Alex Jones and Steph McGovern are in Bristol with the Jack family. ICT teacher Hannah and business development manager Damian have three boys - Milo, who is 12, Flynn, who is nine, and Nate, who is five. Eight years ago the family's life was turned upside down when both Hannah and Damian were made redundant. With no savings they hit the credit cards and then had to make the devastating decision to sell their house to try to get themselves back on track.
They now live in rented accommodation and are both back in full-time employment, but the dream is to own their own home again. However, they have no savings and are spending every penny they earn. Can Alex and Steph get them to change their ways so that their house-buying dream can become a reality?
Alex and Steph resort to shock tactics and raid the family home to get to the bottom of their spending. From trainers to tablets, the family like a brand - even the pets get extreme pampering. To get them to see the reality of their shopping habits, Alex and Steph build a surprise pop-up shop in their house with some of the family's biggest spends. How will Hannah and Damian feel when faced with their super spending?
The sooner the family start reining in their spending the better, so Alex and Steph de-brand their home, replacing many of their favourite products with cheaper alternatives. To really put them to the test some products haven't been swapped at all, but will the family recognise which items have been switched and which ones haven't? If the Jacks want to own their own home then changes need to be made. Steph chats to Hannah and Damian and shows them areas where they could make considerable savings - but they're not easy choices.
Alex and Steph also blind-test camping beds and garden forks with the family to find out whether you need to pay a premium to get the best. The British public get their say too, as Steph and Alex hit the high street with four de-branded cushions ranging from high end to budget to see whether we can tell what's pricey and what isn't, just from look and feel. We also enlist the help of a gospel choir to test five electric toothbrushes to see whether branded is best if we want to achieve a dazzling smile.
The experiment is over, but have the Jack family seen the error of their spending ways and will they embrace the changes to build up their savings and own their own home? Show less