Summertime can be an incredibly expensive time for families. Between holidays, food, days out and keeping children entertained, costs can quickly add up. The last thing parents want is to overpay for something they could have bought much cheaper elsewhere.
Shopping platform Dig is helping families save thousands by making it easier to find better deals online, with creators sharing their own experiences and savings on the platform on social media.
Mum of 5, Lauren shared how she saved £50 on £55 on the Ninja Air Fryer, that’s 25% off!! With commenters saying ‘Oh never heard of these sound good ’ and ‘checking this out as we speak’.
Louise, a mum of three, shared how she saved 23% on a JumpKing trampoline to entertain her children for less. Her story inspired many other families to exchange tips on cutting the cost of family entertainment.
The platform is also helping shoppers cut the cost of self-care essentials. Young mum Mia revealed how she brought the Silk’n LED face mask for just £99, down from £160, saving herself £61.
The shopping platform beating Amazon, Google Shopping & more
The founders’ story:
After relocating to London with his now wife Ciara, Ashley Bailey soon found that what was meant to be a fresh start spiralled into financial strain. By the time his first child was born, it looked like he had made it. He had built businesses, worked with global giants like Google and secured backing through Telefonica’s Wayra start-up accelerator.
But he says behind closed doors, it was a different story. “We couldn’t just go out and buy what we needed without thinking twice,” he recalled. “Every single purchase felt like a calculation.
“On paper, it looked like I was doing well as companies were investing and they were great names. But underneath, there are months of legal work, and you’re running out of money. It takes months to get things live and the reality is, you have about 18 months of not getting revenue.
“Business founders are very good at showing the highlights, funding rounds, growth and big wins. What they don’t talk about is the stress, the debt and the moments when things start slipping.”
For Ashley, things came to a head during Covid when as a small business, he had months of people not seeing him. He says that, as a new father, the pressure was relentless.
“At first, you think it is temporary, then one missed payment leads to another and it creeps up on you. You tell yourself you’ll fix it next month, but it keeps stacking up.
“As a father, you picture being able to provide, not sitting there worrying how to afford the basics.”
Ashley and Ciara bought a house in Richmond, London, during Covid and it was a fixer-upper. “We had just bought this house and every penny counted,” said Ashley. “So I had 18 months of panic and trying to survive.
“We had raised some money just before Covid hit and that money had to last 18 months. We had to carry on paying staff and had a mortgage to pay and it got to the point where I was looking at every single cost including nappies, formula and baby clothes.
“There’s a different kind of weight when you have a child. It’s not just about you anymore. I was up late thinking we couldn’t even afford nappies and I would switch between different websites trying to work out what was the cheapest.”
What began as a desperate solution when he was at rock bottom has since transformed into a multi-million-pound business for Ashley, as he launched a fast-growing tech business called Dig that helps households slash their everyday prices.
The AI-powered platform searches across the entire web to find the lowest prices on exact items, from iPhones and trainers to nappies, buggies and everyday essentials. Ashley says it uncovers significantly lower prices than a standard search, helping families stretch their budgets further at a time when every penny counts.
His business model has attracted key investors, including millionaire businessman Paul Wright, who co-founded Ideal World and Jezz Skelton, founder of jewellery brand Abbott Lyon.
“The cost of living isn’t easing; it’s becoming more predictable,” said Ashley. “With global instability continuing to push prices higher, the need has never been greater.
“As conflicts like the situation with Iran start to impact oil prices and supply chains, it is ordinary families who feel it first.
“Dig came from a real place, that’s why it resonates. It is the thing I wish I’d had at 3am when I was stressed, exhausted and trying to make the last bit of money last.
“I have always been a savvy shopper and like to get the best deal. But at that point in my life, I was living a lifestyle where I needed to try and find the cheapest of everything.”
Dig now has 17,000 users.
