Kicking off the new series in Scotland, Alex and Steph head to Glasgow to meet the Rodger family. Event organiser Colin and dance lecturer Karen are parents to three sets of twins: Kyle and Lewis, 17, Finn and Jude, 15, and Rowan and Ayla, three. This supersized family are desperate for their first ever holiday abroad, but they need to get their spending in check if this dream is to become a reality.
This big family are also big spenders. Karen's addiction to shoes is rubbing off on the kids, and when it comes to technology, Colin always opts for the brand leader. Alex and Steph need to shock the family into realising the error of their spend thrift ways. While the family are out they take a sneaky peek inside the house and make a pop-up shop with all the things the family already own to get them to face up to their spending. The family's shoe collection alone is worth nearly £12,000!
The family want to change, and we have put them to the ultimate test. All their usual branded products have had their labels removed and have been replaced with substitutes to open their eyes to alternatives. From the boys' mobile phones to the family TV package, we have gone extreme. Even Karen's beloved tumble dryer wasn't safe! But will the family like Alex and Steph's changes?
With so much washing, it's understandable that Karen is very opinionated on what detergent she uses. We enlisted the help of a group of mums to put a range of washing detergents to the test to see if it does pay to spend a bit more or if a cheaper option might come out on top.
Steph takes a trip to one of the last UK manufacturers of vacuum cleaners to find out what we should be looking for when it comes to this household essential. Consumer expert Avi Shankar puts Alex and Steph to the test to prove how the packaging and marketing of products plays a huge part in their pricing, and how gender can also play a surprising role.
The experiment is over, but have the Rodgers embraced enough of the new products and changed their shopping and spending ways to save money? Show less