Nectar searches for the UK's savviest family

With research showing that 78% of Brits are feeling the pinch this February*, the UK’s largest loyalty programme, Nectar, is today launching its annual money-saving advice competition, Savvy Family, to encourage the nation to act smarter when it comes to spending and saving. Nectar has teamed up with property developer and television presenter, Sarah Beeny, to hunt for up to eight families to tout their tips and pinch the pennies over the course of five weeks, sharing their experiences and advice about anything and everything, from cutting the weekly shopping bill to entertaining the kids for free, in a blog hosted on nectar.com/savvy.

Alongside the eight finalists, Sarah Beeny will be blogging on the site each week, showing how her own family make their money stretch further.  At the end of the blogging period, Sarah and a panel of judges will face the tough task of picking a winner. The family deemed the most creative and ‘savvy’ when it comes to saving, offering the most beneficial advice for families across the country, will be crowned Nectar Savvy Family 2013, winning a fantastic haul of goodies for the whole family to enjoy from Nectar's partners.

Sarah Beeny said, "I’m delighted to be joining the Nectar Savvy Family judging panel. The lack of financial wiggle room within the family budget has led to an increasing number of families finding more creative ways to enjoy their time together without stretching their budgets.  Working together to save costs is a great way for families to bond whilst teaching children about the value of money. There's a real hunger for this type of advice as the family budget continues to be squeezed.”

“I pride myself on having an eye for a good deal and, as a Nectar Savvy Family judge, I’ll be on the lookout for any inventive tips I can try at home. This competition is a great way to involve the whole family, including kids, in discussions about what everyone can do to make the pennies go further. My blog will keep you up to date with the best savvy tips!"

First established in 2009 in response to the UK's economic downturn, Savvy Family has captured consumer imagination and established loyal followers with thousands of clever and unusual money-saving hints and tips being offered and shared. Now in its fifth year, the Savvy Family competition is set to grow in 2013, as families seek out new ways to make savings as the recession continues to take a grip and impact increasingly on family spending.

Accompanying Sarah Beeny on the judging panel is personal finance expert, Annie Shaw: “Working together to save costs is a great way to teach the whole family the value of money and become skilled in the art of being savvy, so I’m keen to see how our finalists get the whole household involved.”

The recession-busting prize package for the winning family is worth approx. £5,000 and includes:

·  Four easyJet flights

·  £500 to spend on eBay

·  £500 gift card from Sainsbury’s

·  £500 from BP to spend on fuel

·  £500 gift card from Bella Italia

·  £500 gift card from Vision Express

·  A year's cover from British Gas on a Home Care policy

·  A 32inch plasma TV from American Express

·  £500 Nectar eShops prize package

·  100,000 Nectar points.

Those families interested in sharing their advice and being in with a chance of winning this prize can enter at nectar.com/savvy by completing a short entry form before 17^th March.

Sarah Beeny and Annie Shaw will be joined on the judging panel by Nectar’s James Frost; “Nectar has championed savvy spending and shopping since its launch in 2002. Now with 19 million Nectar cardholders across the UK, our research shows that families are continually looking for new and innovative ways to save. We’re looking forward to unearthing some useful hints and tips from this year’s eight Savvy Families.”

Families who aren’t selected to take part in Nectar’s Savvy Family blogging competition still have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes by following the competition through the Nectar facebook page (facebook.com/nectar) and sharing their own money saving tips.

Notes to Editors

*Survey of 2000 UK adults with at least one child under 16 living at home, carried out by One Poll