Britain’s savviest saving mums are sharing their smartest hacks and tips to help other families stay out of debt. Clair, Kerry, Joanna, Katy and Tania say they are among some of the UK’s fiercest family financial gurus.
Each of the mums has shared their top advice as part of a new campaign from festive budgeting experts Park Christmas Saving called ‘Mums Make it Happen’. Each week they squirrel away an affordable amount to pay towards Christmas stress-free, avoiding panic spending just before December and hefty credit card debt in the new year.
Britain’s savviest saving mums’ top 10 tips:
Budget and track your spending with a ‘Money MOT’
Doncaster mum-of-four Kerry Blackett, 45, says: “There’s loads of handy free budgeting apps around like Hyper Jar, Emma and Snoop now but just an old-fashioned pen, paper and calculator does the trick for me when sitting down and working out income and expenditure. I call this my ‘Money MOT’ and recommend you make this a habit every year. Spring is here and now is an ideal time. Or how about doing it when your own car MOT is due so you never forget? That's what I do.”
Dish up big savings with meal prep
Joanne O’Rourke, 42, London based mum-of-11 children, whose Facebook cooking group ‘ Food ideas for the family’ has a huge following of over 50k, thanks to her cost-saving recipes and tips : “Mums are so busy and one of my best tips is to meal prep each week. Jot down a rough idea of what family dinner will be for each school day so you don’t buy unnecessary items that go off in the fridge. A fave in our house is my creamy chicken pasta – it takes no time and works out less than £1 a plate. For my children who don’t like pasta I swap with potatoes. I also love crock pot cooking using left overs of meats, so there is no waste.”
Slash the subscriptions! Use the start of a new month to cancel unnecessary subscriptions
Family blogger Katy White, age 34, of top family blog What Katy Said - an online space for busy mums, says: “Whether it’s fitness apps, magazines or streaming services, we all sign up to services that we end up forgetting about. Double check your subscriptions every month and cancel the non-essentials to save vital funds. I use the start of a new month as a good time to just check all my subs and ask myself, “Do I really need this?”
‘No spend’ weekends
Welsh super saver and mum-of-two and grandma, Tania Leek,61, from Tonyrefail is a Park agent and customer. One of her key hacks is to cut back on unnecessary weekend spending. She says: “When feasible, try a ‘no spend’ weekend. Instead of splashing the cash, enjoy free activities like walks, Netflix or Prime Video nights instead of the expense of the cinema, board games and museums.”
Pass on the posh coffees and treat yourself to £300
Mum-of-four Clair Brading, 39, from Southampton, says: “No amount is too small to save. By putting aside a manageable amount every week between now and December 25th, your end of year savings soon add up. I say to my friends, just £7 to £10 a week – that’s a couple of posh Starbucks coffees - starting now this spring will add up to over £300 come December - it’s a good chunk of cash!”
Spring clean and then sell, sell, sell!
Decluttering expert and top blogger for busy mums, Katy’s other key tip is to do a big spring clear out of clothes and accessories. She says: “We all have items lying around that we don’t need anymore so why not sell them on to someone who does? Apps like Vinted and Depop are ideal for selling on clothes while you can use platforms such as eBay and Facebook marketplace to sell almost anything.”
Get Christmas wrapped in advance - use a trusted savings club
Joanne O’Rourke, keeps her huge family of 13 debt-free by saving ahead for the biggest family expense of the year with a festive savings club. She adds: “I would be absolutely lost without my Park Christmas Savings, account. I’ve been a customer 10 years and it’s been an essential savings tool in keeping me on track and not feeling overwhelmed when November comes round and all the Christmas shopping has to be done.”
It’s not about the price tag
Savvy saving mum Clair’s other key tip is to not make special occasions about the price tag. She adds: “Birthdays and special occasions can drain your bank account when it comes to gift buying. A financially savvy alternative can be to create something original and authentic from the heart, rather than trying to impress with a big price tag.”
Remove debt with a click of your fingers
South Wales’ super-saver and top Park agent Tania Leek’s other handy hack is to watch those payment apps don’t create a false sense of ‘magic money’. She adds: “Removing your card from instant payment services such as Apple Pay can put a halt to easy overspending. Avoiding contactless payment services in general can avoid frivolous spending.”
Set goals but don’t compare yourself to others
Yorkshire mum Kerry, who scooped ‘UK’s super- agent 2025’ award with Park after helping over 100 local families budget for Christmas, has a final tip which is pretty simple but effective: “Just get started. Don’t give yourself a hard time for not being perfect. We mums do the toughest job in the world and yet we make it happen for our families – from days out, food on the table, celebrations, toys, football kits and treats – we are smarter than Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves in jugging so much!”
