I’m a professional money expert – but I’m medically rubbish with numbers

My journey towards number confidence over the years has not always gone this swimmingly (Picture: Iona Bain)

For some people, swimming is a great way to clear their head. Not me though.

As I swim up and down my local 25 metre pool, I’m busy doing mental arithmetic.

My goal is to swim one mile continuously. This equates to 1,609 metres, so dividing that by 25 means I’m aiming to swim 64 lengths.

As a result, I keep track of the distance I’ve done. I often find myself counting, adding, multiplying and dividing – and for the first time in my life, actually enjoying it.

My journey towards number confidence over the years has not always gone this swimmingly. 

This may come as a surprise as I am a money expert and financial journalist, but ever since my childhood, I’ve struggled with numbers. Maths lessons were mental torture.

I didn’t know why, as an otherwise straight A student, I couldn’t hold this information in my head, or remember my times tables, or grasp everyday concepts like quantities, measurements and distances.

I finally realised why my brain doesn’t easily process or retain numbers (Picture: PHILIPVOLKERS)

It was only when I was later diagnosed with dyscalculia, often described as number dyslexia, in my mid-teens, that I finally realised why my brain doesn’t easily process or retain numbers.

I was fortunate enough to end up with a brilliant teacher while studying for my compulsory maths Standard Grade (the Scottish equivalent of GSCE). He created a calm, disciplined and focused environment in which I could make some basic progress. 

But even then, I was filled with anxiety and distress at the prospect of having to sit a maths exam. I was referred to the excellent learning needs department of my school, which unlocked my diagnosis.

Initially, I felt relieved – this problem wasn’t down to me being lazy or stupid. But as the years went on, I started worrying that people would judge me, especially once I moved into money journalism.

As I’ve got older, I’ve met plenty of women who for some reason feel disconnected from both maths and money

And yes, I have occasionally had people questioning my ability to do my job or falsely claim that I’m unable to do basic arithmetic (I know 2 x 2 = 4). But overall, awareness and understanding has increased, and that can only be a good thing.

I’ve picked up lots of coping strategies over the years – from always having a calculator on hand to using visual budgeting tools. But even today, there are corners of finance that I still find taxing.

Like… well, tax. Whether it’s allowances, relief or deductions, I sometimes need to double check with someone more number-smart than me (namely my dad) whether I’ve done my sums right. But as hard as I find this stuff, I push through.

I know that if I can improve my confidence around numbers, I can be much more capable with my finances and (cue Destiny’s Child) an Independent Woman, never having to rely on someone to look after me.

Women reported being less confident in their ability to work with numbers compared to men (Picture: Liv OrchardMirador Talent Management)

Sadly, recent research from National Numeracy shows there is still a stubborn gender gap when it comes to financial confidence. The charity’s survey found that women are less comfortable than men talking about money, less confident when it comes to making financial decisions, and more likely to struggle with debt.

At the same time, women reported being less confident in their ability to work with numbers compared to men, but they’re also more sceptical that improving their numeracy would benefit their financial situation: Only 56% of women see a connection, compared to 65% of men.

I have often thought about whether my gender played a role in my historic difficulties with numbers. Growing up, was I somehow conditioned to think maths is for boys? Not particularly – there were plenty of girls around me at school who excelled at maths, including my best friend who is now an accountant. 

But as I’ve got older, I’ve met plenty of women who for some reason feel disconnected from both maths and money, and don’t always appreciate that there’s a link between the two.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why women aren’t necessarily rushing to remedial maths classes. How does relearning the isosceles triangle help us put food on the table or cope with expensive childcare?

A good start would be a school curriculum that majors much more on real-world financial challenges, such as budgeting, tax, payslips, and debt. Teaching maths through money, rather than the other way round, would help young people get more comfortable with numbers as a fact of life, not something to be afraid of.

I also strongly believe the more women we have in public talking about both money and maths, the better. Former Countdown star Rachel Riley and super mathematician Hannah Fry are obvious role models, but different kinds of champions can also cut-through, such as TV presenter Denise Welch and Strictly dancer Katya Jones, who are both ambassadors of National Numeracy (as am I).

I encourage anyone watching, including women, to take more control of their money (Picture: Anthony Devlin/Comic Relief/Getty Images)

It’s why I appear on BBC Morning Live to talk about finances (and yes, sometimes numbers, carefully checked) in front of more than a million viewers every week. If I encourage anyone watching, including women, to take more control of their money, then the 6.30am call time at the studio is worth it.   

There are manageable steps we can all take to conquer number phobia. The free online National Numeracy Challenge is a great way to build confidence at a pace and level to suit you.

This comprises a simple questionnaire that gauges how comfortable you feel about numbers and what your goals are. Your answers are then used to design an online learning process that’s personalised to you. 

It’s all based on maths you’ll need in everyday life, and once you start doing quick check-ups (not tests!) on your abilities, you may be pleasantly surprised at how much you’re improving.

If there’s only one money-maths concept you get your head around, make it interest rates. This alone will help you work out how to save and borrow more wisely. For example, you can start to compare the annual percentage rate (APR) on mortgages, credit cards and overdrafts to see if you’re getting the best deal.

You should also get into the habit of checking the price per unit on products in supermarkets (usually in tiny print on the label), which helps you compare pure value on products once you strip out differing quantities. 

For example, there could be two different quantities of milk on the shelf – a one litre carton or a discounted two litre carton. You can compare the unit prices to see if the core value of the two-litre carton is still higher even with the tempting discount.    

And try flexing your maths muscles in the day-to-day activities you enjoy, whether it’s measuring ingredients for baking or mastering complex rhythms in music or dance.

Or, like me, calculating lengths in the pool. You never know, you might just like it.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]. 

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