Looking for community help with...my finances

Let’s get the ball rolling.

Of course, as a fintech we can’t not talk about money. I’m personally not from a financial background so a lot of what’s being said in the news about the stock market goes straight over my head.

But what I do know about money is my own situation. How much I have left to spend this month, how much my electricity bills have increased and by how much my transport spending has decreased. The first step was accepting that my finances have changed. The next step for me, and I imagine a lot of us, is learning what else has changed, what’s out there for me and how can I adjust to stay on top of my finances.

Here’s some sites I’ve found helpful… please share any you’ve found too.

P.s we’re publishing our own blog post which untangles some of the financial jargon that we’ve been hearing so much of lately. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never invested before or if you’re a pro, stay posted for that one!

Now it’s your turn. Please comment below any links you found helpful. :point_down:

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Sorry if inappropriate but I’ve built my blog after realising that I was one of those guys finding loads of good deals out there to save money.

I would often found some deals like “download this, you’ll get a free coffee”. “Buy 1 this you’ll get 1 free”. It might make you spend more, but if you already decided on buying something, why not go the extra mile and make a bit of saving on it?

This is where my friends started to call me “Ludo Good Deal”. And Tadaa!

https://www.ludogooddeal.com/

Hope that helps some of you, and that you can enjoy some of those tips once “lockdown” is over and our lives resume to normal.
Any questions or feedback, please shout, I’d be happy to help!

Ludo (Good Deal).

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Ludo this is great! :star_struck: Little hints and tricks that we learn along the way which are always worth sharing.

What’s the best piece of saving advice you’ve ever received?

p.s. Really cool layout by the way.

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Thanks :relaxed:

I think if you want something specific, spend 5-10 minutes browsing around shops, you can easily find for the same product, where it’s the cheapest.
Then look for “discount codes”. An extension like Honey Honey automatically fills voucher codes for you to try out and find the best discount at checkout!
Finally once you fill up your basket online, close your tab, go to Topcashback (see How to save money further? Cashback websites!) and click the shop and finalise your checkout. You can easily make 20% savings in average.

Then for any other tips, just think about if you really need something first. Wait couple of days, an see if you still want/need it.

Try to run a monthly budget, more or less. how much you get every month, spend on, and can save on.
Whilst you got that level, make sure you diversify your savings: Cash, Stocks, Lending, Property…We’ve seen there is always something happening out there that can derail your plan, so make sure you can be few months on your own in case of big disruption.

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Thanks for sharing these tips!

This is definitely some excelent Grafter behaviour. Even if researching products isn’t your cup of tea, Honey is great for those who prefer a more passive approach to saving.

I am curious, where do you think you got most of these savings attitudes? Have you always had them? :thinking:

I think it grew in me over time, especially with the easy booming of advertising and online shopping. ANd such a massive loads of information and blogs to read to help each other.

I realised that “every little helps” So even saving few pence, make a big difference at the end of the month or year. At the end, I take something positive out of this exercise where I feel that spending the time research was worth it, and makes me feel good about it.

Or maybe that’s simply me being half-swiss :smiley: born and raised to learn how to handle money aha
Leaving this for a bit of fun How To Make Friends With A Swiss Person | SRF Deville - YouTube

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I currently use piggy (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/piggy-automatic-coupons-c/hfapbcheiepjppjbnkphkmegjlipojba) I don’t think I’ve successfully got any voucher codes from it yet, but it is quite handy having it popup as you’re at checkout on sites if it was able to find codes to attempt.

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I hadn’t heard of this one yet, thanks for letting us know!

This could be an especially helpful reminder for those who depend on online shopping at the moment.

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That’s exactly the kind of healthy financial behaviour we love to encourage. :tada:

Spending money is pretty easy, so to find ways to make saving enjoyable and good for your pocket is a win win!

Like you said, it can take some time. If you can, please share any other blog or articles which inspired your savings habits. There’s so much out there but hopefully this thread can help narrow some tried and tested sites.

:joy: :joy:

:house: Have a read to see if you’re eligible for a Mortgage Holiday: https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/mortgage-payment-holidays

:bank: Here’s a quick breakdown of what loan holidays incumbent banks are offering:

  • Natwest/ RBS- 3 Months
  • TBS- 2 months (Although it’s unclear so please check)
  • Barclays/Lloyds/ Santander - Case dependent.

Comment below what your bank has said. :point_down:

I’ve recently discovered that TfL are offering refunds for season ticket holders who are not travelling because of Coronavirus isolation.

It only applies if you have certain time left, but it could be a reasonable amount of money if you are affected - and you need to apply less than 8 weeks since your last journey, so don’t delay too long:

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Want to go clubbing? :man_dancing:t4:

I don’t mean loud music and strobe lights you may be glad to hear. There’s a chance you maybe spending a little more on your weekly shops due to the current situation. But supermarkets and shops have a nifty way to reward its customers for loyalty.

Here’s a list of the top club cards that work both online and in store :point_right:t4: Best loyalty cards 2022 - Save the Student

Did you know you can get 5% of your shop put back on your Co-op club card to spend? or if you’re doing some DIY, B&Q are offering £5 off your first £30 order and other discounts if you join their club.

I’m not suggesting you join them all, but if you find yourself using these retailers regularly, check out their webpage to see if you could be getting a little back.

Comment below if you have any saving suggestions (especially local ones)!

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I’m a bit of a sucker for loyalty cards, if a shop offers one and I’ve shopped there more than once, I’ll probably get it :joy: I even had one for a pub at uni :smiley:

Here are the ones I found from a quick rummage in my wallet (not including the additional card wallet I have for cards I never/rarely use):
Polish_20200506_233104939

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This app/site was introduced to me quite recently (this week) and it has a bit of fun behind it too!

You basically take pictures of your everyday receipts and earn coins for each receipt, you level up and also earn ‘spins’ which give you another chance to earn more coins. Also, each receipt gives you spins and entries into monthly draws to, again, earn more coins.
In turn, these coins transfer to cash paid into your bank or PayPal account.
Only downside is that online purchases/receipts don’t count so its only beneficial for in-store purchases. At least you’ll get something back from that weekly shop!

Thanks for taking a look, you must have racked up a few pounds overtime with all those cards!

How do you find Iceland’s Bonus card? Their model is a little different than the usual points = money off model.

There have been some good saving, and a couple of free shops in Tesco with that club card :grin:

To be honest, I haven’t actually shopped in Iceland in a few years, I should probably remove that one lol. But I don’t remember it actually doing much for me. I can’t actually remember what it offers, but I don’t remember ever having the feeling that I got anything out of having it scanned at each shop.

Interesting observation. I wonder if it helps to be reminded of the benefits at the point of sale. Which cards do you find yourself reaching for the most?

My most frequently used ones are the Tesco clubcard and the nectar card (less so on the clubcard currently, that one is usually used on lunch breaks and the walk home when I’m working in the office). These have very clear benefits, with frequent vouchers/discounts tailored to what you buy, plus straight up cash vouchers which are handy, so there’s a clear benefit to using them on every shop.

Though I never use the physical cards at either Tesco or Sainsbury’s any more, Tesco Pay+ and Sainsbury’s Smartshop mean I don’t need to :sweat_smile:

I imagine this model has been great for both customers and the retailers, especially with personalised vouchers for items you’re already buying.

I wonder, have you ever been tempted by an offer that too good to pass up or bought an item because you had a voucher and then later realised you didn’t actually need it? (Don’t worry I am fully owning up to having done this before :raising_hand_woman:)