Episode 4 Shop Well for Less


Episode 4

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

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That's what I want, a single solitaire.

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'..but how can we control our spending?'

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-30,000 or something like that.

-Oh...

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'I'm business journalist Steph McGovern.'

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-7,000.

-What?

-What?

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

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We are bringing down your spending.

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'And I'm Alex Jones.'

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Sale!

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I know only too well the traps consumers fall into.

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How many times have you used that, then?

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I haven't.

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'We're challenging families...'

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No!

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No.

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'..to try money-saving alternatives.'

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No!

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'So we can all learn how to Shop Well For Less.'

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Oooh.

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We're talking hard cash.

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-Really?

-That is amazing.

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Our job here is done.

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ALL: Aw...

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STEPH LAUGHS

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'This week, a family whose reduced income...'

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How big is the impact, financially?

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'..hasn't reduced their spending.'

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-It is so pretty.

-Do you get out in it very often?

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-Not really.

-'Can we get them buying budget...'

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Who is it? I mean, what is it? Who is it?

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'..and back in the black?'

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-Do I really have to do this?

-Yes, you really have to do this.

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Get in!

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No, you have to stay close. Don't go too far ahead.

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We're on the banks of the Thames,

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with a Surrey family who want to learn to live within their means.

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Could we have a crepe with Nutella, please?

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Meet John and Flo.

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He's a very practical, hands-on daddy.

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-Is that nice?

-Flo is the best wife in the world.

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Good girl.

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-Loving mother to our three wonderful children.

-I am indeed.

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High five!

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Jacob is our eldest - he's six.

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Tia is our middle child - she is five.

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Ava is our youngest - she is four.

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The kids keep us on our toes. It's good.

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A year ago, part-time teacher Flo decided to take some time out

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to look after the children...

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-Wow. What's that?

-Scorpion.

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No, it's a crab.

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..but less income hasn't meant a change in lifestyle.

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And I am quite a social bee.

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I really like going out, I do.

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You do just spend when...when you want.

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It's just life. Life is expensive.

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Living where we live is expensive.

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Having three children is expensive.

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Basically everything they see, they ask for it.

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"Mummy, can I have that? Mummy, I have that?"

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Mummy and Daddy buy us a new toy about once a week.

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I have been expecting you.

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To cover her spend, Flo relies on the plastic.

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A credit card is there for you to use, and you rack up a bill.

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She spends a lot of money on clothes.

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I think I'm of the generation where if you want something, you get it,

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and if you've got the money to pay for it, great -

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if you haven't, put it on credit.

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Look. It's so pretty.

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This includes a high-street storecard

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she's also using regularly.

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You can order at home up until midnight, I think,

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and it comes the next day.

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We can get your Next account locked.

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Well, no, we won't.

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But Flo's not the only big spender in this house -

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broadcast engineer John has some rather expensive hobbies.

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It's a Nissan 350Z, three-and-a-half litre V6, rather fast.

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The main garage is so full of petrolhead John's stuff,

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he can't fit a car into it.

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Why have you got five steering wheels?

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They're off of old cars that I've had.

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This is your thing, and lots of husbands are down the pub.

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I know you're not having an affair -

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-you're just playing with your tools.

-Yes.

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I don't begrudge you your hobby.

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Thank you.

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But John's hoarding is also costing.

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Can you get down to the back?

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There's definitely things in here that I know I have,

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but I can't find,

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so I end up purchasing more of them.

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You are a little bit of a shopaholic.

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It's time for John and Flo to take control

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and get their finances back on track.

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Everything we bring in gets spent each month, doesn't it?

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-Every penny.

-And more.

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And more, yeah.

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'We've got to shock the Bances into action if they're to get back in

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'the black, so we're raiding their home

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to fill our pop-up shop with their possessions

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'and show them how much they've spent.'

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It's very tidy, isn't it?

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Someone likes their catalogue shopping.

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Oh, yeah, we've got the classic folded pages.

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There's been quite a bit of shopping going on here, like.

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Two laptops.

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-Oh, my goodness.

-Three laptops, four, five, six devices...

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-Seven.

-They're everywhere.

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You could do a lovely display.

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So there are five of them in this family?

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Five, but the children are obviously really small.

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Yeah, they're all under six.

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That sofa now, with those on, is probably worth about five grand.

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There's clearly a tech and catalogue obsession.

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'Next, it's the children's bedroom.'

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Oh, bunk beds!

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Aw, look at all the toys in here.

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It's hard for parents though, isn't it?

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Because they're under so much pressure to buy the latest toys,

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the latest games, and, I mean, all the books.

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And they're expensive, aren't they?

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-Ah, the master bedroom.

-Mm-hmm.

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-Look at all this.

-We knew it.

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We saw the catalogues -

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-now here's the evidence of the purchases.

-I know.

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Oh, look.

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-Oh, that's nice.

-Oh, yeah, that is nice.

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Oh, boots, that's a fair whack of money there.

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That's out of that one bag.

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-Uh-oh.

-She hasn't even tried these on.

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I wonder how long they've been sitting there.

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-Ooh.

-What's that?

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That is a Next bill.

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Ow. Is she paying the minimum payments, as well?

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Yeah, yeah, that isn't good, actually.

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Shall we put those all back in now?

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-Nah.

-Because they don't know we're here.

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-See you.

-Aw, see...

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Every time, isn't it?

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Hurry up!

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'But we're not just interested in what's inside the house.'

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Classic garage door.

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STEPH LAUGHS

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That is a lot of stuff, isn't it?

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I can see about ten bikes, at least.

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Is that a motorbike, as well?

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-What are these?

-That's what I mean.

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Do you think they've got a bit of a thing about old bits of cars?

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What's he doing with all of these?

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And all the helmets - I mean, this is a man with hobbies.

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Tools worth a fortune, bikes worth a fortune,

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car parts worth a fortune...

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This man is a shopaholic.

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Come on, we'll take it all to the pop-up shop.

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I'll let you do this, because I did the clothes upstairs.

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You'll be all right, won't you? You'll be fine.

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How many screwdrivers do you actually need, though,

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do you reckon? Hang on!

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Oh, hang on. Wait!

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Al!

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The Bances' finances have recently been under extra strain,

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following Flo's decision to take a year out to care for

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their daughter Ava.

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Ava has Down's syndrome.

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When she was born, it was a big shock.

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Now it's the best thing - she's lovely.

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# The wheels on the bus go round and round

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# Round and round... #

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She likes babies, and dollies, and picnics and that sort of stuff.

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Definitely more of a girlie girl.

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But, despite her reduced income,

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neither Flo or John have altered their spending habits.

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I, sort of, feel that life costs what it costs.

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Some things you just have to buy -

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that's just the sort of world that we live in.

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And I don't like to deny myself.

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If friends are going out for dinner, I'll go out for dinner -

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even if I know I'm going over my overdraft, I will.

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'And it's this attitude we need to change,

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'so we are building a shop with their belongings to show them

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'exactly where their cash has been going.'

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'Time to surprise our unsuspecting shopaholics.'

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Hello, world.

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Do you want us to take that for you?

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Hi!

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-Hello!

-Hello, sir.

-Hello.

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-Lovely to meet you, John. Hiya.

-How are you?

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Are you surprised to see us?

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-Very surprised, yeah, yeah.

-Yes.

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We're going help you save some cash.

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-Fantastic.

-Fantastic.

-He's going to like that!

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Well, we've got something to show you that's just up the road,

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-so, ready?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Fantastic, yeah, let's do it.

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-Excellent. Wow.

-Let's do it.

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So, we've got a shop here we'd like you to go in... OK.

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..and see whether it's the type of shop you'd buy things in.

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-Do you want to go in?

-OK.

-We'll let you go in first.

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Oh, fantastic!

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Wow.

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All our stuff. It's brilliant, yeah.

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-Well, it's not actually all your stuff...

-No, no.

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..because we couldn't find a shop big enough.

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Yeah, lots of tools, but a man needs lots of tools, apparently.

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-He does, yes.

-Lots of books, but that's good.

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Books are good. You can never say no to books.

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I don't think there's too many toys.

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Not for three children.

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-Three children, so, yeah...

-Yeah, no...

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They do play with all of their stuff.

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I don't know if you play with all of your stuff.

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Some of those dresses do still have tags on.

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-Oh, yes.

-But, any day now, I'm going to lose weight and fit into them.

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'Flo and John seem very relaxed about

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'the amount of stuff they have.

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'Will they feel the same once they know how much they're spending?'

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Now, one of the first things we noticed when we went into your house

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-were the catalogues.

-Yes.

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-It's my little guilty pleasure, yeah.

-Yeah.

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So, there's a fair whack of money on your storecards.

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-Yeah.

-And what you like at paying that card off?

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I'm very bad. I pay a little bit off, so, sort of, £100 each month,

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but then I spend another 100,

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so it tends to hover in the £800 zone.

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'But it's not just the storecard that's mounting up.'

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Do you know how much is on your credit card?

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Erm... I think it's in the 5,000 range.

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If you look at the interest that you're paying on your storecards,

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and your credit cards, and your overdraft fees,

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then it's actually costing you £1,400 a year.

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-That's terrible.

-Does that surprise you, that figure?

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Yeah. No, that is a total waste.

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'By only paying the minimum balance each month,

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'the accumulating interest means the items they buy

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'are much more expensive.'

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We worked out that, over the last 12 months,

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for every pound you're spending, you're actually spending two.

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OK, I didn't think it was that much.

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-Yeah.

-No.

-Yeah.

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So, those shoes that you paid 35 quid for,

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-those lovely boots that you've bought in two colours...

-Yes.

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..at £35 a pair, they're actually 70 quid a pair...

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-Right, OK.

-..in the way that you're spending,

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so you spent 140 quid on them.

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Right. I imagined it wouldn't be that big of a percent, no.

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You know, obviously you have to pay for credit, it's not free,

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but I thought it was a reasonable way of shopping,

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and everybody, sort of, shops on credit.

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Yeah.

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'John's not blameless, either -

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'I mean, who needs nine big-brand laptops and tablets?'

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When a new version comes out,

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he gets the new version,

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and the older version gets filtered down to me,

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then to the children in a sort of pecking order.

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Oh, we'll have to go and hang outside their house

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-on one of those days.

-Yeah, we will. Get a free laptop!

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Do you feel like it is excessive, looking at it?

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Looking at it like this, yes, I'd say it is excessive. Yeah.

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So, in total, we've worked out they're worth seven grand.

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Wow!

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-That's good to know.

-Yeah.

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'And what about that car hobby?

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'Will John's spending on this give them the shock they need?'

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Where's the car?

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I rent another garage where I keep my other car.

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You've got two garages?

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Yes.

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-Oh.

-So the other garage has got a car in it

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and this garage is for...?

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-Family stuff.

-Family stuff.

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-Family stuff?

-Well, it's got the kids' bikes in it.

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OK.

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'Over the years, John's hobby, including the cost of the cars,

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'insurance, garaging and additional parts has cost close to 20 grand.'

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That is a fair chunk of money.

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It's a fair chunk of money.

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'Finally, it's the kids' toys and books.'

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What's it like for you when it comes to getting the kids toys,

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and books and things? Are they quite demanding?

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Have you got a system of how you get them,

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or is it just, when you're out and about, you'll pick things up?

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We do fall into that trap that, if we are out and about, we do get them

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something to keep them happy or, you know, keep them quiet,

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so we do do that.

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I tend to try and stick to the supermarkets or the cheaper shops,

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pound shops and things.

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-Birthdays we do do the big, extravagant...

-Yeah.

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You know, like the ships and the planes and the remote controls.

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We've worked out that you spend around £1,000 a year on toys...

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-OK.

-Yeah.

-..and about £400 on books.

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-OK.

-So...

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'But I bet there are still some options out there which can save

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'John and Flo money, without making the kids feel like

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'they're missing out.'

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Looking at the areas we've taken you through today,

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what do you think that amounts to?

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-I think about 30,000 or something like that, yeah.

-Yeah.

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Ah...

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Oh...

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You might want to raise that a little bit.

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-52,000.

-Wow. Wow.

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'Wow indeed - perhaps those numbers have finally hit home.'

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It was slightly shocking to come in and find all our stuff laid out.

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It's not until you look at it,

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and see at all like that, that you think,

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"Wow, you know, we've spent a lot of money over the years."

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-And it all adds up.

-Yeah.

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It's going to be exciting to see what...

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-Where we can make changes, yeah.

-Yeah.

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Well, we're up for the challenge. We're going to do it.

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'We have got to come up with a plan.'

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-I think they were stunned to silence because, you know...

-Maybe.

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..realising how much they've been spending on storecards

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and credit cards,

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they've had their heads buried in the sand, haven't they?

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And one of the areas they're spending quite a lot on,

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naturally, though, because they have got three children,

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are toys and books,

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but I think we could reduce spending in that area

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-by quite a lot, couldn't we?

-Yeah.

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But I think we just need to get them in order, don't we?

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-Mm-hmm, yeah.

-Right, come on, it's freezing.

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The sooner they start reining it in, the better,

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so we've de-branded their home,

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replacing many of their favourite products with cheaper alternatives -

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although some haven't been swapped.

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Will the family recognise which items have been switched

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and which haven't?

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It begins.

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-I'm not happy about that.

-SHE LAUGHS

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Who is it? I mean, what is it? Who is it?

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Well, it's a vacuum, Flo - just not your usual £300 one.

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I don't like it. I'm... I'm quite upset.

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A Dyson is like a Porsche, and you've given me a Skoda.

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That's just the start of it, Flo.

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Oh, no, value toilet paper.

0:14:030:14:05

Yeah, it does look thin.

0:14:050:14:06

The feel of toilet paper is not a big deal -

0:14:060:14:08

it's how long it lasts, cos our kids like to use huge amounts.

0:14:080:14:14

But swapping big brand for own brand means you'll be saving

0:14:140:14:17

with every wipe.

0:14:170:14:18

-Oh, they're horrid.

-SHE SNIFFS

0:14:180:14:20

Have a smell of that.

0:14:200:14:21

Will Ava's new, unbranded night-time nappies be a better fit?

0:14:230:14:27

The absorbency is fine -

0:14:270:14:28

it's just the stretchiness and how easy they are to pull up and down.

0:14:280:14:32

-But, you know, it's all doable.

-Mm-hmm.

0:14:320:14:34

If we want to save money -

0:14:340:14:35

we have to buy cheap, or cheaper, or different -

0:14:350:14:38

then we can do it.

0:14:380:14:39

There's so many things. Where do we start?

0:14:390:14:41

There is, however, a surprise waiting for them in their bedroom.

0:14:410:14:45

-I love this.

-Oh, my...

-I love it.

0:14:450:14:46

-It's brilliant.

-Yeah, it definitely should stay there.

0:14:460:14:49

-How do you get into it?

-You don't.

0:14:490:14:50

-You don't?

-No.

0:14:500:14:52

The cards are not the only thing now off-limits.

0:14:520:14:55

Receiving loud and clear, "Step away from the Next catalogue."

0:14:550:14:59

-Yes.

-OK.

0:14:590:15:00

-On it.

-And don't use your credit card.

0:15:000:15:02

Guilty as charged.

0:15:020:15:04

Well, this criminal spender is now on parole,

0:15:040:15:07

but what will the children make of all these changes?

0:15:070:15:10

What have they done to your room?

0:15:100:15:12

I don't have... Why do I have a new cover?

0:15:120:15:16

Oh, a new cover.

0:15:160:15:17

Yeah.

0:15:170:15:18

Tia still has a favourite film character duvet cover,

0:15:180:15:22

but it's £17 cheaper than her usual one.

0:15:220:15:25

Well, brush brush.

0:15:250:15:26

-What flavour is it?

-Bubble gum.

0:15:260:15:29

Is it bubble gum? All clean?

0:15:290:15:31

-Night-night.

-Night-night?

0:15:310:15:32

In a little while - you need pyjamas.

0:15:320:15:34

With the children in bed,

0:15:340:15:36

John has one other swap to get his head around.

0:15:360:15:38

All my old laptops.

0:15:380:15:40

What can this mean?

0:15:400:15:42

I think they're going to try and de-Mac you.

0:15:420:15:44

No...

0:15:440:15:45

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it...

0:15:450:15:48

"Dear John, we're curious if any of your retired laptops

0:15:480:15:52

"have a value, and we would like you to investigate.

0:15:520:15:55

"We've e-mailed you an info pack to get you started.

0:15:550:15:57

-"Good luck, Alex and Steph."

-Ooh.

0:15:570:16:00

John and Flo had better get a good night's sleep.

0:16:000:16:03

It's day one of the swaps,

0:16:090:16:11

and John's cracking on with his laptop challenge -

0:16:110:16:14

to downsize the family's nine computers,

0:16:140:16:17

starting with a website for an instant online quote.

0:16:170:16:21

The offer is a bit low, I feel.

0:16:210:16:23

Macs tend to sell for £300-£400 second-hand,

0:16:230:16:26

so I'm sure I could do better.

0:16:260:16:29

In true Shop Well For Less spirit,

0:16:300:16:32

John's next stop is a high-street store that we think could give him

0:16:320:16:36

a better quote.

0:16:360:16:37

-The MacBook Air, this one here...

-OK.

0:16:370:16:39

..is worth £287 cash.

0:16:390:16:43

-Oh, right. Great.

-Yeah.

-It's looking good.

0:16:430:16:45

So, altogether you're looking at £629 cash.

0:16:450:16:48

Thank you very much. That's food for thought.

0:16:480:16:50

£600 for four old laptops is a great start.

0:16:500:16:53

And, at home, it's also good news on the nappy front.

0:16:560:17:00

Ava's pull-up hasn't leaked, so that's very good.

0:17:000:17:03

Flo usually uses the brand-leader pull-up nappies,

0:17:030:17:06

but this week they've got a cheaper supermarket own brand.

0:17:060:17:09

They fit brilliantly. They were stretchy.

0:17:090:17:11

They held all night long.

0:17:110:17:13

I can swap those - they're great.

0:17:130:17:15

And so is the saving, because that nappy change would save Flo

0:17:150:17:19

over £200 a year.

0:17:190:17:22

And how have they found the budget toilet paper,

0:17:220:17:24

at £1.37 cheaper per pack?

0:17:240:17:27

It's horrid. It's awful. It's...

0:17:270:17:29

It's grey, it's thin,

0:17:290:17:31

and when you unroll it, the ply didn't stay together.

0:17:310:17:34

It all comes undone.

0:17:340:17:36

Yeah, no. I mean, you have to have small pleasures in life.

0:17:360:17:39

It's horrid - horrid, horrid, horrid.

0:17:390:17:41

'But some of Flo's small pleasures are pushing this family further

0:17:410:17:45

'into debt, something I'm keen to learn more about.'

0:17:450:17:48

This year has been your most challenging year financially.

0:17:490:17:53

Why is that, then?

0:17:530:17:55

I decided to take a year off from work to focus on my youngest, Ava.

0:17:550:18:00

-Is that a cup of tea?

-Tea. I've got tea...

-Cup of tea.

0:18:000:18:03

The year before, when I was working, she had a lot of appointments,

0:18:030:18:06

-she had a lot of different therapies...

-Yeah.

0:18:060:18:08

..and I felt I was really juggling everything

0:18:080:18:10

and not doing anything very well.

0:18:100:18:12

How big is the impact that that's had financially?

0:18:120:18:15

I think that to kind of make up for that time away from

0:18:150:18:18

the other two, we've bought them things to kind of show them that

0:18:180:18:21

we are thinking about them and caring for them.

0:18:210:18:23

If I was out, and I needed to get petrol in the car,

0:18:230:18:25

and I didn't have money in my account,

0:18:250:18:27

I'd just put on the credit card.

0:18:270:18:28

-Right.

-If we were going to a birthday party,

0:18:280:18:30

I need to buy presents and I don't have any money,

0:18:300:18:32

I'd put it on the credit card.

0:18:320:18:34

I went over my overdraft limit every month, basically,

0:18:340:18:38

and I was just getting charges,

0:18:380:18:39

and I'm a real kind of "bury my head in the sand" kind of girl,

0:18:390:18:42

so I just thought, "It's only for a year,

0:18:420:18:44

"I'll worry about once I go back to work."

0:18:440:18:46

And did you and John

0:18:460:18:48

have honest, open, frank conversations about this?

0:18:480:18:52

I admitted to him how much I owed,

0:18:520:18:54

and I wasn't able to cover the payments,

0:18:540:18:56

so he took over the payments.

0:18:560:18:58

And how much was it, at that point?

0:18:580:19:00

It was probably over £5,000 at that point.

0:19:000:19:03

Going forward,

0:19:030:19:04

do you think that you'll be able to spend in a very different way?

0:19:040:19:09

I've got to sort out this credit-card debt,

0:19:090:19:11

and I have to change my ways. I do.

0:19:110:19:12

You can do it, Flo.

0:19:120:19:13

-I can, I can!

-You can do it, but remember, you know,

0:19:130:19:16

lots of people do take career breaks,

0:19:160:19:17

-and you did what was best for your family...

-Yeah.

0:19:170:19:19

-..which is admirable.

-Yeah.

0:19:190:19:20

Changing their ways is what they must do,

0:19:220:19:24

starting with not buying items they've already got,

0:19:240:19:28

so it's time for John to discover exactly what's in

0:19:280:19:31

that overstuffed garage.

0:19:310:19:34

We've even got him a willing assistant from

0:19:340:19:36

a local handyman company to help with the clear-out.

0:19:360:19:39

As you can see, it's bit of a mess at the moment,

0:19:390:19:41

so I'd like to get a lot of the stuff out, organise it...

0:19:410:19:45

It's hard to know where to start, isn't it?

0:19:450:19:47

Hopefully we can show John that a couple of hours

0:19:470:19:50

cleaning out his man cave...

0:19:500:19:51

Might need more than three hours to do this garage.

0:19:510:19:54

..will be worth it.

0:19:540:19:55

Slowly, slowly.

0:19:550:19:57

Good girl.

0:19:570:19:58

While John's organising his garage,

0:19:580:20:00

we've sent Flo and the children to one place many book-readers have

0:20:000:20:03

simply forgotten about - the local library.

0:20:030:20:07

Little Bo Peep has lost her...?

0:20:070:20:09

-Her sheep.

-Good.

0:20:090:20:10

John and Flo spend nearly £400 a year on new books,

0:20:100:20:14

but using the library is free, plus there's other priceless benefits.

0:20:140:20:19

It's sort of like a family outing, as well as getting books.

0:20:190:20:22

You know, it's just been a lovely experience this morning.

0:20:220:20:25

So, another successful swap.

0:20:250:20:27

Look how many books in there!

0:20:270:20:29

COCKEREL CROWS

0:20:330:20:36

Like the Bances, many families enjoy quality time together,

0:20:360:20:40

so we're putting the ultimate family make-or-break tool to the test.

0:20:400:20:44

We've got five different four-person tents.

0:20:440:20:46

Pitching up on the field today are keen campers, Team A...

0:20:480:20:52

I like to have a lot of room.

0:20:520:20:54

Will our cheapest mid-range tent be adequate?

0:20:540:20:58

Multi-generational Team B...

0:20:580:21:01

We look for a tent that's easy to put up, and something that's

0:21:010:21:04

going to keep us dry when we get the lovely British weather.

0:21:040:21:07

An easy, mid-range, pop-up tent for them.

0:21:070:21:11

Luxury lovers, Team C...

0:21:120:21:15

We like windows - plastic windows.

0:21:150:21:17

Well, this inflatable, top-of-the-range tent

0:21:170:21:20

ticks that box.

0:21:200:21:21

Next, it's confident Team D...

0:21:210:21:24

Yeah, I think we'll find it quite easy to put up a tent.

0:21:240:21:26

But will their expensive teepee-style tent be their undoing?

0:21:260:21:31

And finally, big spenders Team E...

0:21:310:21:33

I believe that you need to pay for the quality.

0:21:330:21:36

So we've given them the cheapest tent of all.

0:21:360:21:38

Our teams will judge their tents on ease and speed of construction,

0:21:390:21:43

comfort, and whether they can weather the weather.

0:21:430:21:46

-CHEERING

-And they're off!

0:21:460:21:49

It looks like we've got the biggest one out of the lot.

0:21:490:21:51

There's 13 instructions on how to put the poles up -

0:21:510:21:53

just the poles alone.

0:21:530:21:54

Nathan, sort out the poles.

0:21:540:21:55

Come on, then. Bring it all out.

0:21:550:21:57

It's big!

0:21:570:21:59

Where's the pegs?

0:21:590:22:00

Oh... The instructions are not very good.

0:22:020:22:05

No, no, no, Josh.

0:22:050:22:06

Are you sure this isn't too long?

0:22:060:22:07

Maybe we should actually be roping it down...

0:22:070:22:09

It feels quite flimsy.

0:22:090:22:11

Oh... Pick it up.

0:22:110:22:12

-Where's all the poles?

-That's good, that is(!)

0:22:120:22:14

Oh, gosh. The instructions are not very good.

0:22:140:22:16

It doesn't really give you any idea.

0:22:160:22:19

-Put it up.

-Oh, you've got to put it up.

0:22:190:22:20

-Oh...

-Quickest tent I think I've ever had to put up.

0:22:200:22:23

Our tent is up.

0:22:230:22:24

9 minutes and 47 seconds to put this up.

0:22:240:22:27

Cracking.

0:22:270:22:28

Not bad for the most expensive tent,

0:22:280:22:31

but the mid-range pop-up was quicker.

0:22:310:22:33

It's 4 minutes and 12.

0:22:330:22:34

13 minutes, 54 seconds.

0:22:350:22:38

It's 11 minutes and 10.

0:22:380:22:40

Is that quite quick? No, not really.

0:22:400:22:42

The inflatable tunnel tent puffed in last on speed.

0:22:420:22:45

OK, what time have we got now, then?

0:22:450:22:47

17.12...

0:22:470:22:48

-17.12.

-Not bad.

-Not bad.

0:22:480:22:50

But how do our tents fare with comfort and weatherproofing?

0:22:500:22:54

Absolutely tons of room.

0:22:540:22:56

I can't even touch the top and I'm over six foot tall.

0:22:560:23:00

It just hasn't gone up well.

0:23:000:23:02

There's water coming through up here somewhere.

0:23:020:23:05

Four people would have to be very familiar.

0:23:050:23:07

SHE CHUCKLES

0:23:070:23:09

All in all, I think it's nice.

0:23:090:23:10

Each team has scored the tents on style,

0:23:120:23:14

how easy it was to put up,

0:23:140:23:16

space and waterproofing.

0:23:160:23:18

All right, the winner is...

0:23:190:23:21

SoulPad.

0:23:210:23:22

-CHEERING

-Yeah! That's ours!

0:23:220:23:25

It's got the luxury, and it's got enough space,

0:23:270:23:30

and it would be an enjoyable holiday.

0:23:300:23:32

Very, very good quality on it,

0:23:320:23:34

and quite a nice price, too, for 520.

0:23:340:23:38

Our winner is the

0:23:390:23:40

most expensive tent,

0:23:400:23:41

and then they follow in price order.

0:23:410:23:44

So, when it comes to tents,

0:23:440:23:45

our campers think maybe it is worth

0:23:450:23:47

paying a little bit more

0:23:470:23:48

for your canopy.

0:23:480:23:49

'Back in Surrey, John's sorted out all of the tools and car parts

0:23:500:23:54

'that he's been collecting over the years in his main garage.

0:23:540:23:57

'I'm hoping this clear-out will now help him focus on the costs involved

0:23:570:24:01

'with keeping his expensive sports car in his rented second garage.'

0:24:010:24:06

-Right, let's get this opened, then.

-OK.

0:24:060:24:08

Ah! Look at that little beauty. Nice.

0:24:100:24:13

Do you get out in it very often?

0:24:130:24:15

Not really. Not any more.

0:24:150:24:17

-Why is that, then?

-It's only got two seats.

0:24:170:24:19

-You can't really take three kids out in it.

-Yeah.

0:24:190:24:21

-It's not the car for kids, is it?

-Not really, no.

0:24:210:24:24

But do you work on it very often?

0:24:240:24:26

Do you come and spend a bit of time with it?

0:24:260:24:28

I do like to do bits on it,

0:24:280:24:29

but it's becoming increasingly hard to do that.

0:24:290:24:32

I might take it out once a week, drive it to work or something.

0:24:320:24:35

It's expensive to have, though,

0:24:350:24:37

if you're only using it fairly infrequently.

0:24:370:24:39

-Yes, it is a bit of an expensive luxury.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:24:390:24:42

'The rented garage is costing John £1,300 a year,

0:24:420:24:46

'plus there's the car's hefty insurance,

0:24:460:24:48

'but I have a few cash-saving options for him.'

0:24:480:24:51

So, you're spending £500 a year on insurance.

0:24:510:24:53

Well, actually, we've found a deal where you would be paying

0:24:530:24:56

-£220 a year, saving you 280 quid.

-Fantastic.

0:24:560:25:00

-That's a lot of money, isn't it?

-Yeah, that's a lot, yeah.

0:25:000:25:03

Again, that's for the same conditions you've got,

0:25:030:25:05

so it would still involve renting the garage.

0:25:050:25:07

So, I've got another idea to put to you.

0:25:070:25:09

-OK.

-Get rid of the garage...

0:25:090:25:11

-Yeah?

-..and we've found an insurance deal where you could park it on

0:25:110:25:14

the road and you would pay £460 a year, so you'd save 40 quid,

0:25:140:25:18

but, better than that, you'd save £1,300 from not having to

0:25:180:25:21

-rent the garage any more.

-Great deal.

0:25:210:25:24

Can we ditch this garage?

0:25:240:25:26

-Yeah. Yes.

-Brilliant.

0:25:260:25:28

Come on, you.

0:25:280:25:29

Another positive result.

0:25:300:25:32

Meanwhile, getting to grips with more swaps...

0:25:320:25:35

Let's give it a go.

0:25:350:25:36

..Flo is coping with the loss of one of her luxuries,

0:25:360:25:39

as we've switched a £300 top-brand vacuum for a budget version.

0:25:390:25:43

-VACUUM HUMS

-You can hear the dirt going in.

0:25:430:25:47

When I use my Dyson, it tends to suck this rug up.

0:25:470:25:51

So I'm wondering if it's not as powerful, but, you know...

0:25:510:25:55

it's definitely doing the job.

0:25:550:25:57

There's good manoeuvrability. It's easy, yeah.

0:25:570:26:00

It's... It's better than I expected.

0:26:000:26:03

And so is the price - at £50, investing in this budget machine

0:26:030:26:07

next time would save Flo £250.

0:26:070:26:11

Oh, vacuum heaven!

0:26:110:26:13

'With that in mind, Alex and I want to put Flo's big-brand loyalty

0:26:130:26:17

'to the test on a selection of hand-held vacuums.'

0:26:170:26:21

We imagine, with three children, that you've got a lot of use for

0:26:210:26:24

one of these hand-held vacuums.

0:26:240:26:25

Yeah, they're brilliant, actually.

0:26:250:26:27

-Yeah? Do you have one?

-Yeah, I do. I do.

0:26:270:26:28

-Yeah? Is it a pricey one?

-It is. Yes, it is.

0:26:280:26:31

-Hmm... You like your brands, you, don't you?

-I do, I do.

0:26:310:26:34

Well, you're going to try and see if we can change your mind, though,

0:26:340:26:37

to see whether, actually, the price, the brand,

0:26:370:26:39

matters when it comes to using one of these.

0:26:390:26:42

-OK.

-Yeah.

0:26:420:26:43

We're testing four different hand-held vacuums.

0:26:430:26:47

First up is the cheapest model in the test,

0:26:470:26:50

then a branded mid-range model,

0:26:500:26:53

followed by another, which is slightly cheaper,

0:26:530:26:56

and, finally, it's the most expensive.

0:26:560:26:59

And to test them...we are going to vacuum up some cereal.

0:26:590:27:03

Steph and I have gone to great lengths to make sure

0:27:030:27:06

-it's embedded in the carpet.

-OK.

0:27:060:27:08

OK, grab your weapon.

0:27:080:27:10

-Ready.

-And off we go.

0:27:100:27:12

-VACUUM HUMS

-Oh, nice.

-Ah...

0:27:120:27:16

Looks good.

0:27:160:27:18

Oh, look at that. It's like a runway.

0:27:180:27:20

Right, that's good. Now, then, we're going to do the whole lot now.

0:27:200:27:23

-OK.

-Give it a bit of, you know...

0:27:230:27:25

-Bit of welly.

-Bit of welly.

0:27:250:27:27

All right.

0:27:270:27:28

'Sucking up first, our cheapest own-brand.'

0:27:290:27:31

And there. That sounds pretty good.

0:27:310:27:33

-Yeah.

-It's all right. Yeah.

0:27:330:27:35

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah, I'd say that's great, yeah.

0:27:350:27:37

It feels good. I did had to put a bit of elbow grease in it.

0:27:370:27:39

-Yeah.

-I think it's hard to tell until you've seen the others, so...

0:27:390:27:43

-OK, let's go for the red one.

-OK.

0:27:430:27:45

-VACUUM HUMS

-Yes, yes, yes!

-Oh!

0:27:450:27:48

Round of applause.

0:27:490:27:50

That is powerful.

0:27:500:27:52

Oh...

0:27:520:27:53

-That...

-That was good.

0:27:530:27:55

-It was taking it in from the sides...

-Yeah?

0:27:550:27:56

It wasn't just doing... Yeah.

0:27:560:27:58

-That was nearly hypnotic, wasn't it?

-I'm getting excited.

0:27:580:28:00

So, preference so far?

0:28:000:28:02

Well, that was impressive, the way it kind of

0:28:020:28:04

-sucked in from the sides - that was good.

-Yeah, agreed.

0:28:040:28:07

Flo's frontrunner is a mid-range brand,

0:28:070:28:09

but so is its next competitor.

0:28:090:28:11

VACUUM HUMS

0:28:110:28:13

I think that is, by far...

0:28:150:28:17

-winner, winner, chicken dinner.

-Yeah.

0:28:170:28:19

-Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

-So, so far, Flo...

0:28:190:28:22

-Yeah, that one.

-Five-star standout.

0:28:220:28:24

Yeah.

0:28:240:28:25

Reserve judgment until you have seen all four.

0:28:250:28:27

-OK.

-So, we'll move on to the last one.

0:28:270:28:29

'It's £100, but it does have a power boost setting.'

0:28:290:28:32

-That's good, as well.

-Oh! VACUUM HUMS

0:28:320:28:34

-Oh.

-It's the back, Flo.

0:28:340:28:37

It had two speeds there, didn't it?

0:28:370:28:39

-It did.

-I mean, it keeps you on your toes, this one, doesn't it?

0:28:390:28:42

-Yeah!

-Because...when you think that the cereal's here,

0:28:420:28:45

it suddenly moves over here.

0:28:450:28:47

Yeah, it's because of where the exhaust is, isn't it?

0:28:470:28:49

So, whereas they're all on the side, this is on the bottom,

0:28:490:28:52

so, as soon as you are doing anything above,

0:28:520:28:54

it blows it off that way.

0:28:540:28:55

-Yeah.

-So, if you were going to buy one of these,

0:28:550:28:58

-not knowing the price at this point...

-Yeah?

0:28:580:29:00

-..is this the one you'd buy?

-I'd go for this one.

0:29:000:29:02

So, your favourite is...

0:29:020:29:04

-made by Vax...

-OK.

0:29:040:29:06

..and that would cost you 49.99.

0:29:060:29:09

Oh, that's really good.

0:29:090:29:10

'Flo's favourite was the cheaper of our mid-range models,

0:29:100:29:13

'but, in fourth place, at double the price, our market leader.'

0:29:130:29:17

That one would set you back 100 quid.

0:29:170:29:21

That is really expensive, isn't it?

0:29:210:29:22

-That's a big difference, isn't it? Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:29:220:29:24

'So, before splashing the cash, check out your options first.'

0:29:240:29:28

-There we go, then.

-Lovely.

0:29:280:29:29

Time for a cup of tea.

0:29:290:29:31

Everyone in the Bance family is getting involved with the swaps,

0:29:310:29:35

including Jacob.

0:29:350:29:36

"Dear Jacob, we know it's your birthday soon,

0:29:360:29:39

"so we wanted to send you an early birthday gift..."

0:29:390:29:41

Jacob loves Lego,

0:29:410:29:43

but a new set every six weeks costs John and Flo £30 each time...

0:29:430:29:48

-So, you pass me the bits and I'll build.

-OK.

0:29:480:29:50

..so we've given Jacob membership to a toy-rental service

0:29:500:29:53

for £8.49 a month.

0:29:530:29:56

Once you've finished with it, you put it all back in the box,

0:29:560:29:59

then you send it back and they will send you another one of your choice.

0:29:590:30:02

You look at it online.

0:30:020:30:04

-Ohhh...

-So you don't get to keep it, but each week, or each month,

0:30:040:30:08

you get to make another one.

0:30:080:30:10

-Does that sound good?

-Yeah.

0:30:100:30:11

'Across the year, the family could save over £190.

0:30:110:30:15

'And he gets to build something new every month.'

0:30:150:30:18

Oh, look. Black Panther pursuit plane.

0:30:180:30:21

Yeah. But that top one I was looking at, that's definitely

0:30:210:30:25

-going to be the next one.

-Oh, the jet plane?

-Yeah.

-OK.

0:30:250:30:28

Downstairs, we've swapped Flo's big brand cleaning products

0:30:320:30:35

for supermarket own ones,

0:30:350:30:37

hoping she'd be as pleased with the results.

0:30:370:30:39

Smells nice. This shape of mop is what I like.

0:30:410:30:44

It actually feels good, yeah.

0:30:440:30:46

I'm very impressed. I think this is a good quality product.

0:30:460:30:50

It is, just not branded.

0:30:500:30:52

Simply swapping all her cleaning products would save Flo £17 a month.

0:30:520:30:57

Yeah, that smells quite nice.

0:30:570:30:58

Cleaning kitchens is big business, and we Brits spend

0:31:000:31:04

almost £100 million on surface cleaners alone every year.

0:31:040:31:08

Some of the most expensive are eco-friendly.

0:31:080:31:11

So I've travelled to Malle in Belgium,

0:31:130:31:15

the home of the world's first green factory,

0:31:150:31:18

to find out if it's worth spending more to clean green.

0:31:180:31:21

Now, many of us at some point will have probably worried about the

0:31:210:31:24

chemicals in our cleaning products,

0:31:240:31:26

but what actually is in them and do we need to worry about them?

0:31:260:31:30

And should we be thinking about buying more sustainable products?

0:31:300:31:34

Let's go and find out.

0:31:340:31:35

I'm meeting the company's Queen of Clean, Clare Burke.

0:31:380:31:42

So, Clare, I've been to many a factory in my time.

0:31:440:31:46

What does sustainable actually mean?

0:31:460:31:48

So, sustainable is all about the ingredients and the packaging,

0:31:480:31:51

essentially, that we use and how it is produced.

0:31:510:31:54

So if you look at what's around us...

0:31:540:31:55

You look at the wood that we've used in the factory -

0:31:550:31:57

it's all been used from local forests.

0:31:570:32:00

We also make sure that we recycle everything in the factory, as well.

0:32:000:32:03

Many regular cleaning products contain chemicals made from

0:32:040:32:08

petroleum and strong antibacterial substances, like bleach.

0:32:080:32:11

So what's so special about the products that are in this,

0:32:130:32:16

compared to other cleaning stuff?

0:32:160:32:18

All of our products

0:32:180:32:20

are actually made from natural plant-based materials,

0:32:200:32:23

so our ingredients actually all come from nature and

0:32:230:32:25

are inspired by nature.

0:32:250:32:26

But nature doesn't come cheap.

0:32:260:32:28

The raw products are more costly than petrochemicals,

0:32:280:32:31

and, as the eco-friendly market is relatively new,

0:32:310:32:34

a lot of expensive research has been done to develop the products.

0:32:340:32:38

It does smell gorgeous, but whenever I think of cleaning products,

0:32:380:32:41

I think of chemicals and bleach and it's not clean unless it smells

0:32:410:32:45

-like that, is it?

-You don't actually have to sterilise your home and make

0:32:450:32:49

it smell like bleach for it to actually be clean.

0:32:490:32:51

Our products remove all the dirt and anything that you'd want to be gone

0:32:510:32:54

from your surfaces.

0:32:540:32:56

'But our kitchens can get very dirty,

0:32:560:32:58

'and the lowly kitchen sink can contain 100,000 times more germs than the bathroom.'

0:32:580:33:04

But your stuff isn't antibacterial, is it?

0:33:040:33:07

And that would worry me, because I'd be thinking,

0:33:070:33:09

"You're not getting rid of the bacteria, so how is it cleaning it properly?"

0:33:090:33:12

Not all bacteria is bad bacteria and actually we believe you don't have

0:33:120:33:15

to over sterilise to actually kill to clean everything.

0:33:150:33:18

I think we should put it to the test, then. Shall we go to the lab?

0:33:180:33:21

Lead formulator Peter from the factory's in-house lab

0:33:220:33:25

is going to do just that.

0:33:250:33:27

-Hi, Peter.

-Hello, Steph.

0:33:270:33:28

-So, Peter, this is clearly where you test everything.

-Mm-hm.

0:33:280:33:31

And I've seen earlier with Claire the ingredients that goes into your

0:33:310:33:34

stuff, but what goes into other cleaning products?

0:33:340:33:36

Why are they so different?

0:33:360:33:38

The other products usually use petrochemicals,

0:33:380:33:40

which are basically made out of crude oil.

0:33:400:33:44

But how do they compare when you put them to the test with cleaning?

0:33:440:33:47

-Can we have a look?

-Yes, OK.

0:33:470:33:49

So first we need to get dirty.

0:33:490:33:52

'Three plastic strips are stained with an oily solution.

0:33:520:33:55

'That's then dried to make it as hard as possible to get off.'

0:33:550:33:58

So we've got your product here...

0:33:590:34:02

-Yes.

-Brand X, which is a leading competitor that we know has petrochemicals in.

0:34:020:34:06

-And water.

-Yes.

0:34:060:34:08

And you can choose which one...

0:34:080:34:09

Oh, I can choose.

0:34:090:34:10

Right, well of course, I'm going to make your product do the one that's

0:34:100:34:13

the muckiest.

0:34:130:34:15

'Once added to the sponges, it's time to get scrubbing.'

0:34:150:34:18

And then we let machine do its work.

0:34:180:34:21

None of the cleaning solutions will remove the oily stains completely,

0:34:210:34:24

but I'm expecting a difference between them.

0:34:240:34:27

And you can see that the water's not up to much,

0:34:270:34:30

but it's got a little bit off.

0:34:300:34:31

-It's got a little bit off, yeah, of course.

-But the other two seem to have got more.

0:34:310:34:35

But you haven't beaten the competitor there, have you?

0:34:350:34:38

No. But that's not our goal.

0:34:380:34:40

We just want to...

0:34:400:34:42

show that green also can clean as good as the conventional brands.

0:34:420:34:46

When you're comparing what these different types of products do,

0:34:470:34:50

the ones with the chemicals in

0:34:500:34:52

versus those which are more sustainable and

0:34:520:34:54

have less of an impact on the environment,

0:34:540:34:56

there isn't much difference in terms of their cleaning quality.

0:34:560:34:59

The difference is about the price.

0:34:590:35:02

And you've got to ask yourself...

0:35:020:35:03

is helping the environment something I can afford?

0:35:030:35:06

But if it's all about price for you

0:35:060:35:08

then it might not be something you want to pay for.

0:35:080:35:11

-In Surrey...

-Yay!

0:35:120:35:15

We're trying to teach the family to

0:35:150:35:17

decide what's worth paying more for and what's not.

0:35:170:35:20

They spend over £1,000 a year

0:35:200:35:22

on games, toys and books for the children.

0:35:220:35:25

Bought a lot more toys for Ava

0:35:250:35:27

when she was younger to help her development, you know?

0:35:270:35:29

Sort of different toys than we bought the others, so, yeah, we did

0:35:290:35:32

spend a lot of money on Ava's toys. About, yeah, £20-£30 per toy.

0:35:320:35:36

So, to reduce that amount,

0:35:360:35:38

we've sent Flo and Ava to this local church

0:35:380:35:40

where each week a toy exchange takes place.

0:35:400:35:43

We could borrow the horsey.

0:35:430:35:46

Shall we take the horsey home?

0:35:460:35:47

Does it make a noise?

0:35:470:35:49

'For just £10 a year, Ava can choose four toys to take home,

0:35:490:35:52

'play with them to her heart's content

0:35:520:35:54

'and then return them to exchange for four more.'

0:35:540:35:57

This is a great toy library - it's a great idea.

0:35:570:36:00

I've been to lots of stay and plays.

0:36:000:36:02

You know, so you go and use other toys - that's great -

0:36:020:36:05

but I've never been able to take them away.

0:36:050:36:06

And it's a really great idea, yeah.

0:36:060:36:08

'If Flo swapped half of Ava's new toys with the toy exchange ones,

0:36:080:36:12

'she'd save around £150 a year.'

0:36:120:36:15

-Lovely.

-There you go.

-Thank you very much.

0:36:150:36:17

Flo and John, like many parents,

0:36:190:36:21

feel the pressure to regularly buy things for their children.

0:36:210:36:24

Professor Avi Shankar wants to tell us more.

0:36:240:36:27

So how old do you think children are

0:36:270:36:28

when they become influenced by advertising?

0:36:280:36:32

They've got to be young, because advertisers are clever,

0:36:320:36:34

-aren't they?

-The evidence suggests that from about three, four, five,

0:36:340:36:38

kids can start recognising the difference between the TV programme,

0:36:380:36:41

the advert, they can start recognising a brand.

0:36:410:36:44

We've got to remember that children aren't born consumers,

0:36:440:36:47

they learn to be consumers.

0:36:470:36:48

There are various tricks that marketers are doing to attract

0:36:480:36:52

children to their products. Animals are often very commonly used.

0:36:520:36:57

The other thing that's interesting is the use of colours,

0:36:570:37:00

the use of very simple images.

0:37:000:37:01

So this rabbit is a very simplified rabbit.

0:37:010:37:04

So, have a go at naming them.

0:37:040:37:06

-Do you know what they are?

-I think Xbox is the top one.

0:37:060:37:09

Yeah. Nesquik.

0:37:090:37:11

-Yeah.

-I don't know what that one is.

0:37:110:37:13

I think that is some sort of...

0:37:130:37:15

Is it something to do with music?

0:37:150:37:17

That is the Pokemon brand.

0:37:170:37:19

BOTH: Oh!

0:37:190:37:20

-OK?

-OK. That's Nickelodeon, isn't it, the channel?

0:37:200:37:23

-Yeah.

-That's...

-Any ideas?

0:37:230:37:25

Is that like a Minecraft one, or something like that?

0:37:250:37:27

-And then Duplo the rabbit.

-The building blocks, yeah.

0:37:270:37:29

Well, all I can say is

0:37:290:37:31

you're pretty in touch with the child within you both,

0:37:310:37:33

-cos you did pretty well.

-We're very childish, Avi.

0:37:330:37:35

And I suspect if we showed these to a group of young kids,

0:37:350:37:38

they'd be able to get every single one of these.

0:37:380:37:41

-Yeah.

-When they get a bit older,

0:37:410:37:43

they can start recognising certain relationships,

0:37:430:37:46

like, for example, the relationship between price and quality.

0:37:460:37:49

They also start getting influenced by other people,

0:37:490:37:52

so they start saying, "I want this, because my mate's got it."

0:37:520:37:58

'To illustrate his point, Avi gives us both our very own school PE kit.'

0:37:590:38:03

-I like your bag. It's got more of a leathery feel.

-Off, off.

0:38:030:38:07

-Mine's pleather.

-Oh, mine's got a big brand on.

0:38:070:38:10

Oh, maybe I like mine more now.

0:38:100:38:11

Oh, they're nice, aren't they?

0:38:130:38:15

I'm that kid in the playground

0:38:170:38:18

who's got everything with labels on, aren't I?

0:38:180:38:20

I'm the one who forgot their sports kit

0:38:200:38:22

and has had to borrow from the school.

0:38:220:38:24

So, clearly, Steph's got the branded kit

0:38:260:38:28

and I've got the non-branded kit.

0:38:280:38:29

But if you pick the stuff up and have a look at it,

0:38:290:38:31

can you tell any difference between the quality?

0:38:310:38:33

I know, but that's the thing - there isn't much difference, is there?

0:38:330:38:37

It's just about the ticks, the dots, the little stripes, the logos,

0:38:370:38:41

-which is sad, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That that's what it comes down to.

0:38:410:38:43

It is. And, as an adult, you can see their functionality is the same,

0:38:430:38:47

but, as a child, it's very hard when the 'in' thing

0:38:470:38:50

is to have the tick on your T-shirt.

0:38:500:38:52

So one of the things we can do is to try and point out to them

0:38:520:38:56

that they shouldn't make friends with people just because

0:38:560:38:59

they've got this brand or that brand and there's more important things.

0:38:590:39:02

-So, when they're at school, they're not feeling that pressure from other kids?

-Absolutely.

0:39:020:39:06

They're thinking about other things that they should be valued for.

0:39:060:39:09

-Yeah.

-And if all else fails...

0:39:090:39:10

home-school them. So they don't see any of it!

0:39:100:39:13

'This is good advice for us all.

0:39:140:39:16

'Don't bow to the big brand peer pressure

0:39:160:39:19

'and check out cheaper alternatives.

0:39:190:39:21

'And, in Surrey, the brand-loving Bances are doing just that.'

0:39:220:39:26

There are certain brand products I do like. So, I've got dry skin...

0:39:260:39:29

Dove products are lovely, so I do like that.

0:39:290:39:31

'But we've swapped all her branded

0:39:310:39:33

'toiletries with products that cost less, including her favourite soap.'

0:39:330:39:37

The soap I used today in the shower, I really didn't like it.

0:39:370:39:41

I did feel I was being punished.

0:39:410:39:43

I felt it was like the war, you know. Ration.

0:39:430:39:45

'But, Flo, you get four bars of this soap

0:39:450:39:48

'for the price of your usual one.

0:39:480:39:50

'So are our budget face wipes at 50p a pack also facing defeat?'

0:39:500:39:55

They're really nice, yeah.

0:39:550:39:56

They got off all the dirt and make up

0:39:560:39:58

and they felt nice on my face.

0:39:580:40:00

'It's a pretty good £2.49 saving, too.

0:40:000:40:04

'And this body lotion at 99p is a quarter of the price of her usual top-end cream.'

0:40:040:40:08

It's a really nice lotion, so I would definitely be happy to swap to this one.

0:40:080:40:14

'Outside, John's hoping his driveway will scrub up a treat.'

0:40:150:40:19

-Ta-da!

-Right.

0:40:190:40:21

'More proud homeowners than ever are ditching soggy sponges for these

0:40:210:40:24

'heavy-duty cleaners. And I've brought five along with me for John to test.

0:40:240:40:28

'The first one is the most expensive at almost £140.

0:40:300:40:34

'Our next pressure washer is under half the price,

0:40:350:40:39

'followed by not one, but two mid-range models.

0:40:390:40:42

'And finally, the cheapest, at just under £40.'

0:40:440:40:48

What I've done - brought five patio slabs, covered in autumnal muck.

0:40:480:40:53

-Yeah.

-And we're just going to put them to the test.

0:40:530:40:55

-All right, fantastic.

-OK, shall we start with this one?

-Yeah.

-Oh!

0:40:550:40:59

I didn't expect that.

0:40:590:41:01

First up, our most expensive model with its different jet settings.

0:41:010:41:04

Well, I mean, it's magic, isn't it?

0:41:060:41:08

Yeah, look, it looks lovely and clean now.

0:41:080:41:11

That is quite impressive, isn't it?

0:41:110:41:12

-Yes, yeah.

-Let's give the second one a go, then.

0:41:120:41:16

Oh...

0:41:160:41:17

At just under half the price, our next washer has the same pressure,

0:41:170:41:21

but will it be as good?

0:41:210:41:23

That looks like a bit of an effort.

0:41:240:41:25

Yes, it's certainly more of an effort than the first one.

0:41:250:41:28

Eh...

0:41:280:41:29

-Yeah.

-I couldn't be doing with it. I mean, imagine doing a whole patio.

0:41:290:41:33

Yes! Next up, with higher pressure, our first mid-range washer.

0:41:330:41:38

Love the colour of this one.

0:41:380:41:40

Yes, yes. Nice and bright.

0:41:400:41:41

Do we think that stripe is as clean as the first one?

0:41:410:41:45

No. No.

0:41:450:41:46

I don't think so. Unsure at the moment. Definitely between one and three.

0:41:460:41:49

OK, let's move on to this lovely green one.

0:41:490:41:53

Have a go. Oh...

0:41:530:41:55

And with the same pressure, another mid-range machine,

0:41:550:41:58

compact and slightly cheaper.

0:41:580:42:00

Now that is a good stripe.

0:42:000:42:01

-Yes.

-How do we feel about this green one, compared to the others?

0:42:010:42:05

Oh, it could be in the lead now.

0:42:050:42:06

Finally, it's our cheapest and smallest model.

0:42:060:42:09

That to me, it's like a toy one, isn't it?

0:42:090:42:12

-Yeah, it looks a little bit feeble compared...

-A little bit feeble.

0:42:120:42:15

But you never know. Size isn't everything.

0:42:150:42:17

-No, no.

-That's what they say, isn't it? Let's have a look.

0:42:170:42:20

It might be a £40 bargain,

0:42:200:42:22

but does our cheapest model sacrifice power for price,

0:42:220:42:25

with only 60 bars of pressure?

0:42:250:42:28

Well, I mean, do good things come in small packages?

0:42:280:42:31

It did work all right. But it was a little bit more effort than the

0:42:310:42:34

others. I would say it's your budget option.

0:42:340:42:36

After a quick spray,

0:42:360:42:38

John's second favourite was the most expensive model.

0:42:380:42:41

But which washer really raised his pressure?

0:42:410:42:44

Most favourite would be the green one.

0:42:440:42:45

Good price, good size, worked very well.

0:42:450:42:49

This gadget man's favourite is a mid-range washer.

0:42:490:42:52

So for John, price doesn't always reflect performance.

0:42:520:42:55

-It's just win-win, John.

-It is, yes.

-Win-win.

0:42:550:42:58

What isn't a win-win, however,

0:42:590:43:01

is the five grand of debt on Flo's store and credit cards,

0:43:010:43:04

which we've locked away in the bedroom.

0:43:040:43:07

Cleverly managing this debt could get them out of the red much quicker.

0:43:070:43:11

The store card that you have has a rate of 22.9%...

0:43:130:43:16

-OK.

-..on it, APR, so the annual percentage rate,

0:43:160:43:19

so that's the interest that's going

0:43:190:43:21

-to the company who are giving you the credit.

-Yeah.

0:43:210:43:24

So if you've got a grand on a store card,

0:43:240:43:26

roughly that works out...

0:43:260:43:28

Let's say it's 22% of £220 interest you're paying...

0:43:280:43:32

-Yeah.

-So there's the grand you've spent and then 220 quid on top of that.

0:43:320:43:36

-Yeah, yeah.

-So that is just wasted money, isn't it?

0:43:360:43:40

-It is.

-And you guys have got money you're putting into savings,

0:43:400:43:43

-haven't you?

-John has.

-So if you look at the other end...

0:43:430:43:46

Yeah, so, John, I'm pleased to hear that you're a bit more savvy with

0:43:460:43:49

-your money.

-Yeah.

-But actually, the way you're doing it now,

0:43:490:43:52

you're cancelling it out,

0:43:520:43:54

you're cancelling anything you'd get from that savings out and more.

0:43:540:43:57

Thinking of their savings and debt separately is a big mistake.

0:43:590:44:03

To keep things simple, if John has £1,000 in savings at 2.5% interest,

0:44:030:44:08

he's earning £25 a year.

0:44:080:44:11

Meanwhile, £1,000 of Flo's debt with 22% APR will cost her 220 a year.

0:44:120:44:19

Look at that big difference between the two.

0:44:200:44:23

It's 220 quid versus...

0:44:230:44:25

Sounds like you're saying he should give me the £1,000

0:44:250:44:28

instead of saving it.

0:44:280:44:30

Yes, but only if he knows you're then not going to spend another grand...

0:44:300:44:34

-On another credit card!

-Exactly, that's why I don't do it.

0:44:340:44:37

Yeah. 'If John did, it would save the couple £195 straight away.'

0:44:370:44:42

I'm sure you've seen these advertised.

0:44:420:44:45

'But a solution to their almost £5,000 credit card debt might be

0:44:450:44:49

'another credit card with 0% balance transfer.'

0:44:490:44:52

The upshot is you're then not paying any interest on the actual

0:44:530:44:57

outstanding balance.

0:44:570:44:59

So if you're paying off £100 a month for four years,

0:44:590:45:01

how much better off do you think you'd be?

0:45:010:45:03

Don't know, you're asking me difficult maths.

0:45:030:45:06

£1,000?

0:45:060:45:07

-I've no idea.

-Not bad.

0:45:070:45:09

£1,200 better off.

0:45:100:45:12

-OK.

-'It is a good option,

0:45:120:45:14

'but only if you pay off the amount before the 0% offer expires.'

0:45:140:45:19

So having seen those options, how do you feel?

0:45:190:45:23

The best option seems to be John pays off the credit card and we're back at zero.

0:45:240:45:30

But could you be disciplined enough not to then spend on the

0:45:300:45:34

-credit card?

-Um, no, in that it'd have to go. If it's there, I probably would use it.

0:45:340:45:39

So if we're going for that option,

0:45:390:45:41

we'd have to cut it up, get rid of it.

0:45:410:45:43

So would you do that with your store cards, as well?

0:45:430:45:46

-Um...

-Because John is making the sacrifice that he's going to use the

0:45:460:45:50

savings to help you pay this off, but you have got to...

0:45:500:45:54

-Yeah.

-..make the sacrifice with your store card.

-Yeah.

-So...

0:45:540:45:58

Oh, God. Do I really have to do this?

0:46:030:46:05

-Yes, you really have to do this.

-OK.

-Come on.

0:46:050:46:08

All right. But it's a big...it's a big sacrifice that I'm making.

0:46:080:46:10

I can see the pain in your face. I know this is a major thing for you.

0:46:100:46:13

-Yeah.

-Look at John's face. He's like, "Get in!"

0:46:130:46:17

'That's got to hurt, but to ease the pain,

0:46:170:46:19

'John could use the money from the sale of his laptops to pay off the debt on the store card.'

0:46:190:46:24

If John pays off the Next card,

0:46:250:46:27

then the agreement has to be that I don't use it any more,

0:46:270:46:30

so that's fine.

0:46:300:46:32

'With her store card now snipped,

0:46:350:46:37

'catalogue shopper Flo will need more budget-friendly fashion for her once-a-week night out.'

0:46:370:46:42

Very nice. So I'm assuming...

0:46:420:46:44

Are they from a charity shop?

0:46:440:46:46

'Indeed they are. If she swapped one of the two £35 dresses she buys

0:46:460:46:51

'every month with a £15 charity dress, she'd save £240 a year.

0:46:510:46:56

'We've even got her leather boots to complete her outfit.'

0:46:560:46:59

They look really nice, but, yeah, I can see they're not new,

0:46:590:47:02

so I'm a little bit...uh.

0:47:020:47:04

But looking at them like that, you wouldn't know.

0:47:040:47:08

But that's a little bit out of my comfort zone,

0:47:080:47:10

the whole second-hand shoes thing.

0:47:100:47:12

'Well, perhaps a £30 saving will make them more comfortable to wear.'

0:47:120:47:16

Like this one. Good colour, nice fit.

0:47:160:47:19

That's really nice. The boots are great.

0:47:190:47:21

Love the boots.

0:47:210:47:23

'Flo loves a night out with friends and family.

0:47:230:47:26

'But it's costing her almost £2,000 a year.

0:47:260:47:29

'Tonight, we're sending Flo, her mum and sisters...

0:47:290:47:32

'..to something completely free - a tango class.'

0:47:330:47:36

You have to make sure there's no weight on that leg.

0:47:360:47:40

I'm really excited that it's really different, unusual,

0:47:400:47:43

so I don't know what it'll be like but I'm really excited, yeah.

0:47:430:47:47

There are plenty of free classes up and down the country.

0:47:480:47:52

All you've got to do is go online and search your area.

0:47:520:47:55

One... Two...

0:47:570:47:59

You know, we love going and having a dance generally.

0:47:590:48:03

So, yeah, this would definitely be an alternative

0:48:030:48:05

to going out for dinner.

0:48:050:48:07

So a good night doesn't have to cost loads.

0:48:070:48:09

And that includes buying a new outfit.

0:48:090:48:12

You look beautiful, very glamorous.

0:48:120:48:15

You've told me about the joys of charity shops, haven't you?

0:48:150:48:18

-Exactly.

-You said...

-And, you know, you can get fabulous-looking stuff,

0:48:180:48:22

just like those boots and this gorgeous outfit,

0:48:220:48:26

for a bargain price.

0:48:260:48:27

'Couldn't have said it better myself!'

0:48:270:48:29

Very good.

0:48:290:48:31

Don't want any fancy twirls.

0:48:310:48:32

I'm sorry, I like the spinning!

0:48:320:48:34

The week of swaps is over and Alex and I have returned to Surrey

0:48:360:48:40

to find out how the Bance family have got on.

0:48:400:48:43

We have asked a lot of them through all of this.

0:48:430:48:45

I think we have to. They are really going to have to change the way that

0:48:450:48:48

they view money and how they deal with their finances.

0:48:480:48:52

Oh, I'm excited for them!

0:48:520:48:53

The proof will be in the reveal pudding, won't it?

0:48:530:48:57

Yeah. We're about to discover just how willing the Bances are to change

0:48:570:49:02

their bad spending habits for good.

0:49:020:49:04

-Hello.

-Hello! How are you?

-Very well.

0:49:040:49:07

So we did a fair bit of swapping in your house.

0:49:090:49:12

How did it go?

0:49:120:49:13

-Yeah, went fine.

-Yeah, some of it was harder than others,

0:49:130:49:17

but generally it was all right.

0:49:170:49:19

-It was bearable.

-OK, well, let's have a look at the swaps

0:49:190:49:22

individually, then, and see whether they were a winner or not.

0:49:220:49:26

-OK.

-OK. So we're going to start with the vacuum cleaner.

0:49:260:49:29

-OK! Yeah.

-You certainly reacted to that.

0:49:290:49:32

I did, yes.

0:49:320:49:33

Swapping Flo's £300 top-brand vacuum with a budget option sent her into a spin.

0:49:340:49:40

Er... Who is it? I mean, what is it?

0:49:400:49:42

Who is it? I don't like it already.

0:49:420:49:44

I'm quite upset.

0:49:440:49:46

Can you actually get distressed over a vacuum cleaner?

0:49:470:49:50

Well, I didn't realise you could, but, yes, you can!

0:49:500:49:54

-I love that.

-Wow.

-Who knew?

-Did it work?

-Yeah.

0:49:540:49:57

-Were you happy with its performance?

-I was really surprised, actually.

0:49:570:49:59

Yeah, it works absolutely fine.

0:49:590:50:01

And, yeah, it did the job.

0:50:010:50:03

-Da-da-da!

-'If Flo bought this vacuum next time,

0:50:030:50:06

'she'd save herself a whopping £250.'

0:50:060:50:09

-Wow.

-Wow.

0:50:090:50:11

That is a massive price difference.

0:50:110:50:12

Yeah, it is. It was really good.

0:50:120:50:14

If you're going to save that much money, yeah, it's definitely worth it.

0:50:140:50:17

-Yeah.

-'Next up, the children.'

0:50:170:50:19

We had a look at your spending and it turns out that you do spend about

0:50:190:50:22

£20 a week on your children in terms of new toys, new books,

0:50:220:50:26

-or new games.

-Yeah.

0:50:260:50:27

This includes regularly buying Jacob new sets of Lego,

0:50:270:50:31

so we signed him up to an online club where he can borrow one set a month.

0:50:310:50:35

So the subscription costs £8.49 a month.

0:50:350:50:39

-Wow.

-OK.

0:50:390:50:41

That's brilliant.

0:50:410:50:42

So how much do you reckon you're saving, then?

0:50:420:50:46

-A lot.

-A lot.

0:50:460:50:47

-Shall I tell you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

0:50:470:50:49

It's £21.51 a month.

0:50:490:50:51

Yeah. That's brilliant.

0:50:510:50:52

So Jacob gets to play with more Lego over the year and saves them £190.

0:50:520:50:57

-So, swap?

-Definitely.

-Definitely, yeah.

0:50:570:50:59

-Yay!

-That's a big bit of Lego, isn't it?

0:50:590:51:02

Brilliant.

0:51:020:51:04

'We didn't want to totally deny Ava of any new toys,

0:51:040:51:07

'but perhaps they could save a little by using their local toy exchange.'

0:51:070:51:11

Did she like it? Was it a great day out?

0:51:110:51:13

Yeah, she did. Because it was sort of a stay and play anyway,

0:51:130:51:16

she had fun, it was all new toys that she hadn't seen or played with.

0:51:160:51:19

She really enjoyed it and at the end we were able to take them away.

0:51:190:51:23

So if you bought half and borrowed the rest,

0:51:230:51:27

you'd save £12.50 a month.

0:51:270:51:30

-Yeah, yeah.

-Which is pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah, no, that's great.

0:51:300:51:33

'Over a year, that's a saving of £150.

0:51:330:51:36

'But a family visit to the library saves even more.'

0:51:360:51:39

-Thank you very much.

-We asked you to try out a library.

0:51:390:51:42

Tell us why you reacted like that.

0:51:420:51:44

Because it's so obvious, isn't it?

0:51:440:51:45

I'm embarrassed. I know the library's there.

0:51:450:51:48

-It is so obvious.

-Yeah.

-So obvious, but they are so underused, aren't they?

0:51:480:51:52

Yeah, they are. They are.

0:51:520:51:53

So the saving would be...

0:51:530:51:56

£25.94 a month.

0:51:560:51:58

-That's quite a lot of money, isn't it?

-It is.

-On books.

-Yeah.

0:51:580:52:01

-Yeah.

-It's all adding up.

-Exactly. It's all adding up.

0:52:010:52:03

Visiting the library,

0:52:030:52:05

plus the other toy swaps would save John and Flo over £600 a year.

0:52:050:52:10

But what about the family's biggest toy?

0:52:100:52:12

John's sports car, housed in that second garage.

0:52:120:52:16

What have you decided about all of that?

0:52:160:52:17

I will probably sell the car.

0:52:170:52:19

-Probably?

-All right, I will sell the car.

0:52:190:52:22

-You will sell the car?

-Yes.

0:52:220:52:24

Wow. So if you got rid of the car, you wouldn't need the garage and you

0:52:240:52:27

certainly wouldn't need the insurance.

0:52:270:52:29

That's £1,800 there in your pocket.

0:52:290:52:31

-Fantastic.

-And whatever you get for the car as well and it's valuing at

0:52:310:52:35

about £3,000, isn't it?

0:52:350:52:37

-Yeah, yeah.

-So that would be really helpful for you guys.

0:52:370:52:41

This would be an enormous saving of around 4,800.

0:52:410:52:45

We're not saying that you're not allowed to ever enjoy your hobbies.

0:52:450:52:48

But as you say, you've only had it six months

0:52:480:52:50

and you're already bored of it.

0:52:500:52:51

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-What does that tell you?

0:52:510:52:53

-You don't need it!

-No...

0:52:530:52:55

And there are plenty more savings available if the family simply

0:52:550:52:59

switch some of their branded products, including the face wipes.

0:52:590:53:03

They're really nice. Yeah, they got off all the dirt and make-up.

0:53:030:53:06

And the cost per packet for these is 50 pence.

0:53:060:53:09

-Wow.

-Which is a saving of £2.49.

0:53:090:53:13

I'm really surprised. They were really good.

0:53:130:53:15

50p? What is 50p nowadays?

0:53:150:53:17

-Nothing.

-And that's an annual saving of 30 quid.

0:53:170:53:21

But there was one swap which definitely didn't go down well.

0:53:210:53:25

-Oh, no. Value toilet paper.

-You know, look at the colour of it.

0:53:250:53:28

It's horrid. Horrid, horrid, horrid.

0:53:280:53:30

There would be a saving of £1.37.

0:53:300:53:32

-OK. No.

-No?

0:53:320:53:35

I love their reaction!

0:53:350:53:36

It's literally, "£1.37? It would have to be £1,000..."

0:53:360:53:39

-Yeah!

-The point is you'd get three extra rolls,

0:53:390:53:43

so all of that column there is free.

0:53:430:53:46

Yeah, but they're thinner anyway...

0:53:460:53:48

-No, no...

-Not even £40 a year would change your mind?

0:53:480:53:51

-No.

-No.

-No.

0:53:510:53:53

Thankfully, they didn't turn their noses up at Ava's supermarket own night-time nappy swap.

0:53:540:53:59

These were brilliant. They were really roomy, stretchy, everything you want.

0:53:590:54:03

They lasted all night. They were amazing.

0:54:030:54:06

-So is it a swap?

-Definitely.

-Yeah.

0:54:060:54:08

OK. That swap, John, will mean a saving of £230 annually.

0:54:080:54:13

Fantastic.

0:54:130:54:15

But would catalogue-loving Flo be as comfortable as Ava with the

0:54:150:54:19

second-hand clothes we gave her to try?

0:54:190:54:21

So, if you do a high street dress and a charity dress every month,

0:54:210:54:25

the saving you're looking at is £20 a month.

0:54:250:54:27

Yeah. It makes sense.

0:54:270:54:29

You know, we do have fantastic charity shops in this area.

0:54:290:54:32

You could find some really good stuff.

0:54:320:54:34

Yeah, yeah.

0:54:340:54:36

So how was Flo's fancy footwear?

0:54:360:54:38

So you walked a day in someone else's shoes...

0:54:380:54:40

Yes!

0:54:400:54:42

-How did it feel?

-They were really nice.

0:54:420:54:45

They looked really good on. They were really comfortable, there's

0:54:450:54:48

-just a slight kind of ick factor, but...

-Yeah.

0:54:480:54:50

Did you get over it, though?

0:54:500:54:52

I think I did, yeah. I had a really good night, so...

0:54:520:54:54

Two people have had a really good night in these now!

0:54:540:54:57

So you normally spend about 50 quid on a pair of boots.

0:54:570:55:00

These ones from a charity shop were 20 quid.

0:55:000:55:03

-Yeah.

-And that would be a 30 quid saving.

0:55:030:55:06

-So would they be a swap?

-It's something to consider.

0:55:060:55:09

Also worth considering was the night out swap, for free tango.

0:55:100:55:14

It was really good fun, yeah. We had a lot of fun. Took my mum,

0:55:150:55:18

my two sisters and we just had a really lovely time.

0:55:180:55:21

And it was...free!

0:55:210:55:23

-Amazing.

-Completely free.

0:55:230:55:25

-Amazing.

-That would save you 35 quid a week.

0:55:250:55:29

-Yeah.

-It's £1,800 a year.

0:55:290:55:31

-And you're not really sacrificing anything, are you?

-No.

0:55:310:55:33

-Cos you're going to do something else fun.

-Yeah.

0:55:330:55:35

-Wahay! Is that a swap?

-Yeah, that's a swap.

-Good.

0:55:350:55:37

-Good.

-'The majority of swaps have been a success,

0:55:370:55:40

'but if they continue with our advice,

0:55:400:55:42

'will the Bances be able to pay off that five grand credit card debt and

0:55:420:55:46

'start saving?'

0:55:460:55:48

Would you like to hear from us a total of what you could

0:55:480:55:51

save in the future going forward?

0:55:510:55:54

-Yeah. We're ready.

-Go on, then.

0:55:540:55:55

That would be a saving of £8,500.

0:55:550:55:59

-Oh.

-Mm...

-That's amazing.

0:55:590:56:01

And that actually is not huge changes in terms of your day-to-day life, is it?

0:56:010:56:05

-No.

-No.

-It's just approaching things differently.

0:56:050:56:07

-Yeah.

-Quite amazing, because they are small changes and they're really

0:56:070:56:11

-not too painful.

-And you can talk about money more with each other.

0:56:110:56:14

Yeah. It's forced us to look at the finances and talk about the problem

0:56:140:56:18

that we've got and how we're going to solve it.

0:56:180:56:21

Yeah. Find a sensible solution to it.

0:56:210:56:23

-Yeah.

-Come on!

-Group hug, group hug.

0:56:230:56:25

-This isn't awkward at all.

-Come on, John.

0:56:260:56:29

Well, I feel a great sense of achievement from them there.

0:56:300:56:33

Like so many families, they had their heads buried in the sand.

0:56:330:56:36

They just wouldn't talk about money.

0:56:360:56:38

-And now look at them!

-It's opened up a conversation about money that they

0:56:380:56:41

-couldn't have.

-It's doable.

0:56:410:56:43

You know, it's not big and scary changes, so...

0:56:430:56:46

-..let's do it.

-Mm.

0:56:470:56:48

-We can't do miracles, can we? But they're on the right track.

-Yeah.

0:56:480:56:51

-I like the sound of the tango as well.

-Do you?

-How do you tango?

0:56:510:56:53

-Maybe we should try that. Oh, God, here we go...

-What is it?

0:56:530:56:56

What happens?

0:56:560:56:57

No, no, no, it's not like this...

0:56:570:56:59

I mean, it's just not this. This is not it, at all.

0:56:590:57:03

You're doing really well.

0:57:030:57:04

Next time, a family with expensive tastes.

0:57:040:57:07

This must've cost an absolute bomb.

0:57:070:57:09

Slowing down their spending...

0:57:090:57:11

-7,000.

-What?!

0:57:110:57:12

Got a really bad addiction. I totally admit it.

0:57:120:57:15

..won't be easy.

0:57:150:57:16

-OK, this is not working.

-This is rubbish.

0:57:160:57:18

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