A woman saved £5,000 after taking up a £5 note saving challenge - and will use the money to get married after a 15-year wait.

Self-confessed spender Kelly Goddard has been transformed into a keen saver after following Clinton St Hilaire’s £5 Note 100 Challenge.

Kelly Goddard with partner James
Kelly Goddard with partner James

As reported in the Examiner, the Fixby father-of-three believes his challenge to save 100 £5 notes has helped struggling savers to focus on a cash target.

Kelly, 33, began the challenge just before Christmas and found that it gave her a “bit of a buzz”.

The mother-of-three soon reached the £500 target and kept going, with help from partner James, 32, who had proposed marriage 15 years ago.

Now the Salendine Nook couple are due to get married in September.

Kelly said: “We booked the wedding after saving £5,000 together. Clinton was encouraging me to save £5 notes. Every time I reached £500 I put it in the bank.

“When we got to £2,500 we put a deposit on the wedding. Now my daughters (0livia, 13, and Amelia, 12) are saving money too, so it has rubbed off.

The saving bug has yet to reach son Thomas, 15, but mum is working on him.

Kelly said the £5 challenge had really worked.

“I am a spender and for me to save is a big achievement. If I can do it, anyone can.”