Loraine Bertolini, 62, from Falkirk, Scotland, has shared how she cleared £3,500 in debt after leaving her marriage 15 years ago. She now owns her home mortgage-free and has saved £15,000.
From financial dependence to debt
When Loraine left her husband of 30 years, she had nothing financially. Her husband had not wanted her to work full time, leaving her dependent on him. After separating, she rented their former marital home for £450 a month and later divorced in 2016.
To improve her finances, she left her teaching job for a higher-paying role as a director of operations in hospitality at a football club. This allowed her to buy the three-bed ex-council house she had been renting for £38,000 with a £2,000 deposit in October 2008.
Job loss and mounting debt
When her contract ended 18 months later, Loraine was unemployed and received only £50 a week in Universal Credit for four months. She then took a call centre job paying £800 a month, but it did not cover all her bills. She fell eight months behind on mortgage payments and accumulated £3,500 in debt—£1,500 in mortgage arrears and £2,000 from a loan taken out with her ex-partner.
Loraine said: “I was constantly in contact with mortgage companies to say ‘I don’t have the money this month’. They were very good and said ‘don’t pay that, pay what you can pay as long as it’s something’.”
Budgeting hacks and frugal living
To manage her finances, Loraine split her wage into weekly envelopes, using only cash to keep spending low. She bought reduced “yellow sticker” food, walked everywhere, and only used her car for commuting. She cut her phone bill to pay-as-you-go, cancelled her Sky package and health insurance, and sold items including a TV.
She also bought and sold clothes at car boot sales, noting: “I quickly found out people buy more if the clothes are on a rail and everything is a fiver or £5, people will buy it.”
Return to teaching and debt repayment
After eight months, Loraine secured a teaching job 30 miles from home, paying £33,000 a year. She bought a £500 old car for the commute. With no dependents—her daughter was a university student in Australia—she focused on paying off debt. She also did ad-hoc catering for children’s parties to earn extra money.
By being frugal and using her salary, she paid off the £1,500 mortgage arrears and £2,000 loan. In 2023, she cleared her mortgage entirely.
Life after debt
Loraine now has an excellent credit rating, £15,000 in savings, and has renovated her kitchen and bathroom. She said: “When I was married I was financially dependent on my husband and it was only when he gave me money I had it. He worked down south when I lived here and there were times he wouldn’t send me any money.”
She added: “I married an Italian and I was an Irish Catholic – I wasn’t meant to divorce. People worry about that, worry what others think but they shouldn’t. You only get one life, one shot at this. After 30 years I did it. I’m a stronger person than I ever was and more confident than I ever was.”
