Paola Launched Her Bubble Toy Company, Dr Zigs, In 2011 When Her Youngest Son, Ziggy, Was A Toddler

In our How I Manage My Money series, we aim to find out how people in the UK are spending, saving and investing money to meet their costs and achieve their goals.

This week, we speak to Paola Dyboski, 52, who spends most of the year travelling and living in a 2005 Hymer B595 camper van called “Bobbelix” with her youngest son, Ziggy, 13.

Paola, who has two other children, Gatto, 26, and Bambi, 23, is the self-proclaimed “Bubbler in Chief” at Dr Zigs, a bubble toy manufacturer based in Wales. Money was a taboo subject for Paola as a child growing up in Italy, and in the first few years of operating Dr Zigs she loathed having to charge people for her products.

However, Paola’s relationship with money has shifted over time and she is determined to use it to grow her business and support causes she is passionate about.

Income: My average income from Dr Zigs fluctuates, but is generally between £1,000 to £2,000 a month. For the number of hours I work, I’m definitely the worst paid of our employees, but with arguably the best benefits! Mostly, the money stays in the business for growth.

Outgoings: Groceries, £150 – we usually buy produce from markets while travelling and do a weekly supermarket shop for staples; fuel for the camper van, between £150 and £200 a month – usually travelling around France and Spain; propane or butane gas bottle for the camper van, around £35 every two months or so – this is used for camper van cooking, hot water, heating and the fridge; overnight stops in the camper van, £250; water is generally free as we use it from taps at campsites or various natural sources, but I did recently buy a SodaStream for around £60; mobile phone, £10; my son’s online schooling as he is home-schooled, £150 a month; Isa savings, £150. I also pay my share of a mortgage on a property in Wales, which comes in at £260 a month. For the property in Wales, I also pay my share of the outgoings as follows: council tax, £120 a month; TV licence, £5.50 and gas and electric, £150.