I’ve again got myself into a situation where I’m asset-rich but cash-poor and it is a little uncomfortable. Because of the house price boom in the UK of the past years, I have an asset worth much more (double at least) than I paid for it. Similarly I have stock market investments, mostly held in an ISA, that are probably of about the same value as my house.

But right now, I don’t have a lot of cash available. And I’m about to go on holiday, so I’m experiencing a cash squeeze.

I can’t easily make use of the value of the house, at least not without taking risks that are not worthwhile. And my ISA stocks are intended to provide an additional income for when I retire. That is too important for me to mess about with.

To get by in the short term, I’ve taken out a loan with my local Warrington credit union, NEWCU. Hopefully that, together with moving some money from my reserve bank account, will just about tide me over.

For the future, I’ve already taken steps to cut back significantly on my unnecessary monthly outgoings so hopefully, I’ll be able to rebuild my reserves.