MMR 2: The Potts Family

Bogof_Babe

Thinking about it again, I find it extraordinary that a family with this sort of income was portrayed as having nothing in the bank to fall back on, whether for holidays or just in case of an emergency.

I do hope Martin isn't being taken for a ride, while the couple quietly build up gilt edged retirement funds and property investments etc.

Even on £15K a year gross pay, I still saved at least £2K.

Fran

MSE_Martin wrote:

......2. No lower incomes. Let me be honest (i shouldnt be as i may be saying things i shouldn't). ITV wanted 'really big savings, at least £5,000 per programme). I argued that really big would be 20% of income, but it wanted "big numbers". Now I'm good but im not good enough to save someone earning less than £10k a year five thousand pounds.

If you can point someone in the direction of a sickness benefit such as Disability Living Allowance (which incidentally you can claim regardless of income as it's paid for the extra cost of a disability) plus other help they can get from grants & benefits for disabled people, plus point them in the direction of potential employment they might not have thought of and add that to the usual moneysaving things that you do such as saving on utilities, phones, insurances etc. etc. then I'm sure you could save them this. By the nature of the subjects though this would be a different type of programme, but the result for the people concerned not just in terms of finance but also their health could make a serious improvement to their lives. (Sorry to go on about it as I know this is meant to be about the programme you have made not ones that might or might not be made in the future).

3. What's the programme for? For me this is an interesting vehicle to get people thinking about MoneySaving. Of course it isn't perfect. I would prefer a live half hour to talk to people about what they do - but thats something that wouldn't be commissioned. So the case studies are there as a demonstration and hopefully the issues come out. ITV have been commendably brave, doing a 'stop spending' programme is a much easier sell.

I thought it did a really good job of "getting people thinking about moneysaving", that was a clear message. :rudolf:

:xmassign:

Queenie

Spendless wrote:

...
£400 a year on Happy meals though:eek: . Is it my maths or did that work out at a happy meal twice a week for the kids?

Yuppers, I clocked onto that bit too ... blowpobs to the money aspect .. what about the kiddies HEALTH :eek: :eek:

To be fair to the mother ... and as Martin pointed out ... she was herself


PS: Martin - you are a handsome man; however, please could you ditch the stripey shirts? (Pretty please? )

apprentice_tycoon

Quick question for Martin...

I understand that you wouldn't have been able plug your books or MSE website on air but did you mention them to your families?

Kimberley

It would be nice to know if they are members on here to give us any hints of anything else you saved them. Then again i guess they would have come on here by now.

MSE_Martin

To answer ATs question. When i am with the families i ask them not to take notes as it stops them listening. When i travel back i do two things. First I wrote my blog, then i wrote my note to the family. This incorporates all teh pain-free savings and what should be done. Then that's send with the budget planner to MSE Dan who fills it out a bit and adds links to every relevant article.

The next day this is sent to the family. Very importantly I always made the same speech at the start of filming.... here it is

"We're here to do two things today They (the production team) and I need to make a TV programme, but we (me and the family) are here to save you as much money as I can, both off and on camera. I promise i will do my best. I will send you a note when i am finished, and you will get a contact email address. If you need help next week, next month, six months next year, then you email and I'll do my best."

For me this is my mission. When the production team were selecting candidates I would never talk to them before going in. If i agree to do a makeover for me that's it its all or nothing, if im going to interfere its not fair to do it just for one day. So if i speak to a family i feel ethically obligated to do a makeover whether they're on the TV or not, and as time is short therefore i restricted talking to anyone other than the actual candidates.

Many of teh families have been in touch since, and almost all have had real life change impacts im pleased (and a wee bit proud) to say

As for the book. No i didnt give them a copy. The new book wasnt out yet and the old one was a wee bit past it

martin

Edinburghlass_2

Many of teh families have been in touch since, and almost all have had real life change impacts im pleased (and a wee bit proud) to say


I would say you could be a big bit proud, I know how I feel when a user says they have saved £5 a month on a telephony bill due to the combined efforts of the MSE users.



Any out-takes we are likely to see on "It'll Be Alright On The Night"?

Queenie

Edinburghlass wrote:

.....
Any out-takes we are likely to see on "It'll Be Alright On The Night"?

Probably the production team and Martin wading through all those Happy Meals so they can line them up the stairs

moonbeam682

Its really good to know that you were there to support the families afterwards not just for the cameras, it is really interesting to hear what goes on behind the scenes though I should imagine supporting 15 families afterwards was hard work.
I am glad they have made great savings & admire their courage for exposing their finances to the nation! Hopefully they & you will inspire so many more people thanks to the filming of this series.

I have actually found it alot easier to take in the moneysavingtips that you give visually as there is so much info written on this site that its sometimes hard to digest it all! I am going to join 1899 now thanks to the programme (just have to get the family in the habit of dialling the long number first though as we're on Telewest, big sticker on phone I think!):D I'm sure that the rest of the series will inspire me to make other savings too.

Many thanks & enjoy your holiday (not long now!):xmassmile

MSE_Martin

It'll be ok on the night?

Well i know one thing was submitted to 'it shouldn't happen too'. I was doign my closing piece to camera at 8pm, it was dark and there was a porch light which had a movement censor. It kept going out at the wrong moment. 14 times we tried to do it.

Now you have to understand Im a gobby boy and dont work off a script, thus i rarely need to do more than one (or for camera reasons) two takes. So this got us all very riled up in a pressure day. Im hoping i didnt swear or grandma won't be happy!

(there's also an edited outtakes done by the team, of silly things, which've they've cut in an interested way - i will put that on the site once the series finished!!!!! though its an adults only version!)