I am a proud mother of three & grandmother of three, always deeply involved in family life and childcare. Throughout my life, I have worked full-time while raising my children and as a single parent, I learned to rely on my own strength and independence. After 40 years of full-time work, I am now semi-retired, using my pension and lump sum to pay off my mortgage, a milestone that gave me peace of mind. My parents instilled the value of saving from an early age, opening my first bank account as a child. Losing both of them by 22 forced me to grow up quickly, becoming financially independent while raising a young child. Those challenges shaped my resilience, discipline and determination to always move forward.