I’m one of the world’s cheapest mums – I wash pots in the paddling pool & have almost no furniture but saved nearly £24K
WE’RE all looking to save money ahead of Christmas.
And one mum reckons she’s got the answer to do just that – and it’s down to her incredibly cheap lifestyle.
Melanie O’Brien, who shares two children with husband Shawn, has adopted a unique approach to life, but claims it’s saved her family almost £24,000.
Appearing on TLC show Extreme Cheapskates, Melanie and Shawn admitted they utilise every thing they can to make their life cheaper – including washing their pots and pans in the paddling pool water their kids have already used.
“When the kids are playing outside in the pool, we can utilise that afterwards to help clean our dishes,” Shawn said.
“We save money on the water bill. We save money on the electric bill.
“Are we going to become millionaires off of it?
“Not per se, but it’s going to help us to be able to allocate that money towards a better purpose.”
Luckily, Shawn and Melanie have similar mindsets to saving cash.
So when the handles on their pots and pans broke, Shawn came up with an ingenious way to get around it.
“Sean and I agree that if we don’t have to buy anything new, then we won’t,” Melanie said.
“And we’ll make use with what we have. That’s our lifestyle. That’s our way.
“Our pots and pans broke- the handles broke off.
“And instead of going out and buying brand new pots and pans, Sean made this wrench that doubles as a handle.
“And the duct tape protects my hands from burning.”
Due to their lifestyle, they’ve managed to save almost £24,000.
But they’ve also had to sacrifice a lot – like furniture.
Taking the camera into the lounge, Melanie showed the footstool, sun lounger and bean bag, which cost them just £39, rather than the £15,800 she reckons new furniture can cost.
Four cheap home renovation tricks
YOU don't have to spend loads to give a room a new look. Here are five other home renovation tricks you can try.
Kitchen cupboards
One way to give your kitchen a complete transformation for less is to change the look of the kitchen cupboards. There are loads of different vinyl coverings out there to choose from, and it’s a quick and easy way to update your home.
Handles
Another thing you can try that won’t break the bank is to change up the handles. You can pick up relatively cheap handles in DIY stores, or even in the charity shop. Adding new ones to your kitchen cupboards, or doors in your house, can be extremely effective.
Leftovers
Most of us have old half-used tins of paint in the garage, but they’re often forgotten about. However, there may be enough in the pot to paint a feature wall in another room, and you won’t have to spend a penny.
Freebies
It’s worth checking your local Facebook Marketplace, or Freecycle, to see what other people are getting rid of. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And if someone’s planning to revamp a room, they might want to get rid of a sofa, or a coffee table, which you could use to give a lounge a new look.
Despite the sparse furniture, she, Shawn and the kids all spend “most of their time” in the living room.
And Shawn is a pro at coming up with clever hacks to fix household problems.
When the shower broke, he decided to use an empty drinks bottle, which he “rigged up to the shower head” and poked holes in.
“And now we have a brand new shower head,” Melanie gushed as she demonstrated the ‘shower’ in action.
The comments section was almost immediately filled with people weighing in, with one writing: “Wait – you wash your dishes in the paddle pool you kids jump in and out of?”
“I don’t get cheap stakes,” another sighed.
“What are you saving all this money for if you’re not even going to ever use it?”
“Babe, FB marketplace is a thing!! £20 I paid for my sofas!” a third laughed.
As someone else wrote: “I’d rather have no money and a nice lifestyle than spend my life like this and have money for when I’m dead.”