Make do and mend!

Tonight will see our StepChange Debt Charity TV advert screened during the break in Coronation Street. It’s the first time we’ve ever advertised during the nation’s favourite soap and we’re really excited about it!

To celebrate we’ve put together a list of money tips you can learn from our friends on “The Street”.

Avoid Roy’s Rolls

Judging by the numbers of people getting their lunchtime butty from Roy’s Rolls it seems that not all the inhabitants of Coronation Street are money savvy. You can save cash by taking a packed lunch with you to work, rather than lining Roy Cropper’s pockets!

Cut down on the taxis

Have you ever noticed that whenever someone’s leaving Weatherfield there’s always a big scene where they pull away in a cab? Why waste money on expensive taxis when you can take public transport instead?

Eagle-eyed viewers will have noticed that trams regularly go past on the viaduct near Kevin’s garage. With Coronation Street’s easy access to public transport links there’s really no excuse. Although try and avoid big tram crashes.

Don’t spend too much time in the Rovers

While we’re on the subject of little gripes, how come all the characters spend most nights down the pub? While we don’t mind an occasional tipple it’s really not affordable to be down the pub every night – not to mention the damage the characters are doing to their livers.

Instead of meeting your friends down the pub, why not invite them over to your house for a night in? The drinks will be cheaper and you won’t get bothered by Ken Barlow’s boring stories!

Jack Duckworth glasses

We were gutted to hear of Bill Tarmey’s passing away recently – we remember his brilliant turns as Jack Duckworth and the DIY repairs to his specs. There are some lessons we can learn from those spectacles that he held together with an Elastoplast (although cheaper, unbranded plasters are also available).

It’s very tempting these days to throw out things as soon as they stop working. We could all take a leaf out of Jack Duckworth’s book and repair things rather than chucking them in the bin.

Fashion is cyclical

Kevin Webster has been wearing the same jacket for over a decade now – you know, the faded purple one. We would like to salute him for this – trying to make your clothes last as long as possible is a great way to save a bit of money.

The good thing for Kev is, if he keeps his jacket for a bit longer it might even come back into fashion!

Get comping!

Norris is one of our favourite characters. Some might say he’s a bit stingy and a bit of a gossip but we’d prefer to think of him as just being thrifty. A great example of this is how Norris is a keen comper, someone who likes to enter lots and lots of competitions to try and win big prizes.

If you’re interested in getting involved in comping yourself then a good place to start is MoneySavingExpert.com’s 40+ comping tips.

Make your own version of Betty’s hotpot

Betty’s hotpot has been a staple food for the residents of Weatherfield for as long as we can remember. It still continues on the menu in the Rovers despite Betty’s (and actress Betty Driver’s) sad passing away.

You can save yourself a bit of money following this video that shows you how to make your own Lancashire hotpot. Much cheaper than having to pay for one down the Rovers Return!

If you’re finding money hard to manage and following these tips still leaves you short then you might want to get debt help from us. You can do this using our free online advice tool, Debt Remedy or by giving us a call. Moneysaving doesn’t have to be fictional.

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