12-03-2025
You could save £3k – and your sanity – with my mum hacks
Casey Major-Bunce always keeps a £5 note and a plaster in the back of her phone case. As a mum of four she never knows when she might need either.
Experience has shown her that little things like this make her life much easier, and Major-Bunce has more of these tricks up her sleeve that keep an online community of mums keen to lap them up.
'If I didn't do these things I'd probably break down with four kids,' says the 34-year-old Instagram influencer from her home in Portsmouth. 'They just all make my life easier. As a mum, you're a stylist, a nurse, a dentist, a personal shopper, a chef.
'You do so many jobs you don't even realise,' she continues. 'And who's actually looking after you at the end of the day? If I can help you save 20 minutes, then that's 20 minutes you can put back into yourself.'
Her tips are practical on a level that Meghan Markle 's are not. But Major-Bunce is embedded firmly in reality. She was six years old when her mother became ill and, as a result, disabled. Aged 13, her cousin, whom she regarded as a sister, died of meningitis.
In the years that followed, she struggled with the emotional trauma, as well as undiagnosed dyslexia and autism. 'I haven't had the easiest upbringing, I didn't have a fairytale life,' she admits. 'We never had a lot of money.'
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Becoming a mum herself was a turning point, giving her the purpose and reason to live that had felt missing from her life. Today, she has four children: Ayron, 14, Kaiser, nine, and identical twins Arabecca and Matilda, five.
At first, Major-Bunce, who had worked as a florist and had a reputation for being a whizz at event planning, was only handing out tips to friends. Then, in 2022, one of them suggested she should share them with others on social media.
As she started posting, her followers rose steadily. Major-Bunce was amazed as they crept up to 200, and then 400. Today, her account @MajorMumHacks has more than 700,000 followers. Remarkably, she keeps in touch with all of them via her inbox, replying directly to messages and sending voice notes.
What would she be doing now if she hadn't accrued such a large following? 'I would be working at either B&M Stores or the Co-op,' she shoots back. In other words, jobs that would fit around the school run.
They are a family that saves rather than spends. Major-Bunce loves Butlins and even if she could afford Center Parcs, she's unsure it would be for her. 'I think my husband would like it, he's a bit posher than me,' she jokes.
Instead of big-ticket purchases, Major-Bunce focuses on making the small beautiful. On a woodland walk, for example, she gives her children labelled bags for the stones and leaves they collect and take home.
Before she posts anything, she asks herself: who is it going to help? Is it going to help? And is it going to make someone feel good about themselves? 'It's really important that what you post makes people feel cool about themselves.'
She has calculated that if you did every single hack in her new book The Big Book of Major Mum Hacks then you would save £3k in a year. But she's not telling people to do every single hack.
'That's unrealistic!' she says. 'It's a case of me saying, 'This is working for me and it might help you out.' It's all about saving time, money and your sanity. And having fun while you're doing it.'
Try these MajorMumHacks
Unblocking drains
It might not be a complete, permanent fix (you may need to call a plumber), but this is a great hack for slower-than-normal sink- or bath-draining problems. Put a big squirt of washing-up liquid down the plughole, leave for 10-15 minutes, then pour boiling water down the drain.
Getting rid of shower-head limescale
Fill a sandwich bag (one with handles) one-third full with white vinegar. Tie the handles carefully around the shower head and then turn on the tap slowly so the bag fills up. Leave the bag tied securely around the shower head overnight, then next morning untie the bag and your nozzle will be sparkling clean.
Transform your picnic flask
This is one of my most shared ideas. Don't just keep tea and coffee in your flask. I put warm hot dogs in them for days out, and take the buns and ketchup with me. This will save you a fortune and be much better than what's on offer from a cafe or food truck often. I do the same with ice lollies: just put a flask in the freezer and then pop in some lollies. It will save you a fortune by not going to an ice-cream van, and that way, the kids aren't missing out.
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Vase cleaning
Take your stained vase and fill with some uncooked rice – you probably only need a cup full. Add warm water, covering the water-mark stain that needs removing. Lastly, pop in a dishwasher tablet and leave overnight. In the morning, discard all the contents and give your vase a rinse in cold water.
Bedsock mop hack
Place a sock over the floor mount at the end of the mop handle, secure it and clean the floor as usual. Pop your sock in the washing machine and reuse as often as needed.
Storage
Wardrobe cubes typically have five compartments – perfect for organising outfits for each day of a short trip, with a cube for each family member. For longer vacations, use each section to keep categories such as T-shirts, nightwear and swimwear separate. Over-the-door hangers are similarly handy, offering rows of two, three, or four sections for organising smaller items or packing for a getaway. Once you reach your destination, simply hang it up – each day's outfit ready to go!
Keep playtime tidy
Over-the-door hangers are a great storage hack for children's toys as they utilise unused space behind doors, keeping toys organised, accessible and off the floor – helping reduce clutter and tripping hazards.
Passport sticker hack
I like to think I'm very organised when it comes to travelling because I have to be. Instead of having a frantic flick through each passport to match the right photo with the right person (we've usually lost the will by the end of it all) simply add a sticker to each one. Go for any that suit the holder's personality. Avoid the corners as I find they can catch and peel off more quickly if placed there.
Beanbag teddy hack
This removes the problem of where to put those soft toys, which can hang around even when the children are older but won't part with their favourites! Instead of spending money on buying a filling for the bag, simply fill it with their teddies and cuddly toys. Hey presto! An extra-comfy seating, lying, chilling area. Don't have a bean-bag cover? You can use an old single duvet cover, fill it halfway and fold over the remaining material.
Organised cupboards
Everyone has one of those kitchen drawers or cupboards that contains countless cookie cutters, baking trays, (the dreaded) plastic lids and no container… the list could go on. Good old-fashioned filing folders will turn it into an organised dream. The metal ones are robust and easy to clean.
Turn a crisp packet into a bowl
When I take a sharing-size bag of crisps to a picnic or to the beach, turning the bag into a bowl stops them going all over the place. Open the bag carefully so you don't rip it and the packet opens fully. Holding the packet upright, carefully push up the crisps from the bottom and, using both hands, you fold in the edges of the bottom of the packet in a circle shape. Continue doing this until you have a solid base and the crisps are at the top of your new bowl. Now fold down the top edges of the top of the crisp packet to make it neat and your snack-hack bowl is ready.
Watch movies outside
Buy a smartphone projector online for around £30 or less. Take a white king-size bed sheet and hang it up outside, either on a fence or over a football goal. Add lots of cushions and blankets. Now all you need to do is grab the popcorn, turn on the projector and press play on your phone.
