Select a region
Two working mums who set up a money saving advice website last year say they're seeing increasing amounts of evidence that more and more people are "genuinely concerned about the future".
Sarah de Carteret and Kat Gillespie launched 'Supersavvysavers' last July.
Since then, they've grown their Facebook community to more than 5,000 - with additional hits on their website too.
Pictured: The 'Supersavvysavers'.
When it was launched, both Ms de Carteret and Ms Gillespie said they wanted to use Supersavvysavers to help the local community.
As working mums, they had noticed that their own money didn't go as far when buying food and other essentials or luxuries for their families.
Ms Gillespie said they've seen increasing evidence of other people also struggling since launching Supersavvysavers, with some recent comments suggesting more people are worrying about their financial futures.
"There has been some insightful comments on our page recently," she said.
"People are genuinely concerned about the future, where’s it all going to end… is it going to end? We’re talking working people here too, not just OAPs who are especially concerned, but working parents are becoming increasingly concerned about covering household bills.
"Many have recently had to renegotiate mortgages and having to find an extra £500 per month, that was just one conversation with (someone) this morning! It’s all very concerning."
As well as helping people save money on their essential spending, the Supersavvysavers aim to help people with little luxuries too - such as offering advertising for local eateries through a 'Tenner Takeaway' deal which launches next week.
Regardless of whether people need help affording essentials or they want to save a few pounds here and there, there is clearly demand for what the Supersavvysavers are doing.
"We have noticed a massive surge in followers recently," said Ms Gillespie. "We’re rapidly heading towards 5,500 followers which is just bonkers. The rapid number of followers on our page speaks volumes about the current situation."
Ms Gillespie said it is clear from this growth in follower numbers that more and more people are looking for bargains, and not just lower and middle earners.
"When we first launched the page we thought there may be a stigma about buying ‘yellow stickers’ or trying to find the bargains, but actually people now seem to be thriving off it.
"It’s people from all walks of life that are looking for a good deal. All of us are looking to stretch the pay packet further every month and to do that we need to find the offers and deals."
Pictured: The new year started with a number of price rises. Read more HERE.
2025 started with a number of price rises imposed on residents and consumers.
Utility bills for gas, electric, and water all going up as well as the annual TRP charge.
Public transport is costing more to use with taxi prices and bus fares rising, with an increase in ambulance costs - and the annual subscription to avoid the hundreds of pounds charged for an emergency call out - too.
The price of milk has also gone up again with the wholesale rate rising 4.4%, potentially pushing the retail cost of a litre of milk over £2 in some shops.
Guernsey Dairy said the price increase aligns with the Retail Prices Index (RPIX) measure of inflation. Chairman of the Dairy Management Board, Mark Thompson had said every effort was being made to contain increases, but rising costs inevitably had to be passed on to customers.
Pictured: Guernsey Dairy says the price increase aligns with the Retail Prices Index (RPIX) measure of inflation.
The Supersavvesavers know that price rises are unavoidable, but Ms Gillespie said that doesn't mean people can afford it.
She gave evidence from her own home to show that people are switching to more affordable alternatives where they are available.
"We would all truly prefer to shop and support local, but the reality is a lot of us just can’t afford to do so," she said.
"We all know that Guernsey Milk is the best milk in the world but with prices increasing so much, a lot of us just can’t afford to support it. It’s such a shame.
"We love Guernsey butter in our house, but we’ve had to switch to a cheaper, less superior product. I hate to think that Guernsey Milk will become a ‘luxury’ item, but unfortunately that’s the way it’s heading for a lot of people."
The Supersavvysavers website contains information including monthly supermarket price comparisons - with one carried out last weekend showing M&S is the current cheapest place to buy your groceries, based on a sample basket of goods.
The site also offers general money saving tips and advice on nutritious but affordable lunchboxes and meals.
Ad hoc money saving tips such as sales or special offers in local businesses or through online retailers are also shared via their social media channels.
Money comparison website turns sights on supermarket prices
COMMUNITY CHAMPION: Meet the two mothers helping others tackle the cost of living crisis
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.