EVERY day, on my way to work, I sit near groups of young people having breakfast on the move.

Invariably, they are clutching a cup of ‘designer’ coffee and eating a bacon sandwich or croissant from a well-known chain.

Often, I hear them moan about having no money, about how they can’t afford this and they can’t afford that.

And all the while I’m wondering, if you’re as broke as you say you are, how come you can afford expensive food and drink each day - why not wait, like me and my colleagues do, until you reach the office then stick the kettle on and toast a slice of bread?

I reckoned that by boycotting the Starbucks and the Costas they could save themselves more than £130 a month.

Fifty one per cent of people in this country are concerned about their ability to save for the future.

That’s not surprising given the recession, job loses and low wages.

But then they fritter away money that they don’t need to spend.

My teenage daughters spend 10 times as much on clothes than I ever did. The eldest, a supposedly impoverished student, has so many clothes she can’t fit any more in her wardrobe.

The younger one has discovered online shopping and keeps ASOS in business - some days I see the postman staggering up our drive under the weight of all the packages.

She and her friends also keep Nando’s - the young person’s restaurant of choice - afloat with frequent dining sessions.

To give them credit, my daughters have saved some cash from part-time jobs, but they still seem to spend money like water.

Thankfully, more and more schools are now giving lessons in finance - how to manage money, take out loans, arrange mortgages and - crucially - avoid debt.

Financial management is being taught in schools with help from companies. Children are also being taught about how public money is raised through taxes and spent on services.

I wish my generation had been party to all this. Maybe then I would have taken saving more seriously, I may even have abandoned an itinerant lifestyle earlier and bought a house when they were affordable with pocket money.

Adults also need lessons in money management. I try to be sensible with money, but I still don’t understand it I’ve had endless wrangles over our mortgage and I still get blinded by APR and HP.

We’ve got insurance policies and, if I’m honest, I don’t know what they’re for.

But at least I’m saving on breakfasts!