Household Money Index (HMI)

Client: MoneySuperMarket

MoneySuperMarket’s brief was to launch a unique thought leadership report that would give journalists new insights and help consumers. With the cost of living dominating the news agenda, it wasn’t news that UK households are feeling the pinch. MoneySuperMarket wanted to tell the story behind CPI and interest rates, and show what it really all means for people’s finances. To do this we created the Household Money Index (HMI). The HMI is a unique view of how much the average person spends each day on household and lifestyle essentials. It compares those costs to the average UK household income to reveal regional HMI scores. The HMI differs from other finance reports by focusing on real people and sharing information in an easy to understand and relatable way – the daily cost of living. It includes quirky but essential consumer habits that are unofficial barometers of economic health – like if men are buying less pants. Real people’s money stories and experiences of the cost of living crisis are woven through the report. It generated a wide range of media-friendly content. From revealing Manchester is the most expensive city to live and work in, generational attitudes to money, how sustainability impacts financial choices, tips for talking to children about money, and insights from MoneySuperMarket’s own data. The campaign generated coverage across UK national news. It’s now a fixture in the MoneySuperMarket calendar with quarterly tracking to give journalists valuable, credible living assets on the state of consumers’ household bills….and their underwear.