'My kids hated my brutal money-saving challenge at first - but it's saved us £300'

A thrifty mum has revealed how she’s managed to save £300 this month – by refusing to spend money on anything but food and bills.

Maddy Alexander-Grout and her family take part in a ‘low-spend’ month every January, a challenge which sees them pay for nothing but essentials for 31 days.

The mum-of-two came up with the idea when her money-saving app closed down last year, meaning she had to be extra careful with the family’s cash while she set up a new business.

Try MEN Premium now for FREE... just click here to give it a go.

The 40-year-old, who is mum to eight-year-old Ben and four-year-old Harriet, has only splashed out on essentials so far this month, estimating she will save around £300 in total.

Instead of treating her children to costly soft play days and McDonald’s, the mum has entertained her little ones with free days out including trips to the beach and country parks.

Having gifted her kids second-hand scooters for Christmas, Maddy says they enjoy trips to the local skate park too.

And, despite the thrifty method making her children unhappy at first, the mum says they quickly adjusted and now come up with their own free day out ideas.

Maddy, who shares her tips, tricks and money-saving hacks with her more than 55,000 TikTok followers, said: “The people who suffer the most are the kids, but it does teach them a lesson.

“They were grumpy at first but as the month has gone on, they’ve actually started to have their own ideas about things.

“Ben asked me if we could go to the beach tomorrow and collect shells to make collages with. It’s teaching them about money and the value of money.”

Maddy, who lives in Southampton, says the family's essentials include food, bills, childcare and her children's