‘This is a gift I’ve given myself’: savers share the joys of putting money away for a sunny day

‘Once I’d started saving, it was no longer “how can I make this happen?”, it was, “I’m making this happen”.’ Composite: Guardian Design/Stocksy United

When it comes to money, if you’ve been taught anything while growing up, it’s the importance of saving “just in case”.

“Just in case of an emergency …”, “just in case you need to repair the car …”, “just in case the boiler packs up …” – not exactly inspirational or exciting.