Budgeting is key to reducing your spending and will allow you to check whether you're spending more than you earn. 

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. 

Focussing on small changes in order to save can make a world of difference when it comes to managing your money.

Start small and try cut out your daily takeaway coffee.  If you save £2.50 per day, that's £910 a year!

Make a list of short and longer term goals to work towards and watch your savings grow.

With our NatWest Reward bank account, you can get Rewards that you can redeem as cash back.

Earn £4 a month back in Rewards for 2 or more Direct Debits – they need to be at least £2 each. Plus, an extra £1 a month back in Rewards with 1 mobile app log in.

Before you start to plan your saving, it's usually a good idea to review any existing debts first. Paying them off may help you save more in the long run, depending on any interest you pay on them

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. 

Setting realistic savings goals will help you get in to the habit of saving.

Whether you're saving towards a new home, maybe a wedding, or just a buffer for unexpected costs, it's great to set yourself a goal and date you'd like to hit it by.

Get ahead of the game by setting up a standing order, allowing you to automatically move cash to your savings each month without having to remember to do it.

Lots of people find that setting up a standing order to move money into their savings, just after they receive their wage, a great strategy.

NatWest Current Account customers can open one of our popular Instant Access savings accounts in just a minute or two, online or via the Mobile App.

We also offer range of Fixed Term Savings Accounts, ISAs and a Savings Account for children. 

Investing means putting any spare money in to investments with the expectation of generating a potential profit or income over the long term (5 years or more).

You can invest your money in a range of different investments which are sometimes referred to as asset classes. These include:

• cash
• property
• bonds or,
• shares.

Before investing you should consider:

• Setting aside enough money in accessible savings to cover any emergencies.
• If your existing insurance and pension arrangements are sufficient for your needs.
• Paying off any high interest debts that your money would be better used to repay.

If you know you'll need a set amount of money over the short term then investing may not be right for you. 

Generally the longer you invest for, the more chance there is for growth on your investment. So if you invest, you should be prepared to do so for 5 years or more.

You should only invest if you are comfortable with the risk that the value of investments can go down as well as up and that you could get back less than you invest.

You can choose how much to invest and the level of risk you're comfortable with. The value of investments can go down as well as up, your capital is at risk.

Before you begin, you must ask yourself:

• What are you looking to achieve?
• How much money you can put away for the medium to long term?
• Are you prepared to see the value fall along the way?

It can be hard to know where to start –  for help with simple and affordable online investing, and to choose your investment personality, head over to NatWest Invest.