want to go home and start putting my head down and sort out my finances and work towards that goal you know work towards trying to get a property here it's been really good I really enjoyed it four weeks ago Sharon brown faced financial meltdown with 27,000 pounds of debt and no hope for the future she was spending a fortune on internet auction sites and snapping up clothes like they were well going out of fashion but our experts have persuaded her to see sense jay has suggested savings that offer Sharon a realistic way to achieve her Caribbean dream even with debts while Benjamin has helped her heal the hurt caused when Jamil left home she's now ready to embrace her new life [Music] Monday morning in South London Sharon's Bank has decided not to consolidate her loans but she's determined to stick to her plans I'm gonna look elsewhere to get a loan and possibly a new bank account and that will help me towards my goal in buying a property solution Sharon has reached the end of her journey with Benjamin and Jay they've come to catch up for the last time you're just making your life a bit more calm and less cluttered much more bright and smiley than when we first yeah of course I haven't seen you since you've been on my big tricks was it yeah nice properties out there do you think it helped I'm more focused now so I'm more determined because I know how easy is to achieve that so I'm gonna work on that definitely how is the emotional side of your journey been going I feel more positive I'm more focused and I've actually had more contact with my son brilliant there's something about what we did or the process of letting go of him I'll never let go though not entirely but what you did is you said to yourself it's okay for me to let him go on a journey you're right as always I think we both feel that you have been really committed to this and that there isn't any way you're going back is there no I mean I've already set up a direct debit to go into my savings account 60 pounds you say I'll save each month yeah I haven't bought any clothes I don't miss it me neither yeah that's progress yes I've got no regrets well this is whole experience none whatsoever I have not come out of it looking like a bad person or you know doing bad things I've come out very positive and I think a better person in mind body and soul [Music] you

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Id: SzOo_2ihDjU

Length: 55min 59sec (3359 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 26 2020