UK Savings Week 2025: Honest Money Tips From Someone Who's Actually Been Broke!

What you'll find in this post

• UK Savings Week runs 22nd-28th September 2025 - but the information you can learn from this event can last a lifetime, not just a week!

• 34% of UK adults have less than £1,000 saved - you're not alone if money feels impossible.

• Small wins matter more than perfection - £400 cashback on a holiday, £2 gift card savings, free sandwiches all add up.

• Mental health and money are connected - debt stress nearly broke me, but getting help changed everything.

• ADHD affects spending decisions - impulsive purchases happen, the key is having a plan to recover

• You can save money even while paying off debt - cashback, food rescue, and smart shopping work regardless of your situation.
  

I'm not your typical money blogger. I've been bankrupt. I've had bailiffs at my door with a newborn baby in the house. I've spent £6,000 on a holiday this year and added it to my debt pile. I have ADHD, which means I don't always make the most rational spending decisions.

I'm not your typical money blogger. I've been bankrupt. I've had bailiffs at my door with a newborn baby in the house. I've spent £6,000 on a holiday this year and added it to my debt pile. I have ADHD, which means I don't always make the most rational spending decisions.

But I'm also proof that you don't need to be perfect with money to make progress.

This UK Savings Week, instead of another corporate guide about ISA rates, here's the real talk about saving money when life is messy, money is tight, and you're just trying to keep your head above water.

Why I'm Talking About Money Saving, Not Savings Accounts

You'll see plenty of experts this week advising you on where to invest for the best returns. That's useful if you have money to put somewhere!

What I specialise in is helping people be more money savvy throughout the month, so you actually have something left in the bank at the end of the month. Real-world tactics that help you spend smarter, so instead of reaching the end of the month with nothing, you've got something left over, even if it's just a little bit, that you can use for things you need, want or put towards next month's budgeting, or potentially save for a rainy day.

I'm not talking to people about the best bank savings accounts or the best investment accounts where you can keep all your money to earn the most interest and rewards. I'm not doing that because I don't really save money.

I work full-time and have my side hustles, including my blog and social media, and my main job pays our bills but leaves very little left over. My side hustle helps cover some of the other expenses, but we're still not a wealthy family. We, like most people, have very little saved, and therefore, saving isn't something I talk about or write about; mainly because I don't know much about the savings accounts, investment schemes and all that fun stuff, as I don't have the spare money to save or invest! The only money I have saved is my tax for next year's tax return, and that's in Premium Bonds because I'm a bit naive and hope that money is gonna win me £1 million. I'm not expecting that to happen, but it would be nice if it did!

What I discuss is ways that people can save money; sometimes by making small one-off savings, and sometimes by implementing a new way of thinking that, week after week, will save you money that you can either put towards things you want or need, or save when you currently can't.

That's what I'm here to help people with, and I'll be brutally honest: I don't always practice what I preach!

My Money Story: The Messy Reality

I had to declare bankruptcy when my businesses failed; my personal guarantee debts were substantial. I won't say exactly how much, but it would buy you a house in some areas of the country, and I did what I could to avoid the bankruptcy, and pay off people who were owed money, but it got to the point where bailiffs turned up at my house demanding money I didn't have, nor was likely to have; I had a newborn baby, a partner, and substatntila monthly outgoings, and absolutely nothing to give them.

The stress was crushing. I'm talking about lying awake at 3 am, heart racing, knowing another demand letter was coming through the door, expecting a knock at the door at any time, and it was horrendous.

The last thing I thought about at night was debt, and then the first thing I thought about when I woke up. It got so bad that I had suicidal thoughts and knew I needed help immediately.

That's when I learned something crucial: getting help isn't about giving up; it's about taking control. The thought of bankruptcy was terrifying, and it wasn't fun, but for me, it was the only solution. The relief afterwards was life-changing. I could sleep again. I could answer the door without panic. The weight lifted.

But here's what nobody tells you: bankruptcy doesn't magically fix your relationship with money.

Life After Bankruptcy: Still Not Perfect

I have ADHD, and one of the side effects is not always making rational spending decisions. It's easy to get caught in an ADHD spending spree and regret it afterwards.

Like spending £6,000 on a holiday this year and adding it to my debt, never a wise thing to do, and precisely the sort of thing I tell people not to do, yet I did it!

But sometimes you still make these purchases because spending £6,000 on a holiday to spend quality time with my family is still important. Yes, I'm in debt. Do I have a plan to pay it off? Yes. So that's fine; but it's the reality of living with both ADHD and limited income.

The Current Money Reality: Always Something

My wife's car has seen better days. We need to address the issue at some point, but it's still going, so we'll continue until we have no choice.

There's always something that needs money:

• We rent our house and want to give it a makeover

• The garden needs work

• We'd love a fire for the lounge (nearly £1,000 - not sure we can manage that)

• We've been on holiday this year, and we would love to go again next year without getting into debt, especially as this years holiday has added to my debt signifcantly!
  

Sound familiar? There's always something you want to spend money on, whether that's repairs or just "it would be nice to have" purchases.

This is why traditional savings advice often falls short. It assumes you have leftover money sitting around. Most of us don't.

10 Money Moves That Actually Work (From Someone Living It)

1. Use Cashback on Everything You Already Buy

Cashback is my top tip to anybody who asks me what's the best way to save money? It's literally getting money back on things you were gonna buy anyway! I cover cashback in this blog post. Give it a read if you're not already embracing cashback; it's literally my favourite money-saving tip!

This year, my biggest cashback payout was £400 on our holiday. We spent a lot of money, but the cashback covered the car rental, essentially meaning we drove around for free.

It took maybe two or three minutes to click through from the cashback page to book everything. No extra effort, £400 back.

People say, "It's only £2 cashback, hardly worth it," but if you walked down the street and saw £2 on the ground, you'd pick it up? I suspect yes, because nobody in their right mind wants to ignore money they can easily 'pick up', and the same goes for cashback. If it's legal, quick and easy to obtain and can help you pay your bills, week after week, then it's a no-brainer, surely? If you receive cash back 70% of the time when you make a purchase, over a year, how much money are you putting back into your wallet? Cashback on that restaurant meal, takeaway, supermarket shop, clothes, books, school uniform, holiday costs, coffees, shoes, electricals, hotel stays, flat pack furniture and days out, the list is endless, and therefore so are the opportunities to earn cashback! For me, it pretty much pays for Christmas, which is a big help to my bank account!

My favourite apps:

• JamDoughnut for cashback on gift cards for retailers. I'm buying from. So, for example, I might go to Tesco's and instead of paying for my food shop with a credit card, debit card, or cash, I buy a Tesco gift card from JamDoughnut. I get whatever the cashback rate is on the day (currently 5% as I write this), on that gift card, purchase, so for every £100 I spend, which isn't difficult to do these days in a supermarket, I'll get £5 back as cashback, which I can withdraw to my bank account or via a gift card for a retailer that I need to buy from. It's essentially free money, as all I'm doing is changing my payment method, and by doing that, I'm earning money back that I can use later, and all on something I needed to buy anyway!
  

• Complete Savings for conventional cashback - this is a subscription cashback service which costs me £18 a month to use but gives me cashback at a minimum cashback rate of 10%, when I make purchases via Complete Savings. I can claim that £18 back every single month by just making one purchase through them, so it's a no-brainer for me to make use of this cashback service!
  

• Quidco and TopCashback - I use these cashback services to earn bonuses on various purchases, on things like car insurance, financial products, and even credit reports. I recently received £35 for getting a new credit card and £50 back on a £100 travel insurance policy, so decent cashback amounts!
  

2. Food Waste Prevention Apps That Can Save You Money

What food waste apps actually do: Apps like Too Good To Go and Olio connect you with restaurants, cafes, and shops that have perfectly good food they'd otherwise throw away at the end of the day. You pay a fraction of the original price (usually £3-4 for food worth £10-15) and collect "magic bags" of surprise items. Olio also lets neighbours share food they can't use.

I use Too Good To Go regularly. (Read my review of the Too Good To Go app to learn more about how it works.)

My most recent Too Good To Go purchase was a Starbucks 'Magic Bag' that contained six sandwiches, which I put straight into the freezer, and cost less than £5.

I had one toasted for lunch today, a tasty but cheap cheese sandwich that would have cost £4+ in a store, and saves on food waste as well as saving me money on my food expenses.

I prefer grocery bags over restaurant bags, but my daughter uses restaurant bags and gets a lot of leftovers that save us a significant amount of money. Also consider using Olio if you really need to save so money on food, as all the food on this app is free.

3. The ADHD-Friendly Approach to Impulse Spending

I have ADHD, and having ADHD means impulse purchases happen. It's not a character flaw - it's literally how our brains are wired. The dopamine hit from buying something new can feel like a necessity, especially when you're stressed or overwhelmed.

I've learned to work with my ADHD brain rather than against it:

Acknowledge it's part of your brain wiring: ADHD brains seek dopamine, and shopping provides an instant hit. Fighting this completely is like trying not to breathe. Instead, understand it's happening and plan for it.

Build in recovery mechanisms.

• Always use cashback, so impulse purchases still give you something back

• Set up automatic transfers to savings so you save before you can spend - Consider banking apps like Monzo to do this for you (Referral link to join Monzo and get a £10 sign-up bonus)

• Use the "one-day rule" - wait 24 hours before making big purchases when possible. You'll either have changed your mind (or not!), or the retailer might send you a promotion code if they see you haven't checked out, which will save you money!

• Have a "impulse fund" - a small amount you're allowed to waste guilt-free, as long as you have the spare cash to fund it, of course!
  

Create helpful friction for big spending

• Remove saved payment details from shopping apps - makes you manually enter card details each time, giving you a moment to reconsider

• Unsubscribe from retail email lists that trigger spending urges; those "flash sale" emails are designed to make you buy NOW.

• Use shopping lists and stick to them (most of the time); having a plan reduces impulse purchases.

• Place a 24-hour delay on purchases over £20 - add to basket, walk away, and return tomorrow.

• Use cash for discretionary spending - when the cash runs out, you're done!

• Avoid shopping when you're emotional, tired, hungry, or stressed; that's prime impulse-buying territory.
  

Don't let one bad decision derail everything The £6 Starbucks when I could have had one free with my Octopus Energy app if I'd travelled a mile down the road? It happens. Spent £6,000 on a holiday and added it to debt? Also happens. The key is having a plan to recover, not perfection.

ADHD spending sprees are real Sometimes you'll have days where you buy multiple things in a row. I've done it; my Amazon basket fills up with multiple app purchases and random items I've convinced myself I need.

When it happens:

• Stop and take a breath

• Calculate the actual damage

• Don't cancel/return everything in panic (you'll often re-buy it later)

• Use it as a learning curve about your triggers

• Get back to your money-saving habits the next day!
  

The goal isn't to become a different person; it's to be a person with ADHD who has good money systems in place.

4. Audit Subscriptions Like Your Mental Health Depends On It

Because sometimes it does. When money's tight, every £10 monthly subscription feels like a weight on your chest.

List every single one. Ask: Do I use it? Can I get it cheaper? Can I live without it for now?

Cancelling even £20 worth of subscriptions you don't really use gives you £240 a year. That's Christmas sorted!

5. Side Hustles That Work Around Real Life

I've done Amazon deliveries, worked for Deliveroo, been paid to take part in market research projects - whatever paid the bills. These days, I can't do delivery work (wrong vehicle, insurance costs), but I still do:

• Paid market research when available

• Blog income (took years to build, and brings in a very, very modest income!)

• Social media bits and pieces generate some revenue, but not a substantial amount.
  

Even £50-100 extra a month is £600-1,200 a year. That's holiday money or a car repair fund. You can see some side hustle ideas in this blog post.

6. Receipt Scanning

Takes literally seconds to snap photos of receipts. Over the course of a year, apps can give you £50-100 back. It's not life-changing money, but it's enough for Christmas extras or birthday gifts.

How it works: Shop as you usually would, snap a photo of your receipt, upload it to the app, and earn points/cash back.

My current favourites:

• Clear! - Pays out fastest, I've already cashed out £15 this year

• Shoppix - Slower but consistent

• Airtime Rewards - Good for phone credit
  

Realistic earnings: 2-10p per receipt, so about £50-100 annually if you're consistent with weekly shops.

The key: Build the habit of snapping immediately after shopping. Don't expect big money, but it's satisfying when you suddenly discover £15 in your account you'd forgotten about! All the information about receipt apps can be found on this blog post.

7. Check what you already have before you go food shopping! Check your fridge, freezer, and cupboards before heading out. Plan meals around what you've already got. The average UK family wastes £60 of food each month. Cut even half of that and save £360 a year.

Practical tactics that actually work:

• The 5-minute fridge audit - Before any shopping trip, genuinely look at what needs using up

• Plan 3-4 meals maximum - Don't plan a whole week, you'll change your mind, and food will go off

• Cook the oldest stuff first - That bag of carrots that's getting soft? Use them tonight, not next week

• Freezer archaeology - Actually dig through your freezer and use what's buried at the bottom

• Leftover transformations - Roast chicken becomes sandwiches, then soup from the bones We all buy salad with good intentions, only to watch it turn to slime. We buy fresh herbs for one recipe, and the rest goes to waste because it goes mouldy. The trick isn't being perfect, it's being aware and using up 80% instead of 50%!
  

Quick wins:

• Batch cook on Sundays using stuff that's about to turn

• Freeze everything before it goes off, not after

• Use apps like Too Good To Go for rescue food instead of buying fresh when you've got food at home

• Shop more frequently for fresh items - it's better to pop out for milk twice a week than buy in bulk and waste it!
  

The money you don't spend on replacing food you already had is money that stays in your pocket.

8. The Brutal Truth About Debt vs Saving

If you're in debt, paying it off usually comes before saving. Here's why: if you're paying 19% interest on credit cards but only earning 4% on savings, the maths doesn't work. You're literally losing money.

But that doesn't mean you can't use money-saving tactics to accelerate your debt payments. I'm still paying off debt, but I'm also finding every possible way to stretch our money further.

How money-saving tactics help with debt:

• Sell things you don't use - That exercise bike gathering dust could knock £50 off your debt, and that bag of old clothes in the loft could be worth some money. It also helps declutter!

• Switch to generic brands - save £10-15 on your weekly shop and put it straight towards debt payments.

• Look at supermarket cashback apps: Apps like Shopmium, Checkoutsmart, and Greenjinn will give you cashback on specific grocery items, up to 100% of the item's cost, meaning you can get cheaper food or even free food.

• Walk instead of driving short distances - Petrol money saved goes to debt

• Use the library instead of buying books/DVDs - Redirect entertainment spending to debt

• Negotiate your phone/broadband bills - Even £5 monthly reduction is £60 a year toward debt

• Make things from scratch - Batch cook instead of ready meals, put the difference toward debt
  

The psychological boost matters too Making progress on debt while also saving small amounts can feel empowering rather than restrictive. Even having £20 in a jar for emergencies means you won't add to debt for tiny unexpected costs.

My approach: I prioritise debt payments but still look for every opportunity to spend less on essentials so more money can go toward clearing what I owe. Every £5 saved is £5 that doesn't get added to the debt pile or £5 that can knock it down faster.

Don't feel guilty about wanting both: You might read advice saying "pay off debt before saving anything" but real life is messier. Sometimes you need that tiny emergency fund so you don't add to debt when the car needs a £50 repair.

The compounding effect: If switching to generic brands saves you £15 weekly and walking short distances saves £10 in petrol, that's £100 monthly that could go to debt instead. Over a year, that's £1,200 off your debt pile; potentially saving hundreds in interest too.

It's not about perfection, it's about progress. If you can pay off debt 10% faster because you're being money-savvy, that's still a win.

9. Free Help Exists: It Wasn't About When I Needed It, But It Is Now, So Make Use Of It!

If debt is crushing your mental health like it did mine, please don't suffer in silence.

Free debt advice:

• StepChange

• National Debtline

• Debt Free Advice
  

What they actually do:

• Stop the threatening letters and phone calls

• Negotiate with creditors on your behalf

• Help you understand all your options (including bankruptcy if needed)

• Set up manageable payment plans

• Give you breathing space to think clearly again
  

Making the call: I know it's terrifying. I put it off for months because I was ashamed and scared they'd judge me. They didn't. The person on the phone had heard it all before and just wanted to help me get sorted.

Have a rough idea of your debts (amounts and who you owe), but don't worry if you don't have exact figures; they'll help you work it out.

The mental health connection: Debt doesn't just affect your bank balance; it affects everything. Your sleep, your relationships, your ability to think about anything else. The constant anxiety, the dread every time the post arrives, the shame of avoiding calls.

Sorting my finances improved my mental space. I could sleep again. I could answer the door without panic. I could make plans for the future instead of just surviving each day.

They won't judge you. They'll listen, help, and give you back some control. Getting help literally saved my life, and can certainly improve yours!

10. Start Where You Are, Not Where You Think You Should Be

Here's what I mean by "starting where you are": instead of thinking you need to magically find £100 a month to save, look at your actual life and find small wins you can build on.

For example, if you're really hard up, you may not be able to save £20 a week, but you could save £1 a week by using a free coffee through your phone reward app instead of buying one (as an example). The key is actually putting that £1 aside rather than just spending it on something else.

Alternatively, if you typically spend £50 on takeaways a month, consider skipping it and opting for a supermarket 'dine in' deal instead. This will always be cheaper than ordering a takeaway and will still be delicious, allowing you to save money while avoiding the need to cook from scratch.

The point is working with your real spending patterns and real income, not some fantasy budget where you suddenly become a different person.

Important reminder:  This post isn't about savings accounts, ISAs, or where to put your money for the best interest rates. I'll leave that to people like Martin Lewis and Money Saving Expert, who know far more about it than I do.

But that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't save money. If you manage to free up some cash using these tactics, whether that's £5 a month or £50, you should absolutely consider where to invest it. Just don't ask me which savings account to choose. My job is to help you find that money in the first place!

Maybe you can only save £1 a week. Perhaps you're using food banks and can't save anything at the moment. Perhaps you're comfortable, but you want to be more savvy with your money.

All of these are valid starting points. UK Savings Week isn't about comparing yourself to others; it's about taking the next small step from wherever you are.

If you're in crisis (using food banks, choosing between heating and eating): Your "next step" isn't saving money - it's getting support and building stability. Focus on:

• Accessing all the benefits you're entitled to (Citizens Advice can help)

• Getting debt advice if that's part of the problem

• Using food rescue apps when possible to stretch budgets

• Building the habit of checking for deals/cashback when you do spend
  

If you're living paycheck to paycheck with nothing spare: Your focus is on creating breathing room, not traditional saving:

• Cancel one unused subscription to free up £5-10 monthly.

• Not sure where your money is going? Download a month or more of your bank statements, blank out your account number and your personal details and upload it to Chat GPT. Ask it to review your spending, categorise it, and identify ways to reduce your expenses. You'll be amazed at how useful that can be!

• Use cashback on everything you already buy!!

• Plan meals around what you have to reduce food waste

• Look for one small side hustle opportunity
  

If you have £10-50 spare per month:

• Set up automatic transfer of £10 on payday (before you can spend it)

• Use gift card discounts for regular shops (instant 5% saving)

• Try one "no spend" weekend per month

• Build up to £100 emergency fund, then £200, then £500

• Don't worry about "best" savings accounts yet; focus on the habit
  

If you're comfortable but want to optimise:

• Switch energy supplier annually (can save £200-400+)

• Review insurance policies (home, car, life) - loyalty doesn't pay!

• Consider overpaying the mortgage by £50-100 monthly to save thousands in interest

• Look into salary sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, electric car, pension)

• Use credit cards with rewards for regular spending (if you pay off in full)

• Shop around for better broadband, phone, and TV deals annually

• Investigate Premium Bonds vs savings accounts for tax-free returns
  

If you're paying off debt:

• Use money-saving tactics to free up extra debt payments

• Don't feel guilty about not "saving" - debt repayment IS saving

• Small wins like cashback can go straight to debt to speed things up

• Focus on progress, not perfection
  

If you feel "behind" compared to others: Remember: 34% of UK adults have less than £1,000 saved. You're not behind, you're normal. Someone posting about their £10k emergency fund on social media doesn't represent everyone.

The point isn't where you start; it's that you start. £1 a week for a year is £52, which covers a car MOT or Christmas gifts. That's not nothing.

UK Savings Week: FAQ's

Q: What if I literally have nothing to save? Start with habits, not amounts. Even getting into the routine of checking for cashback or snapping receipts builds the behaviour. When money is incredibly tight, the first "saving" is often cutting costs rather than putting money aside.

Q: How much can cashback actually earn? Depends on how you use it. I've had £400 on holiday bookings, £35 for credit cards, £2 here and there on shopping. Over a year for me, it easily covers Christmas. The key is getting cash back on things you're buying anyway.

Q: Is it worth bothering with tiny amounts like £2? Yes. Saving £2, 50 times a year, is equivalent to £100. That's a nice meal out or an emergency fund boost. If you saw £2 on the street, you'd pick it up right?

Q: What if I have ADHD and struggle with impulse spending? Join the club. Acknowledge it's part of your brain wiring, don't beat yourself up about every mistake, and build in recovery mechanisms like cashback. One bad spending decision doesn't undo all your progress.

Q: Should I save or pay off debt first? Usually, it's debt first, because you're paying interest. But that doesn't mean you can't use money-saving tactics to free up cash for debt payments. Cashback, food rescue, and cutting subscriptions all help regardless.

Q: What if I'm too embarrassed about my debt situation? I've been there with bailiffs at my door and a newborn baby. There's no shame in needing help. Free debt charities exist specifically to help without judgment. Getting help was the best decision I made.

Q: How do I stay motivated when money feels hopeless? Focus on small wins. Free sandwich from Too Good To Go. £5 cashback. Cancelled subscription you weren't using. Small victories build momentum and prove you can take control.

Your Next Step This UK Savings Week

Don't feel guilty if you don't have thousands set aside. Most people don't. According to recent stats, 34% of UK adults have less than £1,000 saved. You're not behind; you're normal.

Pick one thing from this post to try this week:

• Sign up for cashback and use it on your next shop

• Download Too Good To Go and rescue a bag of food

• Cancel one subscription you don't really use

• Snap photos of three receipts

• Check if your workplace offers payroll savings
  

Free up £5 or £10 this week, put it aside somewhere, and repeat next week.

And if you're drowning in debt like I was, please reach out for help. You deserve that relief, that breathing space, that feeling of being back in control.

Money saving isn't about being perfect. It's about being honest, making progress, and giving yourself the breathing space you need.

Whether that's freeing up a tenner or picking up the phone for debt help, one step is all it takes to move forward.

You deserve that space. You deserve that relief. And you can get there.