Winning the lottery was a dream come true for Janice Bryant but instead of splashing out on designer labels, the frugal shopper drives a second hand car and boasts a wardrobe full of charity shop clothes.
63-year-old widow Janice Bryant, from St Ives in Cambridgeshire, remembers seeing her lottery numbers on her TV screen like it was yesterday.
Back in 2000, the former IT business analyst won a whopping £43,000 but the thrifty lady hasn’t changed her lifestyle one bit.
“Keith and I were always glad that we didn’t win millions because we’d never have spent it,” shares Janice, whose husband sadly passed away in 2005.
Looking back on her win, she recalls: “I’d got into bed early after an exhausting day out in London. I was winding down when Keith came bounding up the stairs with a wildly excited look on his face.”
A bleary-eyed Janice peered at the TV screen to see her five numbers and the bonus ball staring back at her.
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“Keith looked like he was going to hit the ceiling, or drop to the floor. But for some reason, I was as cool as a cucumber,” she chuckles.
“£43,000 isn’t the kind of money you can pick up in fivers at the corner shop. Instead, Keith had to sign the back of his ticket and picked up a cheque at the lottery headquarters in Watford.
“We were even given a leaflet about managing our money – but I already knew, we were too frugal to throw it all away on silly things.
“I love a bargain – always have, always will – and there was no chance we’d swap corned beef sandwiches for caviar."
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Friends assumed she would blow the lot, but the couple stayed in their cosy village home and Janice swapped her Nissan Micra for a second-hand Vauxhall Corsa at her local garage.
“I didn’t need a sports car or a top of the range BMW – if it got me from A to B, that’s all that mattered,” she reveals. “Sadly Keith passed away in 2005, but he’d be so pleased I’m being sensible.”
Janice volunteers at her local charity shop – the British Heart Foundation – where she’s always bought her clothes.
“You won’t catch me in designer stores – I’ve got leggings for £2.75 and my t-shirts cost less than a pound. I think the most I’ve ever spent was £11 on a used winter coat,” she exclaims.
Janice’s rich friends, who love wearing designer brands, aren’t quite so convinced by her shopping habits. But even they have been fooled by her bargain looks.
“They’ve gushed over my tops before and can’t bear it when I tell them they’re charity shop clothes,” she laughs. “But I must look good, or they wouldn’t be saying it.
“I still bag great deals on groceries at Aldi and Morrisons, too. And I rely on Martin Lewis for all of his money-saving advice – there’s nothing wrong with being cautious!”
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