Holly Smith - Holly Smiths Money Saving Book: Simple savings hacks for a happy life

Holly Smith is a mum-of-three, a trusted bargain hunter and money-saving social media influencer. Shes the founder of the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook page and group which have a combined following of 2.5 million. She lives in Great Yarmouth with her husband, Callum, and their three young children.

Holly can be found on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, helping as many people as possible to save money.

YouTube www.youtube.com/hollyvlogsofficial

Instagram/Twitter @HollyVlogs

TikTok @hollyvlogsofficial

Hi, Im Holly. You might know me from my YouTube channel Holly Vlogs, TikTok or my Facebook group, Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK. Even if you havent come across me on social media, theres one important thing that you need to know. I love a good bargain and money saving is my passion. I especially love helping other people to save money.

Money saving has always been my escape, especially during hard times. As a child, I got bullied at school. I was the weird one, the loner who sat on her own in the corner. I didnt know how to play with other children or join in and I felt different to everyone else.

My escape was going grocery shopping with my mum to our local Safeway supermarket. Handheld scanners had just come in and I was fascinated seeing all of the packets and tins get scanned and their prices pop up. My parents were extremely frugal and were always trying to save money, so I used to memorise the prices and help Mum to find the cheapest products.

As I got older, the bullying got worse. I was an easy target and it was mental and physical. By the time I was fourteen, it got too much. I didnt want to go to school any more so I was homeschooled. I was so scared of seeing the bullies that I didnt leave my house for a whole year.

Over time, I tried to build up my confidence and one day my friends persuaded me to go with them to use the Internet at the local library. All my nightmares came true when I saw one of the school bullies. She walked over and punched me in the mouth. The force was so severe, every bone in my upper jaw was broken and the only thing that kept my teeth in place was my metal brace.

The incident destroyed any confidence that I had left, and I was too scared to leave the house again. To pass the time, I got obsessed with a website called Swapitshop it was a bit like eBay for kids. You would list your product and another member would buy it for points. You collected points and bought things you wanted. I was good at it and I went into charity shops and bought stuff at a bargain price that I knew I could sell for more online.

At seventeen, I rebelled! I ran away from home with a boy who was four years older than me. We had no money and lived in a caravan. We sold second-hand goods and DVDs at car boot sales to try to make enough to pay our rent. Each week it was a struggle to be able to afford to feed ourselves, and every penny counted. Everything Id learnt from shopping with my mum as a kid, I put into practice and I shopped around to find the best bargains.

I still didnt know what I wanted to do with my life. Id started so many college courses including performing arts, beauty therapy and hairdressing but I had to give them all up because I couldnt interact with people.

After seven years, I realised I wasnt happy in the relationship, so I left. After another failed relationship, I met Callum at a martial arts school. I thought he was way out of my league, and I was too scared to ask him out, so my friend arranged a double date with his mate. The date was terrible my friend got really drunk and was sick in the pub but Callum and I started seeing each other.

My health had never been good. Id started getting crippling pains in my leg and one day I collapsed. It turned out I had a tumour in the bone. Thankfully it wasnt cancerous, and I had surgery to remove it.

Throughout my teens Id also been rushed to hospital several times with agonising stomach pains and theyd got worse. To distract myself from the pain, I started entering competitions. I entered 300 every week and I won 10,000 in prizes in a year including 3,500 in cash. Id started an apprenticeship in animal care, so this was my income and I sold some of the prizes Id won on eBay. Money was still tight, and Id also got into couponing. I have a photographic memory so when I did a food shop, the price of every item was in my head and I instinctively knew a good bargain when I saw one.

Finally, I was diagnosed with endometriosis and had three operations, but I was devastated to be told that I might struggle to have kids. The one thing I wanted to be in life was a mum, so Callum and I started trying for a baby. I was distraught when the months went by and it didnt happen, even with the help of fertility drugs. I was put on the waiting list for IVF and then a few weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I was twenty-five when I had Mollie and six months later Callum and I got married.

My life was going well but personally I was really struggling. Callum had lots of friends, but I found it difficult to socialise, so I would never go out with them. I struggled with meeting new people and theyd think I was rude because I couldnt do small talk. I went to see the doctor and was eventually referred to an autism specialist. The day I got the official diagnosis was the best day ever. It gave me more confidence because I could explain to someone why I struggled when I was in a social situation. Mostly I felt relief that it wasnt my fault that Id been bullied and attacked. It wasnt because I was a weirdo or a horrible person, I was autistic.

Eighteen months later, I had my second daughter, Bella. Now I had my own family to feed, I saved money where I could. If I could save one or two pounds or get something for free or cheap with a coupon then I would. Id put the money that Id saved aside so that one day we could go on a family holiday.

I was still entering competitions and Id joined a local competition club. Eight of us would meet up for a cup of tea and a biscuit and talk about the prizes wed won. I was particularly close to a lady in her fifties called Sue whose family had nicknamed her, Voucher Vera. She called me the Coupon Queen because of all the money I had saved, and she was always really encouraging.

I was devastated when Sue was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The last time I saw her, she made me promise that I would start a money-saving business. Youre a natural, you need your own blog, she told me. But I didnt have a clue where to start.

The night after Sues funeral, I went home to find an email telling me Id won a competition. The prize was for a web designer to make me my own blog and website. I couldnt help but think it was meant to be and that was where my first blog UK Couponing started. I went on to set up a Facebook page too. Id look after the girls during the day and at night Id scour the Internet for good deals, offers and coupons that I could share, and Id track prices online. After six months I had 20,000 followers. All my family and friends came to me if they wanted to book a holiday or go out for a meal because they knew Id always find ways to save them money.

There was an American TV show called Extreme Couponing