Episode 3 Shop Well for Less

THEY SCREAM AND GASP

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?

I'm business journalist Steph McGovern.

-7,000.

-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...'

-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.

Ahh!

The total actually is nearer to 6,000.

'This week, a family enjoying a champagne lifestyle...'

-I just think, "Spend, spend, spend, spend."

-I do like my designer stuff.

'..whose love of labels comes with a hefty price tag.'

-Boss.

-Armani.

Expensive makes there.

'But can Alex and I prove you can keep up appearances...'

Not impressed. Feel like I've been kicked in the guts.

'..without blowing the budget?'

-What's under there?

-No.

You're going to love this!

We're in Wrexham, with the Williams, who want to become savvier spenders.

Katie and Wayne have been together for 15 years

and have an eight-year-old daughter, Holly.

We are the Williamses.

You can hold my hand if you want to, you know.

I actually met Katie at my local corner shop.

She used to serve me. I used to think, "That's a bit of OK."

Katie's a beautician.

For her, appearance really counts.

Where I work, in a salon environment, you do have to look good.

Katie just thinks she's a queen.

She's all eyelashes, make-up, nails, sunbed.

Everything. She's living the dream - she thinks she's famous.

Every time I go out, I need a new outfit, a new dress, new shoes, new bag.

If you get spotted in the same dress twice, it's a big no-no.

I quite often have to say to Katie,

she's only married to a mechanic and not a footballer.

Katie also drives a car worthy of a celebrity.

She's even got her own name, Roxy.

Beautiful. Love her.

Plus she belongs to two gyms, as well as having a third at home.

And wherever she works out, it's in branded gear.

I love Nike. Nike bottoms.

They have to match. You've got to look good in the gym these days,

-haven't you?

-Even her dogs come in for VIP treatment.

We get them groomed. We have them walked twice a week as well.

Following a 5-star lifestyle leads to indulgent nights out.

If they're arranging a night out, it's got to be in a swanky place.

-A bottle of champagne.

-We call them the Posh and Becks of Wrexham.

The upshot is, living like this doesn't come cheap.

There it is, black and white.

-On the credit card bill.

-Ssh.

Don't tell Dad!

We'll have our normal household bills and then it'll be

Katie... Katie...

Katie... Katie... Katie...

I do regular 12, 14, 16 hours, six days a week.

We never seem to save anything for a rainy day.

I think if we carry on the way we are,

there will be no money left in the pot.

Just going round in circles, aren't we?

Having the same old rows and then starting again, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-Something's got to give.

So, we've come to North Wales to sort out their spending

-and start them saving.

-Lovely house!

Yeah, it is, isn't it?

'While they're out,

'we're raiding their home to stock our shop with their stuff

'to show them where their money's been going.'

Oh, gosh!

Wow! Look at that!

Oh! I tell you what, though, these cost a bit of money, these do.

I know, because they are good quality, aren't they?

But why two exactly the same?

Maybe one's a backup.

Hang on a minute. There's tags on all of these.

Ah, yeah. She hasn't worn that yet. And she's not worn that because, look,

it's still got the metal protector thing on.

So, there's at least three dresses she hasn't worn yet.

Right, come on then. Wayne's world.

Let's see what's going on here.

Look! Boss.

Ben Sherman. Armani.

'Seems like Katie's not the only one in this relationship who cares about

'looking good.'

I think what it's saying is he likes his labels.

Oh, make-up!

-Posh make-up.

-Quite expensive makes there.

Look how many eyeshadow palettes she's got!

-There's not that much difference in colour between all of these.

-No, I know.

Look at all this! Instant white teeth.

Whitening and repair. Pearl Drops.

They're very image-conscious, aren't they?

Yeah, definitely. Hang on a minute!

There's quite a lot here.

They've got every flavour under the sun.

It's like a pick and mix of bath foam, isn't it?

'I wonder what Holly's room has in store for our pop-up shop?'

Teddies!

-Goodness gracious.

-It's like one of those kids' shops.

This must have cost a fortune.

She likes tracksuits and comfy clothes.

She's got all the top-brand stuff there, hasn't she?

Shall we take some of these teddies, then?

Yeah.

Wait for me!

We're dressing our own boutique with evidence of their extravagance so we

can bring them face-to-face with their spendthrift ways.

'Now to surprise them.'

I think that's them there.

Hello!

-Hi! How are you?

-You scared me to death there.

-You OK? Yeah?

-Lovely to meet you.

We've been told that you two need a bit of help.

I think we do, don't we?

It's lucky that you walked up this street because we've got the perfect

shop to take you into.

No way. Oh, my God!

Oh!

You don't realise you've got that much stuff

when it's all rammed in the wardrobe, do you?

-This isn't all of it.

-There's too much of everything.

It's ridiculous.

I've never even seen you wear any of this stuff.

Some of it's still got tags on it.

That's the most embarrassing thing, I think.

You must wear it when you're with the other man or something.

How many outfits do you think you've got

-that have still got their tags on?

-Five?

Five. You've actually got 18 items of clothes.

Really? No.

And that amounts to about 400 quid's worth of clothes.

Oh, my days!

Can we send them back now?

-Yeah.

-Are you the kind of girl that likes to wear an outfit once and not

-be seen in it again?

-I am. That is my downfall, really.

I don't like being photographed for social media in the same outfit

more than once.

That's something that has to change.

And when it comes to buying clothes for their big nights out,

Katie isn't the only one in need of a dressing-down.

Wayne, we noticed you've got a lot of designer stuff, haven't you?

Is that important to you, then?

Yeah, I would say so because it's different for lads, isn't it?

We can have a shirt and we can wear it a good few times.

So, if you're going to get something you're going to wear

a good few times, you'll get something decent, I suppose.

Overall, what do you reckon your wardrobe's worth?

£2,000.

Well, the total actually is nearer to 6,000.

Wayne! Who's the spender?

That would be Wayne!

Really? You shock me there.

I wouldn't have said that much.

And there's me always having a go at her.

Wayne's not blameless, but by far the family's largest outgoings

are down to image-conscious Katie.

In total, we've worked out that you have spent on make-up nearly...

-Go on!

-£1,600.

-No!

-Katie also splurges on three sunbed sessions a week,

spending almost £600 a year.

That's just to look lovely for me.

I know.

And there's one other major drain on the family's resources.

Now, this here is a model of...

-Roxy.

-Your car.

So expensive.

-So lovely.

-And did you go out to get the car with a budget in mind?

-Yes. We did.

-And how over budget?

About 8,000.

About 8,000 over budget.

So, what is it then about the importance of driving a nice car?

I think my thing was, it looks lovely.

-It's image with you...

-It is, yeah.

-100%.

-100%.

And to keep up Roxy's image,

Katie spends £500 a year having her valeted.

I mean, Wayne, get the hosepipe out.

Shocking, isn't it?!

But you're not alone.

I don't think we've come across a family where they

haven't been gobsmacked by how much money is being spent on things.

You want our help and that's what we're here to do.

Bringing a bit of your spending down so you can make the most of it and

-have a bit more money at the end of the month.

-Mm.

The amount of stuff that was in this shop is just unreal.

I actually feel like opening my own business now...

The Williamses are the hoarders, aren't we?

Yeah.

I think they were genuinely shocked by that, you know.

I don't think they knew how much they were spending.

The thing is, Katie and Wayne work really hard to sustain this lifestyle.

So we need to help them break this vicious cycle they've started.

Yeah. And if you look at the way they're buying things as well,

like their car, I don't think they really think about

how they're going to use it or how they buy it.

And it's not just the big stuff, though, is it?

It's clothes as well. Katie can't be seen in the same outfit twice,

which is causing problems, and then Wayne loves his designer stuff.

So we just need to rein them in.

There's no time to waste.

So, whilst the family are out, we've been in, swapping whatever we can...

-What is that?

-'..in a bid to help them become smarter spenders.'

-We've got no smellies.

-'In our experiment,

'we've switched their usual branded products with mystery alternatives,

'most of which are cheaper.'

I've only got one toothpaste.

'And to truly test whether or not they know what they're buying...'

Mum, this is yours.

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

-No.

-Isn't it?

-Definitely not.

-'For this family to save big,

'they'll all need to make changes.'

I've only got one tracksuit.

'Wayne will have to cope without his designer clothes.'

My colour.

'And Katie will have to work out in high street gym gear.'

No. I'm not keen on them.

If it had the name on the side there, you'd be no wiser.

'Plus, we're making her decide which of her two gym memberships to keep.'

-The one in town.

-The one you can go to any time?

-Yeah.

-Let's give it a go.

'That's the spirit. But how will this big spender cope with our budget buys

'when it comes to her beauty products?'

I can't use this!

It's against my religion.

-Tanning mitt.

-'Oh, dear!

'And beautician Katie is used to having 142 items of make-up.

'How's she going to survive with just five?'

Oh, no. Is that it?

If will only take you ten minutes to get ready in the morning now instead

-of an hour.

-This is going to be a massive challenge for me.

'Well, Katie, with a bit of luck,

'it should open your eyes to a world of potential savings.

'But brace yourself because some of our changes are bigger than others.'

No!

-No! No!

-No!

-What's under there?

Wayne, I don't want to look.

Let me look first. Let me look.

-No, let me look.

-Come on. We'll do it together.

You're going to love this!

No!

What? I love it!

-No!

-Come on, get in.

This has got to be the worst.

I love it.

No!

-Yeah.

-There you are.

It's the same as Roxy.

It is not the same as Roxy, Holly.

Not one bit.

'Katie's right.

'It's not the same. It's cheaper, for a start.'

All the mod cons.

Less mileage than yours as well.

I'm absolutely speechless.

-I'll be honest with you.

-I love it.

Would you rather this or a bus pass?

'Hopefully, time will help Katie come round to her new wheels.'

The experiment to slash the Williams' spending has started.

And the family's dogs could do with a wash.

But, under our new regime,

out go the trips to the pet groomers that cost the family £380 a year.

-Who's getting in first?

-Lily Peg.

In comes a bucket and some water.

Ready for this, Lily? Not quite the pamper parlour, is it?

No, but at 70p a wash, it could be an annual saving of around £340.

He likes it. Do you think?

Well, he does shake at the dog groomers.

-Let's give him a rinse.

-It appeared to me as if the dogs enjoyed it, so,

-that's definitely a keeper. Are you enjoying it, Holl?

-Yeah.

What a great start! When it comes to Katie's own appearance,

will she be so happy about the swaps?

No, they've changed my shampoos!

She normally spends over £12 a bottle on her branded shampoo

and £6 on her conditioner.

The proof will be in the hair drying.

Katie gets through a staggering 26 bottles of each a year,

spending not far off £500.

So this could be a big saving.

Feeling it, I think, maybe they haven't changed my shampoo or conditioner.

Oh, but we have, Katie.

This shampoo is only 75p from a high street chemist

and the conditioner is £3.60 for twice as much.

It feels lovely, doesn't it?

I was expecting it to feel dry and brittle, really, but it's not.

Well, if you switch to these, you'd save over £425 a year,

but the big test is still to come.

OK, let's open this box of tricks.

Looking good is crucial for beautician Katie.

So, how will she cope without her extensive make-up collection?

The most basic make-up kit in the whole wide world, ever.

We valued Katie's own make-up at almost £1,600.

Our substitutes total £40.

Foundation. Let's give this baby a go.

Beautician Katie normally spends £39 on her premium foundation.

-Doesn't smell like mine.

-That's because it isn't.

It's a cheaper one, costing £25.

It's not soaking into the skin as well as mine either.

But it would save you nearly £200 a year.

Eyeshadow, for me, is a big thing.

I'd definitely say this is a cheaper brand.

Yes, massively so.

At only £4 a palette compared to the £40 Katie usually spends.

But will she be up for the saving?

So, yeah, not impressed.

I feel like I've been kicked in the guts.

Ah, that will be a no, then.

Katie really splurges when it comes to her appearance and she's not alone.

In the UK last year, we spent over £16 billion on beauty products.

One popular product is waterproof mascara.

So we've asked some synchronised swimmers to help us sort the smudges

from the won't-budges.

I find that it's really difficult

to find really good mascaras that are waterproof.

It's really important the mascara doesn't run because,

in competitions, it makes the whole thing look less professional.

You've got panda eyes and it's not really a great look.

In at the deep end today, we have the cheapest -

Boots Natural Collection at £1.99.

Rimmel at £6.99.

Maybelline at £7.99.

L'Oreal at £10.99.

Givenchy at £25...

..and luxury brand Terry at £33.50.

With the branding hidden, it's time to apply.

It feels a little bit clumpy.

-Feels light.

-I feel like it might run a bit, but we'll wait and see.

Indeed. The big question now is,

which of these waterproof ones will be able to stay the distance?

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

'So, we've enlisted the help of coach Maria and make-up artist Jo

'to assess which lashes are still luscious and which are a total wash-out.'

But what do the swimmers think?

I'm really impressed, actually.

That's stayed on really well and still looks quite full.

I'm very disappointed.

If I was in the water for any longer,

I can imagine looking a little bit ridiculous at the end

with the amount of smudge.

Oh, wow! I'm surprised how long that stayed on, actually.

-That's lasted well, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, that's really good.

I'm not sure there's any mascara left on those eyelashes.

I think that's come away in the water.

'But which won the war of the wands?'

It is...

L'Oreal. False Lash Architect.

Ah!

Not really cheap but then it's obviously a really good mascara,

and I think we all agree.

So, a mid-price waterproof mascara

beat the most-expensive brands.

With second and third place going to brands that cost under a tenner.

And the two most expensive mascaras trailed in fourth and fifth place.

I can't believe that this mascara cost £33.50.

I would not, not buy that.

I can't believe my mascara was a L'Oreal one and it cost £10.99.

It's really good. I'm definitely going to buy this one

for my next competition.

So, it's worth shopping around to see if something cheaper

can work out as well as a pricier rival.

In North Wales, we want to see if we can get Katie to do the same

when it comes to her everyday products.

-Hi!

-Hello.

'We're hoping to show her that she doesn't always need

'to buy expensive brands.'

Katie, we're going to talk kitchen roll now.

-OK.

-You go for brands, don't you?

You're brand loyal.

With a kitchen roll, it needs to be thick and good quality,

otherwise there's no point in using it.

So, is cost a factor when you're picking?

No, I'm just drawn to the packaging and the patterns.

I can't believe you don't look at the cost!

Well, that's where you're going to help me.

Yes, true. 'We are going to test five different kitchen rolls.'

Under scrutiny are Lidl at 40p per 100 sheets...

..Wilko at £1 per 100 sheets...

..Asda's own brand at £1.50...

Waitrose recycled rolls priced at £1.33

and market leader Plenty at £1.85 per 100 sheets.

But which of these paper towels will Katie find that most absorbent?

We're going to pour some orange juice into the tray,

and then see how many sheets it takes to mop it up.

Let's start with the pink one.

'First up is Asda's own.'

How many sheets do you think this is going to take?

Three.

'Spot on. Bone dry after the third sheet.

'Next up is Katie's favourite brand, Plenty.'

-The jeopardy.

-Mm.

-That's definitely a three-sheeter.

-Yeah. I do think the other one was two and a half though.

-OK.

'Wilko's and Waitrose both took four sheets to absorb the juice.'

Oh, it soaks it up quite quick, though, did you see that?

OK. Now your favourite one, at the top here,

do you think it was a supermarket own brand or a market leader?

I think it's a market leader.

Do you? Uh-uh.

-No!

-No.

It's actually Asda Shades.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

Taking top spot is supermarket own brand Asda Shades

with a market leader in second place.

The ecological paper trailed into fourth place.

I was not expecting the supermarket brand to be the one

I picked to be the top one, so that's shocked me

and I definitely will be making that change.

Great news. She's clocked that pricey doesn't necessarily mean best.

Katie recently took out a big loan to help her pay for her fancy 4-wheel drive,

which goes by the name of Roxy.

I love everything about Roxy.

The inside of her, the outside of her.

It's all about the looks with her, definitely.

So, instead of Katie's swanky set of wheels with its hefty price tag,

we've given her a similar-looking 4x4, which is much newer,

has far fewer miles on the clock, and costs a lot less.

There she is.

Loving it, loving it.

Yeah. You can drive.

If image-conscious Katie can learn to look beyond the brand,

we could see big changes to her spending.

I'm not liking the plasticky...

No. There, it's a bit plasticky but, I mean...

There's no massive extras like we get with ours.

But, apart from that,

I think it's all right.

It's the word "practical", isn't it?

I do like my creature comforts, though, Wayne.

Katie's love of luxury extras comes at a cost.

If she'd have bought this motor instead of Roxy,

she'd be £12,000 better off.

I mean, it drives smooth.

You know - you can't fault it for that.

I think, what I like about mine is it's girlie and I enjoy driving it.

I think my major issue is the badge on it.

So, it sounds like if she can get past the badge,

she could be on her way to big savings.

There were a lot of positives with the new car.

I think it did start making me question,

do I particularly need such a high-spec car?

Are the extras worth it?

So, it is bringing me round to thinking maybe we could do without

the lovely Range Rover.

Fab! Katie's starting to see that looks aren't everything -

which is good, because the repayments on Katie's lovely car

are putting pressure on the family's finances.

So, I want to want to talk to Wayne and Katie about what to look for

when they're getting a loan.

Tell me about how you ended up buying Roxy.

I couldn't drive at the time because I broke my leg.

-You stayed in the car because of your leg.

-I actually stayed in the car first.

The salesman whipped me into the showroom to see it.

As soon as I saw it, my heart melted, and I thought, "Oh, my God,

-"she's gorgeous!"

-So, it was pretty much an impulse purchase?

-Yeah.

-'That impulse purchase cost £26,500 -

'8,000 over their original budget.'

-We were shocked.

-We were all in a bit of a bubble, weren't we?

-It was when we drove home...

-We realised what we'd done.

We looked at each other and thought, "Look what we've just done!"

Wayne and Katie paid a £10,000 deposit and, without shopping around,

they took out a three-year loan for the rest through their car dealer.

That's costing them £524 per month.

Now, whenever you take out a loan,

there are different options in the way you pay for it.

You can take out what's called a balloon payment loan

where you pay less each month but that's because you're only paying the interest.

So, when you get to the end of the term of your loan,

you've still got to pay off a big lump sum.

Fortunately, you didn't do that, did you?

-No.

-I'm pleased to hear that. So, you went for one that was 9.9%,

so you're paying interest of two and a half grand.

But, there are some car loans out there which are more like the 6% mark,

and they are a grand and a half interest.

So, that is a massive difference, isn't it,

when you add it up over the three years?

That is so common, that people don't shop around.

Because you're busy, and I get that.

Did you think about any other ways to buy the car?

Someone mentioned 0% credit card but I think with time going on

and I wanted it there and then, I didn't even entertain it.

Credit cards are designed to offer great deals to lure you in.

The key to them is you've got to pay them off.

'Some 0% credit cards can have a short payback time, so use it wisely.

'But even with the transfer fees, it's definitely worth considering.'

In terms of how much cheaper it would have been, it's this much.

£1,300.

Ooh!

See! Rush in.

It was the instant purchase of it.

-Look at that!

-I know.

-Doesn't that feel good?

-Yes, I know.

I know now.

I get it that you have no time but, if you think about...

Don't rush into it. If you think about how much money

you could have saved.

Seeing this now is...

a bit of a different story, isn't it?

But the bad news is it's mine, sorry.

It's knowing as well, isn't it?

Now we've seen all this, the next time we can say,

let's have a look at certain cards...

That's the key thing.

This is about not what you've done wrong, it's more about how you can,

in the future, learn from it and save yourself some money.

'So, the Williams are getting on board with the shopping around business,

'which could save them a lot of money.'

And we've done some serious shopping around to show the family that you

can still look good in cut-price clothes.

But will they approve of our choices?

I'd say that that's quality.

Yeah? That's more like the one we buy for you, isn't it?

Eight-year-old Holly's usual brand of tracksuit and trainers

costs over £130.

This high street hoodie, bottoms and sneakers cost less than £60.

Oh, Holly, you look lovely!

Shall we give it a score out of ten?

What would you say?

-100.

-100 out of ten?

That's definitely a keep, then, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-'That could save you over £70.'

Wayne's designer shirt, jeans and boots cost him £300.

So, how will he feel about high-street replacements

at less than half the price?

What do you reckon?

I'd go out with you like that.

-Out of ten?

-Ten.

Straight away. I don't even have to hesitate.

If I had the choice, I'd keep it all.

See, Wayne, you can get the look without the label.

But would your wife agree when it comes to her workout wear?

Very plain. I mean, where's me...

You know?

Logos.

Just one of Katie's branded gym outfits costs over £160.

But our supermarket trainers and budget clothes

total just over 35 quid.

She's testing them out on home ground first.

If I'm honest, I cannot fault what I've got on.

The quality of the leggings is brilliant.

I'm really in love with the leggings, actually.

If I had a choice, I'd change the colour of the trainers

and I'd keep the top and the sports bra.

You know, they're not...

bobbing here, there and everywhere, which is a good sign.

You've proven me wrong, I think.

Great! Katie's starting to see that spending so much money

trying to project a certain image isn't really worth it.

But there's still a lot of work to be done.

So, I've come over to try and convince Katie to cut back

on her compulsive clothes-shopping habit.

How much, would you say, Katie, that you spend on clothes every month?

To be honest, I don't know how much I spend,

because I think I tend to block it out.

I order online. It comes. And then I forget about it.

Right, let's get to the bottom of this.

What is the main reason you feel you need a new outfit

for every single night out, event, etc, that you go to?

I think with social media now,

you get photographed every time you go out.

So, with me, I don't like to be photographed in the same things.

How would you feel if you saw one of your best friends in the same outfit

in two photos on the same site?

I probably wouldn't notice, to be honest.

You've hit the nail on the head, Alex. I do understand this.

It's more I've got this issue, haven't I?

I need to overcome it.

You know, you're quite image-conscious, aren't you?

Where do you think that's come from, then?

I think the job role that I'm doing, beauty therapist -

you're on show all the time, so you have to set a standard, don't you?

You work really hard to support this kind of image of obsession you have.

Do you spend enough time as a family?

Um, both me and Wayne work long hours.

I'd say, no, we don't spend enough time together.

All that's kind of surface...

It's irrelevant, really, isn't it?

People project the perfect image on social media but yet if you're not

actually spending time as a family, it's kind of pointless, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Is that something that you'd be keen to work towards?

-Definitely.

-Working less and having more time?

-Definitely.

-Katie's realising that breaking this expensive,

image-conscious cycle could give them more family time together.

Like it or not, we're all influenced by the world of celebrity.

Consumer expert Professor Avi Shankar's on hand to explain how.

Brands are using celebrities to endorse their products.

What the brands are hoping to get is some of the aura of the celebrity

transferred on to their particular product.

So here we have a good example of a Hollywood A-lister.

What does that image mean to you two?

Well, it's that thing, isn't it, of where you think,

you're going to be like her.

You're going to have tousled, gorgeous hair, beautiful sun-kissed skin,

fab holidays, loads of money.

Although you know really you're not going to be.

-I know.

-But, it's just selling an ideal, isn't it?

What these adverts are doing is selling us idealised images

of who we can aspire to be.

And celebrities perform that function really well for brands.

Now, what I'm going to do is reveal the actual advert -

or the product that it's advertising.

And the strap line here, in case you can't read it,

is "the absolute femininity".

So, if we spray that on we'll look like Charlize Theron.

Quick, let's go and get some now.

Well, this is a really common advertising tactic,

to create that difference between who we actually feel we are

and who we would like to be.

And celebs represent who we would like to be.

And of course the bigger that gap between who we actually are and who we'd

like to be, the more likely we're going to be motivated to purchase a

product we think is going to close that gap.

It was a very successful campaign.

So, the brand saw something like a 25% uplift in sales.

Really?

'To prove the theory on the power of celebrity, Avi puts us to the test.

'We've got to match the brands with the star names.'

OK. Well, this is an obvious one, isn't it?

Crisps. Gary Lineker.

Cheryl would be hairspray.

Yeah. And she's got gorgeous hair.

She has indeed.

Pants. Definitely Mr Beckham.

-Yes.

-Right. OK.

Who doesn't want to see him in his pants?

And the phone.

-The phone...

-EE.

That's Kevin Bacon, isn't it?

And then the mascara.

Well, it's Rimmel, so it can only be Kate Moss.

That was really easy, actually, wasn't it, to work out who fitted what?

-Absolutely.

-And we could have actually done it without the names.

It's that strong a connection with these brands.

'Celebrity-endorsed products can often cost more.

'So, a little awareness can make your pennies go further.'

In North Wales, beautician Katie

is facing her fears when it comes to fake tan.

This is alien to me, Wayne.

It's a bit alien to me.

We've banned Katie from her three-times-a-week £600-a-year sunbed habit.

We want her to try out a bottle bronze instead.

-Oh!

-Hang on.

If she can adapt to this alternative tan...

Do you want to put that on my back, where I can't reach?

..she could save £430 a year.

All the way down to the towel.

Up to my neckline. That's it.

And down the back of my arm.

Is it meant to be orange?

You're joking me! Would you prefer this to me using sunbeds all the time?

It's obviously healthier than a sunbed, isn't it?

What's the coverage like, though?

-Can you see any...?

-It isn't bad, really.

It smells really fragrant, which is quite shocking really for a fake tan,

because they don't usually smell as nice as this.

So, I'd probably say it's definitely high-end.

Do you reckon?

Sorry, Katie, it's a cheapie, costing less than a fiver a bottle.

I'm happy with the result.

It was quite fun having Wayne involved in that.

I think he quite enjoyed it, actually.

Katie loves a year-round tan

and many of us enjoy spending time in the sun.

But recent research has shown that eight out of ten of us may not be

applying enough sunscreen.

As well as sunburn,

this can cause premature skin ageing

and more serious issues like skin cancer.

Ah, there is nothing like the feeling of sun on your skin, isn't there?

But, if you're anything like me, I'm sure you've been told all your life,

make sure you wear sun cream, make sure you're protected.

But how do you know what to buy?

Is it worth paying the big bucks for it? I'm going to find out.

'For a bottle of suntan lotion,

'you can pay anything from a few quid to over £100.

'But what should you be looking for?

'I've come to Boots the chemist's headquarters in Nottingham

'to meet Claire O'Connor.

'She's a scientific sun care advisor

'who knows everything there is to know about being savvy in the sun.'

So, Claire... Sun cream is one of those things we know we have to wear.

But what is actually in it?

So, it contains a mix of ingredients that actually absorb UV light,

or reflect it away from the skin

before it can get in and do any harm. We have two kinds.

We have some that are called reflectors and some that are called absorbers.

'First of all, Claire's showing me an absorbing chemical that goes in many sun creams.

'They're called salicylates and they work by absorbing the energy from

'UV radiation before it can damage your skin.'

Feels like holidays.

'The other kind, reflectors, are physical, blocker chemicals,

'like titanium dioxide.

'And they work by forming a shield on the skin that reflects the sun away.'

Most adults don't actually want this unattractive sheen on their skin.

-We're so vain, aren't we?

-Absolutely. Especially in the sun.

'Many sunscreens include both sorts of chemicals.

'Those with a high reflector content tend to show up on the skin,

'so you can see if you've missed bits.

'They're popular for children and fair-skinned folk like me.

'You also need to think about your skin type

'when considering what SPF to buy.'

Say, for example, you were going to burn in ten minutes

in whatever situation you were in,

and you wore an SPF 30, this one,

then your skin will be protected for up to 300 minutes.

But SPF's only half the story.

You also need to protect against what we call UVA rays and UVB rays.

UVB rays tend to just go into the top layers of the skin

and cause burning. They have a very immediate damaging effect.

UVA rays tend to go much deeper into the skin

and it's the more invisible damage.

And they're associated with skin ageing, brown spots,

and also skin cancer.

'So, to make sure you're shielded from those rays,

'check for UVA protection in your sunscreen.

'Boots have developed a UVA star rating -

'five stars being the highest protection -

'that's also used by some other manufacturers.

'Or look for a UVA logo in a circle,

'which shows the cream meets EU guidelines.'

So, I'm in the shop, there's loads of sun cream in front of me.

I'm looking for my SPF and something that has a high UVA factor.

-Yes.

-The highest possible.

As a consumer, I'm looking at it, thinking, "Mm,

"I really want to protect my skin.

"Probably the pricier one's going to be better."

Is that foolish of me to think that?

-A little bit. Yes.

-Right.

-OK.

You don't need to be spending any more than about £5 to £10.

The most important thing out of any of it is what sun protection factor

is it giving you? What UVA protection factor is it giving you?

Does it feel good enough on your skin for you to apply it

frequently and easily?

'I wear sunscreen every day now,

'but I wasn't so careful when I was younger

'and now, thanks to a clever machine that Claire has here,

'I'm about to find out what sort of harm I might have done to my skin.'

So, Claire, I've taken my foundation off.

Tell me what we're going to do.

So, you're going to put your face in this machine and this is going

to have a look at your sun damage.

-I feel nervous.

-It's a scary thing to do, to put your face in there.

'This machine's basically analysing my skin.

'Looking at UV damage, wrinkles and brown spots.

'And it's going to compare the results to people my own age.'

OK, you can take your face out now.

This is actually your UV damage.

Oh, wow!

-So, these dark areas here...

-Yeah.

This is sun damage that's underneath your skin.

God, it looks like there's loads!

It's not actually that bad.

-Get in!

-Your forehead's quite clear.

There are some areas as you'd expect around your nose and some on your

cheeks here. If you actually look at your percentage figures there,

we want all your scores to be 50% or better.

-Oh, I'm 68%.

-68%.

So, that's pretty good.

Compared to your peers, your skin is in really good condition.

You've stopped any more damage happening in that way.

So, it's never too late to use sun protection.

'Wahay, I'm made up!

'So, I've just got to keep up the good work from now on.'

I think the biggest surprise for me in all of that was the fact it's not

all about SPF.

So, if you want to protect your skin from sunburn and all of that

invisible damage it's doing underneath your skin,

you've got to look at that bottle and think,

"Has it got the right SPF for my skin type,

"and does it have UVA protection?"

And that doesn't have to come at a price.

In North Wales, the Williams family experiment is stepping up a gear.

Katie likes her car to look as good as SHE does, but we're hoping to

persuade her this is another area where she can save money and also gain

precious family time.

Can I just say something before we start?

Don't judge me - this is obviously for applying soap...

That's the sponge to wash it down with.

-What's that?

-'This could take a while.'

Come on then. Holly, you wash it down first, babes.

'Katie normally spends almost £500 a year on having a car fully valeted

'every eight weeks...'

-Are you all enjoying this?

-'..and washed every fortnight.'

It's not a water fight.

'But a sponge, some soap,

'and some elbow grease will take the cost of a car cleaning

'down to under 30 quid a year.'

-Washing and drying it, Katie.

-Do you know what? You may laugh now...

It's very therapeutic, you're going to tell me, aren't you?

At first I was devastated.

But actually, on a day like this, you can't fault it.

-Lovely!

-'Saving money and enjoying family time.

'It's a win-win.

'But will the Williams be so united when it comes to what we've swapped

'inside their house?

'They usually buy a branded hand wash costing £1.40.'

Straight away that is definitely not ours.

I would say it is. 100%.

-'But who's right?'

-It's a lot thinner.

-You really wouldn't know because you couldn't see it.

-I can tell. It's cheaper.

'Is it now, Katie?'

Let's not have a family domestic.

-No.

-I say it's ours, you say it's not.

'Katie is correct. This budget buy is 50p cheaper.

'So, we managed to hoodwink Wayne with the hand wash.

'But can we catch him out when it comes to his bubble bath?

'He soaks his way through three bottles of branded bath foam a week,

'costing £220 a year.'

I'm thinking the bath soap's good, bubbled up, just like ours.

-'Did it now?'

-The test for me will be in an hour, if it's still bubbly.

I'm convinced it's ours.

'But it's not. It's a 65p discount supermarket jobbie,

'which would save you £150 a year.

'Now for the big test.

'Glam Katie has been using clip-in hair extensions for years,

'and each one costs her around £45.'

I'm not sure whether this is my hairpiece.

I'm going to give it a go anyway.

'So she's bound to notice any alterations to her artificial locks.'

You just have to cover the join.

'Or is she?'

I'm going to go with my gut instinct.

I don't think this is mine.

It's really, really dry on the ends,

and it doesn't seem to have the bounce that I usually have.

'Are you sure about that, Katie?'

I know that you can go to some places

and get them for a steal at about £10,

but, I mean, I think this is one of them.

'Except it's not.'

It's just... There's no body to it, and it's dry.

I think I've worked that one out - it's definitely not mine.

'But it IS yours, Katie.

'Perhaps it's time to shop around for one you actually like.'

In the UK, women's hair care is big business,

with sales predicted to heat up to £1.5 billion by 2020.

But, when it comes to styling,

could a bad hair day sometimes be down to the hairdryer?

To find out, these Birmingham stylists are putting five to the test on

some willing customers with similar hair type.

I need a hairdryer that's quite powerful.

I prefer a small, narrow nozzle,

because I feel like that gives me more air control.

Something that's really professional.

Where I can get a nice, smooth finish on it.

Up for analysis, TRESemme Power,

the cheapest in our test.

Moving up in price, Remington PROtect.

A mid-priced offering from Nicky Clarke.

BaByliss 3Q, the second most expensive.

And finally a top price dryer by Dyson.

First up is the second most expensive in our test.

With this, I had to go over it and over it and over it to get even a

-little bit of bounce.

-Will they like the next dryer any better?

I don't personally like the hairdryer

because it's too lightweight and I

don't feel like you can get direct airflow onto the cuticles.

Perhaps this one will produce a frizz-free finish?

I like the length of the lead and the buttons are in a nice position

as well.

Hoping to impress next is the highest-priced hairdryer.

Really powerful. Nice and light. The buttons,

where they're placed, they're really good.

They won't come in my way. So, yeah.

Last up, the cheapest dryer in our challenge.

Feels really light and it feels more

like a toy rather than a hairdryer.

The decision on which blow-dryer has given the best result is down to

salon owner Cora.

It's not got any good shine on this at all.

It looks like it's nice and smooth and it's given a good finish.

It is a bit fluffy towards the ends.

Well, which has won the battle of the hairdryers?

And the winner is...

The Dyson.

It would set you back £299.99.

-Wow!

-It's too much for a hairdryer.

Taking top spot was the most expensive at a whopping £299.99.

But coming a close second was our mid-range option from Nicky Clarke

at £49.99.

Definitely value for money.

And I'd definitely recommend it.

It just goes to show,

you don't have to spend hundreds to be spared a bad hair day.

In Wales, with Katie's parents living next door,

one cost they don't have is baby-sitting,

which means the couple can enjoy a pricey night out

around three times a month.

It's costing us an absolute fortune.

Couple of hundred pound, easy, with wine, food, cocktails.

Before you know it, it's gone.

Well, they won't be spending that tonight,

as we've asked them to stay in.

I wonder what's in there. Onion bhajis.

Which means a takeaway and some drinks.

But to make it more of an occasion,

Wayne's brother Jonny and his wife Amy are coming over.

Hello!

-All right?

-All freshly cooked tonight by me!

I don't think I've ever seen you cook, to be honest!

The couple normally fork out £30 a person on food for a meal out.

But tonight's tucker cost them £7.50 each.

Bubbly!

Katie regularly blows £100 a bottle on her favourite Laurent-Perrier

-rose champagne.

-Whatever it is, I like it.

On that note, cheers, guys.

Here we go.

It's actually Cava, and it only costs £4.49 a bottle.

Not knowing what we're drinking.

First night in in the house in about four years.

To random bubbly.

The couple normally go on to splash more cash after their meal

-in bars and nightclubs.

-We're winning, anyway.

Jonny used to do this as a kid!

But tonight, they'll be pocketing even more potential savings

-by playing party games.

-Motocross?

-No!

-Break dancing?

-Yes! Yay!

-Behave!

Don't put that on camera!

I love it. I love it. Everybody should have it in their lives.

-Glitter?

-Yes!

-No! It wasn't!

Glitter!

I've enjoyed this, if I'm honest, completely honest,

more than when we go out to restaurants and have to get...

Wait for a taxi home.

Plenty of games, plenty of wine.

That game was mint. That was, like real good fun.

Yeah.

Sounds like Katie's realising it's more relaxing staying home with

your mates than trying to keep up appearances out on the town.

Iechyd da.

It's time for us to make our way back to North Wales to find out if

our image-conscious family are ready

to spend less money and gain more time together.

It'll be really interesting, won't it,

to find out whether we have made a saving.

Yeah, definitely. The worst for me may be scary because

I don't really see half of what goes on, really.

I'm just usually footing the bill, aren't I?

-Yeah.

-So it will be interesting for me, 100%, won't it?

-Yeah.

-Well, I wonder if they'll let us back in.

I don't know, because we did give them some really big swaps, didn't we?

-Hopefully, they've embraced it.

-Yeah.

-Let's find out.

'But how far will this brand-buying family be able to adjust

'the way they spend?'

So it's time for the big reveal.

How have you felt about the swaps that we've given you overall?

Some of the products were definitely ours.

Shall we see, then?

Well, who knows? Let's find out.

What did you think of the shampoo?

I thought it was all amazing. I think it was my product.

How convinced are you it was the same?

70%.

Get it out, Steph.

No way!

It's an own brand,

and it cost us a whopping 75p.

Wow!

Look at the saving.

How much of that do you go through?

-Loads.

-So a year, if you went for this product

instead of the one you have, it would save you £317 a year.

That's amazing.

-It's a swap.

-Brilliant.

'It's a good start. And whilst we're talking hair,

'what did our grooming guru make of the hairpiece?'

Did you like the one we swapped?

No. I think it was definitely a cheaper one.

It was really dry on the ends.

So the hairpiece we swapped...

This one, is in fact,

your own.

But now you've got the new shampoo, you won't be needing that, will you?

-Yeah.

-Now, one of the things you're both obsessed with is bubble bath.

Yeah, we do like to have a good blugg-blugg, get it all in, don't we?

-Yeah.

-Same or different?

-Same.

-Same, Wayne?

-Yeah, I would say the same.

-This was the swap.

-No way.

-Same stuff, though, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Well, absolutely.

And it's a saving of 75p on your normal brand.

So over a year, that's over 150 quid on bubble bath.

Swap, definitely.

'And that's not the only saving in the bathroom.

'Just by saying yes to three more swaps means Wayne and Katie can clean up

'£440 a year.'

That's a swap, definitely.

Let's talk about hand wash.

OK, so you're saying it's a different one?

-Yeah.

-You're saying it's the same one?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? Let's do this.

Let's see.

-It was, in fact, this one.

-Yes!

Rhubarb and Raspberry.

You normally pay £1.40.

This one is 89p.

-Swap.

-Yeah, swap.

'But Katie wasn't so made up with our make-up.'

If I'm completely honest, I think they were all cheaper brands.

I think what I've learnt from the process, though,

is I don't need as much as I've got.

I can stop the compulsive buying of all of it.

-Yes.

-Yes.

That's great. So it's time to talk about sunbeds, and why do you do it?

Because I love to be brown.

How much are you spending?

£28 for 80 minutes tends to last me 2-3 weeks.

-That is a lot of money.

-I know.

So we obviously stopped you from going on the sunbeds,

and got you to try the fake tan.

Something I would never have tried in a million years.

-Did it look natural?

-Yeah, it looked really natural,

I didn't see any streaks whatsoever.

So do you think, then, that the product we gave you was an expensive one?

I'd have said, yes, to lure me into doing the fake tan.

I would've said yes, it was a high brand.

So the product we gave you is an award-winning one.

No way!

Isn't that really cheap?

Yes.

'Each £4.99 bottle would give Katie three applications,

'meaning she could save £430 a year.'

Wow. I'd keep that.

I'll be helping you out with that, not a problem, like.

He'll be coming in every night, "Right, Katie!

"Is it tan tonight?!"

'Another impressive saving.

'But next up, one that could be even greater - Katie's car.

'And given just how fond she is of her flash 4x4,

'this is going to be a very big deal.'

Roxy got the heave-ho.

And in came another car. What did you think of it?

By day three,

I was back to normality.

What happened the first couple of days?

-I felt sick.

-You felt sick - howay!

I felt sick. Sick to my stomach. I did.

'On impulse, Katie bought a luxury car at a full cost of almost £30,000.

'But we gave her a different, similarly styled 4x4.'

Do you think this is cheaper than your original car, Roxy?

And if you do, how much are we talking?

Cheaper, and it's probably about £7,000.

-Yeah.

-£12,000.

-That's a lot of money, £12,000.

-Yeah, that is a lot of money.

That's shocking. I don't know what to say.

Can I just visualise this for you as well?

Here we go. Steph!

That's a lot.

-Cash is king.

-Cash is king!

With it there in front of me,

take her.

-Really?

-See, you could go...

Seeing it there, it's hard to say no, isn't it?

'If Katie had shopped savvier and gone for the car we swapped in,

'she could have had £20,000 in her pocket.'

'And they stand to save even more money if they ditched the costly car valet.'

You had a day where, as a family, you washed the car.

Who knew it could be so much fun?

So if you washed your own car, you'd save over £459 per year.

That's nearly 500 quid.

-I know.

-It's a no-brainer, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Swap.

-Perfect.

Now, we're going to talk about your going-out habits.

Before we tried to convince them that staying in was the new going out,

this couple had three big nights out a month,

and partied away over £7,000 a year.

Now, on a big night, you would spend on average around how much?

-£200.

-Yeah.

-If not more sometimes.

-On one night?

-I feel disgusted saying it to you.

When we did our night in, that was a big wake-up call.

-Yeah, that was.

-Massive wake-up call.

-That was a good night, wasn't it?

-We had such a good night.

In a restaurant environment, you're worrying about, like...

-Who you might bump into.

-Who's there, and how you're acting.

-Here, we just let our hair down, didn't we, and just had a right laugh.

-Yeah.

We actually swapped your £100 champagne for good old Cava.

Cava!

-Now, this particular Cava is priced at £4.49 per bottle.

-Wow.

So that is a saving of...

£95.51.

Katie and Wayne's total food and drinks bill for the night in was less than £50.

So if they only hit the town once a month, and have two big nights in,

they could save £300 a month.

In a year,

this is how much you'd save by doing that.

-That's...

-Go on.

That's a saving of £3,600 a year.

I could become maybe a bit of a wealthy man with all these savings!

Katie and Wayne have both realised that spending money on maintaining

a certain image isn't what really matters.

It's a big move in the right direction.

And with all the other lifestyle changes and swaps that they've liked,

Steph's figured out how much they stand to save over a year.

So this is the moment of truth.

We've added all the savings up.

And if you took on board our advice moving forward,

it could be an extra £8,000 in your pocket per year.

I'm smiling, but I am thinking...

You're speechless.

That is amazing.

And do you know what, that's not even including the car.

-No.

-You're going to have a really good savings pot if you put all that

stuff into practice.

Do it now while we still can.

So part of the deal is, we're invited to the next big night in.

Woohoo!

Fist bumps all round.

Yes.

I'm overwhelmed by the savings.

There's a lot of money to be saved there, isn't it?

I almost thought they were joking.

For once in my life, Wayne, I can honestly say to you,

I am itching to start saving instead of spending.

Well, what a brilliant result.

I'm made up about that.

I can't believe we got her to change her mind about the car.

I know. I never thought that would happen. And the nights in, that's the big thing,

because they're going to save themselves a fortune.

All that stuff they're going to do at home together now.

Yeah, lovely. More family time, more money in the bank.

-Winner.

-Winner-winner.

'Next time, a family who can't stop spending.'

-Do you get out in it very often?

-Not really.

-'Relying on credit.'

-Uh-oh.

-They haven't even tried these on.

'Will they go budget...'

-I mean, what is it, who is it?

-'..to get back in the black?'

-Do I really have to do this?

-Yes, you really have to do this.