Episode 4 Right on the Money

Whether you're a spender or a saver,

we could all do with knowing how to make the most of our cash.

So we've found simple advice for you to do just that and taken it to

people right across the UK.

Whatever help you need with your finances, we are Right On The Money.

Hello and welcome to Right On The Money.

The show that's here to save you some serious cash.

And we take the job of giving you some seriously good advice,

well, seriously.

Seriously. Here's what's coming up on today's programme.

We help one big-spending mum tackle her shopping habit.

And there's no hiding,

as our expert discovers the extent of her bulk buying.

How many teabags in here? There's millions!

-It was only 1,100.

-You're not having 1,100 friends around, are you?

-No!

And one year on we find out just how much difference

our money makeovers have made.

Right On The Money has changed my life, it's changed our lives.

I can't thank the programme enough, to be honest.

We all like to indulge ourselves now and again

but forking out for all those little treats adds up.

That's certainly the case for one woman we meet

who just loves to spend.

30-year-old Nikki Richards from London has a lot on her plate.

Not only is she bringing up her two children, Nickain and Numaya,

but she's also holding down a demanding job with a major bank.

My job is an extremely busy role.

It consists of me travelling all over the world.

So I could be... This week, I could be in America.

Next week I could be in Poland.

And then I could be anywhere they send me over the globe.

Lovely!

It takes

super supportive family members like my mum, my nan.

They literally do so much when it comes to, like,

the childcare and all that sort of stuff.

Welcome to Right On The Money!

Who want to get money?

Oi, you! That's my job.

To make life just that little bit busier,

Nikki's also preparing to marry chef Anton,

who'll be moving over from Jamaica after the wedding.

When he asked me to marry him I was crying and I was, like,

"Yes, of course I'll marry you."

Like, I can't actually see myself without him now.

Like, the kids love him and it is like he's been there forever.

So it's like a true, like, Romeo and Juliet kind of story.

Hey, babe, you all right?

Yeah, I'm good.

Once Nikki and Anton have tied the knot

they'll settle in Nikki's London house.

So she's got the builders in to get it ready.

Nikki earns a good salary but wants to spend more wisely.

Particularly as her bills for beauty treatments,

lunch parties, and even designer cakes are beginning to add up.

She wants a financially friction-free start to married life.

I'd say that I'm always outside of the box.

I do what I want to do when I want to do it, how I want to do it.

I will say Anton's spending is like the total opposite to mine.

So he's very money conscious, he's very like,

"Babe, do we really need this? Babe, can we get this cheaper?"

Babe, it sounds like Anton can't get here soon enough.

But, in the meantime, we've got the next best thing.

Personal finance expert Simon Reed.

He's on hand to rein in Nikki's spending

and set the couple up for a secure financial future.

Hi, I'm Simon. Hi, Simon, I'm Nikki.

-Great to meet you.

-Thank you.

-Come on in.

-Brilliant.

So, Nikki, tell me about your spending habits.

What do you like to spend your money on?

I think I do a lot of beauty treatments.

-OK.

-So I have to have my hair done regularly.

-Yeah.

-So I would say I spend roughly about £200...

-A time?

-A month.

Oh. A month.

Phew! I thought Simon was going to have a turn there!

I'm into healthy treatments.

-Yep.

-So I do other healthy treatments

and then I'd get my nails done.

-Right.

-Which would be about £60 a month as well.

If Nikki looked after her finances like she looks after her appearance

there'd be no problem at all.

Simon's been adding up how much all these treatments are costing.

So, in total, we're talking about...

Your hair's about 200 a month,

the other treatments are another £200 a month,

plus your nails at another £60 a month.

Yeah, it's rough... About 460.

OK. So we need to think about this.

We need to think about ways to cut these costs

-because you want the money...

-Yeah.

-..for other things, don't you?

-For more important things.

-Yeah.

And there's more.

Nikki also has a personal trainer.

And to say a big thank you to her family

for helping out with the childcare,

she likes to treat them to restaurant meals

and regularly splashes out on designer cakes for family dos.

It's very generous but very expensive.

How much are we talking about your spending on...

So probably between £1,000 to £1,200 a year.

How much?

Crumbs!

I've got some pictures on my phone that I can show you.

OK. Well, do you know what?

It's lovely to have cakes in celebration - we all do it -

but not all of us spend £1,200 a year on cakes.

Yeah. That is my guilty pleasure.

I think we have to look at this expenditure.

Because you need to save money,

and spending £1,200 a year on cakes

-is not necessarily the best use of your money, in my view.

-Cool.

But before Simon takes a slice out of Nikki's cake bill,

he wants to see what's going on with the rest of her grocery shopping.

It turns out she's buying way too much

and has converted the cupboard under the stairs

into an emergency larder.

Crikey! What's all this?

-What is all this stuff?

-All right, well you got...

-That's the tea bags.

-You got enough... How many teabags in here?

-There's millions!

-It was only 1,100 to start off with.

-1,100 teabags?

-Yeah.

-Why have you got so many tea bags?

Just so that I don't have to buy any.

People have tea, so we have tea quite often.

You're not having 1,100 friends around, are you?

-No!

-No! You don't need all those.

What are all these cans?

-Soups.

-How often do you have tinned soup?

Not that often, but just in case I fancy a bit of soup,

-then I've got soup there.

-What are you expecting?

A nuclear war?

I think we need to go and talk about this.

Let's just go and have a cup of tea, talk about your shopping habits.

Good plan, Simon. Two tea bags down, 1,098 to go.

What sort of planning do you do?

I don't do any. I just...

Sometimes, like, if I'm doing something in the kitchen

and I'm using something and I'm, like,

"Oh, I've got none of that left",

and then I go in the cupboard and then I see there's none of it,

and then the next time I go online I'll order, like, five.

And I think I have an issue with ordering just one.

Like soap powder lasts a long time and I never order one.

Quantity is always...

..three plus.

Understandably, Nikki doesn't want the house

to run short when she's away

but Simon's got a simple solution.

I think, for starters, you need to do a stock take.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-That means taking everything out.

And then... And then just have a list on the door.

OK? So you can see the things that you've got in there.

And then when you use them, if you use them, you just cross it off.

So then when you come to the end of the soups

which, I must admit, I don't think it's going to be this century,

you think, "Right, now I need to buy some more soups."

-Yeah.

-Or not, as the case may be.

And I reckon you'll get your shopping down, I don't know,

-as much as half, maybe.

-Yeah.

Great plan. If Nikki can put into place some of Simon's advice

she could reduce her shopping bill by £1,800.

And Simon is only just warming up.

So, Nikki, we brought you to one of your favourite places where you

spent an awful lot of time and an awful lot of money.

-Yeah.

-It's a lovely salon, but we're not going to talk about beauty.

We're not going to talk about any of the treatments you normally have.

We're going to talk about some of your household bills,

where I think you're paying too much.

OK.

At over £91 a month,

Simon thinks Nikki is paying way over the odds

for her electricity and gas.

Now you've been in your home for roughly a decade now, is that right?

-Yeah, yeah.

-And how many times have you changed energy supplier?

Oh, I know that answer. Zero.

-Never?

-Never.

-Why have you never changed plan?

Do you know what, I just get so bogged down with two children,

-you know, day-to-day life.

-OK.

You've got lots of other things to do.

-Yeah.

-Of course you have.

With kids and work travel it's no surprise that

Nikki hasn't kept on top of her bills.

And she's not alone.

45% of us can't remember ever switching energy suppliers.

If you're one of them, with over 40 different providers out there,

it's likely there's a better deal waiting for you right now.

Go onto a reputable comparison website

and you can start saving like our Nikki.

I can bring your monthly bill down to £67.58.

That's just over £24 a month...

Wow. That works out at roughly £300 a year saving.

So what could you do with £300 a year extra?

That could go towards the wedding.

-That's good news.

-That is a great start.

So that's an easy saving of £300 a year

but Simon might have a tougher task

persuading Nikki to change her beauty regime.

So, Nikki, I know you like to spend an absolute fortune on looking good

and looking great and that's fine,

but I think I found a way

that you can have all your treatments

but at a fraction of the cost.

-Are you intrigued?

-Yes, I am.

-Well, let's go and find out more, shall we?

-OK, let's go.

Nikki needs to look smart for work

but can Simon suggest a way to keep up appearances

and keep down the cost?

He's brought Nikki to her local beauty training academy

to meet the boss, Lorraine.

Tell Lorraine about what you have every week, every month.

OK, so I'll get my nails done every two weeks.

I'd get a pedicure monthly.

I have waxing, all that body wax, probably monthly, every six weeks.

We do live in an age where everybody's body conscious.

We all want to look younger for longer,

people want to feel good.

It's very relaxing, isn't it?

I'm loving this, but, you know, it comes at a price, doesn't it?

It does.

Lorraine's students need models to practise on.

In return, they offer manicures, pedicures, waxing,

and other treatments at a fraction of the high street price.

On average, our costing is done on a ratio roughly of 10%

of what you would pay in the high street.

So we just cover our cost, so if you had a head of highlights at £150,

which is about the commercial rate, you pay 15 here.

-How much?

-15.

So it's a 10% ratio.

-No way!

-And the thing is, you see, it's a win-win situation,

because we need models to come for our students to be assessed.

Now that's what I call a real savings highlight.

People are often deterred from coming to a training academy

because they think of learners in training.

And I can understand that.

But all of the students are all either working

as apprentices in salons

and training, or they are doing work experience.

So you get quality, basically.

-Always.

-Cos that would be my worry, like,

I want to get the best service ever.

Of course.

You're getting your first-class treatment at a greatly reduced cost.

Well, that's put a gloss on it.

So how much can Nikki save if she starts using the academy

for her manicures?

Hmm, so, if you were to come here,

do you think you would be happy to do that?

Are you getting a good manicure there?

Yeah, it's really good, actually.

-Doing a great job.

-So, you know,

it would reduce the cost per month from £90-100

to just nine or £10 a month.

-Nine or £10 a month?

-Nine or £10 a month.

So that's a saving of around £90 a month.

That's unbelievable. Wow! Oh, my God!

I can save so much money.

If Nikki went to the academy for her manicures and pedicures,

she could save a massive £960 a year.

But Simon's not finished yet.

In part two, Nikki's going to need all her stamina to keep up.

Go on, Nick!

And we'll be catching up with Nikki later on

to see if she's managed to curb that spending in time for that wedding.

Dom, I think little Nickain is after your job, you know?

Yeah, so do I, I'm slightly worried here, Denise.

Well, joining me now are the editor of Moneywise magazine,

Moira O'Neill, along with psychology professor Katrina Morrison.

-Morning, ladies.

-Morning.

Now that cupboard under Nikki's stairs was full of bulk purchases.

Why do people do that?

It's a very natural human instinct to bulk buy,

because you don't know what's around the corner.

When you live in times of plenty,

and you want to store things up so that,

you know, if times get more lean, then you can be prepared for it.

Moira, by shopping online,

you'd think you'd avoid being tempted by bargains,

but that's not the case, is it?

No, it's not at all.

I mean, online shopping,

we've almost got as much temptation at our fingertips

as we do going into supermarkets.

And companies work very, very hard to tempt us with special offers,

and they can target us by gathering information

about our browsing history online and what we like looking at,

and they can find out,

build up a picture of us and then entice us with...

..goods that they think we want to buy.

Katrina, Nikki has a job where she has to dress very smart.

Do you think women feel under more pressure than men

in that department?

Yes, I'm sure that women do.

There's a very interesting tale of two Australian newsreaders.

You've got a man and a woman.

The woman was regularly being trolled and criticised

for what she was wearing, particularly if they found her...

saw her wearing the same outfit twice.

So the man decided he was going to do a little experiment

and he was going to wear the same suit on TV every day for a year,

which he did, and nobody noticed.

And so this is a very interesting example

of how women are in the spotlight,

and feeling the need, then, to keep up appearances.

And I guess retailers really exploit that, don't they?

Of course they do. And if you look at the layout of shops, for example,

then the shops are designed to bring women in.

They will offer the bargains at the front of the store

to draw you in and then you're enticed to find out

what's in the rest of the store,

but the women's clothes are always the most prominent in the shop.

What would you say to back that, Moira?

Well, I think you need to think about how you can use your wardrobe

wisely. Can you buy an accessory that will jazz up an outfit to make

it look different, even though it's something that's quite classic?

Katrina, Moira, thank you.

-Really interesting stuff.

-Thanks. Now, we're well on the way to saving

Nikki thousands of pounds by curbing her spending habits.

But how easy is it to stay on track? Well, to find out, we've caught up

with some of the people our experts visited in our last series.

So 12 months after their money makeovers,

have our families fallen back into bad habits?

Exactly one year ago,

these people all asked for our help to tackle their money worries.

First up, retired police officer Carol Owen,

who was desperate to solve the mystery of her disappearing bank balance.

The chief suspects - teenage daughter Catherine and pampered pooch Stanley.

So we sent in money expert Sarah Pennells to try and crack the case.

Hello, you must be Carol.

-Yeah, hello.

-I'm Sarah.

-Nice to meet you.

-Really nice to meet you.

-Come in.

-Despite having a decent pension,

Carol was struggling to make ends meet.

When I look at my statements, at the end of the month,

I find it ridiculous, really,

that I've got a good amount of money coming in, but every single penny

seems to go out, as well.

But in no time at all,

Sarah started to identify where all that missing cash was heading.

Pet insurance every month is about £67.

OK. That's quite a lot.

It's quite a lot.

Bless him.

Sarah soon found a deal to halve that bill and save an impressive £400 a year.

I think that's fantastic for pet insurance.

One year on, and it's not just the pet insurance that has got Carol

-shopping around.

-We took on board all of the advice we were given.

I've recently been renewing house and car insurance.

I did a lot of research before that, so I've got some good deals.

When Sarah met Carol, she was struggling to find the money

for daughter Catherine's dream prom dress.

Sarah suggested cutting back on so many treats for the teen.

So did Cinderella manage to go to the ball?

We managed to save enough to pay for a prom dress to be made,

which was beautiful and it fitted her perfectly.

She looked like a princess.

-Had a great night.

-It was just everything I wanted, to be fair, I loved it.

But it was Carol's costly car finance deal that was putting the

greatest strain on her purse strings.

Sarah found a way that she could hand the car back and save an incredible £11,000.

She also recommended buying a second-hand motor using a bank loan and not a finance deal.

I've paid off the loan that I had when I bought it,

so I've got nothing owing on the car now at all, which is a huge saving.

Good work, Carol!

You deserve a treat.

And that's exactly what she's planning.

With all the money she saved, she's booked a summer holiday -

on a budget of course.

I've got it for cheaper than I ever thought possible,

just because I looked.

Right On The Money has changed my life, has changed our lives.

I can't thank the programme enough, to be honest.

One year on, and a lot has changed for Ted and Kristine Penlington too.

When we last met the couple, they dreamed of extending their house,

but couldn't find the funds.

Once again, it was Sarah to the rescue.

We bought this house about three years ago.

We want to extend it, because it's not big enough for the dogs and us.

The kitchen is so small.

I mean, as you can see, I can't put anything in it.

A lot of the family come round at weekends and you get the two dogs,

and then everybody's, like, falling over each other,

there's just nowhere to go.

Sarah began by tackling the household bills,

kicking off with their energy provider.

The most that you can save if you switch is about £286.29

-a year, which is...

-Yeah.

-..not to be sniffed at, really.

No, it isn't, actually.

A woman on a mission - next up was their phone and broadband.

It's £18.50 a month, so that's going to save you about £200.

Sarah also gave trucker Ted some food for thought over the amount of

cash he was spending on meals on the road.

She worked out if he took home-cooked meals with him instead,

he could save a whopping £1,500 a year.

So the idea here, Ted,

is that you plan ahead and that you know exactly what you're going to be

taking out on the road with you every day.

And since last year, Ted and Kristine have done just that,

saving bags of money.

Sometimes I take curries and pea soups, and she gets me them lamb shanks...

-Lamb shanks.

-Just stick them in a bag, warm them up,

put them in the fridge and then reheat them in the cab.

But the big question is, are all those meals being cooked

in the new kitchen the couple wanted so much?

12 months ago, Ted was desperate to cash in his private pensions

to free up enough money to fund the work.

But the paperwork was proving difficult.

Just gobbledygook, it's not English.

It's just not understandable at all.

So Sarah called in reinforcements in the shape of pensions expert

-Alan Higham.

-Ted, Kristine, this is Alan.

-Hello, Kristine.

-Hello, Alan.

And we're delighted to say that with Alan and Sarah's help,

Ted has finally cashed in his private pensions.

But was it enough to build them that new extension?

Since we've done the programme, we built the extension.

We've had new windows, new door.

Extending the bathroom, extending the end bedroom, and the kitchen is...

I think it's the best of the lot of them.

It's really good, so...

-Everything's doubled, hasn't it?

-Yeah, everything's doubled in size.

It's a family gathering, I think, every weekend now.

The family loves it, and so do the dogs.

Sit! We were tripping over them.

You haven't got that now.

With his pensions now sorted,

Ted now plans to give up work within the next six months and the couple

are looking forward to a happy retirement.

The team works out everything, with the pension, and with the advice.

They worked it out brilliant, right on the money.

It's a great result all round.

-Clever boy.

-A year ago,

we also helped boost the bank balance of paramedic Angela Ord,

who had such a busy home- and work-life that she was really struggling with her finances.

To be truthful, I don't understand finances.

I don't know if it's laziness, or if it's just lack of knowledge,

or lack of interest.

There's more important things for me to do.

The way I see it is, if I want more money, I do overtime.

That's how I cover the costs of things.

-Angela?

-Yes, it is.

-Hello.

-Hi. I'm Simon. Nice to meet you.

We sent in Simon Read to administer some financial first aid.

What if I told you that if you spent four hours looking at your

finances, you could save yourself £1,000 a year?

Wouldn't that be preferable to doing 70 hours of extra work?

Yeah, definitely.

Show me how to do it.

And that's exactly what Simon did.

Helping her cut down on food bills, bank charges,

and to find a better energy deal.

You could probably save £306 a year, which is roughly about £25,

£26 a month.

You need to just buck your ideas up and see what's around you and make

-the most of it.

-But Simon also wanted to help Angela cut down on her overtime,

so she could spend more time with her son, Toby,

which is why he brought in mortgage expert Paul Dorward to have a look

at her biggest monthly expense.

So if we drop the term down even further, to 20 years,

the payments are about £430.

So, a little saving on what you pay now, but you've shaved...

-Yeah, over five years.

-So, that's incredible.

You'd save five years of repayments, that's five years extra interest,

and it's still cheaper than what you're paying right now.

Paying at the moment, yeah.

By switching deals, we've saved Angela a staggering £31,000 and,

even better, it meant she could retire five years earlier than she'd planned.

It was all about work before.

That's all it was.

How many overtimes can I get in?

How many hours can I fit in?

How much more money can I earn to have a better standard of living?

Whereas, now, I'm managing

without the overtime.

And that means more time and energy for Toby.

We spend more time together.

We go and do cinema and stuff like that.

It's made us a lot closer.

-Two, one...

-Go!

She's also got a new hobby.

Because of the show and the money I've saved,

it's allowed me to join the gym and change the lifestyle that I had

to a much healthier, better lifestyle.

I think it's safe to say that I'm happier...

Go, Angela!

..more content, more relaxed.

The biggest thing for me was my mortgage.

Last two. You can do it, Angela. Come on.

I'm now not just a paramedic and a mum, I'm actually me,

as an individual, and I've got a bit of a life.

And Angela has another reason to be happy.

My personal life's changed...loads.

I've got really positive friends that I've met from the gym.

I've met a nice man at the gym and the future looks good.

She's also set herself a new goal -

tackling a lifelong ambition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro,

so far raising over £7,000 for a brain injury charity in the process.

On September 16th, I will attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, which...

hopefully, the gym has put me in good stead for

and I'll be stood at the top of that summit.

And we're all hoping that Angela will reach the dizzy heights she's aiming for. Nice work, Angela.

And, joining me now is Angela for a lovely cup of tea and a chinwag.

I've got to say, a lot has changed in the last year, hasn't it?

It has. Up until last year, I was just settling for everything and,

you know, being loyal to people that I thought I were comfortable with.

You're talking about companies there, aren't you,

-when you're not shopping around?

-Yeah, I didn't shop around.

No, it's misplaced loyalty, isn't it?

So, I would definitely say, "Look after your own pocket."

Money doesn't make everything better, but it gives you more choices.

So, by having a bit more money, I can make different choices,

to do different things.

I decided to take Toby on holiday,

and we went to the travel agents,

and every price that were coming back was far too expensive.

I just feasibly couldn't afford it at all.

We were just leaving the shopping centre and we were just passing the

cruise shop. And she just said, "You know,

"there's a cruise just come up as a special offer."

It was a one week, all-inclusive cruise round the Med.

-Wow!

-For 599 each.

When we got there, it was just amazing.

The room was brilliant, and I could not believe I'd got it for £600.

It was absolutely amazing.

It were brilliant. It was a really, really good holiday.

-Did Toby enjoy it?

-He loved it.

That's got to be one of the best bargains I've had for a holiday...

-Yeah, that is.

-..with the best outcome.

That is. I'm quite envious actually.

Angela, I've got to say, it's absolutely amazing seeing you again.

You're looking wonderful, you've lost weight,

you've joined the gym, you've got a fella,

you've saved money, you've been on cheap holidays.

Toby's happy, you're happy, you've got a great big smile on your face.

-It couldn't get much better, could it?

-No.

-Good luck for the future.

-Thank you.

See if you can beat that one, Denise.

Well, I'll certainly have a go, Dom, with the help of a very savvy guest.

Have a cauli with Wally, there now.

Well, another familiar face back from last series is my favourite travel expert

Simon Calder. I want to talk summer holidays.

-Yes.

-Is it too late to get a deal?

It's going to be very, very tricky,

particularly if you are flying from an English airport,

or a Welsh airport, to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Greece.

And that's because there is so much demand going into those places.

Prices are going through the roof, but there are things you can do.

Tell us, what can you do at this stage?

If you're in the north of England, and you think,

"Love a holiday," just wait till the second half of August.

In Glasgow, for instance, the schools all go back on the 15th of August,

which means, guess what?

Prices from Glasgow Airport, from Edinburgh,

sink at the same time they're going through the roof from Manchester and

Leeds-Bradford and Newcastle and so on.

So, just taking yourself north in order to fly south can save you hundreds

of pounds if you're a family.

And, if I wanted to book somewhere tomorrow,

what would your suggestion be?

Look east. That's where you're going to get the value.

I reckon, one of the greatest beach destinations in the summer

is Poland.

Nobody seems to want to go there.

-Really?

-Oh, absolutely! The Baltic Coast. Have a look!

It's pure hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles of just golden sands.

But over the German border, all these places which I can't begin to pronounce -

they look like really bad hands at Scrabble -

but it's well worth seeking them out.

Have a look at a guidebook. Pick out your favourite resort.

Top tips again, Simon.

Let's see if we can go and help the people of Stockport.

Oh, OK. Right. Let's go and meet them.

How much in advance do you book your currency and where do you buy from?

Ooh. I tend to go wherever's closest, really.

I mean... Where did I get it from last time?

-I think we just went to a bureau in the centre of town.

-Oh!

-Is this not what you want to hear?

-No, it's not what he wants to hear.

Anything like that, which is an exotic currency, so the Hungarian forint,

the Polish zloty, all those currencies, do not get them here in future, please,

because you will find you get a terrible rate.

Just take sterling notes. They've got loads of bureaux de change

in all those places and just shop around and get the best deal there.

We're going down to south Wales for £58.

-What, all of you?

-Return. And we're taking her cousin as well.

-No!

-Very nice.

-On the train?

-Yeah, on the train.

That's fantastic. You must have booked that eight years ago.

Maybe not quite that, but I always try for the maximum.

-Cuba. I'm going to Cuba this year.

-What have you done about your holiday money, for example?

-Do it on a card, basically. I use my card.

-No.

They don't do cards in Cuba.

You're going to need to change some money into local pesos.

So, if you don't have local money, then you're basically just going to

be ripped off, because you're going to pay 20 times what you need to.

Enjoy your beverages, ladies.

-So nice to talk to you.

-It was nice to meet you.

Earlier on, we met high-flying supermum Nikki,

who loved treat herself and her family.

So, can we rein in that spending in time for her wedding?

Nikki Richards has a job with a bank that takes her all over the world,

two children and an imminent wedding to her Jamaican fiance, Anton,

to manage. It's no wonder

thinking about her spending habits sometimes takes a back seat.

You are aware that our wedding is in less than three weeks, right?

-Yeah.

-Listen, you're just too relaxed, babe, like!

SHE LAUGHS

Personal finance expert Simon Reid has already freed up

some of Nikki's hard-earned cash,

by cutting back on her grocery bills and beauty treatments.

So, it would reduce the cost per month

from £90-£100

to just £9 or £10 a month.

That's unbelievable! I could save so much money.

But there's still plenty for Simon to do,

because Nikki's just gone and splashed out on a lavish hen do,

complete with a pricey designer cake.

And now she's ready to get financially fit

in time for her wedding.

Push your legs out to the floor.

Nikki's hired personal trainer Chigs for regular workouts.

And while Nikki's busy burning the calories,

Simon's back to see if he can stop her burning cash.

So, tell me about these personal training sessions.

Firstly, what are they for?

With the wedding coming up, I wanted to be superfit,

-fit into my wedding dress, you know?

-Of course.

So, I booked three months' sessions

-with him, for about £1,000.

-Yeah.

And then that was supposed to be it.

And now I'm considering, after the wedding, to maybe continue.

It's an awful lot of money, Nikki. It's an awful lot money.

So what I'm going to suggest to you is some ways to carry on with this

fitness programme, but saving a bit of money in the process.

We should all keep fit.

So, Simon, what's the trick to doing it without breaking the bank?

What I'd like you to consider is swapping your real personal trainer

for an online personal trainer.

Now, I know it sounds a bit odd but, you go online now,

you can get actual programmes - personalised programmes -

and they can all be for free.

Top advice, Simon.

Most personal trainers charge around £30 an hour,

but there are plenty of apps and computer games

that can give you a fitness plan for a lot less, or even free.

I think the virtual personal trainer's good.

I could actually dig up an old games console that I have,

because that has a virtual trainer on that, and I can do it

-in the comfort of my own home, especially with the kids.

-Yes.

-You need to be self motivated to do it.

-Oh, yeah.

-You've got that in you, haven't you?

-I have, yeah.

If Nikki swaps half of her sessions for a virtual version,

she gets the best of both worlds

and could save £166 a month.

-All that's saving you money, really, that's my plan.

-Yeah.

And keeping you as fit and healthy as you are now.

I'm starting to like you now!

After that workout, it's not surprising that Nikki's

feeling a little peckish.

-Lobster, prawns. Squid.

-Lobster.

-Yeah, I love lobster.

-That's why I've got no money.

Simon's called her family together

at their favourite Italian restaurant.

Well, wasn't that a lovely meal?

-It was, yeah.

-I've really enjoyed it.

That's fantastic.

With her mum, grandma and best friend Tiffany gathered,

Simon's determined to get to the bottom of Nikki's attitude to cash.

I want you to tell me the truth

about what kind of spender Nikki is.

-She's impulsive.

-Impulsive.

If she sees something, she wants it, she gets it.

-Price doesn't really...

-Price doesn't...

-No, it's not going to

-be a factor.

-Doesn't really think about it.

-Not at all.

I think she spends more on her children than she does on

herself, to be fair.

But Nikki does spend

not wisely at all.

What would you say to that?

I think they're telling the truth, to be fair.

Normally, I'm always in a rush.

So, if I want something, I just want it now.

SHE LAUGHS

Generous Nikki's carefree spending -

particularly when it comes to her kids -

means she doesn't take advantage

of easy saving opportunities.

Last time you went to an Italian chain restaurant...

-Yes?!

-I've had a look at your spending.

You spent something like £89.75.

You've got a huge project in your house.

You need a lot of money. So, you actually need to think about

the way you spend money.

And there's a super easy way to cut your spending on dining out.

Most major restaurant chains offer regular deals, which are published

on their websites. You can print out vouchers

offering two-for-one meals and even free meals for the kids.

Next time you're eating out, check online for offers.

You might be in for some tasty savings.

You spent £89.75.

-If you'd used the voucher...

-Yeah.

OK, that meal would have cost you...

£67.35.

-Wow!

-If you did that every time you went out,

you'd save £20-odd.

-You'd start saving hundreds of pounds, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

Simply using restaurant vouchers

could save Nikki around £2,160 a year,

and still allow her to be a super generous host.

-With that in mind, would you do it?

-Yes! Yes!

So, that's the main course done.

What's for pud?

Earlier on, Nikki confessed she likes to spend big on designer cakes

for family celebrations.

It's her way of saying thank you for all the childcare help she gets.

So, Simon sent her to meet cake decorator Collette

for a crash course in sugar sculpture.

But first they want to talk money.

How much do you actually spend on your cakes?

On average, I think it's about £150 to £200 per cake.

And I normally buy, like, birthday cakes.

And then we've got Easter, Christmas...

And everything else. So, probably around six or seven cakes a year.

-Wow.

-At average £150 to £200.

-Wow! That is quite a bit, Nikki.

-It is.

-But, today, what I'm going to do is actually

show you how to save some money.

-OK! That's good!

-By making your own cakes!

-Oh, God!

-Honestly, it's a lot easier than it actually looks.

-OK.

-And you're going to join in as well.

-Am I?

-Yes, you are!

We've got a nice, lovely chocolate cake that I made, prepared already.

-Yeah. And it smells lovely, I must say.

-Thank you so much.

A recent survey of mothers

found that just 8% baked birthday cakes for their families.

I am not very creative.

-I'm not very good!

-That's fine. Just give it your best shot.

At £200 a pop, Nikki's annual spend on cakes is £1,200.

But she won't have to fork out nearly that much

once Collette's through with her.

I'm a pro!

-My husband to be, he's a chef.

-Is he?

He bakes all the time.

-Amazing!

-He actually tells me off

for spending so much money on cakes

and all that kind of stuff. Cos he does say, you know, we can make it.

Absolutely.

That's good to know. Sounds like a good catch, our Anton.

And after just 45 minutes,

Nikki's ready to reveal her first designer cake.

And that's your completed cake.

-Yes!

-At a fraction of the price.

Fantastic job, Nikki! Well done.

-I thought it wouldn't look, like, as good as it does.

-Yeah.

But it actually does look like you can purchase it from the shop.

-Absolutely.

-It looks really professional.

Do you have any idea how much that cake actually cost to make?

Maybe around...£90?

-Go a bit lower.

-70?

Go a bit lower than that.

50?

To be honest, it cost no more than £25...

-Wow!

-for the whole amount.

Crikey! By switching to some home baking,

it's not only her cakes that will rise, but her savings, too.

Plus, there's the opportunity

for a new activity for her to teach the kids.

-I can see me doing it with the children...

-Sure.

At least twice a year, as opposed to, like, none, at the moment.

If Nikki replaced just two of her designer shop-bought cakes with

home-made ones, she could save £350 a year.

That's a good slice.

As Nikki's financial overhaul comes to an end,

Simon has returned for a final heart-to-heart.

So, Nikki, I've come to the end of my time with you.

I wanted to ask how you're feeling about your financial future.

I'm feeling really good, actually.

You highlighted some areas that I didn't even think of, to be honest,

like the beauty school.

And I like the idea about the restaurant app,

and just checking to find out about the deals and the vouchers.

-So I'm really happy. Really excited.

-Fantastic.

And I'm glad you're so positive about the future.

It's all about giving yourself the choice

of having the money to spend on

-what you want by not wasting it on other things.

-Yeah.

If Nikki put all of Simon's suggestions into place,

she could save...

..bringing her grand total

of yearly savings

to £7,562.

I feel I could definitely have made wiser choices in the past.

I have not been as wise as I could be with the money that I've had.

So I will be changing that for the future.

The dream home is now a reality.

I'm really, really excited about

what is next for me and the family.

And Nikki has a very good reason for not being here in person.

She's currently in Jamaica, four days into married life.

But I'm pleased to say Nikki and her husband, Anton,

have taken time out of their honeymoon to join us.

Firstly, congratulations to the happy couple!

-Thank you!

-What's it like over there at the moment?

I bet it's beautiful, is it?

It's amazing, Dom, it's absolutely beautiful.

The weather is great, it's hot.

The beach is amazing.

Anton, can I just say, when Nikki arrived,

-did she have a suitcase full of tea bags?

-Excuse me?

Oh, she hasn't explained that yet, have you, Nikki?

You're going to need to later!

Nikki, you were keen to curb your spending habits,

because you said Anton was a real saver.

I ain't going to buy what I don't need.

I guess this is why it was important to do the show,

that you are both on the same page starting married life.

Yes, I think it's very important. I think it's a wonderful thing.

I've already implemented one of the things, and I've started to write

things down instead of just going straight ahead and spending.

And it's helping a lot.

She's been doing great.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned?

I think planning is the biggest lesson,

and especially starting married life,

and we don't know what the future may bring.

-If we're going to have an extended family...

-Ooh!

We need to make sure...

-Ooh!

-Aww!

We need to make sure we're not wasting money, obviously,

so it's important to plan ahead, I think.

Will you keep up the good work from now on?

Definitely. I haven't got a choice. He won't let me.

I'll make sure that she does.

I'll definitely make sure she does.

Nikki, Anton, thanks very much and good luck with married life.

-Thank you!

-Good luck.

-Cheers, guys.

-See you.

If you're looking for advice on how to curb your spending,

or save up for a holiday or even a honeymoon, e-mail us...

But if you're after some simple budgeting tips,

here's a good place to start.

Our website has everything you need to sort your spending.

We've teamed up with the Money Advice Service to bring you

easy-to-use money-saving tools to plan your budget,

calculate the cost of your car or credit cards

and give your money a complete health check.

Download them...

Travel expert Simon Calder has joined us again to answer questions

from some of the people we've met today.

Toby says his plane has been delayed for two hours,

can he claim compensation?

Sorry, Toby, if it had been three hours late arriving,

and it was the airline's fault, well, yes,

you could have claimed compensation under European rules.

So long as you are flying from a European airport or on a European

airline anywhere in the world.

As it is, two hours late, I'm afraid,

you might get a free cup of tea while you're waiting,

but that's your lot.

-Sorry, Toby.

-Gary says,

how can I save money on my mobile phone bill when I go abroad?

We all want to know that one.

Gary, don't take your mobile phone abroad!

You can take it abroad if it's going in Europe,

because last month they cleared away roaming charges.

But if you're going to Turkey, Morocco,

Florida, Dubai, be very afraid.

And I make all my calls on things like Skype or FaceTime.

Those enable you to communicate for nothing,

-as long as you have found some Wi-Fi.

-Margaret says,

I regularly use the train to visit friends and family across the UK,

but the train fares are getting more and more expensive.

How can I get cheaper fares?

-I agree with her.

-Well, here's what you have got to do, Margaret.

Plan in advance and be very flexible.

Avoid those nasty peak-hour trains,

and, of course, if you need to and fares aren't low enough,

then go for split ticketing.

That's where, for instance,

I'm heading from Stockport to London on not one ticket,

but a series of them, which will get me there for about £20, £30

cheaper than the normal straight-through fare.

I have a question from a certain Denise Lewis from Wolverhampton.

I don't know whether you know her. What would you do if your passport

has expired, and you've got 24 hours before you've to fly?

Well, first of all, don't panic - that will do no good at all.

Secondly, get onto the Passport Office.

Sweet talk them and say, "I've really got to come in in the

"morning, you've got to turn round my passport straightaway."

If you're an adult, then you can do that.

It's basically, well, almost double the normal passport price.

If, however, it's a child, anybody under 16,

I'm afraid that's going to be an awful lot tougher -

you have to allow a week for it.

-He's a wealth of knowledge, isn't he?

-He's a guru.

We love you, Simon. Some great advice there, Simon.

Thank you very much, and thanks to all of our guests today,

and of course to you at home, too.

Hopefully you've picked up lots of money-saving tips.

-Until the next time, bye-bye.

-Cheerio.