MMR 2: The Potts Family

angela110660

I have recorded both shows to watch when I get home and I have enjoyed them both. However, when you give the lowdown about the money saved at the end, I feel that you shoul have stressed for the camera that the savings are great on paper but there is a long term commitment. Saving them £thousands sounds wonderful and of course you have put the money in the piggy for the visual effect but .... life isn't like that and all that money would not be there in one hit. As months and weeks pass, it is very easy to let things slip and those magical figures disappear.
I always think about the figures people quote about if you give up smoking you will save yourself £X Hubby and I have often joked that maybe we could smoke for one day - give up - and then we would have all that money too!! I wish.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.

MSE_Martin

Angela - we treat this like everything else in the series - twice i tackle "how to budget and making the savings long term" yet there simply isn't time in each programme

[Deleted User]

I have enjoyed all I have seen so far,but please, to be earning £50k between them, and not to be able to have a holiday abroad.
What on earth are they doing with their cash. I am a widow and disabled, and living on an income of less than £10k per year.I manage to have two long weekend holidays abroad this year
one for four days to Paris, and one for four days to Amsterdam.I also had a five day break with my daughter and family in a caravan in Caister. My daughter and her husband bring up a family of five children on an income of less than half of the Potts'
They obviously spend their money with little thougt of what they are doing. The lady seemed to not want to give up spending on clothes and for a child to have £700 worth of clothes to me seems almost obscene.
They are hardly scratching along on £50k. if he wants to be believable, then look at the worse off members of society not someone who obviously has more money than sense
Very good programme though but the people involved are ,in my eyes, extremely well off.

bridiej

JackieO wrote:

I have enjoyed all I have seen so far,but please, to be earning £50k between them, and not to be able to have a holiday abroad.
What on earth are they doing with their cash.

But it's a fact of life that the more money you have the more you tend to spend - until you discover MSE that is!

I've not been able to see the shows I can understand it maybe frustrating to see high earning people on the show BUT think how many people will see the show and discover this website who may not have heard of it before.

Just the mere fact the programme is on at all will get people talking and create more awareness of MSE which will help all those with money troubles, including those on low incomes / benefits or whatever. :money:

And just because people may earn more than others doesnt mean they are well off if they arent using it wisely. I think it's a bit sad that people seem to think those on a high wage shouldnt be able to benefit from Martin's wisdom.

And as for saying "if he wants to be believable" I dont really understand...? Have you read this posted by Martin on page 3:

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.

mike55_2

it's a shame the show isn't longer. even 'my teen's a nightmare' got twice the airtime

it must be frustrating to see an edited show. i'd magine the producers must look at the wardrobe of those triplets and thought 'ebay', realised ebay's been mentioned, and moved on? seemed a tad bewildering if ppl missed the 1st show

i enjoyed it though, and talking of nightmares, imagine your family doubling overnight!

as some ppl have said, the 2 families so far don't seem to have been poor, just too busy doing other things? but i think a lot of people do the same

good programme, and reminds me that i've got to sort sky out. i wish it was longer, but at least the farmyard animal had less airtime

mike55_2

bridiej wrote:

But it's a fact of life that the more money you have the more you tend to spend - until you discover MSE that is!

I've not been able to see the shows I can understand it maybe frustrating to see high earning people on the show BUT think how many people will see the show and discover this website who may not have heard of it before.

i'm not sure it mentions this website bridiej. it mentions the itv one though.

but as for discovering moneysaving and spending less? i always think if you have money, spend it while you can, but spend it wisely and not line other ppl's pockets unnecessarily.

now i'd better read the tips i've been meaning to read all week

Edinburghlass_2

Its worthwhile having a read of the Make Me Rich page on the website which tells you that the average saving made per family is £8,700.

Mike you are quite correct with your spending wisely, the following phrase has always been on the main page of MSE and is what MSE was/is built on.

MoneySaving is about cutting bills not cutting back. It's about being a sassy consumer. Companies try to screw us for profits. MoneySaving shows you how to screw them back.

I think you will find Mike that the legalities don't permit Martin to mention MSE however, hopefully lots of people viewing the programmes will have the nous to Google for Martin Lewis and find their way here.

Hopefully a second series might evolve the way that MSE has over the years and will involve families with a lower income and possibly get into the problems that debts bring, the same way that MSE has.

The Debt Free Wanna Board is a fairly new addition to MSE and one that Martin is justifiably proud of, in particular the level of support given to the users who need it. The same on the Benefits board where amazing help and advice is given to users when they need it most.



edited to add, I just found this phrase on the ITV.com website and thought it quite amusing.

Fiscal superhero: Martin Lewis spends his days advising people how best to save money

mah_jong

I still think its a shame not to have any low income families. You will never make them rich BUT the impact would be far greater. A little extra goes a long long way when every penny counts at the start!

i didn't see the first, the Potts seemed a nice family, but really needed to get on top of thier finances. But with a large income they probably never felt it a high priority. Just muddling along. Typical of so many. Same with the food, clothes, carryouts etc. They dont NEED to cut back, they enjoy thier life. I hope they have a great holiday!

I wonder, if perhaps, they will carry on, once they realize how by changing a few things, that money was easily saved that they will become true MSE ers! We can hope, if not them then perhaps those who watch.

I, personally think a shorter prog is better than one that is stretched. How I hate those that go over the same ground after every commercial break (thinking of a house prog, was it house chain!!! UGH).

Spendless

I wondered if they were paying 2 lots of childcare, since the children were 4 and 18 months.

gatra_2

Having been very lucky and got hold of the 3/4hr pilot on video I was very disappointed to find they had missed out the kitchen stunt with all the take away dishes and the bit of Martyn waving his "Air" flag about life of balance cards.