The MoneySuperMarket One Week Energy Challenge

The MoneySuperMarket One Week Energy Challenge is about highlighting how we take prized possessions for granted and what happens when we don’t have those items anymore. For example, energy bills could be too high, so sacrifices have to be made and it’s no longer possible to afford to use a Nutribullet or laptop anymore.

Fortunately, MoneySuperMarket enables you to find the right energy deals for you to save money and keep your beloved items. Should you want to try to save more money, MoneySuperMarket can provide the best possible break down of energy providers to help save you further money by switching.

The MoneySuperMarket team challenged us to go without an item that you use on a regular basis and although I did, briefly, consider giving up my phone, that would have been a ridiculous idea as I use it for work as well as pleasure.

As a family we rely on having two cars, one for Hubby for work and one for me which ferries the kids around, takes them to various clubs and on interesting and exciting days out. Hubby needs his car for work, so it was me who was going to give up the car for a week.

I am going to be honest, I hate not having a car! Public transport here is poor, with buses just once an hour into Poole and every half an hour into Bournemouth and none of them go anywhere near any of the clubs the kids got to. However, in terms of savings, children under 7 are free and it cost me just £3.30 for return travel into Poole or Bournemouth town centre and the kids love the adventure.

As someone who thinks nothing of leaping into my car and heading off into the countryside for a day out, relying on public transport leaves us much more limited for options, however, getting to the beach for some fun was no problem at all and the kids adored burying their favourite toys in the sand.

As long as I checked the timetable, bus travel really wasn’t that bad. There are times to avoid – 9.30am is the time when pensioners get free bus travel and the bus is rammed within two stops, but Sebby especially enjoyed it. I found shopping a struggle as all the extra walking made Sebby tired and twice I had to carry him, snoring on my shoulder, and our shopping home from the bus stop.

It was the amount of money we saved that shocked me. The average cost of my car per week:

• One tank of diesel = £50
• Parking = £10.50
• Insurance = £13.46
• Tax = £2.40

Total: £76.36

The cost of using a bus every day for a week is just £23.10 although I did have to rely on lifts from friends to get us to swimming lessons, cubs and rainbows. If I hadn’t had those lifts we would have had to use a taxi which would have taken us back up to what using the car would have cost.

Would I give up my car for good – No!

I like the freedom of being able to jump in it and take the family out and I am not sure Hubby was impressed that he had to take us to the supermarket for our main shop on his day off, however, it has inspired me to explore more what’s on our doorstep as a day out and walk a bit further to get to places we want to get to eg. use the free parking just outside of town and walk in.

Would could you not live without for a week?

This post is in collaboration with MoneySuperMarket, but all thoughts are my own.