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Budget, budget, budget!
Budgeting is key to reducing your spending and in order to come up with a budget plan, you need to have a clear picture of your current financial situation.
Begin by gathering at least 3 months of paperwork to help you build a clear picture of your current incoming payments and outgoings. This isn't as daunting as it sounds and most of the information is available online!
It might help to have the following items handy:
Understand your total spending vs. total income and categorise.
Once you know exactly how much you have to spend, it's really helpful to categorise your expenses so you can budget for specific items such as: household bills, entertainment, groceries etc.
Be realistic about how much you could save every month.
A mind-set shift on focussing on small changes in order to save can make a world of difference when it comes to managing your money...so start small and cut out your takeaway coffee or another little luxury you indulge in. If you save £2.50 per day, that's £910 a year! Once you start seeing small changes adding up, you'll feel more inspired to make bigger ones in order to save a few extra £s.
Set up a savings goal and track your progress.
Make a list of short and longer term goals to work towards and watch your savings grow.
Energy suppliers have a number of different tariffs. So if you’re on a standard tariff (and 66% of people are) you’re likely to be able to save money, just by switching to a cheaper deal.
Price comparison websites have made it easier than ever to see how much you could save by switching energy providers.
It’s easy to stick with one provider simply because it’s too much effort to change, but you could be massively overpaying. Use comparison sites to see if you can get your package cheaper.
It’s always worth asking your provider whether they have any offers available – often these aren’t advertised.
Get 2% back in Rewards on eligible household bills paid by direct debit.
Applicants must be 18+ and a UK resident. To earn Rewards you need to access Online or Mobile Banking once every 3 months. Monthly fee applies.
New car? Dream holiday? Rainy day?
Whatever you're saving for, we can help you get into the habit of putting away a bit of extra cash each month.
Create a realistic budget
The best way to work out your budget is to look at your outgoings vs your incoming payments and work out how much you could realistically save each month.
We've got lots of helpful tips and advice on making a budget- just choose the option to 'Reduce my spending' above.
Review your current debts
It's worth checking the interest you are paying on any existing debts and pay them off before you attempt to start saving money.
Open a savings account
Set a savings goal and watch your savings grow.
Set up a regular payment into your savings account and get going!
If you set up a regular payment, known as a standing order, you don't need to think about moving money each month because it will happen automatically.
It's a great habit to start - you can easily change or cancel the standing order any time you like and you can choose how often you want to save.
NatWest Invest is a simple way to help get your money working harder. With savings interest rates hovering at historically low levels, investing has the potential to provide better returns if you’re prepared to take some risk with your money over the medium to long term (5 years or more).
We offer a clear choice of five ready-made investment funds from ‘low’ to ’high’ risk. The more risk you are willing to take, the greater the potential you have for a larger return over the long term.
The value of investments can go down as well as up, your capital is at risk. Eligibility criteria, fees and charges apply.
Saving and investing are things that everyone should be thinking about. We'll unpack the key differences and help you discover which could be the right path for you.
From thinking long term to taking a diversified approach, we look at habits that experienced investors adopt to help make decisions.
If you’re thinking about investing but you’re not sure where to start, this article could help. Any investment should be looked at as a medium to longer-term project (five years or more). With so many options and jargon, we’ll explain a few key investment facts.
If you need to borrow money, this whistle stop tour will help you understand the differences between credit cards, loans and overdrafts. We'll focus on their key features and important information to note.
Personal loans allow you to borrow a fixed amount over a fixed term usually at a fixed interest rate.
An Arranged Overdraft lets you borrow money through your current account up to a pre-agreed limit. The fees and interest-free limit will differ depending on the account you have. An Overdraft is repayable on demand.
We all have a credit file that gives information about our borrowing – if you want to see your credit file you can get a copy from a credit reference agency like Experian. Your account conduct will affect your credit rating, so it's good to know how you're doing.
Lenders use your credit rating to decide whether to lend you money, how much to lend to you, and sometimes, how much interest to charge. Credit is used for more than just credit cards – you might need it to buy a house, apply for a loan or get a mobile phone contract, among other things.
There are a number of ways your credit score can be negatively impacted, such as:
Remember, if you get a bigger credit card limit than you want, or if your lender increases it without you asking for it, you can ask them to lower it. This is a good way to avoid the temptation to spend.
A representative example is an indication of typical costs attached to credit card or loan and gives potential customers a means of comparion across lenders. In some cases, the credit limit and APR (annual percentage rate) will vary from the example shown, depending on the lender’s credit assessment of you.
Click on each of the terms below to find out what they mean.