Money Spinners - Lorne Spicer - looking for families

Sallys_Savings

Hi,

Does anyone remember the programme Money Spinners with Lorne Spicer in?

They have a family on each programme that wish to save for something in a month..i.e. computer, holiday, refit bathroom, garden makeover, caravan etc.

Thought it might be useful for people giving their debts/mortgages/savings a kick start

In that month Lorne Spicer visits and gives ideas on what to do etc.
Some of the family really went for it and did brilliantly on the last series when others didnt do so well and werent really up for it. It was a shame when the mother was doing all she could and the others just swanned around

She trys to get them to take on extra jobs, do overtime, save on shopping, household bills, use other skills etc.

What I liked best was that she gave more responsiblity to children in the house. While the parents were working extra the children were given chores to do to free up the parents time.:j ..i.e. in charge of making packed lunches everyday, preparing veg for the evening meal, forfeiting their mobile phone for the month, taking the bus (rather than relying on mum and dad to taxi them there), general cleaning duties, etc.
I'm one of the worst for not giving my children jobs ..I just got into the routine of doing it myself over the years.

I remember one lady saying she'd make christmas cakes for people at work..in the end she was unindated with requests and was cooking every evening. That worked really well and she said she'd do it every year for extra christmas money from now on.

She had one lady who was unhappy in her job applying for a higher paid job (and she got it)..teenagers taking on part time jobs.

I loved how it got all the family together ......
depending on what they were saving for. One family were saving to have their bathroom kitted out and didnt receive that much enthusiasm from two teenage sons funny enough lol

Anyway...I've just goggled money spinners and they're looking for new families for a new series if anyones interested.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle/moneyspinners/

On this web site there are also bargain meals and other tips as well as short bits about the previous programmes.

Hope some of it will be of use to someone...and if you do apply to be on the programme.......please let me know I'd like to know if I put you on the road to tv stardom

Spendless

I remember the programme and I liked it but I did feel that the families chosen were always ones where there were teenage children/older kids who could get a p/time job and contribute. The parents always had some sort of skill and a job where they could work overtime.

Someone tell me if I'm wrong but I never saw a programme with pre-schoolers in it where the SAHP was restricted in working due to cost of childcare and the other parents work hours.

I liked the tips that were relevant to me though.

Sallys_Savings

Yes you're right, there did seem to be more families with teenagers that wouldnt really contributing and having "an easy ride" But I do remember Lorne giving them a bit of a kick up the backside Good on her :T

If I remember the families with young children I think mainly relied on other members of the family helping out with a bit of childcare.
I suppose friends/family don't mind so much if there is a time limit like a month in this case.
I do remember a young girl (think she was about 8) making packed lunches for everyone for the next day while her mother made the dinner. She was so pleased with herself (my 19 yr old twins, 15 and 14 year old have trouble with this lol)

We've talked about doing this on our own before...go and have a mad month working/etc....but its mad enough in our house anyway;)

Can anyone remember anything about these programmes?

Spendless

They looked at your greater area(s) of expenditure, eg if you were buying take-aways a lot . Then you cut back on those or did without, or they'd show you how to get the same taste by making it yourself (eg they once took a lady to a cookery lesson run by an Indian lady). At the end of the week if you hadn't spent the 320 or whatever on take-aways that you would normally it went into the pot. This was always the part that was relevant to me.

In future weeks they had the teenagers working or increasing overtime or making money out of skils they had. This 'increased' income also went into the pot.

Going O/T - Hope you don't think I'm being rude asking this just curious but you are the 2nd member I've come across who had twins 1st then 2 seperate children, did you wonder if you'd get another set of twins? I ask cos sis has twins and with twins and triplets in family (many years ago)who had missed everyone out till it came to sis:rotfl: . She sent her hubby to be done in case she got triplets next time:D

Sallys_Savings

no you're not being rude spendless
I wouldnt of minded twins with the third child but I was a bit concerned if we were going to have twins when I was expected the fourth.
It would of meant alot of problems with bedrooms as well as having a larger family then we intended (always wanted four). It also worried me that the middle one would be really left out with twins either side. If the last child had of been twins I would of had 5 children under 5 years old (it was hard enough 4 children under 5).
As it happens it worked out great with my twins being boys and my other singletons both being girls (a three bedroom house).
Hey you may be inline for the triplets