89 top tips to bag £10,000

The Staniforth Family, from Leeds, has demonstrated to the nation their money-saving prowess – successfully saving over £1,035 in just six weeks, by being savvy with their lifestyle – and without giving up the things they love to do.  The family of four now take on the coveted title of the UK’s savviest family in the annual Nectar Savvy Family competition and take home a prize package worth £10,000.

Selected from almost 2,000 entries across the country, the Staniforth’s were shortlisted to go head to head in a blogging competition with seven other money-conscious families. For six weeks, the families shared their top tips on saving money with thousands of readers, updating their blogs with advice on everything from shopping and days-out to holidays and household bills.

It was a total of 89 tips, shared on 33 savvy blogs during March, April and May that set Charmaine and David Staniforth and their two sons Oliver (8) and Charlie (3) apart from the other families.  Some of the top tips from the family include;

·  Checking the TV schedule before putting items up for sale on eBay - a popular show could affect how much that prized pre-loved possession could make the family

·  Taking back empty containers from luxury cosmetics - some stores offer discounts or free products just for recycling them

·  Using a soap scrunchie will dramatically reduce the amount of shower gel and soap used, helping it to last longer and save on the shopping bill

Their no-nonsense, real-life examples of how to live a savvier life without compromise impressed this year’s judges that included savvy property TV presenter, Sarah Beeny, and consumer champion and founder of LetsSaveMoney.com, Sarah Willingham.

Sarah Beeny comments: “The standard of the blogs this year have been amazing. There have been some really unusual tips which is great and they have covered ways to be savvier with money whatever the family’s situation is, and there are tips here that everyone can use. However, the Staniforth family really proved they go the extra mile to be savvy in their everyday life and totally deserve the title of Nectar Savvy Family 2014.”

Charmaine talks about her family’s win; “Savvy describes the Staniforth’s to a tee and it’s amazing that we’ve been able to share our experiences with others; for us it’s not about missing out or being tight, but making our money do more and to be recognised as the Nectar Savvy Family winners because of that, is just brilliant.  What we love most about our savvy lifestyle is the fact that we’re teaching our boys a skill for life.”

As well as being crowned Nectar Savvy Family 2014, the Staniforth family  take home an impressive £10,000 prize package from Nectar partners, including:

•  Family holiday worth up to £3,000 from Expedia

•  £1,000 gift card from Sainsbury’s  

•  £1,000 to spend on eBay

•  £500 gift card from Homebase

•  Four return flights to Alicante from easyJet

•  32” TV and iPod nano from American Express

•  £500 gift card from Vision Express

•  100,000 Nectar points from BP

•  Merlin Entertainments family annual pass 

•  English Heritage annual joint adult membership

•  Hive Active Heating ™ by British Gas 

•  A choice of any six annual magazine subscriptions as featured on nectar.com/spend

•  Joint annual Royal Horticultural Society membership PLUS two tickets to a Royal Horticultural Society Flower show (Hampton Court Flower Show or Tatton Park Flower Show. Children go free)

•  200,000 Nectar points from Nectar

Nectar Savvy Family has captured consumer imagination for years and established loyal followers with thousands of clever and unusual money-saving hints and tips being offered and shared. To read all the family blogs and advice, which are live on the website, visit nectar.com/savvy.

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For more press information, case studies or images please contact the Nectar PR team on:

nectar.team@clarioncomms.co.uk / 0207 479 0910

Notes to Editors

The winning Nectar Savvy Family: THE STANIFORTH FAMILY (Leeds)

The Leeds based Staniforth family consists of NHS housekeeper Charmaine, her IT analyst husband, David and their two children, Oliver (8) and Charlie (3). Charmaine is a bargain hunter who enjoys saving on the everyday things so the family can enjoy days out and holidays. The Staniforths like to use social media to keep on top of deals and follow all of the brands they use on Facebook for exclusive offers and vouchers.

The Nectar Savvy Family Finalists

• THE BEESLEY FAMILY (Tonbridge, Kent)

• THE O’CALLAGHAN-BOWSKILL FAMILY (Lincoln)

• THE SMITH-WILBY FAMILY (Leicester)

• THE JOHNSON FAMILY (Birmingham)

• THE JOYCE FAMILY (Brightlingsea, Essex)

• THE STANIFORTH FAMILY (Leeds)

• THE OLIVER FAMILY (Forth, South Lanarkshire)

• THE WEDGE FAMILY (Warrington)

Nectar Savvy Family competition

·  What: Nectar Savvy Family is an annual competition (that started in 2009) to find the UK’s savviest family, encouraging the nation to act smarter with their cash. Families are invited to enter by simply completing an online questionnaire on the Nectar Savvy Family website (www.nectar.com/savvy) and share their hints and tips on a dedicated blog for six weeks.

·  Who: The competition is hosted by Nectar, the UK’s largest loyalty programme, with judges, property developer and TV presenter Sarah Beeny, consumer champion, money saving expert and founder of letssavesomemoney.com, Sarah Willingham, and Nectar Managing Director, Will Shuckburgh.

·  Where: Eight families were selected to showcase their money-saving savviness, with their tips shared via social media and blogs hosted on nectar.com/savvy, along with posts written by Sarah Willingham, who will revealed how her own family make their money stretch further.

·  How: During the six week blogging period, families will offer advice based on different weekly themes including: Leisure and Hobbies; Holidays and Activities and Household/DIY.  Special weekly themes include Food and Shopping where families will respond to a challenge posed by Nectar partner, Sainsbury’s; and Recycle and Reuse where families will be asked to take on a challenge set by another of the Nectar partners, eBay. The focus for the sixth and final week of blogging was decided by the Nectar Facebook community as a ‘surprise’ theme for the families to respond to; ’How Savviness can help others’

·  Why: The family deemed the ‘savviest’ will be treated to a £10,000 prize package from Nectar partners.