Well known for her money-saving tips on social media, the mum-of-two shared how she used moneysaving hacks and side hustles to help pay off her mortgage by the age of 3713:24, 03 Jun 2026A mum-of-two says giving up one everyday habit could save people hundreds of pounds each year. Known for her savvy money tips online, where she goes by the name of Money Mum, Gemma Bird regularly shares simple yet effective ways to boost savings and make household budgets go further.‌The Essex-based homeowner lives a "privileged" life with her husband, Adam, and their two children, Bronte and Brody. But her journey to financial security began while she was living with her parents and carefully saving every penny she could.‌Highlighting some of the hacks she's used, Gemma shared how she budgeted with coffee while earning just £15,000.‌"I was picking up receipts in Costa, and my friend said, 'Why are you doing that?' I told her that if people hadn't added their points to their loyalty card, I could go to the counter and say, 'Sorry, I forgot to put my points on my card last time — can you add them?' Then I'd get free cups of coffee," she told The Metro."She said, 'I don't get it. Why do you need to do that?' And I told her, 'Because I earn about £15,000 a year, I've got two kids, and my husband's just lost his job. We haven't got any money'."‌Gemma also warns that buying expensive coffees every day can quickly become a costly habit."Obviously, be mindful, because if you're buying a coffee every single day and it's adding up to a couple of hundred pounds a month, that's a significant amount you could be saving," she said."But you need to be able to treat yourself and enjoy life. We only get one."‌Gemma managed to build up a healthy savings pot while living rent-free at her parents house. By the age of 23, had purchased her first home, worth £165,000, with her then-partner.When later working in estate agency, she took advice from a colleague who encouraged her to buy an investment property. Acting on the tip, she purchased the cheapest home she could find in Walthamstow for £109,000, putting down a 5% deposit in 2007.‌She later expanded her portfolio with two more properties in Waltham Cross and the north of England, using a combination of savings and equity from her existing homes to fund the purchases.By 29, she faced a financial setback when she and her husband divorced. She received £66,000 from the sale of the family home, but while the two other properties remained occupied by tenants, she was forced to move back in with her parents and took on a £15,000 job in a bank.To get through the challenging time, Gemma, now 44, rented out their spare room to French students, rented out the driveway on a parking site, and started an Amazon underwear business.Article continues belowShe also doubled down on budgeting too, replacing salon visits with home haircuts. Other ways of managing her budget included sometimes taking her own snacks to the pub and cutting open nearly empty toiletry bottles to squeeze out every last drop.Her other tips include using image search tools to find cheaper alternatives online, taking advantage of voucher codes whenever possible, cancelling unnecessary subscriptions, completing online surveys for extra income, and, where feasible, renting out a driveway to generate additional cash.