BARBARA SERRA, 31, is a British-based news presenter for Al-Jazeera, the Arab-owned television station, presenting the news at weekends and reporting from across Europe during the week.

But she is probably most familiar to UK viewers as the former presenter of Five’s news programme, where she worked until last April.

Born in Italy and raised in Copenhagen from the age of nine, she moved to Britain to read international relations at the London School of Economics in 1993.

Her journalistic career started at the BBC, where she worked on Radio 4’s Today programme and she spent two years as a reporter for BBC London News. She has also worked for the American TV station CNN and Sky News, where she covered events such as the death of Pope John Paul II.

She lives in west London with her fiancé, Mark.

How much money do you have in your wallet?

I have £50. I usually carry about this much, if not more, as well as cards and cheque books. I like to be prepared, as I can be sent off on a story without much notice.

Do you have any credit cards?

I have quite a few. When I travel abroad, I use my Nationwide Visa card because it doesn’t charge for transactions abroad. For work, I use American Express.

I also have an Egg card which I use if I need credit, although I try to pay off the balance every month without incurring interest.

Then there is my Sainsbury’s Visa card, which I got when I bought my flat in July last year. It charged zero interest on purchases for the first nine months so I used it to furnish the house.

Finally, I have a Barclaycard which I got in 2003. There was an offer back then of zero interest for the life of the balance, so long as I spent a minimum of £1 every month.

I took out a few thousand pounds to buy myself a car and then set up a monthly direct debit for £1 to a charity. Basically I got the car without paying a penny of interest.

Are you a saver or a spender?

You’d think that the older you get the more of a saver you’d become. This is true to an extent, but I also have no compunction about splashing out on luxury items if I think they’re worth it.

What I’m not is a waster, so I always avoid things like bank charges.

Because I’ve recently bought a house, I’m spending money on that and paying off my debts.

How much did you earn last year?

I’m not sure exactly, but I’m aiming for at least £100,000 by the end of this year.

I went from reporting to presenting in 2005, so there was more than a £20,000 jump in salary.

I also do some film work and media training in Italy where my family lives.

Have you ever been really hard up?

My first media job was with the Today programme in 2000 as a broadcast assistant. I was earning £17,000, which isn’t bad but didn’t go far.

I was living in a tiny one-bedroom flat in Soho on top of a liquor store. It was very colourful. It was just me and a friend – we would take it in turns to sleep on the sofa. The rent was about £1,000 a month so there wasn’t a huge amount left over.

What is the most lucrative work you have ever done? Did you use the fee for something special?

The work I do with Al-Jazeera provides the most I’ve ever earned, although the biggest jump was when I moved from being a reporter to a TV presenter at Five.

It changed my life and enabled me to buy my first property.

What property do you own?

I have a two-bedroom flat in west London. It’s part of a larger Victorian building that has been split into two flats. It was still being converted when I saw it in the summer of 2006 so I think I got a good price.

The owner was trying to get rid of it quickly so he kept it below the £250,000 mark. I’m not sure what it’s worth now, but the guy who owns the property above recently put his on the market for £280,000. I have a similar-sized property as well as a garden so it’s probably worth more than that.

However, I’ve recently become engaged so I’m now thinking of buying a new place with Mark, who also owns his own home.

Do you invest in shares or Isas?

I don’t. I don’t think I know enough about them really.

Do you have a pension or other retirement plan?

Wherever I have worked I have always paid into a company pension. I tend to put the minimum that is required into my plan, although they’ve tended to be quite generous, with anything I put in being more than matched by the company.

I also see my property as a bit of a pension.

Do you believe pensions are a good thing?

Absolutely. You have to put money away but you also have to think laterally and place money in other areas to be more secure, like property.

What has been your worst investment?

I came to London to study at university back in 1993. When I calculate how much I paid in rent from 1993 to 2006, it makes me want to cry.

Realistically, I was probably not going to buy as a student anyway. However, I know I could have bought or I could have convinced my parents to buy a place for me and my two little sisters who also live in London.

I think at that stage I wasn’t sure how long I was staying in Britain.

If I had bought from the start, I reckon I would have saved myself more than £90,000.

And your best?

Buying the car on the Barclaycard in 2003. It was a humble black Fiat Bravo, which cost about £3,500.

I’m still paying off the car, about £50 a month or so, but I don’t really think about it.

Do you manage your own financial affairs?

I do, and I also use the Money Saving Expert website for advice. Martin Lewis, who runs the site, is an old university friend of mine, so he gives me good tips as well.

What aspect of our taxation system would you change?

Nothing really. However, I grew up in Denmark where the higher rate of tax is a massive 70%.

I know you can’t make a direct comparison with the UK because of the different nature of the economies and differences in size, but I must say, I am a big fan of Denmark’s system because it seems a fairer and more socially responsible way of doing things.

What is your financial priority?

Probably saving up enough to buy a bigger home with Mark. I also want to pay off the debts I incurred furnishing my current house. I think I have about £5,000 left to pay off.

Do you have a money weakness?

It used to be taxis. When I first got to London, because I didn’t know my way round, I probably spent about £100 a week. Now that I have a car, it’s slightly different.

I like girly things like clothes and shoes. I have two sets of clothes – one set for my television work and one for normal life. My parents live in Milan so I spend quite a lot there. I recently bought a lovely pair of black Italian stilettos. I don’t have a huge collection but I must have about 10 to 15 pairs of party shoes.

What is the most extravagant thing you have ever bought?

Probably a black Versace evening dress I bought last year in Milan. It cost me a few thousand pounds but I’ve only worn it twice. It’s a simple and sleek dress. I was having a bit of a rough time because of a change of job and other things, so it cheered me up.

What is the most important lesson you have learnt about money?

Don’t spend beyond your means and don’t get sucked in by advertisements for cheap credit.

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