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In our How I Manage My Money series we aim to find out how people in the UK are spending, saving and investing money to meet their costs and achieve their goals.

This week we speak to Andrew Henderson, 68, who lives in Rhyl, with his partner, Carole, 69, and their dog, Betty Bach. Andrew is facing paying significantly more for heating oil amid war across the Middle East. At one point in his former career, he earned a six-figure sum, before seeing his income plummet and falling into debt.

Monthly budget

Our monthly income: We each have £965 a month coming in from our state pensions. Combined, we also have £691 a month coming in every month from private pensions. 

Our monthly outgoings: The house we live in is owned outright. Council tax, £245; groceries and household items, around £700; TV licence, £15; electric, £100; water, £60; car insurance, £21; road tax, £18; car fuel, £100; life insurance for two people, £96; buildings and contents insurance, £20; vet bills and pet insurance, £20; house maintenance, £8; TV package, £58; mobile handsets and contracts, £125; newspapers, £11; pet food, £40. My payment towards my debt management plan is £263 a month. We used to pay about £300 every other month for heating oil, but are now facing much higher quotes. Savings are used to cover any costs above our monthly income. 

I grew up in a working-class household along with five siblings in Southport. We lived in a cramped house and money was tight. I started doing paper rounds at 11 and worked at Pontins from the age of 16, as everyone had to contribute. We were close-knit and I learned the value of hard work early on.

After going to university, I got a job as an economist on Fleet Street in London. I thought I’d made it, but in reality the job was mind-numbingly boring and I quit after nine months.

I managed to buy my first home at the age of 22. By 33, I’d built up a portfolio of properties I rented out. Unfortunately, a marriage breakdown, also necessitating child maintenance payments, cost me these properties and I lost the lot.

My main job over the years involved working in the holiday park industry. I started as a sales advisor on £25,000 a year, and at the peak of my career earned £1360,000 at the top of a company. In time, however, my income dropped dramatically as my health started to go downhill and I could no longer work 80 hours-plus a week. The global financial crisis happened and we were a small firm vulnerable to changes. As I reduced my hours and the global financial downturn hit, my annual income dropped to £18,000 a year by 2011.

At this point, I started to really struggle with my finances. I relied on credit cards for my day-to-day expenses and got into £28,000 worth of debt. I started feeling like I was drowning in debt.

I had to stop working for good in 2024 due to my health. I was devastated about it, but had no choice. I have serious vascular problems, and have had two bypass surgeries, and am at risk of having one of my legs amputated. Not being able to work has been crushing for me. I went from being the breadwinner and earning good money to having to draw on my pensions. Emotionally, stopping work was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced. Work gave me an identity, purpose and financial security. Suddenly, all of that was gone.

I thought I could manage my debts while I was still working, but when I had to quit, the debts became a massive weight hanging over me. I started selling jewellery to try to keep up with the minimum repayments on my cards.

In 2023, I was told I’d receive a share of my late father’s estate, namely £25,000 and a property in Marbella, via his will, but nothing has been paid yet. My money problems affected my sleep, stress levels and relationships.

I had to get help with my finances and contacted Money Wellness in July 2025 to try and get it all sorted out. Money Wellness arranged a free debt management plan as a short-term solution while I await the inheritance from my father. I’m currently paying off £263 a month from my debts, with more than £2,000 paid off to date.

The cost-of-living is astronomically high. I’m a pensioner and have been working and contributing to the system since the 70s, yet my council tax bill alone is more than £200 a month. That’s a large chunk of a monthly state pension.

We have an oil-based heating system for the house and the costs are spiralling out of control. I used to pay £300 every few months for it, but since war in the Middle East started, I’m now being quoted about £900 for the 500-litre tank. As I’m in debit with the provider, they’ve told me they aren’t sure they can supply us as they have other people who need the oil and can pay immediately. We are having to make decisions about whether to heat the house properly or get my debts paid off sooner.

As a couple, we each have £965 a month coming in from our state pensions and £691 from private pensions. There is no way I could survive solely on the state pension. It is inadequate for anyone with even basic living costs. We can just about pay the essential bills, but we can’t actually live. We’d need at least another £1,000 a month to be able to have any sort of comfortable existence.

It’s frightening as you work your whole life, pay into the system and can still find yourself in a position where you’re just getting by. I never imagined my retirement would be like this.

Want to take part How I Manage My Money? Email money@theipaper.com

Grab hold of your lightsabre – something Wookie this way comes. Yes, it’s time for the annual Jedi jamboree that is 4 May, better known to geeks across the galaxy as Star Wars Day. A play on the Jedi Knight phrase “May the Force be with you”, the occasion sees Star Wars fans come together to honour the legacy of the science fiction saga that began with the original George Lucas movie in 1977.

Star Wars has gone on to become the biggest brand in nerddom – growing even more inescapable when Disney paid Lucas $2bn for the franchise in 2012. This year is shaping up to be particularly significant with the release of the first new Star Wars movie in six years, The Mandalorian & Grogu, which beams down (sorry, Star Trek reference!) on 22 May.

But while there is a lot about Star Wars to celebrate, it has had its low points, too, especially after Disney attempted to make good on its investment by flooding the market with dubious spin-offs, sequels, prequels and even prequels to the prequels. Some of these new takes on George’s marvellous mythology have held their own. Many have been about as much use as a Stormtrooper in Speedos. Read on for my countdown of the best entries in the series – and the one that should never have seen the light of day.

5. The Mandalorian

Spring 2020 found Star Wars at a low ebb. It had struck rock bottom the previous Christmas with the conclusion of the dreadful JJ Abrams/Rian Johnson“sequels” trilogy, starring a keen Daisy Ridley and a visibly disinterested Adam Driver. Those movies, which kicked off in 2015 with The Force Awakens, tried to recreate the magic of old-school Star Wars but ended up as desperate-to-be-liked cover versions of the Lucas films.

But in March 2020 came the unexpected miracle that was the UK release of The Mandalorian, the cheap and cheerful tale of a gunslinging bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal behind a faceplate) and his cutesy sidekick (Grogu, aka Baby Yoda), which reconnects with the Sunday matinee vibe of the 1977 Star Wars. That first film tapped into George Lucas’s childhood love of Flash Gordon, and The Mandalorian has a similarly pulpy heart – drawing in particularly on showrunner Jon Favreau’s passion for cheesy westerns.

Alas, The Mandalorian lost the plot in series three in a very literal sense (there was no storyline). It remains to be seen whether things can get back on track with the movie spin-off. Either way, we’ll always have Mando seasons and two.

Streaming on Disney+

4. Star Wars: A New Hope

The very first Star Wars film was a cinematic big bang that along with Jaws, helped create the blockbuster era. Some 50 years on, it holds up remarkably well. That’s partly due to John Williams’s evocative score and the ground-breaking special effects. However, it’s the cast that really make it. A baby-faced Mark Hamill brims with aw-shucks charm. And then there is the zinging screwball chemistry between Harrison Ford’s deep space desperado Han Solo and Carrie Fisher’s wise-cracking Princess Leia – sci-fi’s answer to Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.

Streaming on Disney+

3. Rogue One (A Star Wars Story)

Better than the original? Put down your blasters and let me make the case for this spin-off, a rare bright light in the Disney Star Wars era. To begin with, Rogue One benefits from director Gareth Edwards brilliant grasp of scale – never before or since has the jaw-dropping vastness of an Imperial Star Destroyer been so impressively depicted on screen. We’ve always known these ships were huge – here, for the first time, we actually feel it.

The film also benefits from a radical reworking of an apparently muddled original screenplay, courtesy of ace Hollywood script doctor Tony Gilroy. Bringing some of the cynical energy that characterised his work on the Bourne movies, he fleshes out the tragic arc of Rebel agents Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) as they hunt for the Death Star blueprints. Pacy, profound and with a heartbreaking ending, here, finally, is the Star Wars we’ve been looking for.

Streaming on Disney+

2. Andor

After the triumph of Rogue One, Gilroy fancied a second chomp at the Star Wars cherry. Given free rein by Disney, he produced the two-season masterpiece that is Andor. Chronicling the events leading up to the founding of the Rebel Alliance, this is Star Wars with a prestige TV twist. A prequel to Rogue One (itself obviously a prequel to Star Wars), the show reintroduces Luna’s insurgent-in-the-making Cassian Andor while telling the parallel story of how future Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) walks away from her life of privilege to lead the rebellion.

So far, so Star Wars. Where Gilroy goes above and beyond is by leaning into George Lucas’s warning about the speed with which fascism can subvert democratic institutions. In Star Wars, Lucas was talking about Nazi Germany. Fast forward to the present day and Gilroy is looking to the modern world and the rise of extremist politics all around us. In a universe of brain-numbing binge-watches, here is a genuinely subversive call-to-arms beamed into our living rooms – by Disney of all people.

Streaming on Disney+

1. The Empire Strikes Back

The 1981 sequel to Star Wars is remembered across the cosmos for one of the most misquoted lines in cinema history – “No, I am your father”. Spoiler alert – this is Darth Vader’s admission to a stunned Luke Skywalker that he is both his sworn enemy and his dad. That familial bombshell aside, Empire is a best-in-class example of the “downbeat” sequel – a movie that takes everything you loved about the original and turns it on its head by letting the bad guys win.

Luke loses an arm and is confused about his childhood. Han Solo is frozen in Carbonite – ie turned into a human fishfinger. Leia snogs her brother (not that anyone knew it at the time – Lucas had not yet decided to make Luke and Leia twins). In other words, Empire Strikes Back has left its characters in the perfect pickle in one of the most compellingly grim and gritty sequels in cinema history.

Streaming on Disney+

The Rise of Skywalker

Like a pulsating supernova at the centre of the galaxy, the list of the worst of Star Wars is ever-changing – it all depends on the mood of the individual fan at any given time. You could opt for the Jar-Jar Binks tunnel of horror that was 1999’s Phantom Menace. Or the subpar snooze-fest that was Disney series Obi-Wan Kenobi, which squandered the long-awaited return of Ewan McGregor as Darth Vader’s monkish mentor.

But the film that has come to symbolise Disney’s shambles of a stewardship is undoubtedly the last in its “sequel trilogy”, the atrocious Rise of Skywalker (2019). From resurrecting wicked Emperor Palpatine without any explanation (“somehow Palpatine returned” goes the opening “text crawl”) to the terrible dialogue (“they fly now?”) and the fake-out non-death of Chewbacca, this is not only the worst Star Wars, it’s one of the sorriest blockbusters of the past decade.

Six years later, Disney is now cautiously bringing Star Wars back to the cinema with The Mandalorian & Grogu. Burned by past experiences, fans will worry the film is merely a big-screen remix of the Mandalorian TV series. No matter how mediocre it proves, it is hard to imagine it rivalling Rise of Skywalker for sheer, planet-destroying cackhandedness.

Streaming on Disney+

Never work with children or animals, they say, but ice cream is a similarly risky business given its penchant for melting the minute that the weather heats up. I’ve worked in ice cream parlours and on dessert stations where scoopers desperately work out logistics for serving hundreds of tiny iced treats, and paw molten custard into cones while queues snake around the block.

Thankfully, getting a tub to enjoy at home is a far less fraught experience, whatever the temperature. I do think the quality has improved as we’ve become more discerning about food overall.

A decade ago, ice cream parlours were for seaside towns and big cities, whereas now we can find decent shops with plentiful flavours all over the country. In supermarkets, the premium own brand ranges are all decent and mostly made of what ice cream should be – a custard base made with milk, cream, egg yolk and sugar, plus flavourings.

I only try one gelato for this taste test, Remeo. To be honest, I find that arguing the relative merits of gelato vs ice cream is a bit like the cream or jam first debate when it comes to scones: tiresome and unnecessary when both are delicious.

Ice cream has a custard base (made with egg yolks) and gelato, its Italian cousin, typically uses less cream and yolk and often no egg at all. It is therefore lower in fat than ice cream with a traditional custard base and higher in sugar. It is churned at a slower speed, which means the result has less air whipped into it and comes out smooth and dense – that’s why it can be pasted high onto cones whereas ice cream works better if scooped.

Much has been said in recent years about ultra-processed ice cream, after Dr Chris Van Tulleken highlighted the emulsifiers, stabilisers and preservatives that often appear in cheaper (and not so cheap) supermarket ice creams in his book Ultra-Processed People. These ice creams have been created to present as scoopable straight out of the freezer while not melting too quickly, and tend to have a somewhat spongy texture. The effect is that they expand in the mouth, not unlike foam.

One of the biggest stress factors for ice cream producers is the price of vanilla, an expensive ingredient that fluctuates wildly. The better ice creams that I try use a combination of extract and powder. Those using a flavouring tend to taste sweeter. Although I haven’t tested any dairy-free products for this piece, my favourite is Booja Booja.

There’s so much good ice cream around that my head is easily turned, but my favourite vanilla at the moment is Brickell’s Vanilla Bean, made with Westcombe Dairy milk in Somerset. It’s usually around £7.50 a tub and while it’s not available at any major retailers, I found it in a local convenience store – definitely worth looking out for.

I tried 12 vanilla ice creams to see where you should spend and where’s better to save.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Vanilla Ice Cream, £3.50/480ml

This ice cream has a rich and creamy taste and a decent hit of earthy vanilla without any overly sweet notes. I was looking forward to it as I’m a fan of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Belgian Chocolate, and I’m not surprised to learn the vanilla is made with the same West Country double cream, along with milk, sugar and egg yolk.

As with most of the premium lines, the vanilla comes from Madagascan extract and powder, and this tub has decent black spots of vanilla throughout. The plastic seal reminds hungry consumers to wait 10 minutes after taking out of the freezer for a better flavour, and it is infinitely better to occupy yourself for a few moments rather than jab at a frozen block!

3.5/5

M&S Collection West Country Madagascan Vanilla Luxury Ice Cream, £4.50/500ml

A deliciously creamy and rich vanilla with a gently melting mouthfeel and warming notes of Madagascan vanilla. It contains slightly more cream compared with the other better quality tubs, as well as dark brown sugar, and I think this gives it the edge.

4/5

Tesco Finest Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream, £3.50/480ml

This one looks good and has lovely speckles running through each scoop. It’s not quite as rich or smooth as the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, though the dairy claims to also be from the West Country, but the gentle but definite vanilla flavour is there. The mouthfeel is a bit fluffy, which I suspect is caused by the maltodextrin, a thickening agent, but overall it’s not bad.

3/5

Yeo Valley Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, £4.75/500ml

A really delicious organic ice cream and proof it can be done without an overly long list of ingredients. There’s a rich custard base, pretty dots of vanilla and the comforting flavour of real vanilla from extract and powder. I’ll try the Yeo Valley mint choc chip ice cream next, as I’m not a fan of most retail versions, but this feels promising.

4/5

Ms Molly’s Vanilla Ice Cream, £1.35/2l

I know this price point will appeal to many shoppers, but Ms Molly’s ice cream isn’t something I can recommend for its taste. When I lift the lid, streams of a gummy substance hang between the sides and the tub, like slime. The product itself is fluffy and sticky with no discernible vanilla flavour. It’s made from reconstituted skimmed milk concentrate, reconstituted whey powder, glucose, palm oil and a load of stabilisers, additives and preservatives. I’m fed up of the big food manufacturers fobbing consumers off with sub-par products, but I do think that if kids want an ice cream their lives will improve immeasurably from having one, whatever the quality.

1/5

Jude’s Vanilla Clotted Cream Ice Cream, Ocado, £5/460ml

I like the deep flavour of the clotted cream base but the vanilla flavour is a bit too sweet for me and I could tell it contained emulsifiers immediately because the texture fluffs up and sort of crowds out the mouth rather than melting smoothly.

2/5

Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream, £5.75/460ml

Most of the premium ice creams are decorated with tiny specks of vanilla to prove they contain the genuine article, but Haagen-Dazs obviously doesn’t feel the need to compete on this level: it’s a pure creamy-white colour and easy to scoop straight from the freezer. It has a higher cream content (39 per cent) than any of the others I try (the next are M&S and Waitrose No. 1 at 34 per cent then Duchy Organic at 28 per cent) and a strong and sweet vanilla flavour from its vanilla flavouring, as well as added sweetness from condensed milk. I suspect it’s the condensed milk that helps with scoopability, too.

3/5

Waitrose Duchy Organic Vanilla Ice Cream, £3.75/480ml

Pale in colour and speckle-free, I might have mistaken this for a plain milk ice cream on a first taste. The vanilla is there, but it’s very subtle, so choose this if that’s your preference. There’s some good flavour from the organic dairy, a smooth texture and no additives or preservatives.

3.5/5

Remeo Gelato Madagascan Vanilla Bourbon Gelato, £6/462ml from Ocado

I enjoy the intense vanilla flavour of this Remeo gelato but I don’t find the texture remarkably smoother than the supermarket premium lines I try. In fact it tastes quite fluffy and doesn’t merit the higher price. The packet boasts “only natural” ingredients but there is still a vanilla flavouring, a natural stabiliser (carob seed flour) and extracted vanilla.

3/5

Carte D’Or Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream Tub, £3.90/900ml from Ocado

Overwhelmingly sweet compared with most other ice creams that I try, and most similar to the Lidl Bon Gelati, which has a very similar ingredient list and I suspect has been developed as a Carte D’Or dupe. I’m not sure how, where or when Carte D’Or developed its reputation as a decent ice cream, probably down to the marketing geniuses at owner Unilever, but it’s not worth paying for or eating.

2/5

Lidl Bon Gelati Bourbon vanilla, £2.45/l

This Lidl premium ice cream has a very strong and custardy vanilla flavour, from “natural bourbon vanilla flavouring” and ground vanilla pods. The texture is fluffy and foamy, like it’s been pumped up with something, and reminds me of school ice cream. When tried alongside the Carte D’Or, however, it is a good copy and far cheaper, so if you like Carte D’Or, buy this instead.

3/5