Viewpoint: Living within one’s means

I will start this month’s column with a quote from Mr Wilkins Micawber from Charles Dickens’ novel David Copperfield: ‘Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 19 pounds, 19 shillings and six pence, result happiness. Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 20 pounds nought and six, result misery.’  

I have been moved to remind everyone of these words of financial wisdom because of what I have seen from our professional organisations on the subject in the optical journals. I had seriously hoped I would not need to return to this subject so soon, but I suspect some of the comments from these organisations should fill us all with fear and trepidation.