Former S Club 7 pop star Hannah Spearritt, 34, turned to acting when the group split up in 2003. She has played the lead role in ITV series Primeval and is now one of the cast of BBC hospital drama Casualty. She lives in Richmond.

How did your childhood influence your work ethic and attitude to money?
I did get pocket money from my parents when I was little, but my mum encouraged me to save it up so that by Christmas I would be able to use it. I started earning money quite young. There was nothing really at school to teach you about money. I think I would have appreciated it if there was. My dad is really good at guiding me, but it would have been nice to have had that as well.

What was your first job and how much were you paid?
My first job was playing Louella in Bugsy Malone in the West End. I was 16 and earning £250 a week and my rent in London was £50 per week, so I just lived on what was left. I never went mad with that money though. I was living in London. I didn’t really think about money at the time.

What has been your best paying job?
I’ve been so lucky. I think it’s probably S Club 7 or Primeval. I got about £600,000 from S Club 7 over four years. It was a lot of money, I didn’t really realise.

What did you spend the money on?
I used it to buy my first ever house with Paul [Cattermole, ex-boyfriend and former bandmate]. It was a mews house in Crouch End with three bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, lounge and toilet downstairs. It was nice. We paid £375,000 and then sold it for about £475,000 after three years. I didn’t realise how lucky I was then to be able to buy the house outright. I really appreciate it now. After that, we bought a place on a whim in Brighton. We popped on the internet, found it, went down there to view it and then paid £280,000 for a basement flat. When we went to see it, the guy who lived there had the coffee machine going and it smelt all lovely. It wasn’t until after we moved in that we realised it had a damp problem. We had a few parties down there but we didn’t want to spend the money fixing up the damp problem.

How much do you earn in royalties each year ?
Things pop through all the time in terms of DVD sales from Primeval or royalties from S Club 7. You might get 57p or a couple of thousand. It really depends. You can’t rely on it, but it’s a bonus when it does come in.

You started earning when you were very young. How has your attitude towards money changed?
I used to spend a lot. I appreciate money now and I look after it a lot better than I used to.

Have you ever worried about money?
There have been times when things have gone in that direction. It isn’t a nice feeling. I’m OK as long as I know I can pay my bills and have a little bit of money on top to enjoy myself. To go to the theatre and stuff – that’s all I need. Anything above that is a bonus. That’s what I need to do to keep my stress levels down. I’m a lot better about money now because I never know when my next job is coming from. I’ve learnt to slow down. I enjoy going to charity shops and vintage shops now and seeking out odd things that not everyone has got. I used to buy more expensive stuff and wear it once and then it would be hanging in a wardrobe and I wouldn’t be able to sell it.

Are you a spender or a saver?
I’m more of a spender than a saver. I’ve just been through a massive declutter of my wardrobe and there were so many awful things. I’m still learning how to dress. My taste in the past was really bad. But it’s really good quality, expensive stuff that’s kept well. I’ve got a neighbour around the corner and she’s got a shop in St Margaret’s. She’ll take it on and then we’ll split the difference. I do a bag for her and a bag for charity. I now only buy something if I really love it. I love clothes and I love fashion.

Do you own your own home now?
Yes, my house in Richmond. I bought it in 2008 for £665,000 and it’s now worth £1.1m. It’s a terrace, three floors and I got the attic converted recently.

What are your greatest extravagances?
I like spending my money on experiences and shows and going away on holiday. Although it’s hard to get time to go away, so it’s mostly long weekends.

What has been your best financial decision?
I would say buying the house I’m in now. I’d lived in the area for four years, renting while doing Primeval, and I got to know the area really well. It gave me the confidence to buy. Me and Andrew [Potts, her ex-boyfriend, an actor and director] bought it together and we were both working in the south-west of London. When you get to know the area you end up falling in love with it. Every time I think about moving I don’t think anywhere else could come close.

And your worst?
Moving to Brighton, because I moved myself away from work. I spent a lot of money on travel and tended not to go into London as much. It was an impulse thing moving there and it wasn’t the right decision. It wasn’t that bad financially – percentage wise it worked out OK.

Have you ever been ripped off?
The only time I’ve had that feeling was when my friend and I were little and we were 12 or 13 and we went up to London. You know in Oxford Circus you get the guys selling the perfume on the street? We bought one of those, opened it up and realised it wasn’t anything like what was on the packaging. We felt so sad and taken advantage of. I really remember that, even though it was only a little thing. I think I’m savvy, hopefully. Or maybe I’ve been ripped off and just haven’t noticed yet.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt about money?
To know that it won’t always be there and it goes quickly, especially when you have lots of outgoings. Even though there might be a few grand in the bank you have to think at least six months ahead, put your money away for tax and that kind of stuff.

Does money make you happy?
I think it makes me happy when I know I can easily pay my bills with a little bit on top. Anything above that I don’t crave and wouldn’t make me any happier. Below that, if I’m worried about bills then I do feel unhappy. I start to get anxious and worry. I like to pay my bills and not have to worry about going out for a meal or to the theatre.

Are you a generous tipper?
I am if they deserve it. If someone doesn’t deserve it I won’t tip, but they have to be really bad.

Have you got any savings for retirement?
I do. It was one thing that my dad guided me very well on, a pension. Thanks dad, because I wouldn’t have known that was the right thing to do at the time when I had the money. I did it at the same time I got the S Club 7 money, so that’s good. I was 21. I get that money when I’m 55.
– telegraph.co.uk