The Student Room Group

How to save PROPERLY

I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!
(edited 4 years ago)

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Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂
I try to budget as best as I can!!

Do you meal plan and try to use what you've got in before buying more? 'No spend days' are becoming quite popular, where you don't spend on unnecessary things, only essentials. It really makes you think about what you're spending.

In terms of savings account vs cash - I think the below should give you some ideas.

If you're eligible, you could open a Lifetime ISA (LISA). There's a government bonus of 25% but the only restriction is that the account is used for a house or your retirement or there's a penalty (fee) on any money you withdraw.

Another way to make it 'fun' would be things like the 1p challenge. You put 1p in a tin today, 2p tomorrow, 3p the day after and so on. There are templates online to help you keep track. The only difficulty in doing it that way is that there are hefty amounts towards the end which fall in December which is also the expensive month, so you could mix it up a bit and either do it in reverse (i.e. start with the bigger amounts) or pick a random amount each day and cross it off.

I'd say whatever you managed to save in cash can be put directly into a savings account at the end, provided you don't need it for an emergency of course!

Hope those help - they're the first ones that come to mind anyway! Good luck and if I think of any more I'll let you know :smile:
Reply 2
Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!

Dieting is cheap. Just have the odd banana.
Let your eyebrows grow.
Lifetime ISA if you're serious about getting a house.
Reply 3
Original post by Quady
Dieting is cheap. Just have the odd banana.
Let your eyebrows grow.
Lifetime ISA if you're serious about getting a house.

My problem is snacking in between meals so unfortunately I’ve got to go for the booster tablets and shakes 🤦🙄
I wish I could let them grow but I’ll be getting odd stares!
Thank you
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 4
Thank you, I never really thought about the ISA. I’ve been trying to do that, only spending on what I NEED. I have a serious problem of over spending on my daughter too, she has too many clothes. It’s habits I need to break too
Original post by Paige26xx
Thank you, I never really thought about the ISA. I’ve been trying to do that, only spending on what I NEED. I have a serious problem of over spending on my daughter too, she has too many clothes. It’s habits I need to break too

Maybe sorting a budget out and assigning a certain amount to enjoy yourself (and your daughter) with? If you specifically give yourself a treat you'll be less inclined to spend whenever but you won't feel left out. There's an envelope technique where you withdraw your monthly spending i.e. food, clothes, toiletries and separate it into envelopes that are labelled. It can sometimes help when you physically see what you have left and any spare change can go in a savings pot - bit more of an incentive :smile:
Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!


Saw this on twitter it looks pretty self explanatory and once I start earning I will definitely be using it- https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=939C9832B72B17AD!834&ithint=file%2cxlsx&authkey=!AJh3eCtxul_Cvms
Reply 7
The secret is to work out a figure to save each month and to stick to it month on month. Also to bank on most of your savings bring tied up for a minimum of 5 years so you can go for some higher return but more volatile investments. See what your employer or bank can suggest. Or invest in some independent financial advice.
Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!

Hi there!

The thought of saving up can be daunting, especially if money is already feeling a bit tight. Here are some savings tips to help you begin to save!

1) Switching bank accounts: This could give you access to cashback and exclusive savings accounts
2) Saving the change every time you make a purchase: More and more banks, including Monzo, Revolut and Starling, allow customers to round-up a purchase and automatically save the change into a separate pot.
3) Use price-comparison websites: Price comparison websites let you compare hundreds of financial products and ensure you choose the best one for your circumstances.
4) Don't be tricked by "Special discounts": Only buy items you actually need and are likely to keep and use - toiletries such as toothpaste and shampoos are a good example, as are toilet rolls.
5) Don't heat unused rooms: If you have a spare bedroom that is rarely used, turn its radiator down to the lowest setting without turning it off completely. Fitting reflective foil behind radiators on external walls will also help to reduce the rate of heat loss in these rooms.

I hope that these tips help!

:biggrin:
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 9
Original post by FutureFinance

2) Saving the change every time you make a purchase: More and more banks, including Monzo, Revolut and Starling, allow customers to round-up a purchase and automatically save the change into a separate pot. Tandem Bank even moves this money into a savings account that pays interest.

Do you recommend a round up debit card over a cashback credit card?
Look at the Tumblr blog b*tchesgetriches (uncensored, student room is a cruel mistress) they're American based but they provide general tips for both getting out of debt and getting money saved up.
Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!

What are your biggest expenses? Big bills like gas/electric/phones/insurance can often be reduced by shopping around.
Are there any colleges near you with beauty courses - that can be a cheaper way to get treatments without breaking the bank (there's a small risk but students aren't left unsupervised!).
What opportunities do you have to increase your income? Can you increase your hours, find better paid work, look into doing some piece work in your free time? Any skills/hobbies that people would pay for you to do for them/sell on etsy/teaching?
Reply 12
I’ve recently payed a big chunk of money to get a cheaper monthly contract on a new phone. (Didn’t want to pay what I was already paying)
I’m currently on maternity leave, I work in beauty and I’m going back 3 days a week in March. I’ve tried selling some clothes on Depop. Facebook market place. I’ve been trying quite a lot. I pay £100 rent. (I’m currently living with people)
Not sure what else!
Well, there are a few ways to go about it really...

Firstly is put so much aside from your pay and throw it into a savings account. Ideally, one that pays interest monthly as opposed to yearly (I believe RCI Bank offers monthly interest while also still offering the same interest rates they offer for yearly payments) so should you have to dip into it you'll already have some extra money from the interest. You can go for a locked savings account that will offer higher rates, but if you hit some hard times or something comes up, you can't dip into it if needed so it may not be the best option.

Another option is save on consumables. Buy cheaper products like home brands (providing they actually offer better value for money). Like having fizzy drinks around? A 2L bottle of Pepsi will probably set you back about £1. A 2L bottle of home brand cola will cost about half that. I know Morrisons used to do 2L bottles of cola and lemonade for like 20p, idk if they still do them now though, can't see anything on the site but it might be an in-store only thing. If you like the taste, that's money saved.

If you're buying off the shelf medication, same principle. That £1.25 Anadin 500 Mg paracetamol won't work any better than that 40p home brand 500 Mg paracetamol. Paracetamol is paracetamol, there's nothing special about name brand paracetamol. Same goes with any other medication.

Dieting being expensive is arguably an expense that isn't needed. If you're dieting for health, yeah, okay, that's fair enough. If you're dieting for weight loss though? You don't need to change what you eat for weight loss. You just need to change the amount you eat.

An obvious alternative to the first one is to instead throw the money left over from your previous pay into a savings account say... The night before you actually get paid.

The main part about savings is really cutting back on what you're buying if you're living towards the end of what your money can provide.

Original post by Paige26xx
I’ve recently payed a big chunk of money to get a cheaper monthly contract on a new phone. (Didn’t want to pay what I was already paying)
I’m currently on maternity leave, I work in beauty and I’m going back 3 days a week in March. I’ve tried selling some clothes on Depop. Facebook market place. I’ve been trying quite a lot. I pay £100 rent. (I’m currently living with people)
Not sure what else!

You're paying for a contract on a new phone? That's a savings opportunity right there. It is cheaper to get a sim only contract and outright buy a phone. However, this obviously requires a larger upfront fee.

Also, the kind of phone you go for can matter here. iPhones cost far too much for what they are. Samsungs? Sure that S10+ might be nice... It'll also set you back £700. Meanwhile, my Xiaomi Mi9 has flagship specs and will do everything that fancy S10+ can do and, up until recently, had industry-leading fast charging tech (27W wired fast charging and 20W wireless charging, the latter still being industry leading to my knowledge) all for the price of... Are you ready? £300. (I think the 128GB model costs about £350). That's half the price for a phone that's just as capable.

You could do one even better. Do you even need all that power that these flagship phones provide? Unless you're playing some demanding games, probably not. You can cut more off the price of a phone right there by getting a budget phone, just make sure you shop around so you get something that isn't lacking in features. Though I'd still argue the Xiaomi Mi9 is likely the best, if not one of the best options when it comes to value for your money.

Thinking of getting a new computer? Price together the parts to build it (it's very simple, there's plenty of easy to follow guides) as it's often cheaper to source the parts and build it yourself.
(edited 4 years ago)
how much are you making and how much are you hoping to save every year?

i saved doing the good old-fashioned techniques - cut back on all the things i didn't need (nights out, holidays, takeaways, going to the cinema and lived with parents longer than i wanted to to save on rent) and often found cheaper alternatives or went without. learn how to do the things you can save on - like making takeaway meals at home or doing your own beauty regimen - is it possible to do your eyebrows by yourself, do you have a friend that can do it for you? as for your roots - dye your hair yourself? practice makes perfect

I made excuses to get out of situations (the good old one was that i had taken a second job and was doing a night shift) and i used that to get out of socialising every week with my friends or going to weddings/stags/engagement parties. i only went to the ones i really needed to go to - like close family members or best friends - and ONLY if they were local. one friend wanted everyone to fly out to new zealand for his wedding! obviously i said Nahhhh!

get yourself accustomed to basic food and see how long you can live off cheap meals like beans or egg on toast aka adopt a 'student diet'.
believe it or not this is actually a good diet for losing weight. when i lived alone i went hardcore with the food and managed to get all my shopping done for under £20 a week. stock up on the essentials beans, bread, porridge, tea and coffee, sugar and milk and some veg and always go to the shop at night time or sundays to find the reduced food section if you ever have a craving for a proper meal. i kid you not some days i walked home with bags full of sweets, cakes, trifles, sandwiches, lasagnes, microwavable curries and fizzy drinks for all under £5! felt like i won the lottery

this is how i saved a good amount and i didn't consider myself to be stingy. i still gave to charity believe it or not and when it came to christmas or my familys birthday i always spent properly on presents and nights out for them. i believe i lived well despite being strict on myself. its the 50/20/30 rule - spend a little, save a lot. live below your means, make cutbacks where you need to. but still don't be afraid to spoil yourself once in a blue moon.
Original post by Paige26xx
I’m saving up for my own car and house, I’m a long way off yet, I’m doing quite good, however I need some advice on how to save. Better in a savings account or cash? Just tips really :smile:
I find it hard, I have a daughter, my eyebrows grow like yettis if I don’t get them done every so often and I have my hair done (cheap in a good salon) and I’m dieting (more expense) so please take this into consideration 🙈😂 also before some people jump to the conclusion I put self care before saving, I let my roots grow ridiculously before I get them done so it isn’t more money more often :smile:
I try to budget as best as I can!!

1) YOU NEED TO BUDGET - Pen and paper or an app, it doesn't matter, and write down all your ingoings/outgoings. It is the only way to track your spending and work out where you are wasting money, or where you could make more. If you want personalised advice post it here or on Reddit UK Finance.

2) Cut spending - most people don't have a "saving problem" they have a spending problem. Expensive contract phone, check, expensive unnecessary "diet" food, check, regular hair and beauty visits, check, etc, etc, etc. You can look good inexpensively, you only have to check out the countless resources online to find out how.

3) Maximise income - work harder, for longer or smarter. Look for better paid jobs, work overtime, see more customers at work, sell anything you don't need, etc.

4) Minimise debt, particularly high interest debt (ie; overdrafts, credit cards, store cards, loans, car loans, etc) - interest and overdraft fees cost most people £100s a year. Getting out of your overdraft (if you're in it) and paying off any high interest store cards (or doing a 0% balance transfer) should be a priority.

5) Save on payday - set up a standing order and pay what you can afford (this is where your budget comes in again) into a high interest savings account. When it's out of your current account you're less likely to spend it unnecessarily.

***Sure switching bank accounts, cashback websites/credit cards/account-rewards, price comparison websites, etc help, but the savings are relatively meagre and the priority should be earning more, cutting spending and reducing high interest debt. ***

Original post by Paige26xx
I’ve recently payed a big chunk of money to get a cheaper monthly contract on a new phone. (Didn’t want to pay what I was already paying)

You're on MAT leave (so I assume a pretty poor rate of pay) and yet you're spending £100s on a new phone, plus £10s a month in contract fees to "save money"? Your concept of saving is way off. A new phone is nice, but you're not in the position to splash £100s on a new phone and contract.

You could have got a sim free contract for less than £10/month and simply continued to use your old phone at no extra cost, or got a cheap second hand handset (if necessary).

Ditto spending money on "special" weight loss food. They will make little or no difference to your weight loss. You just need to eat slightly less (ie; cut out crap/fizzy drinks/snacks/deserts, reduce portion sizes) and eat slightly better (ie; homemade soups, frozen vegetables/chicken/salmon, etc) which if anything will probably cost you LESS.

You have a spending problem, not a saving problem.
Reply 16
Original post by ch0c0h01ic
1) YOU NEED TO BUDGET - Pen and paper or an app, it doesn't matter, and write down all your ingoings/outgoings. It is the only way to track your spending and work out where you are wasting money, or where you could make more. If you want personalised advice post it here or on Reddit UK Finance.

2) Cut spending - most people don't have a "saving problem" they have a spending problem. Expensive contract phone, check, expensive unnecessary "diet" food, check, regular hair and beauty visits, check, etc, etc, etc. You can look good inexpensively, you only have to check out the countless resources online to find out how.

3) Maximise income - work harder, for longer or smarter. Look for better paid jobs, work overtime, see more customers at work, sell anything you don't need, etc.

4) Minimise debt, particularly high interest debt (ie; overdrafts, credit cards, store cards, loans, car loans, etc) - interest and overdraft fees cost most people £100s a year. Getting out of your overdraft (if you're in it) and paying off any high interest store cards (or doing a 0% balance transfer) should be a priority.

5) Save on payday - set up a standing order and pay what you can afford (this is where your budget comes in again) into a high interest savings account. When it's out of your current account you're less likely to spend it unnecessarily.

***Sure switching bank accounts, cashback websites/credit cards/account-rewards, price comparison websites, etc help, but the savings are relatively meagre and the priority should be earning more, cutting spending and reducing high interest debt. ***


You're on MAT leave (so I assume a pretty poor rate of pay) and yet you're spending £100s on a new phone, plus £10s a month in contract fees to "save money"? Your concept of saving is way off. A new phone is nice, but you're not in the position to splash £100s on a new phone and contract.

You could have got a sim free contract for less than £10/month and simply continued to use your old phone at no extra cost, or got a cheap second hand handset (if necessary).

Ditto spending money on "special" weight loss food. They will make little or no difference to your weight loss. You just need to eat slightly less (ie; cut out crap/fizzy drinks/snacks/deserts, reduce portion sizes) and eat slightly better (ie; homemade soups, frozen vegetables/chicken/salmon, etc) which if anything will probably cost you LESS.

You have a spending problem, not a saving problem.

Erm you missed my point, I pay less for my phone now than I was paying. I couldn’t just get a sim contract as I would of still had to pay off my contract I am on now. I’ve sorted that out and yes I have saved a lot of money doing this.
I don’t have any debt, I don’t get into debt.
I don’t buy special diet foods, I just buy healthy foods and attend the gym.
Oh and I’ve been saving around £250/300 a month :smile:
thank you
Reply 17
Original post by TheMcSame
Well, there are a few ways to go about it really...

Firstly is put so much aside from your pay and throw it into a savings account. Ideally, one that pays interest monthly as opposed to yearly (I believe RCI Bank offers monthly interest while also still offering the same interest rates they offer for yearly payments) so should you have to dip into it you'll already have some extra money from the interest. You can go for a locked savings account that will offer higher rates, but if you hit some hard times or something comes up, you can't dip into it if needed so it may not be the best option.

Another option is save on consumables. Buy cheaper products like home brands (providing they actually offer better value for money). Like having fizzy drinks around? A 2L bottle of Pepsi will probably set you back about £1. A 2L bottle of home brand cola will cost about half that. I know Morrisons used to do 2L bottles of cola and lemonade for like 20p, idk if they still do them now though, can't see anything on the site but it might be an in-store only thing. If you like the taste, that's money saved.

If you're buying off the shelf medication, same principle. That £1.25 Anadin 500 Mg paracetamol won't work any better than that 40p home brand 500 Mg paracetamol. Paracetamol is paracetamol, there's nothing special about name brand paracetamol. Same goes with any other medication.

Dieting being expensive is arguably an expense that isn't needed. If you're dieting for health, yeah, okay, that's fair enough. If you're dieting for weight loss though? You don't need to change what you eat for weight loss. You just need to change the amount you eat.

An obvious alternative to the first one is to instead throw the money left over from your previous pay into a savings account say... The night before you actually get paid.

The main part about savings is really cutting back on what you're buying if you're living towards the end of what your money can provide.


You're paying for a contract on a new phone? That's a savings opportunity right there. It is cheaper to get a sim only contract and outright buy a phone. However, this obviously requires a larger upfront fee.

Also, the kind of phone you go for can matter here. iPhones cost far too much for what they are. Samsungs? Sure that S10+ might be nice... It'll also set you back £700. Meanwhile, my Xiaomi Mi9 has flagship specs and will do everything that fancy S10+ can do and, up until recently, had industry-leading fast charging tech (27W wired fast charging and 20W wireless charging, the latter still being industry leading to my knowledge) all for the price of... Are you ready? £300. (I think the 128GB model costs about £350). That's half the price for a phone that's just as capable.

You could do one even better. Do you even need all that power that these flagship phones provide? Unless you're playing some demanding games, probably not. You can cut more off the price of a phone right there by getting a budget phone, just make sure you shop around so you get something that isn't lacking in features. Though I'd still argue the Xiaomi Mi9 is likely the best, if not one of the best options when it comes to value for your money.

Thinking of getting a new computer? Price together the parts to build it (it's very simple, there's plenty of easy to follow guides) as it's often cheaper to source the parts and build it yourself.

I couldn’t get a sim contract without paying my large fee to get out my contract and it would be dear to buy a phone outright. I get discount from a family member on my iPhone XR (£25 a month) so that is quite cheap if I didn’t get this discount then I’d go for a lower phone with less mins/texts/data.
I had to pay off what I did out of my contract to get a cheaper contract (I was paying £40 a month)
Reply 18
Original post by TheMcSame
Well, there are a few ways to go about it really...

Firstly is put so much aside from your pay and throw it into a savings account. Ideally, one that pays interest monthly as opposed to yearly (I believe RCI Bank offers monthly interest while also still offering the same interest rates they offer for yearly payments) so should you have to dip into it you'll already have some extra money from the interest. You can go for a locked savings account that will offer higher rates, but if you hit some hard times or something comes up, you can't dip into it if needed so it may not be the best option.

Another option is save on consumables. Buy cheaper products like home brands (providing they actually offer better value for money). Like having fizzy drinks around? A 2L bottle of Pepsi will probably set you back about £1. A 2L bottle of home brand cola will cost about half that. I know Morrisons used to do 2L bottles of cola and lemonade for like 20p, idk if they still do them now though, can't see anything on the site but it might be an in-store only thing. If you like the taste, that's money saved.

If you're buying off the shelf medication, same principle. That £1.25 Anadin 500 Mg paracetamol won't work any better than that 40p home brand 500 Mg paracetamol. Paracetamol is paracetamol, there's nothing special about name brand paracetamol. Same goes with any other medication.

Dieting being expensive is arguably an expense that isn't needed. If you're dieting for health, yeah, okay, that's fair enough. If you're dieting for weight loss though? You don't need to change what you eat for weight loss. You just need to change the amount you eat.

An obvious alternative to the first one is to instead throw the money left over from your previous pay into a savings account say... The night before you actually get paid.

The main part about savings is really cutting back on what you're buying if you're living towards the end of what your money can provide.


You're paying for a contract on a new phone? That's a savings opportunity right there. It is cheaper to get a sim only contract and outright buy a phone. However, this obviously requires a larger upfront fee.

Also, the kind of phone you go for can matter here. iPhones cost far too much for what they are. Samsungs? Sure that S10+ might be nice... It'll also set you back £700. Meanwhile, my Xiaomi Mi9 has flagship specs and will do everything that fancy S10+ can do and, up until recently, had industry-leading fast charging tech (27W wired fast charging and 20W wireless charging, the latter still being industry leading to my knowledge) all for the price of... Are you ready? £300. (I think the 128GB model costs about £350). That's half the price for a phone that's just as capable.

You could do one even better. Do you even need all that power that these flagship phones provide? Unless you're playing some demanding games, probably not. You can cut more off the price of a phone right there by getting a budget phone, just make sure you shop around so you get something that isn't lacking in features. Though I'd still argue the Xiaomi Mi9 is likely the best, if not one of the best options when it comes to value for your money.

Thinking of getting a new computer? Price together the parts to build it (it's very simple, there's plenty of easy to follow guides) as it's often cheaper to source the parts and build it yourself.

I couldn’t get a sim contract without paying my large fee to get out my contract and it would be dear to buy a phone outright. I get discount from a family member on my iPhone XR (£25 a month) so that is quite cheap if I didn’t get this discount then I’d go for a lower phone with less mins/texts/data.
I had to pay off what I did out of my contract to get a cheaper contract (I was paying £40 a month) and when I added it all up with dates etc I have saved an awful lot
Reply 19
Original post by Paige26xx
I don’t buy special diet foods, I just buy healthy foods and attend the gym.


Original post by Paige26xx
My problem is snacking in between meals so unfortunately I’ve got to go for the booster tablets and shakes 🤦🙄

So one of these two statements isn't accurate then right?

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