A savvy 21-year-old woman, Grace Blake, who has been saving up £5 notes since she was the age of 16 has now bought her dream car for £21,000.
Blake paid for the vehicle, a Range Rover Evoque, with the notes, which she had been storing under her bed in a box.
The car dealer looked unimpressed, Grace admitted, and had to spend hours counting the money.
Mirror reported that Grace’s dream started five years ago, when she set up her own dog walking business at 16.
She charged people £5 an hour to walk their dogs during her GCSE summer holidays, as well as saving any notes she got for her birthdays and Christmas.
She said, “I never got tempted to spend them. I had my goal and knew what I wanted, so I kept saving and saving.
“I always said I would never spend them until I had enough to buy a car, and now I’ve managed to buy my dream car, which is a black Range Rover Evoque.
“The poor car dealer had to count them out to make sure there was enough and it took him hours. I originally kept them in a clear sealed bag but then I had to put them in a box under my bed as the bag wasn’t big enough.
“The car was £21,000. I also had sold my old Vauxhall for £5,000 and put that towards it too, as well as having some savings.
“I knew the car dealer, and he asked me to cash them into the bank before I came, but I didn’t want to. He couldn’t believe I gave them to him in a box.”
Grace confessed that she became “a little obsessed” with her £5 saving plan.
“Even when my boyfriend had a £5 note, I would take it. I wouldn’t even let him leave a £5 note tip – I would make him get it in coins.
“Everyone on TikTok has been saying that my parents gave me the money, but my dad died when I was 15, and he drove a Range Rover. I vowed to myself that I would buy myself one after he died – that’s what motivated me.
“When people say it was my parents, I laugh it off. I chose what I wanted to put my money towards, but I’ve also had comments from people saying I’m a drug dealer or stripper and I couldn’t be further from that.
“I don’t care about the comments. People can think what they want. I’m the one driving around in a nice car.
“I have had girls telling me that they have just turned 16 and want to do it too.”
