Episode 1 Shop Well for Less

'When it comes to shopping, us Brits can blow a fortune.'

That's what I want, a single solitaire.

'But how can we control our spending?'

-30,000, or something like that?

-Oh!

'I'm business journalist Steph McGovern.'

-7,000.

-Oh! What?!

'I want to help make our money go further.'

We are bringing down your spending.

'And I'm Alex Jones.'

Sale!

'I know only too well the traps consumers fall into.'

-How many times have you used that, then?

-I haven't.

'We're challenging families...'

-Oh!

-Oh!

No!

'..to try money-saving alternatives!'

NO!

'So we can all learn how to shop well for less.'

-Ooh!

-We're talking hard cash.

-Really?

-That is amazing.

Our job here is done.

-ALL:

-Aw!

'This week, a family with more outgoings than most.'

Oh! How often are you doing washing?

About five washes a day.

A day?! A day.

'Desperate for their first family holiday abroad.'

If anybody deserves a break, it's you two.

'But helping them to cut costs...'

You're raging, aren't you, Colin? I can see.

'..is not going to be easy!'

NO!

'This week, we're in Glasgow.'

Boys, breakfast!

Lewis!

'With an extraordinary family,

'desperate to save rather than spend all their hard-earned cash.'

-ALL:

-We are the Rodger family.

THEY LAUGH

'For event organiser Colin and part-time dance lecturer Karen,

'their household is especially busy.

'They have 17-year-old twins, Kyle and Lewis.'

We decided we wanted to have another one quite close,

so it didn't feel left out!

'So Karen had their second...

'set of twins.

'Finn and Jude, now 15.'

Now that was a real shock!

We ended up with four under three, which is quite major.

'Ten years later, they wanted one more child.'

And it was twins again!

Which was...

And Rowan and Isla are three.

Being part of a large family is absolute chaos.

But it's good fun chaos.

Would I change it for the world? No, I wouldn't.

The difficulties of having a large family is the logistics

of trying to make it work.

I've really got to plan my week,

because it would just fall apart if you didn't.

High-five.

'Logistics are tough, but the costs of a large family are even tougher.'

It's very expensive, having six kids.

They've all got to have trousers, shirts, school ties, boxers, socks,

school blazers...

I am well over £1,000 just to get my kids kitted out for school.

Right, let's go. Grab your stuff.

I do try and run a budget, but...

Doesn't understand the word budget!

'Karen's Achilles heel where a budget is concerned is shoes.'

Shoes are a massive issue in our house.

Basically that they can't get enough of them.

'They've even built a special cupboard to house them all.'

And I hold my hands up and say, it's my fault.

I love it, and that's slightly rubbed off on the boys.

We don't really have many shoes that aren't branded.

Lewis, he always has to have a matching pair of shoes

with his outfit.

It's like Adidas, Nike, Vans,

all that kind of stuff, which are high up at 60, £70.

And now we've got pink shoes that flash, and we've got wellies,

but they're not just ordinary wellies,

they have to be Hunter wellies, or they're not good enough.

The shoes they buy are expensive, I'm not going to lie,

but you know they're going to last.

Anyway, can we move on from shoes?

KAREN LAUGHS

'But the male members of this family are also blowing the budget -

'on technology.'

-We've all got a TV in our room.

-The phones and Xboxes.

We've all got iPads, Kyle's got a laptop.

Maybe I've encouraged it,

because I like technology and I believe that the children need to be

ahead of the game to succeed in life.

'And the price of providing for eight people...'

I win!

-Did you win?

-Yeah.

'..combined with spiralling utility bills means there's little left at

'the end of the month.'

We don't do lots of things as a family,

like the cinema, like holidays, etc.

It's about sacrifice.

"If we do that, we can't do that."

We need to be more efficient with how we're spending our money.

I would like to be smarter than what we're doing.

-What do you say?

-Thank you.

-You're welcome!

'Getting smart is what it's all about,

'and Alex and I are here to help this family of eight

'slash their spending and start saving!'

It's so nice to be back in Glasgow, it's such a cool city, isn't it?

Yes, and this street is perfect,

because all the shops you need are in this one run here!

Yeah, but that's also the danger,

because you just want to spend, spend, spend!

No, that's what makes it brilliant!

-No, it isn't!

-Yes!

'We need to shock the Rodgers into action.

'So whilst they're out, we're raiding their home,

so that we can set up shop with their stuff.'

-What have we got in here?

-Just a cupboard, probably, isn't it?

-Ooh! BOTH:

-Oh!

-It's a dream.

-It's a shop.

In, let me in! Ah!

They're buying for so many people, and it's all top brands, isn't it?

Shoe heaven, but wallet hell, this, isn't it?

-I want a room like this.

-Alex, you've got a room like this.

No, I've got a cupboard under the stairs that's really messy.

-It's different.

-Oh, look at this.

It's going to be quite hard to save a family like this money

because they do need a lot of stuff.

-But do they need the most expensive?

-No.

'The reality of eight people living in one house is obvious.'

Look at the size of that!

Wow, you could actually wash yourself in that, couldn't you?

We'll pop you in there.

And look at all the washing powders and stuff that they have.

I mean, that would last me a good couple of months.

Yeah, because you don't wash your clothes!

STEPH LAUGHS You cheeky mare!

They've really fallen into that trap of thinking

the pricier stuff is the best stuff.

Ooh, look at this room!

I can see at least six iPads in front of me already.

And what's the bet that they've all got one of these phones each?

I mean, there must be worth thousands, just in here.

'And the youngest members of the household

'certainly don't come cheap either.'

-Oh, wow, they've got a full-on dressing up cupboard!

-Ah!

It's the dream!

These aren't your cheap tat,

these are good quality dressing-up costumes.

I know. But how can you say no to three-year-olds

who want princess dresses?

If you want to save money, you have to say no.

They're not going to last long.

Come on, let it go!

'Combine the needs of such a large family with pricey brands,

'and it's not surprising the Rodgers

'haven't been on holiday abroad together

'since the girls were born.'

You know, we would be easily £5,000 to go away

on a holiday as a family.

To find a way that we could save money to get on a holiday

would just be absolutely fantastic.

For us as well, I'd quite like to spend some time with you.

-Oh, and I'd love to spend time with you!

-Thank you!

'A family holiday will require some serious cutbacks,

'so we've borrowed their stuff for our own shop,

'to show this supersize family where they've been super spending!

'But, they've no idea we've done it.'

-I'll go to Karen, you go to Colin, yeah?

-OK.

-Hello!

-Hello!

LAUGHTER

Come on, give us a hug!

-Hi, Colin.

-How are you?

-It's nice to see you.

I thought you were robbing our wallets, there!

Oh, yeah, we're taking them off you for a start!

Can't believe you've got three sets of twins!

-I know.

-Your bills must be huge, and you are going to need help.

-Definitely.

-Up for the challenge?

-Yes.

-They're smiling, Alex, that's a good sign.

They are! They don't look as scared

as people normally do when we turn up!

'We want these two to come face-to-face with their spending.'

-After you...

-Oh, my goodness!

-Oh, no.

-This is my house!

-KAREN LAUGHS

-Shoes, look at the shoes!

-Oh, my God.

-There's five Xboxes there.

Oh, it looks outrageous.

'Karen and Colin might be surprised to see their belongings.'

It's certainly tidier than our house.

It is tidier than our house. Oh, look at their clothes!

'But, they're going to be more surprised

'at the amount of money they've spent on them.'

So how many shoes do you think you've got in your family?

-Too many!

-I think that's evidently clear.

So you have over 200 pairs of shoes.

-The girls have 36 pairs of shoes!

-Oh!

36 pairs of shoes?

-Yeah.

-I can't believe you've just told on me!

Sorry!

But, ultimately, it's about the cost, isn't it?

-A guess, then?

-3,000?

-It's 12,000.

-Oh, my goodness.

You've got a shoe collection worth 12 grand!

£12,000?

-Yep.

-And this isn't all of them, either, is it?

-No.

-Stairway to shoe heaven!

'Don't worry, Karen, it's not just the 219 pairs of shoes

'that are the issue. There is a lot of technology here.

'Most of it, one brand.'

I mean, you look at the amount, it just looks really expensive.

39 items we found.

-Right.

-And how much do you reckon they're worth?

-I couldn't take a guess.

-Ten grand.

-Wow.

-Does it have to be the most expensive brand?

See, I don't see like that, as the most expensive brand,

I see it as the most functional...

Have you tried any others, or...?

No. Because I came from a work background, in love with Apple.

They love you as well, with the size of your family!

'With five iPhones on the go,

'they're racking up over £3,000 in contracts a year.'

KAREN GASPS

-That...

-That is a lot of money.

'The Rodgers are a very brand loyal bunch,

'from cleaning kit worth £270

'to washing products costing over two and a half grand a year.'

How often are you doing washing?

Probably averages about five washes a day.

-A day?

-A day.

I've tried to find a way of cutting it down,

wear things twice, that kind of stuff. But it doesn't work.

'And what about those rocketing utility bills?'

So, you spend about £1,500 just on electricity a year.

-£2,600 a year on gas.

-OK.

'That's over three times the national average.'

The heating in the house is a constant war, I get so annoyed.

I walk in from outside and it's actually...

-Boiling hot?

-Boiling hot.

There's nothing you can do about how many people are in the house,

but it's finding the provider that will do that cheapest for you.

I've negotiated the rates with the suppliers,

but I've never taken the decision to switch suppliers.

'If they're to start saving,

'the Rodgers need to make this a family affair.

'And that includes help from the kids.'

Your phone went off earlier, and you got a little text message,

-didn't you, from one of your sons?

-I did.

-What did it say?

"Pop vinyls, shoes and jeans!"

So give me your phone, because I'm going to ring Kyle!

-ON PHONE:

-'Hello?'

Hi, Kyle, it's Steph McGovern here with Alex Jones

from Shop Well For Less, we're with your mum and dad.

-Hiya, Kyle!

-'Hello.'

We've just received a text with a bit of a shopping list,

and I've got an answer for you.

You're not getting any of it, Sunshine!

We are bringing down your spending!

SHE LAUGHS

-BOTH:

-Bye!

Right, come on, you lot.

I was completely shocked!

When you actually total it all up, that was a real surprise, for me.

The thing for me is, not looking back the way,

it's about seeing if there are some tricks and knowledge out there

that can help us.

I'm definitely feeling excited about the next step forward.

Well, what a family they are! Really good fun.

What are we going to do with them?

I think energy bills is definitely an area where they can save money,

because they haven't even switched supplier for years,

so there's loads I want to crack on with that.

You know, they want the kids to have the best,

but they're shelling out for six individuals.

Maybe they should learn to say no, sometimes,

and look at cheaper brands.

We need to get them the holiday, don't we?

Oh, they totally deserve it.

'Well, we've got a lot to do, but in the meantime,

'we've replaced many of the family's favourite brands

'with less expensive items,

'to show them they can be canny with their cash!'

'And we've banned the use of their usual products.

'That includes access to their £12,000 shoe cupboard.'

So, we're not allowed to use any of the shoes, then?

KAREN LAUGHS

KAREN LAUGHS

-This is...

-KAREN LAUGHS

The kids are never going to speak to me again!

'Some swaps are obvious.'

Where have you put all my stuff?

Where's my dishwasher tablets?

This actually makes me feel slightly nauseous.

I'm not happy.

'But some items haven't been swapped at all.'

There's only a few things that I want in life,

and one is to be nicely moisturised.

'But will the Rodgers recognise their own products?'

Nectar!

Cleansing milk, same.

That's definitely the same.

'To try and curb their expensive tastes in technology,

'they'll be testing out a few new items.'

TV package...

-No Sky!

-Oh, dear!

If it doesn't do kids stuff...

we're off to my mum's!

Different phones. This has been my biggest worry.

It's like the same, but it's not the same.

-I think it's going to be...

-I'm not happy, to be honest.

It's going to be weird.

'And, to reduce those utility bills, some energy-saving tactics!'

It looks like a wireless thermostat.

I can turn the heating down from anywhere.

'Including a ban on the tumble dryer.'

KAREN GASPS

What, we can't use the tumble dryer?

-No!

-What is that?

-That's a clothes

-dryer! NO!

No!

I am going to go nuts!

I'm definitely sceptical about it,

but they're going to save money that we can save up and go on holiday.

That would be amazing.

Hmm.

'It's day one of the experiment,

and with the shoe cupboard firmly out of bounds,

'our label-loving twins are trying out their new alternative trainers.'

I like the colours of them, but I don't like the design.

You could get away with them in a dark place.

I don't like these at all, one bit.

'Well, brand cold turkey hasn't gone down well,

'but if they bought these instead of their usual trainers,

'they'd save £165 on these four pairs alone.'

-I didn't like the design.

-There's no way I would buy them,

I don't like them.

I thought the shoes were actually quite good,

to be honest, good for what we were doing there.

My attitude has slightly changed.

Definitely a way you could save money.

'So a bit hit and miss.'

Wow!

'Perhaps the girls will be more enthusiastic

'when they swapped fancy dress.'

That is beautiful.

'Instead of splashing out over £20 on each new costume,

'we've kitted them out with three outfits each,

'plus accessories from second-hand shops.'

It's butterfly!

Butterfly wings.

You are so lucky.

'On these outfits alone, Karen and Colin stand to save over £100.'

-I'm going to huff, I'm going to...

-Puff.

-..puff and I'm going to...

-Blow the house away!

-Down!

'Charity shops are a great place to find barely worn dressing-up items

'which won't burn a hole in your wallet.'

They absolutely loved it.

They played with it all.

I want to see the beast.

Are you going to go and see the beast? OK.

Oh, stinking boys!

'With six kids,

'Karen's daily washing routine is a military operation.'

I'm not sure whether they are going to like it.

'Karen knows this isn't her usual brand of non-bio,

but if she bought this one instead, she'd save £386 a year.

I know you can get ones much cheaper,

but I just really trust the brand that my mum used.

That actually smells really nice.

Please be good!

'Nonbiological detergents contain fewer substances

'that can irritate sensitive skin,

'but does price reflect cleaning performance?

'We've enlisted the help of some sporty mums,

'well-qualified when it comes to the world of washing.'

I am constantly washing.

I think I do about two loads a day.

I'm also doing washable nappies as well, so that's another big thing

that we have to get through.

I'm putting on so many washes, price actually is important.

'Our mums are testing five non-bio washing detergents to see whether

'they think a higher price gives a better wash.

'Wilko's own brand is our cheapest at just 14p per wash.

'Not far behind, at 16p per pod, is Tesco's Non-Bio.

'Next up, Waitrose Essential own brand, 17p per wash.

'Also, Ecozone's Laundry Capsules,

'35p each and double the price of the own brands.

'And finally, Karen's favourite, Fairy Non-Bio.

'At 37p for each wash, it's the most expensive.'

My biggest nightmare would be getting stains

out of the kids' clothes.

Strawberries get everywhere.

Red wine's also pretty bad, but I haven't drunk much of that recently.

'We're using them on the stubbornest of stains - ketchup, grass, mud,

'red wine and tea.

'Our test conditions aren't quite the same as doing this at home,

and, following a quick 35 minute, 40 degree cycle,

'we know these stains won't totally disappear.

'But which of the products will get the better result?'

Oh, wow! They're all pretty much the same, aren't they?

That's really surprising.

I didn't expect that. No.

Ultimately, there are still stains on all of them.

-Yeah.

-The green is nowhere near as good

as we thought it was going to be.

If I had bought that, and it looking so fancy,

-I'd have been really disappointed.

-Definitely.

And the one we didn't think

was not going to be very good has actually turned out really well.

-Yeah.

-But I don't know. That red was pretty good.

-Yeah.

-'So which did our mums like the most?'

The winner is...Tesco Non-Bio.

Wow!

So each little capsule is 16p.

I never would have bought that, so that's a real shock.

'Whilst none of them removed the stains completely,

'the own brand was our mums' favourite.

'Scrubbing in second was our cheapest option,

'whilst the most expensive

'detergent - and Karen's favourite -

'was fourth on our mums' list.'

Can't believe Tesco won, you know?

16p a wash, that's really good value.

Tesco being so cheap,

I would definitely use it as a washing product.

'So it is worth shopping around,

'as something cheaper may work just as well.

'In Glasgow, how's Karen getting on with her swapped detergent?'

That's absolutely excellent.

Love it, it smells great, washes great.

I would definitely use it again.

Especially if it's cheaper.

'Phew! 'A positive result.'

Right, let's do it.

'Now for the energy-efficient new dryer.'

I don't have time to stand and do this.

I do about five loads a day in the washing machine,

so I'd probably do seven tumble dryers.

'But, Karen, this dryer's £389 less to buy than your current one

'and could knock 178 quid off your electricity bill.'

OK. Here we go.

'By circulating warm air around the clothes,

'it can dry up to ten kilos at a time, but the more clothes,

'the more time it takes.'

The proof is in the pudding, when we see it coming out.

Here goes.

The big reveal.

Still damp.

Colin!

Uh-huh?

It's still damp.

Yeah, that's really wet.

It's just not happening. Not doing it.

Tape's coming off. We are free!

Welcome home.

'I think it's a no swap.'

It actually looks like a supermodel, but sometimes...

..there's nothing better than a bit of chunky.

'When Karen shops, she always buys a brand she knows

'or likes the look of,

'but surely what matters is whether the product works.'

-Hope the heating's on.

-Yeah, and the kettle.

-Hello.

-Hello, how are you?

-I'm well, thank you.

-It's wet, isn't it?

'We're hoping we can change that

'by getting her to try out five kettles.'

You're a big tea drinker, Karen, aren't you?

-Yes, I sure am.

-How many times do you reckon your kettle's on

-the boil, then?

-At least 15 times a day, if not more.

'We want Karen to decide which kettle she would buy.'

Looking at them, I like this one.

It's quite old-fashioned looking.

It's that whole going back to when you were young and thinking about

my mum and all that kind of thing, so it looks a wee bit like that.

These look ultra modern.

'So far, Karen prefers the look of the traditional style one,

'but will our kettle connoisseur change her mind

'once she sees how they perform?'

-Put the kettle on, Karen.

-OK!

See, I do squats when I wait for the kettle to boil.

-Do you?

-Yes!

That's a good idea.

Through the heels, and then you've done them

-and then you deserve a nice cuppa.

-There you go.

'First up, Karen's favourite and our second most expensive.'

-That's us.

-Give it a pour.

It's all in the pouring, isn't it?

-Pour's good.

-Right.

Move on, ladies.

'Next, the Vektra, which keeps water warm for hours after boiling.

'Not cheap, at £80.'

Think it might take five minutes to actually pour a cup of tea.

Too heavy and it pours too slow.

No.

-OK-cokey.

-Ready?

-Let's do the next one.

'The Breville kettle is next on the boil.'

Got a full-on shake to it.

-But that's quite nice.

-Yeah, I like the shake.

It's like, ready!

-How does it pour?

-Now, that's what you want.

Yeah, good pour.

'Fourth in line is our cheapest and only own brand, Tesco's kettle.'

It's coming to the end.

-I think that one's too long.

-There's more to life.

It's not too heavy.

-Good pour.

-Good pour.

Right, final one.

'And, finally, Russell Hobbs' kettle,

'with its 75% noise reduction.'

Very quiet. You know it's on because of the light.

I can't bear it.

There's no sense of occasion.

Oh, here we go.

That looked quite heavy, Karen.

It is heavy. That one's heavy.

Quite a slow and steady pour.

'Having seen them in action, which is her top kettle?'

So, favourite...

..is this one.

That kettle is £60.

Oh!

'Karen's second and third choice, however,

'were a fraction of the price.'

Would you go for any of these two over your number one?

Do you want me to be absolutely honest?

-Yes.

-I'd still choose this one.

Even though you know that that one pretty much boiled it

in the same speed, you liked the sound of it,

it would save you 40 quid?

-I know.

-£40 that could go towards a holiday?

If you weren't here, I would still go for that one!

-Terrible.

-I know.

'Looks are still taking precedent over price.

'I want to remind Karen why their spending habits need to change

'if they're to achieve their goal of a family holiday.'

Karen, I'm still reeling from the fact

that you have three sets of twins.

There must have been times when it's been difficult for you and Colin.

It's a shock. When you have a baby, it's a shock to anybody.

Gosh, don't tell me that now!

Here we go!

But it is, it's a shock.

Whether you have one child or six children,

just financially, it's massive.

When has it been at its hardest, having the six?

For me, it's when it comes to Christmas, I would say,

because you want to give them as much as you can,

but you're buying for six kids.

I can't even imagine it.

But you and Colin are very focused

-on trying to deliver the best, aren't you?

-You're right.

We're both as bad as each other, I would say,

cos Colin does like particular brands of his gadgets,

-so that's really expensive...

-Yeah.

-..much more expensive than my shoes.

But you could save yourselves so much money

by just buying things that are similar, but maybe not top-end.

Yeah, absolutely. I just want the boys

to look good and feel good.

Shall we get Colin in to just have a little chat about maybe how we can

rein it in with what you're buying for the kids?

-Yeah.

-Come on, Colin! Come and sit down.

'With so many in this family,

'everyone is going to have to make sacrifices.'

You haven't had a holiday since the girls came along

and that's something, as a family, that would be a lovely thing to do

before the boys, the eldest boys, moved out, wouldn't it?

Would you consider, Colin, maybe looking at brands that weren't

quite as expensive or weren't the top brands?

No, absolutely.

I mean, it would just be whether the boys would go, "Hmm, thanks,"

or whether it would be, you know, welcomed.

It's either having the best of the best or actually creating memories.

Explain to them, "Listen, we want this holiday with all of us.

"This is the only way we can, kind of, manage it."

I would be worried about some of the things we'd have to do,

but I think we could do it.

Yeah, and, you know, if anybody deserves a break,

it's you two.

Definitely!

Memories are so important.

The girls are getting to an age where they'll remember

and the boys won't forget.

Hopefully, we can actually do something

and get something out of it.

'The shift from spending to saving

'means Colin needs to consider cheaper brands of technology.

'So what will he make of Karen's new tablet?'

It's really light, isn't it? It's great.

That feels really strange to me.

'Two thirds of UK adults have access to a tablet,

'and Karen's keen to get one for herself.'

As long as this connects to the boys' calendars,

I wouldn't see why I would need to get an iPad, this looks quite good.

Really, this would depend on how much it's cost.

'How about 50 quid, Colin?

This tablet's nearly £269 cheaper

'than your usual favourite brand equivalent.'

Cool. I think I'm just going to have to learn how to use it properly

-and then just go with it.

-Mm-hm.

It's lighter, I think.

'We've also swapped 17-year-old twins Kyle and Lewis'

'premium brand mobiles.'

-I want to know what brand is.

-I know.

It's got the same features, hasn't it, as the phone we have?

-Yeah.

-It's good.

'If Kyle were to choose this phone instead of his usual brand,

'this could save an extra £290.'

I don't know if I could stick with this phone,

the camera is not as good as the phone that we have right now.

'Lewis has also been given a different phone

'on a cheaper monthly contract,

'representing another possible saving of £228 a year.'

Do you think you could live with this phone?

I probably could get used to it.

Money doesn't come easy, you know!

Don't zoom right in.

Ah, thanks.

That's beautiful.

This is, obviously, internet TV, isn't it?

It's got Sky on it as well.

'The Rodgers currently spend £80 a month on home entertainment.'

I'm glad we're getting the opportunity to look at

different options, because it's a lot of money.

'This TV package costs £14.99 for the box

'and, despite additional payments for extra channels,

'could save them over £600 a year.'

So far, I think it looks as though it does the majority of things

our previous package did and it looks very easy to use.

Indian recipes, we could knock up a wee Indian dinner tonight.

I like this.

'We've also changed the TV to one which is £480 cheaper

'than the old one.'

It feels crisper and sharper.

It seems as though it's got a bit more definition to it.

'And as an A+ energy rated model, it uses less electricity.'

Oh, I can see somebody coming up that you really like...

Katie Morag!

Yeah!

'With so many gadgets in their home,

'the Rodgers constantly need batteries.'

How many batteries do you tend to go through, then,

-in your household, Colin?

-Hundreds.

-Hundreds?

Hundreds! I've started going for own makes now.

-Yes!

-But I'm still not convinced about how effective they are.

We've got a really fun way to find out.

'There's huge differences in cost,

'but are the bigger brands worth paying more for?

'We're testing four makes.

'Brand leader Duracell is the most expensive, at 89p a battery.

'We've another popular brand, Panasonic,

'which are 31p a battery.

'At the other end of the scale are Wilko's, at just 10p each.'

'And, finally, Lidl's Aerocell, each battery costing 25p.'

And these ones will last the longest.

I knew you'd go with the bunny last.

You have more confidence because you see it on the telly.

Never believe everything you see on the telly.

-No, I'm learning that.

-First rule of television.

Unless it's us.

'Alex and I also have four experts at the ready to put the batteries

'through their paces.

'It's the Shop Well For Less Grand Prix.'

Get set, race!

'And they're off, but which batteries will last the longest?'

I'm in second, here we go.

I think Finn needs a sat nav in his!

-I'm first.

-I'm first! Look at me, I'm miles ahead.

Wrong way.

Number three's not looking good.

It's looking a little bit sluggish.

'1 hour 20 in, and we have our first casualty.'

One down, still three going strong.

Just over an hour later...

One, that's had it now, hasn't it?

Yeah.

'With two cars still going steady,

'Alex and I decide to call it a night,

'leaving Finn and Jude in the driving seats.

Now, I know this is scientific and all the rest of it,

but I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Are you with me, Colin?

-I'm with you.

-Are you boys happy to stay?

-Yeah.

-You can report back to us.

-Bye!

-Bye.

'And finally, after a hard-fought battle...

'..Finn's the winner..

'The next morning, I'm keen to find out which batteries failed first

'and whose powered ahead.'

We've got the results.

-Yeah.

-..which are quite surprising.

-Yeah.

-So we'll start with the first one to fail, which was number three.

OK, so a drum roll...

Oh.

-STEPH AND ALEX:

-Ooh!

-ALL:

-Ooh!

Gosh, that's a surprise.

Panasonic.

Yeah, so that means that...

..that was the winner, wow.

Who'd have thought that?

'Surprisingly, the most expensive

'brand leader came third,

'whilst the crowned winner

'was our second cheapest own brand.'

I would never have thought

that they would be the winners.

It just makes you think maybe own brands are an option,

because they might do just as good a job or even better

-than some of the big names.

-Yeah.

'With eight people under one roof,

'the Rodgers' energy bills last year were over four grand.'

"To save the money on your energy bill, we want you to count

"and switch off all the appliances in your home. Love, Alex and Steph."

Right, off youse go.

'UK households waste £227 million a year on appliances left on stand-by,

'which continue to suck up power and pennies.'

I'm quite sceptical about it.

I don't really believe that it will save an awful lot of money.

'Each item may be costing just a few pence a month, Colin,

'but over a year, they all add up.'

How many did you find?

There was 64 appliances.

-You're kidding on.

-Still plugged in, not turned off.

That's absolutely unbelievable.

If we're not using it, just switch it off.

'If all 64 appliances were switched off at the socket,

'they could have another 80 quid a year in the bank.

'I've a few more energy-saving tips that could get them closer

'to that family holiday.'

Your gas and electricity is a big burner of money, isn't it?

Well, it is, but it's also the practical issues

of having a big family

and a beautiful, lovely wife

who doesn't really appreciate

that if you turn the heating down, you save money.

I do, I turn up to 30 and then when I see Colin...

That's quite hot, 30!

-I know!

-Don't say what you're about to say.

Then when Colin comes up the drive, I turn it down.

Do you? You know, you all, obviously, need to shower.

It's the length of time spent in the shower that can make a difference.

-Mm-hm.

-It's me, I have a long shower.

-Do you? How long are you in the shower for?

-30 minutes.

You're not telling the truth.

-What is it really?

-45. 45.

What are you doing in there? You can bring that down a bit.

OK, I will. I'll bring it down, I promise.

Do you ever think about how you pay for your bills?

Do you get them online? You know, do you look at the tariffs ever?

-Do you do anything like that?

-No, I haven't.

We changed our providers when we changed our tariffs for a long time.

There's a lot of money you can save by switching.

Last year, you paid about £1,330 for your electricity.

We found a deal where you would have paid £946 last year.

So it's a saving of £384, just on your electricity.

How do you feel about that?

-Surprised.

-Yeah, that's amazing.

I didn't know there was so much variance on it.

Let's have a look at your gas, then.

Last year, you paid about £2,400, just over 4p per kilowatt hour.

So we found a deal for just over 2p per kilowatt hour.

-No.

-My word.

A saving of over £1,000, on your gas bill.

You're raging, aren't you, Colin?

-I can see.

-Absolutely.

-You're proper raging.

The provider that we're with just now,

for the length of time we've been with them,

you would think they'd be looking after us.

That's a big question - does it pay to be loyal?

-It doesn't feel like it, does it?

-No.

So if you take that combined, your gas and electricity,

the difference is £1,400.

I didn't realise I could save that amount of money.

I think you should move in, Steph.

I would love to.

You wouldn't even notice I'm here!

'Many of us are brand loyal,

'and to demonstrate one quite surprising way that brands

'can lure us in, consumer expert, Professor Avi Shankar,

'sets us a challenge.

To illustrate this, I'd like to play little game with you.

So what you've got to do is put your blindfolds on and then I'm going to

give you some pens and ask you to write with them.

'We've got to sign our names using two different pens.

-Are you right-handed, Steph?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

'But will we notice any difference?'

OK, brilliant. OK, thank you very much.

Now you can remove your blindfolds.

Oh, I quite like it in here.

Oh, I don't.

Oh, you've got a lovely signature.

Did either of the pens feel more feminine?

-No.

-I don't know how a pen can feel feminine, if I'm honest with you!

Well, believe it or not, the first pen I gave you was this one.

-Which you can now see.

-Oh, OK.

-A pink one.

-A pink one, indeed.

-Right.

And the second one I gave you...

Ahh.

Which one do you think costs more?

-The pink one.

-This one.

-The pink one, indeed.

So our gender can trap us into buying things that are more costly.

See, that really annoys me.

I would never spend more money,

-especially on something that says "Miss Bic," it puts me off.

-I know.

Because it gets on my nerves cos I think it's sexist, for a start.

-Yeah, yeah.

-So I'd go with this, cheapest.

-Right.

-It's like razors, as well, isn't it?

The pink ones, the "girlie" ones, are more expensive.

I always get men's razors because I know I'm not going to fall for that

-flaming gender stereotype.

-Is that for there?

Yeah, it is actually for my beard,

but let's not go into that now, Alex, and embarrass me.

It's really dodgy that, though, isn't it?

It's so hard being a woman, Avi.

But why do they do it, though?

Do they think we're stupid,

that we won't see there's a difference in price,

just cos the colour's different?

Clearly, it's worth their while doing it, but equally,

if you're going through a supermarket, for example,

and you see pink and blue and you're a woman or a man,

it immediately signals to you that that's a product for you

and that's a product for you.

It makes me really angry that, though.

-And me.

-And me too.

'So what Avi's telling us is to look beyond the packaging -

'pink or blue.

'Back in Glasgow, doing her bit to reduce energy consumption,

'Karen's attempting a shorter shower.'

"If you're serious about reducing your gas bill,

from now on all showers in the house

"need to be limited to four minutes or less.

"Good luck. Alex and Steph."

I could take your four minutes and my four minutes.

I could come in with you and that'd give us eight minutes.

-Right! Enough.

-No...

'Usually, Karen enjoys a 45-minute soak,

'but reducing this to just four minutes would save 57p a shower.'

Get set...

go!

'And six of those a week would give them an extra £179 a year.'

-How'd I do?

-TIMER BEEPS

Bang on four minutes.

Good on her for giving it a go.

She won't have enjoyed that.

'To reduce heating costs, we've installed a smart thermostat,

'that Colin can operate remotely, that could slash their gas bill

'by nearly a third.'

So I think we should set the temperature at 25.

It's 22 at the moment and it's absolutely roasting,

I'm actually sweating.

We're supposed to be saving money.

'And every degree dropped could be £85 a year saved.'

-Set it at 17...

-25.

Right, OK, we'll go in the middle. We'll go to 19, right?

-No, that's not the middle!

-It is.

'This thermostat automatically turns the heating down

'when no-one's in the house and adapts the temperature

'according to the weather forecast.'

We'll go 20.5.

This is a big house, it changes its temperature.

-Can I have a wee shot...?

-No.

-No, just a wee shot to see how it...

-No, it's fine.

It needs to go down.

What's that over there?

'Many of us rely on the same branded cleaning products,

'time and time again.

'But this week, Karen has no idea what she's using.'

The multi-purpose liquid is brilliant.

I think it's the same.

'It's not yours, Karen, but buying this one in future

'would save £48 a year.

Our swapped bathroom cleaner's also gone down well.'

It smells brilliant.

It's a swap.

'Great news, as switching to this bathroom cleaner

'is another annual saving of 49 quid.

'And as for the air freshener...'

It could be mine.

'Nah, it's definitely not yours, Karen.

'At £2.50 cheaper per can,

'choosing this would save an impressive £130 a year.

But not all our swaps have been a success.

Dishwasher tablets, didn't like them at all.

I would end up washing the dishes twice.

'If Karen did switch to these tablets,

over the year she'd save £110.'

No matter how cheap they are, I would not swap them.

'When it comes to cleaning, there's one thing 94% of British consumers

'all own - a vacuum cleaner.

'And, with some models close to £500,

'it's an investment worth thinking about.'

Back in the day, I used to be an engineer,

working on things like developing vacuum cleaners.

But they're so different, aren't they?

In the way they look, and how much they actually cost.

What should you be looking for, when you want to buy a vacuum cleaner?

'I'm in Somerset, at one of the last UK-based manufacturers

'of vacuum cleaners.'

-Here's your hi-vis.

-Lovely.

Let's go and have a walk round the factory.

'I want to find out if there's more to buying a vacuum cleaner

'than just super suction.'

So when it comes to buying a vacuum cleaner, Stuart,

what should I be looking for?

There are upright vacuum cleaners,

and there are cylinder vacuum cleaners.

An upright's very good for cleaning carpet.

Cylinder vacuum cleaners are very good

for lots of different applications -

carpets, hard floors, and even going out and cleaning your car.

-And you've got to think about how you're going to use it.

-Yes.

Now, another big difference between vacuum cleaners

is ones that have a bag in, and ones that don't.

Yeah, and a bag provides you with a very big dust capacity,

so that you don't have to empty the vacuum cleaner so often.

If you can cope with emptying a little bit more often,

-bagless is great.

-Can I have a go at making one?

-Absolutely. Lena will show you how to put one together.

-A-ha.

'In the well-carpeted UK,

'54% of British consumers own an upright vacuum.

'But before buying, think about manoeuvrability, weight,

'flex length and price.'

How long did that take us?

About half an hour with me helping, there we go.

Sorry, production line ruined.

-I'll leave you to it, Lena, thank you.

-Thank you.

-See you.

'But if you're about to splash your cash on a new machine,

'how do you know it will last?'

There's a flapping rig down here.

'This is the factory's test area.'

So what's going on here, then?

So this is hose flexibility testing.

The rig is stretching that hose,

and pulling it and pulling it and pulling it,

100,000 times.

'Regularly cleaning a vacuum's filters will extend its life span,

'but manufacturers also do rigorous quality control testing

'on their products.'

This looks like some type of military training camp.

What we've got is a trundle rig, and we're testing for wheels, castors,

again, durability, reliability.

Inevitably, though, things do break now and again.

-Absolutely.

-So what happens then, do you have to buy a whole new vacuum?

No, we can supply spares, right down to a screw, a wheel.

And that's something that's important to think about

when you're buying a vacuum cleaner is,

"If anything happens, will I be able to get the part?"

I feel sorry for them. Do they ever get a break?!

No, they seem happy this morning, aren't they? Let's face it.

'All new vacuums have one test that's now standard

'across the industry.'

This is our dust pick-up testing equipment.

So what does it tell you, in the end?

How efficient the machine is

at picking up dirt and debris from the carpet,

and telling us how much electric is used in the process.

And how would you know that if you're in a shop?

You've got an energy label, which looks like this.

An A is a very, very good energy rating,

and a low number here for kilowatt hours per year,

obviously, is very good.

Cos you want to know that it's going to suck up the dust,

but it's not going to take too much energy to do it.

-Exactly right. That's what you're looking for.

-Makes sense.

'The label also rates the machine's ability to pick up on carpet

'and hard floors, as well as dust emissions.

'So, look for higher ratings in those areas that matter to you.'

It's really easy to get sucked into thinking you have to spend a fortune

in order to get the best one.

But there are loads of options out there that will do the job,

last a long time, and be efficient too.

'Back in Scotland, we're on a mission

'to make the Rodgers more shopping savvy.'

Oh, it feels nice.

'In the UK, we spend over £4.5 million a year

'on beauty products. We're hoping to reduce Karen's contribution,

'by swapping her luxury brand for cheaper alternatives.'

It smells like walking through a meadow! Does that make sense?

Like I'm walking through a meadow.

'I think that's good.

'But will she recognise her usual cleanser?'

This smells exactly like mine.

'Well, she knows her stuff.

'But we have switched the rest.'

Love it. If that was cheaper, that would really shock me.

'If Karen ditched her luxury lotions for our beauty bargains,

'she'd save over a grand a year on these items alone.'

I am very happy.

I think I would cope with it, I certainly would cope with it.

'Sounds positive.

'What will Karen make of her new frying pan?'

I use my frying pan all the time,

so I probably go through about one a year.

But this looks more expensive.

'You're absolutely right, Karen.

'This frying pan is nearly £40 more expensive,

'but has a lifetime guarantee, so won't need replacing every year.'

It's actually cooking really well, it's not sticking,

my food's not sticking to it.

So maybe using a more expensive one...

..it might last me a bit longer.

Right, Isla, go shout your brothers.

Finn!

'Finn and Jude are testing out two new schoolbags,

'without a brand name in sight.'

I wouldn't mind swapping it, if my other one got ruined.

I like the colour and the design of it.

Yeah, I'd be happy with that bag, I've got no problem with it.

'Finn's swapped bag would be a saving of eight quid.

'But what's Jude going to make of his brandless bag?'

I don't really care if it's cheap or expensive,

if it's brand or not branded.

It's just a bag, it'll do the job.

'I couldn't agree with you more, Jude.

'And without a logo, this bag's £52 cheaper than his current rucksack.'

Bye!

'Nice work, lads.'

Oh, now look, you've put it on the wrong foot, but that's OK.

'As part of the spending shake-up,

'three-year-old twins Rowan and Isla are trying out some new wellies.'

How good are they? Do you want to go and splash in the puddles?

Yeah.

'Each pair is £23 cheaper than their usual branded ones.

'So if Karen bought these in the future,

'she'd be spared another £46.'

I think the boots are fantastic.

I actually think they're better than their usual pair,

because they have the two loops on either side,

which they can grip onto to pull on themselves.

Do you think you can splash me?

LAUGHTER

'Karen's also been given budget boots too.'

These boots look slightly plastic.

I don't think they're my own brand.

But I could be wrong.

'You're not wrong, Karen.

'These aren't your branded boots, but they are a third of the price.

'If she bought these next time, she'd save herself £75.'

I'm not sure if it would be a swap.

But I do quite like them.

'With the good old British weather,

'it's not just boots that need to be fully functional.

'Over 1.1 million umbrellas have been sold annually in the UK.

'So we're testing five compact ones,

'to see which can withstand the strongest winds.

'The mid-range Knirps flip resistant umbrella is £39.95.

The handmade Aspinal Marylebone is our deluxe option at £150.

'At the other end of the scale, the Incognito, a budget brolly,

'at £11.95.

'Next, at £47.50, the Senz's storm proof shape enables it to float,

'rather than fight the wind.

'And finally, another mid-range option at £40,

'the fibre-reinforced Fulton Cyclone.

'They're all rainproof, but how wind resistant are they?

'We're at an indoor skydiving arena,

'where five instructors are finding out which brolly

'will blow them away.'

It's very sturdy, very well made.

It's definitely going to win today.

Unbelievable. I was so gutted.

It's pretty strong. Yeah, I think it'll be pretty good.

I'm a bit surprised, I thought it was going to be a bit better.

But, like you can see, it is still working.

So I'm a little bit worried, I think my umbrella's a bit flimsy.

-Shocking.

-It wasn't the best one.

-Shocking.

I'm actually feeling pretty confident about my umbrella,

I quite like the colour of it, it looks pretty fashionable.

It didn't perform, but it popped back in place really well.

I quite like my umbrella, not just for the colour.

Yeah!

You know, I'm not going to go out looking for storms.

But if there was one, then I'd definitely use this umbrella.

'So which brolly weathered the wind?'

The overall winner is...

-No way!

-Yes! It was mine!

'The luxury umbrella won

'by just a second.

'But close behind were both

'mid-range brollies,

'over £100 cheaper than the winner.

'So investing in an umbrella might be an area where you should spend

'what you can afford.'

I would never spend £150 on an umbrella.

Even though this came second, I'd go for this.

It's a lot cheaper, and it's just as good, I think.

'In Glasgow, the label-loving Rodgers have been separated

'from their beloved brands.'

The more you get used to it, the easier it becomes.

Do you think you could live with this phone?

Yeah, I could.

'Our objective - to change some serious spending habits.'

It's not the same, but it's pleasant.

'But will the experiment have been a success, or not?'

Alex and Steph have certainly saved us money,

but whether they've saved us enough money for a holiday, I don't know.

'Well, there's only one way to find out.'

I'm feeling quite nervous about this one, you know,

because we haven't just swapped products.

We're, like, changing the way they operate.

I know. But then, if they really want a family holiday,

they've got to make those changes.

Right, then. The moment of truth.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm really excited.

-Yeah.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

How did your week of swaps go, then, generally?

I've really enjoyed it.

I'm really interested to find out what's going to

be the outcome.

'We challenged the Rodgers to make some real changes in their home,

'in order to reduce their energy bills,

'starting with turning off all those appliances.'

It's going to be painful, just do it.

OK!

That would save you £80 a year.

That's that you're throwing away.

Oh, my goodness. Get it, get it!

It's mine! It's mine!

That is unbelievable, £80.

-It is, when you add it all up.

-It's a good start, isn't it?

-Brilliant.

'Karen could save £180 a year sticking to a four minute shower.'

I would never have thought that.

That's a lot, isn't it?

If all the lads went down to four minutes as well,

that would actually save you £290.

And you're going to come every day and help me get them out?

With a whistle, and a stopwatch!

'The smart thermostat could shave nearly a third off

'their annual gas bill.

'That's a possible further £560 saved.'

-That's a lot of money.

-Absolutely amazing.

-Yeah.

'Making these small changes and switching energy supplier could give

'them some impressive results over the course of a year.'

All of those energy savings could save you about £2,330 a year.

-That's a lot of money.

-Fantastic.

'We've taken on technology in this house,

'including Colin's satellite TV package.'

Do you think it's going to save you quite a lot, though, every month?

-I'm sceptical. I'm not sure.

-OK.

You'd save over £50 a month.

-A month?

-A month?

-A month.

The annual saving would be over £600

by switching to this little device.

And that includes the sports and...

-Yeah.

-I'm flabbergasted.

-Absolutely.

There's certain things that have made me angry.

That makes me angry.

-Hold in the anger and think of the holidays.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-That's a swap.

-Absolutely.

'And what did they think of Karen's tablet?'

This one will save you £269.

I would buy that. That's, like, a flight.

-You're going for that one?

-I'll go for that one.

-Excellent.

And I think that's a good price.

'It looks like some bad habits have been broken.'

So we gave Lewis this phone.

Compared to his current contract...

That is a big difference.

That's over a 24-month contract.

I think I need to be tougher.

It's actually a merry-go-round that I really don't want to be on.

-Hopefully, in the future, we can change that.

-Yeah.

'That's music to my ears, Colin.

'But is Karen also prepared to bin the big brands?'

So we swapped your serum.

Oh...

-Quite a big difference here.

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look.

-Really?!

-Yeah.

That's a massive saving.

Hang on, hang on. Is that annually, or per packet?

No, this costs £9.99.

And the one your rather fabulous, lovely, gorgeous wife buys...

With amazing skin...

-..is £55.

-Ooh!

If I told you that was an annual saving of £540...

That makes me feel so bad.

-I can't believe that.

-540.

-It's a swap.

-OK, brilliant.

-It's a swap.

-Excellent.

-Brilliant.

'Not all our swaps were so popular.'

So compared to the cost of a tumble dryer,

this is £389 and a penny cheaper.

Could we actually use this?

-And the answer was no.

-It's not a swap.

-Definitely not.

'However, they decided to keep over 80% of our suggestions,

'including the expensive but longer lasting frying pan.'

This one is £49.99, but it does come with a lifetime guarantee.

-It's great. Swap.

-Swap.

Detergent.

Loved it. I can't believe it.

-That's good.

-I really hope it's cheaper.

-The saving...

..is £18.19.

£385 a year.

That is an absolute swap.

This television was actually bought in a supermarket,

but it would save you...

..£479.

-Next time...

-Next time.

-..is it a swap?

-BOTH:

-Yes.

'Going forward, if this super-sized family were to take on

'these savvy swaps and learn from our tricks,

'could they save enough for a holiday abroad?'

Well, all we need to do now is give you the big total.

So taking on board the tips that we've given you,

and looking at the swaps that we've done,

that would be a saving

of around £7,500.

That is a holiday.

Can you smell the pina colada?

I'm delighted that we can get away on holiday.

It will be absolutely brilliant. I didn't think it was achievable.

Are we on the plane, are our bags packed?

Yes. We'll send you a postcard!

You expect a saving, but you don't expect a saving of that amount.

It actually makes you feel quite bad

of what we must've been spending our money on.

I am so happy. I can actually visualise us going on holiday now,

when I never thought we ever could.

I remember my granny telling me the pennies make the pounds,

and all that kind of stuff, and it's true.

It's had such an impact on everybody.

It's just fantastic.

What a lovely family.

I know, and they've made some really substantial changes, haven't they?

Yeah, those savings have come from teamwork.

Yeah. Good job. Well done.

'Next time, a house bursting with buys...'

-Three of these.

-Another pair.

'..means looking good comes at a cost.'

You're uncontrollable.

No, you've made me uncontrollable.

'Can we rein in their wild ways?'

No!