Whether you want to be a millionaire, save for a house or climb out of debt, could it be that your financial future is written in the stars? Well, you’re about to find out because Mystic Jen is here to read your horoscope. Are you destined for great things this month? Capricorn Be careful not Read more
Jake and I are hoping to move in together in the next few months and when we’re not drooling over overpriced rental properties on Zoopla or trying to decide between a furnished or unfurnished flat, we’re discussing our finances. It’s not uncommon for couples to open joint bank accounts when they move in together in Read more
Whether she’s singing “depend on no one else to give you what you want” or pointing out how ridiculous it is that women are taught to “shrink themselves and make themselves smaller”, Beyoncé’s been telling us to be independent women with strong finances since way back in the 90s. And with the release of her new visual album, Lemonade, comes Read more
One of the most effective ways of saving money month-on-month involves monitoring utility, phone and broadband providers to ensure you’re not paying more for the necessities than necessary. There’s just one problem - comparing prices can be ridiculously time consuming and switching when you find a better deal can seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, Read more
It’s becoming increasingly common for sensible savers to open multiple bank accounts so they can make the most of savings interest. In fact, some people go as far as having the following accounts at any one time: Santander 123 Club Lloyds Halifax Reward Bank of Scotland TSB Classic Plus Nationwide Flexdirect However, with many banks Read more
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
You take your lunch to work every day, you’ve given up nights out, and you avoid your local shopping centre like the plague. Gone are the days where you’d honour pay day with a new outfit and a mad night in the club. Instead, you celebrate by transferring a wad of cash from your current Read more
Happy New Tax Year, friends! I hope you have a wonderful year filled with wealth and happiness. Make this year better than the last by turning over a new leaf and setting yourself some personal finance goals for the next 12 months. I’ve included 5 suggestions below to inspire you to get started. If times Read more
A year on from the Help to Buy ISA’s big reveal, the government has introduced another tax-free savings solution to the club: The Lifetime ISA. With both the Help to Buy ISA and the Lifetime ISA offering first-time buyers 25% bonuses on their savings, many have described these accounts as ‘no brainers’. But with so Read more
A few weeks ago I met up with a group of friends that I’ve known for years. In our university days we’d spend our weekends chatting about who threw up on themselves the night before and who’d brought a lad back for the third consecutive week. Now, the topics of our conversations have changed. We’re Read more
When I first started saving for a deposit, I was so dedicated to the cause that I’d question every single purchase and avoid buying non-essential items. However, in recent months I’ve found myself picking up old habits and wasting money on pointless stuff. Not only is this preventing me from saving as much as I could do, 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
It’s been a busy month in the world of money saving and personal finance. Following George Osborne’s Budget announcement earlier this month, it’s safe to say the nation has been divided. While many have celebrated the introduction of new savings options for first time buyers, others have criticised the introduction of a National Living Wage which excludes under 25s. Read more
A couple of months ago I wrote about how having my own F*ck Off Fund allowed me to quit a job that was making me desperately unhappy. I didn’t have another job lined up but, armed with a healthy emergency fund, I decided to take the leap and leave. It turns out that quitting that Read more
As I explained in a recent blog post, Jake and I are hoping to move in together in the next few months. We’ll be renting a flat in Manchester while I continue to save the rest of my deposit. After going through our finances with a fine tooth comb and creating a spreadsheet that outlines 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
This afternoon George Osborne finally revealed the UK Budget for 2016, outlining the financial changes for the year ahead. Here I’ll explain just a few of the changes so you can figure out what the UK Budget announcement means for you: Saving for the future could become that little bit easier If you’ll be under 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
When faced with the daunting task of saving a deposit, most first time buyers look for ways to reduce their spending so they can squirrel away as much money into a savings account as possible. However, cutting back will only get you so far. When saving for a house or flat, not only is it Read more
Ever since I was a teenager, my parents and grandparents have been buying Premium Bonds for me. Birthday and Christmas gifts tend to consist of an envelope with proof of a new deposit and thanks to relatives’ generosity I’ve managed to build up £3,000 in total in Premium Bonds over the years. I’ve had my Read more
Last week a Yelp/Eat 24 employee living in San Francisco wrote an open letter to her employers that expressed her anger at being paid just $8 an hour after taxes. The post went viral and she was fired from her job. In the letter, customer service advisor Talia Jane explained how difficult it is to Read more
A quarter of a million UK students are using an app that hooks them up with ‘sugar daddies’- rich men that shower them with gifts in exchange for dates, companionship, and sometimes, sex. Many students have signed up to the dating app, Seeking Arrangement, in a bid to pay their way through university and minimise the amount of student Read more
Despite earning £74,000 a year, Tory MP William Wragg has moved in with his parents because he claims he cannot afford to put down a deposit on his own home. Wragg, who claims to be part of the ‘boomerang generation‘, is the MP for Hazel Grove in Stockport. Coincidentally, just a few months ago I Read more
**In light of the George Osborne’s 2016 Budget announcement, I will be updating this post very soon** Whether you’re already saving for a deposit or you like the idea of buying your own place in the future, you’ve probably heard people talking about the Help to Buy ISA over recent months. So what is this mysterious new Read more
You can currently get 3 Odeon cinema tickets for just £12, thanks to a fantastic new Groupon offer. How do I get 3 Odeon cinema tickets for £12? Simply purchase the 3 Odeon cinema tickets for £12 off on Groupon. You will receive an email which includes the voucher. On the voucher will be 3 unique codes - Read more
By signing up to free fitness rewards app, Bounts, and connecting to a fitness tracker or smartphone app, you can earn money while you exercise. You’ll be given points for everything from a slow walk to the corner shop to a sprint around the park, and the more vigorous the exercise you do, the more points Read more
Guys. I have a confession to make. A fortnight ago I handed in my notice and quit my job without another one to go to. I know quitting without another job lined up is considered hugely financially irresponsible but after months of stress and anxiety, I decided to prioritise my happiness and relationships over my Read more
Whether they long to tell their boss what they really think of them or dream of flipping their desk in a moment of rage, many people fantisise about quitting their jobs at some point or another. However, actually quitting without another one to go to has long been considered the ultimate career sin. It’s just something 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
