Amanda Barrie has the right idea. Have you?

Amanda Barrie, 82, has a novel approach. She's in the Big Brother house and says she has two good reasons for doing CBB.

Firstly she says it stops her thinking about dying. Always good. Secondly the handsome fee will help fund her future care home costs.

Forward planning. Very sensible. Doing something new at 82 is always good too.

But instead of bickering lucratively on camera with the likes of Ann Widdecombe and Rachel Johnson, the rest of us are left with the much more boring option of actually working and saving money or filling a pension pot.

For years I've paid diligently paid thousands upon thousands into a private pension. For the piddling little amount I'll get back from it I'd have been better of spending it all on Lottery tickets. Or holidays. Or gin. I'm determined to live until I'm 120 just to get my money back. Bitter? Me? Yes.

Or we could be like a mother in Taiwan who's looking forward to a very comfortable old age because she had a wizard wheeze - she sued her son for the cost of bringing him up.

Amazingly, the court ordered him to pay her more than half a million pounds to reimburse her for what she spent on his living costs and education.

Now why didn't we think of that? Just think of all you've spent on bringing up your children. Just imagine getting all that money back…

To any normal parent the idea is, of course, ridiculous. Most of us would give our last penny to help our children, not grab it back. Shows we've got a lot to learn.

Apparently, when her sons were twenty the Taiwanese mother made them sign a contract agreeing to give her 60% of their disposable income in her old age. One son paid up. The other, a dentist, didn't. And that's why now at 41 he's had to divvy up more than 22 million Taiwanese dollars to his mother.

So much for the bank of mum and dad.

Apparently Taiwan has a strong tradition of families supporting aged relatives but current generations are less likely to be bothered so there's pressure for a law actually forcing people to look after elderly parents.

But as for getting all your money back...

The closest I got was when I was writing vast cheques for the boys' university tuition fees, student rent etc etc Senior Son said cheerfully. 'It means we'll get good jobs so when you're in a care home we'll be able to keep you in gin.'

I guess I'll settle for that.