I consider myself to be fairly thrifty when it comes to all things financial, and actually, as my time at the bank progresses, I consider myself handy with advice too. It's amazing what aspects of the trade you pick up just from working.

I have always been sceptical of taking out money from the bank and borrowing - only because I hate the idea of being at the hands of somebody, or anybody else. It makes me a little uncomfortable to feel that I constantly need to 'pay back'. But my time on other side of the counter - so to speak - has given me a chance to see how it works. Basically, a loan or loans aren't a terrifying prospect when you look at it. Sure, it's a debt, but with the right planning and system in place, it's certainly a debt you can pay off. Josh and I are looking at an instalment loan, which is a pretty common type of loan and would provisionally go towards a mortgage.

At the moment we are comfortable living at home, but as time goes on, we are going to start thinking about how to realistically invest in a place of our own. I know I have said that I don't want to completely settle down just yet; but I am now not adverse to the prospect of borrowing because I know Josh and I have the means to pay it back. I have checked it out with the guys at work, and even gone further-a-field to the internet and compared deals on websites like Alliance and Lester loans and mortgage brokers, for mortgages and other grown-up stuff that I didn't think I'd be doing at 19. But then, I didn't think I'd be doing a lot at 19 and my world has changed a significant amount in a pretty short-time. It feels good to be planning, and better to have something to plan for.