Family of 10 discover they can save THOUSANDS on toys, cookware and cleaning products by swapping big name brand for cheaper lookalikes (and they couldn’t even tell the difference)
- Parents John and Caroline live with their eight children in Worcestershire
- Appeared on last night’s Shop Well For Less to see how they could save money
- Shocked to find they could save thousands on toys, white goods and toiletries
- In total, John and Caroline were told they could save £6,000 by making swaps
A family of 10 discovered they could save thousands of pounds simply by swapping branded goods for cheaper alternatives.
Tool-cutter John Barnet, 46, and wife Caroline, 44, live with their eight children aged between 20 and 20 months in Evesham, Worcestershire.
While ultra-organised Caroline already keeps the household running smoothly – with no debt or credit card spending at Christmas – she appeared on BBC 1’s Shop Well For Less last night to find out how she could spend their money even more wisely.
Presenters Alex Jones and Steph McGovern challenged Caroline, John and their children to spend the week using unbranded products instead of their usual big name favourites – and the ‘brandaholic Barnets’ were shocked the swaps on everything from children’s toys to toiletries would leave them £6,000 better off.
Tool-cutter John Barnet, 46, and wife Caroline, 44, live with their eight children in Evesham, Worcestershire, and appeared on BBC 1’s Shop Well For Less on Wednesday, to figure out how to spend their money more wisely. Seen: John, 46, and Caroline, 44, are proud parents to their eight children: Ellena (green coat), 20, Joshua (blue coat), 18, Daniel (grey coat), 14, Finlay (navy coat), 10, Henry (red coat), nine, Sophia (bottom right), seven, Florence (bottom centre), five, and Emilia who’s 20 months
Hidden costs: The family’s utility room was full of ‘back-up’ toiletries and cleaning products from big brands worth £1,000 – including 44 shower gels, 10 bottles of disinfectant (the equivalent of 48litres) and nine large boxes of washing liquid – enough for 640 washes
Huge saving: At the end of the experiment, Caroline was shocked to discover she had been using supermarket own brand products that could save her £283 a year if she swapped
At the start of the experiment, the family’s utility room was full of ‘back-up’ toiletries and cleaning products worth £1,000 – including 44 shower gels, 10 bottles of disinfectant (the equivalent of 48litres) and nine large boxes of washing liquid – enough for 640 washes.
When told the price of her supposed bargain hunting, Caroline said: ‘That was an amazing surprise. When you think that you’re actually saving money by getting bits and pieces each week. It shows that it really adds up.’
Elsewhere, parents Caroline and John were amazed to hear they had spent £7,000 in children’s toys – including 52 Barbies at £800 and £600 in LEGO – and £1,000 on high-end kitchenware from brands like Kitchen Aid and Le Creuset.
Meanwhile an annual family holiday for 10 sets them back an average of £4,500, while electricity costs the family £1,500 a year.
Favourite toys: The family had £7,000 worth of toys for their eight children. Among the priciest were the 52 Barbies (some pictured), worth a total of £800
Perfect for playtime! Sophia, seven, and Florence, five, were thrilled with their Wilko dolls and campervan, which were £110 cheaper than the branded versions
Cooking up a storm! The family’s KitchenAid Mixer, pictured, is worth roughly £600, according to the show, while the family spent £60 on a designer knife block, also pictured
Cheap, but not so cheerful: Foodie Caroline was left unimpressed with the £8 catalogue knife block and £50 Ambiano Classic stand mixer from Aldi, both pictured, despite the £602 saving
Swap and save!
CHILDREN’S TOYS
Original: 5 x Barbies (approx. £55)
Swap: Wilko Let’s Pretend Perfect Princesses (£15)
Saving: £40
Original: LEGO set (£40)
Swap: Combat Bricks Military 10 in 1 set (£10)
Saving: £30
KITCHEN
Original: Le Creuset frying pan and casserole dish (approx. £400)
Swap: Five piece kitchenware set (£150)
Saving: £250
Original: KitchenAid Mixer (approx £600)
Swap: Ambiano Classic stand mixer (£50)
Saving: £550
CLEANING AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Original: David Beckham body spray (approx. £2.50)
Swap: Asda own brand (45p)
Saving: £2 a bottle, £50 a year
Original: Cleaning products from brands like Surf and Fairy
Swap: Own brand supermarket products
Save: £283 a year
Steph and Alex set about giving the house a cheaper make over, swapping everything from the fridge to the children’s toys with cheaper alternatives disguised in plain packaging.
Daughters Sophia, seven, and Florence, five, were thrilled with their Barbie alternatives and matching doll campervan, which were £110 cheaper than the branded versions.
Brothers Finlay 10, and Henry, nine, were similarly pleased with the LEGO swapped for unbranded bricks, saving £30.
Eldest daughter Ellena, 20, a university student in Cardiff, was unimpressed with her unbranded make-up palette – costing roughly £4 rather than around £42.
But 18-year-old Joshua couldn’t tell the difference between his favourite David Beckham body spray – which costs the family £65 a year – and a 45p Asda own brand version. This simple swap would save the family £50 a year.
In the kitchen, foodies Caroline and John were impressed with the £660 replacement fridge, which was £140 cheaper than their current branded one.
However Caroline was unconvinced by her £8 catalogue knife block in place of her £60 designer version, and declared she wouldn’t swap her Le Creuset frying pan and casserole dish – costing £400 – for ones almost a quarter of the price.
The proud parents admitted that money is getting tighter since Ellena, 20, started at university, with their eldest son set to do the same.
With the programme’s help, Steph and Alex identified a uni starter back that costs £186, a £1,302 saving when spread across all eight children.
High standards: The Le Creuset frying pan and casserole dish, pictured on the hob cost approx. £400. And Caroline refused to part with her investment pieces
Budget option: The family were given a five piece kitchenware set for £150 but didn’t keep it
Kicking back: The comfortable family sofa in the kitchen, pictured, cost £600
Family favourite: The children loved this £250 alternative from an online furniture store
After identifying ways for Joshua to save money on his car insurance, like adding his father’s name to his insurance, the presenters set about tackling the costly family holiday.
At the end of the week, Steph and Alex returned to run through the swaps and potential savings with Caroline and John.
While the couple didn’t want to budge on their designer cookware or family sofa, they did agree to 64 per cent of the savings suggested by the show.
They were amazed to hear it totalled £6,000 – once the annual family holiday was taken into account.
At the end of the week, Steph and Alex, pictured, returned to run through the swaps and potential savings with Caroline and John
While Caroline and John, pictured, didn’t want to budge on their designer cookware or family sofa, they did agree to 64 per cent of the savings suggested by the show
The hosts set out all the items that could have been replaced by less expensive alternatives in the living room to surprise Caroline and John, pictured
Shop Well For Less airs on BBC1 on Wednesdays and is a five-part series following five families.
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