I was a single mum surviving on an £112 a week call centre salary – now I run my own business backed by two millionaires
LIFE as a struggling single mum wasn’t easy for Angie, who survived on just £122 per week.
The mum, from Loch Lomond in Scotland, has two daughters, Gracie and Poppy, and was left stunned when her life was changed forever thanks to a couple of millionaires.
On a recent episode of Channel 5‘s Rich House, Poor House, Angie was offered help starting her own crochet business with help from millionaires Monika and Clifford, who boast a joint annual income £3.5 million.
The couple swapped places with the single mum for one week, embracing every aspect of her life, including a strict weekly budget.
Meanwhile, Angie and her daughters lived the life of luxury as they enjoyed a taste of Clifford and Monika’s millionaire lifestyle.
During the episode, Angie explained she works a part-time job at a call centre while also studying law, and often wakes up extra early just to squeeze in some more studying time.
Of course, all that work and studying leaves Angie with little quality time with her kids.
That’s when Monika and Clifford came to the rescue and gifted the mum a holiday they’d foot the bill for, giving her the well-deserved chance for some rest.
Angie was stunned by the holiday offer, but it wasn’t the only thing the rich couple had up their sleeves to help the mum out.
They also offered to help her start up her very own crochet business in a bid to bring in some extra cash, something that left Angie very emotional.
“We would like to help set up a company for handmade products, especially within Europe. They are pricey and there is big demand,” Monika told the single mum.
And their business plan for the mum wouldn’t take any more time away from her kids, they assured.
“Don’t worry, it’s not going to be a case of you sitting there crocheting loads.
“It’s going to be your patterns. We’ll find people who can do a pattern and then do it more mass produced,” Clifford explained.
Angie replied: “That’s incredibly kind of you and not something I’d be able to do on my own.”
She continued: “Having this time just with my girls has really highlighted to me that I really am trying to work towards a better work-life balance.
“My dream is to create a way of life that we don’t want to escape from.”
But it wasn’t just Angie who came out of the episode better off, as the rich couple admitted they also learned a lot about work-life balance.
Towards the end of the emotional episode, Angie told the couple how much she appreciated their help and praised their “absolutely beautiful” home.
Clifford returned the compliment and assured Angie that he and his wife both enjoyed spending time in her “beautiful community”.
How to save money on your food shop
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year:
Odd boxes – plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price.
Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30.
Sainsbury’s also sells £2 “Taste Me, Don’t Waste Me” fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash.
Food waste apps – food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public.
Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio.
Too Good to Go’s app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount.
Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses.
Yellow sticker bargains – yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap.
But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here.
Super cheap bargains – sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they’ve found on the cheap, including food finds.
“Downshift” – you will almost always save money going for a supermarket’s own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands.
The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as “downshifting” and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop.