Santander 123 has long been a favourite amongst savers looking for a versatile current account with a generous interest rate. With the account paying 3% interest on balances between £3,000 and £20,000, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. However, in January this year the bank announced that new and existing account holders would need to pay a Read more
There’s been a lot of talk lately about F*ck Off Funds, both on Can’t Swing a Cat and elsewhere on the web. While many people may admit to having parents and even grandparents that have been using this foul-mouthed phrase for years, it’s a huge talking point at the moment thanks to Paulette Perlach’s A Read more
In the 2016 Budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced the introduction of a new ‘Lifetime ISA’. Designed to help people save for a home of their own and save for retirement, the new ISA will reward savers with an extra £1 for every £4 they save. In this post I’ll explain the Lifetime ISA in greater Read more
With so many living costs to take into account when you’re in your twenties, finding spare cash to squirrel away for retirement can understandably fall to the bottom of our to-do lists. However, considering a comfortable retirement is said to cost upwards of £15,000 a year, it makes sense to start saving as early as Read more
From houses and holidays to marriage and babies, twenty-somethings are expected to save for many of life’s great milestones in a short period of time. So when experts recommend we save 12% of our salaries (are you mad?) for a comfortable retirement, the financial burden of ‘adulting’ can understandably seem a little overwhelming. With retirement Read more
There’s no doubt about it, being in-between jobs can be a scary time, particularly if you lost your job with little or no warning. In this post, some of the UK’s best money bloggers share their emergency personal finance tips to help you get through a stint of unemployment. Money saving tips Slash unnecessary spending Read more
You probably all know by now just how much I love helping people to save money. However, I have a confession to make. While on the face of it I may seem like some kinda consumerism-hating hippy, by day I actually work in an industry that thrives on making people spend as much as possible. I know. I’m Read more
In a recent article from the end of September, I let you guys know how I saved £10,000 in a year towards my house deposit: “By dramatically reducing my living costs, selling my old clothes, making extra money where I can, shopping second hand, giving up nights out, staying in, eating healthily, using coupons, getting a new job, investing my money Read more
A few months ago I was in the paper talking about the benefits of fantastic voucher code websites. But, since I created this blog to help my readers save money, I decided to write a post about the importance of maintaining a sense of self control when using such websites and looking for a great deal. Voucher Read more
Whether you’re trying to get out of debt, make your income go further or save towards something special, sometimes you need that little bit of encouragement to reach your goals. Following other bloggers and keeping an eye on various money saving websites has really helped to keep me motivated on my money saving journey. Lucky Read more
Buying a house or flat has never been so difficult. With property prices rising faster than the average wage, for those who have rent and bills to pay each month, home ownership may seem like it’s out of their reach. As I’ve found, moving in with your parents can be a great way to save Read more
Moving in with your parents when you’re in your twenties can be a humbling experience to say the least. All of a sudden you’re waving goodbye to your independence, returning to your childhood bedroom, and familiarising yourself with your parents’ rules. However, having lived with my parents for the last year in an attempt to binge-save Read more
A quarter of adults between the ages 20 - 34 are still living at home with their parents. Whether it’s down to youth unemployment, low wages, or high rental costs, many young people have little choice in the matter. For these people, living with mum and dad is the only option. But then there’s boomerangs like me. We Read more
One in four Britons between the ages of 18 and 29 live with their parents, and I’m one of them. We’re called the boomerang generation, the clipped winged, failed fledglings, and KIPPERS (kids in parents’ pockets eroding retirement savings). If you were to believe everything you read in the papers, you could be forgiven for Read more
With the average rent costing £768 in the UK, it’s no surprise that so many people are struggling to save up for a home of their own. After all, how can young people gather a deposit together when most of their wages is being given to their landlord? For those desperate to become home owners, it makes Read more
On April 16th, EE introduced an offer that allowed customers to get their hands on a free portable phone charger by simply sending a text to retrieve a code. The charger, aka ‘power bar’, is worth £20 and allows customers to charge their phones on the go. Due to an overwhelming response from customers, and Read more
I’ve fallen off the wagon. After losing 20lbs in weight and gaining £6000 in cash, over the past few weeks my weight loss and money saving efforts have really taken a hit. The cause? I’ve started eating chocolate again. Three chocolate bars a day, to be exact. And don’t get me started on the amount of Read more
[Update 21st April: If you haven’t yet got a code, please do not text EE for this until 24th June. Due to popular demand they have put this offer on hold. I’ve written an updated post about how you can get your hands on a free charger] If you’re an EE customer you can get a Read more
In the space of six months I managed to save a whopping £6000 towards a home of my own. I still have a long way to go before I’ve saved up the full amount, and while I originally hoped to have £10,000 by the summer, I don’t think I’ll be ready to buy until early Read more
Wow. What a day today has been. In the space of a few hours I was featured in The Mirror, The Express and The Daily Star, leaving me sat at my desk shaking with a combination of both excitement and nerves. After months of saving money, blogging loads, and generally living the life of a recluse, it Read more
Last night Jake and I enjoyed a gorgeous meal at La Tasca, and seeing as it was Jake’s birthday, we were given a free bottle of Cava (usually worth £20.95!) You can make use of this great freebie too, providing you spend a minimum of £30 during your visit from either the Main Menu or Party Read more
Struggling to understand what an ISA is? Don’t worry, I’m here to help. In this post I’ll explain the basics so that you can decide whether to open an ISA or not. You may have heard people talking about cash ISAs and investment ISAs, but in this post I’ll just talk about cash ISAs for Read more
Calling all fellow coeliac disease sufferers! Did you know that if you’ve been officially diagnosed with this, quite frankly, rubbish condition, you’re entitled to ‘free’ bread and a selection of other gluten free foods on prescription? I use the term ‘free’ loosely. Technically, you have to pay for a gluten free food prescription just as you would with a Read more
It’s been six months now since I moved back in with my parents and I can’t believe how fast time has flown. In this time, I’ve managed to save a whopping £6000 towards my first home (while paying rent and bills to my parents, by the way). I’m not on a huge salary, but I Read more
I’ll be honest. I’m not that bothered about makeup. On a typical day I’ll wear foundation and a bit of blush. When I’m going on a night out, I’ll throw mascara into the mix and perhaps some nail polish. And yet, despite a general lack of interest in the stuff, I’ve accumulated far more than Read more
Just like I did last week, this morning I went on somewhat of a charity shop spree. After popping in seven charity shops in total, I emerged with three new tops and two new books. But I did what I often do and forgot that just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean that I am Read more
For those who love to read, it’s amazing how quickly the cost of books can soon mount up. But the good news is that you can work your way through plenty of stories and build yourself a fantastic home-library without having to fork out thousands of pounds. Here are just a few tips to saving money Read more
When wandering round charity shops in search of my latest bargain, I’m always amazed at the overwhelming number of books. They fill shelf after shelf and in much smaller shops they’re likely to be seen covering almost every surface. As fantastic as it is that books are still as popular as ever, and we’re willing Read more
“You’re doing what?!” My brother said, staring at me in amazement. “We’re going on a sort of treasure hunt” I repeated, laughing to myself as my face started to go bright red. “Basically, you go on this website and there is a map on it and it shows you where lots of little boxes are Read more
I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. Stop whatever it is you’re doing, unless like, you know, you’re doing something really important. Anyway, please take a few minutes to go on your online banking and make sure that you aren’t signed up to any direct debits that you don’t know about. Stop right there! Read more
