NICHOLAS OWEN, 60, was a newscaster for more than 20 years, anchoring News at Ten and Channel 4 News. He now works for BBC News 24.
He has a close interest in transport matters, especially railways, and has published a definitive history of the British trolleybus.
In July 2002, Owen was diagnosed with kidney cancer but has since recovered. He became an honorary patron of Kidney Cancer UK in 2003. He lives in Surrey with his wife, Brenda.
How much money do you have in your wallet? Usually no more than about £20. I have that for the occasional taxi, a coffee and a bun at the BBC canteen. I much prefer to use credit cards. It helps me keep up with my accounts. I pay the debt off every time in full - it's a bit daft to incur interest.
Which credit cards do you have? My main one is the NatWest Visa card. I had that mainly because of the Air Miles, but for a long time now it has just seemed too complicated to get any benefit - the dates you can use the miles and where you can go are very restrictive.
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My wife has one of these cards as well and together we have been able to take some holidays. We used the card to fly to Barcelona for my 50th birthday, for example. The fact that we were using Air Miles added to the pleasure.
Are you a saver or a spender? I think I'm a saver. My father had a strong financial management sense and I think this has shot through into my DNA. I still feel terribly guilty about spending on myself.
For the past 20 years or so, when I've been very well paid for doing something I love, I've become more used to spending.
I have an easy access savings account - nothing fancy, just enough to stay ahead of inflation. I would say I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to taking financial risks so I put money into the traditional areas.
I don't have an Isa, and I probably should. I just can't be bothered with any extra admin or fuss.
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How much did you earn last year? I earn a good six figures. I have two principal aspects to my financial life. First is the newscasting which I love doing. There's also my corporate work, hosting events and doing after-dinner speeches.
The corporate work can pay very well, especially when I'm asked to do something abroad. I once went to the US and was paid £10,000 for a single event. Earning this much is quite rare and it's not easy money either.
I run this side of my life through a small business. I haven't drawn a salary from it for a number of years.
How much was in your first pay packet? I first worked at the Surrey Mirror in 1964 when I was 17. It's based in the town in which I still live, Reigate. I was paid the equivalent of £7.25 a week.
I still stay in touch with the paper and I'm about to start writing a monthly column. As far as I can tell, it's unpaid work, though I haven't asked.
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Have you ever been really hard up? It must have been at the Surrey Mirror. I was living on my own, running my own car, and doing a bit of the partying and drinking that all young people do. I loved working on the paper and don't really think about it in that way.
What is the most lucrative work you have ever done? Did you use the fee for something special? Appearing in Strictly Come Dancing in 2006. That paid very well. It's interesting to see what the light entertainment side of television pays compared with the news. It's much more lucrative. I had a great time, but news is where my heart is.
It probably helped us to do yet another extension to the house.
We've extended the house about four times in the 24 years we've lived here. We've recently constructed an extra room. I've also extended the main bedroom. It's strange that as the children have moved out, the house has got bigger.
Do you own any other property? No, I have this one cottage in Reigate. The basic building goes back to about 1870 and it has three bedrooms. I can't imagine living anywhere else.
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It cost us £85,000. I thought it was expensive then, but it's probably worth more like £500,000 now.
Do you invest in shares? Not directly, though my pension includes them.
What's better - property or pension? I have a pension from ITN which I've invested in for 23 years, and I have a couple of others from the newspapers I've worked for. My wife also has a pension, but we tend to spend that and a little bit more.
The house has done well, but I've never seen it as an investment.
Are you financially better off than your parents? Yes. My father worked in the City for Rothschild. Although he wasn't very well paid, he was always very well dressed. My mother died when I was eight, and my stepmother, who is still very much alive, also worked for the bank.
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What's been your best investment in life? Boringly, I would have to say the house.
What about worst? I was encouraged to take out additional voluntary contributions in Equitable Life, but being an old financial hack I shifted my money at the very first whisper of trouble. I didn't lose anything, but I got out as much as I put in, which is a poor investment given I was paying in to it for 10 years.
Do you manage your own financial affairs? I have a very good accountant whom I first got to know a quarter of a century ago.
What aspect of our taxation system would you change? I think the burdens and complications of Vat are pretty awful for small businesses. This affects me especially and it's one of the reasons I tend not to take money out of my business.
What is your money weakness? I spend far too much on books. At the moment I have at least half a dozen to read. My biggest weakness is books on railways.
What is your financial priority? To ensure I have enough for my wife and I to maintain the lifestyle we enjoy.
What is the most extravagant thing you have ever bought? When I got a newscaster's contract with ITN, I went out and bought myself a new Toyota Celica. Not that flashy, but I just loved it. I was hooked and I've bought Toyota Celicas since. I'm currently on my fifth.
What is the most important lesson you have learnt about money? If you've got enough, enjoy it.