Eleanor Tiernan: 'I’m feeling the squeeze - a knot in my stomach at the end of the month'

I want to say to the people who haven't paid me: “What do you think I’m living on here pal? Gimme my freaking money already!!”

Eleanor Tiernan: "People are shopping around for better deals. Every supermarket has its Food Bank bin just inside the door."

I stood among the horde of passengers staring up at the expansive blackboard of numbers and letters. Which platform was the train I’d booked leaving from? It was due to leave at 14:36 but there was still no information as to where from and it was 14:28 already. That didn’t necessarily mean much though. I’ve seen privatised train services do quicker turnarounds than a Stars In Their Eyes Contestant. “Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be the London Kings Cross - Edinburgh Waverley service”.

An announcement came. It said the train would be leaving late. So what? A five-minute delay made no difference to me. I’d acres of time to kill in Edinburgh before the gig I was booked to do started. A minor annoyance. However what was five minutes became seven. Still inconsequential. However, then it got to eleven the wheels of my brain were set in motion. Two words popped into my brain that the veteran traveller loves to hear…. Delay Repay.