Plan meals, then write the list
Deciding meals first and shopping from a list is the single biggest way to cut food waste and impulse buys. Use what's already in the fridge before buying more.
Plan your week with the food shop plannerFood shopping
Drop a brand level
Try supermarket own-brand or value versions of staples like pasta, tinned tomatoes, rice and cleaning products. Many are made to the same standard, and you can switch back if you notice a difference.
Compare the price per kilo
The small print on shelf labels shows the price per kg or per litre. It's the only fair way to compare a big pack with a small one, or a multibuy with a single item.
Go frozen
Frozen veg, fruit and fish are just as nutritious as fresh, often cheaper, and don't go off before you use them. Peas, spinach, berries and white fish are all good buys.
Cook once, eat twice
Make double portions of chilli, curry or soup and freeze half, or use it for tomorrow's lunch. It saves money and stops takeaway temptation on busy nights.
Use loyalty prices and yellow stickers
Loyalty-card prices can be much lower than the shelf price, so it's worth signing up at the shops you use. Reduced items are often marked down late in the day: freeze them on the day you buy them.
Rescue food for less
Apps like Too Good To Go sell surplus food from shops and cafés cheaply at the end of the day, and Olio lets neighbours give away food they won't use.
See food-saving appsCheck for Healthy Start
If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 and get certain benefits, the NHS Healthy Start card gives £4.65 a week (£9.30 for babies under 1) for milk, fruit, veg and more.
Check on the NHS Healthy Start siteHousehold bills
Never just auto-renew
Broadband, mobile, car and home insurance usually get dearer at renewal. Compare prices a few weeks before the end date, then ring your provider to haggle: mentioning a cheaper quote often gets a better deal.
Go SIM-only once your phone is paid off
When a phone contract ends, the monthly price often stays the same even though the phone is paid for. Switching to a SIM-only deal can cut the bill substantially.
Look at your energy deal
Ofgem's price cap for a typical dual-fuel home is £1,723 a year from October 2026. Check whether a fixed deal beats your current tariff, and give your supplier a meter reading so you're not billed on estimates. The 0% VAT on household electricity now runs to July 2027, which should take about £50 off the cap from April 2027.
Look out for the £100 Household Energy Payment
Announced in the 28 October 2026 Budget: households in England in council tax bands A to D get £100 from January 2027, paid through the council tax system. Your council will explain how you'll receive it. Councils also get extra money to help some households in higher bands.
Ask about social tariffs
If you get Universal Credit or certain other benefits, most broadband providers and many water companies offer cheaper "social tariffs". They're rarely advertised, so you need to ask.
Claim your council tax discounts
If you're the only adult in your home, you can get 25% off council tax. Discounts also exist for students, carers and some disabilities, and it's worth checking your property is in the right band.
Switch off at the wall
TVs, consoles, chargers and microwaves left on standby add up over a year. A smart plug or extension lead with a switch makes it easy to turn everything off at once.
Tax and benefits
Claim Marriage Allowance
If you're married or in a civil partnership and one of you earns under the personal allowance (£12,570), they can transfer £1,260 of it to a basic-rate partner. That's worth up to £252 a year, and you can backdate it up to four years.
Apply on GOV.UKCheck what benefits you could get
Billions in benefits go unclaimed every year, often by working families who assume they don't qualify. A free benefits calculator takes about ten minutes and is anonymous.
Find a benefits calculatorCheck your tax code
Your tax code is on your payslip. If it's wrong, for example after a job change or a company car ending, you could be overpaying. HMRC's app shows your code and lets you query it.
Check your take-home payClaim tax relief on work costs
If you wash your own uniform or pay for work tools or professional fees yourself, you may be able to claim tax relief, and backdate it up to four years.
Use Tax-Free Childcare
For every £8 you pay into a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year per child (£4,000 for a disabled child). You can use it for nurseries, childminders and after-school clubs.
See Childcare ChoicesWatch the £100k trap
Between £100,000 and £125,140 you lose your tax-free allowance, so each extra pound is taxed at an effective 60%. Paying more into your pension can win it back.
See your marginal rateSaving and borrowing
Pay yourself first
Set up a standing order to savings on payday, even £20 a month. Money you never see in your current account is much easier to leave alone.
Find room in your budgetBuild an emergency fund
Aim for three months of essential costs in an easy-access account. It stops a broken boiler or car repair turning into expensive debt.
Plan your savings goalGet a 50% bonus with Help to Save
If you get Universal Credit and had take-home pay in your last assessment period, Help to Save adds 50p for every £1 you save (£1 to £50 a month), up to £1,200 over four years. From spring 2028 banks and building societies will offer it too, and Universal Credit claimants without earnings will be able to join. If you qualify now, there's no need to wait.
Check on GOV.UKUse your ISA allowance
You can save or invest up to £20,000 a year in ISAs without paying tax on the interest or growth. The 28 October 2026 Budget scrapped the planned £12,000 cash ISA limit, so you can still put the full £20,000 in cash. From April 2027 tax on savings interest outside an ISA rises to 24% for basic-rate taxpayers (44% higher, 49% additional), so ISAs matter more once you're past your Personal Savings Allowance.
Buying your first home?
A Lifetime ISA (open it aged 18 to 39) adds a 25% bonus on up to £4,000 a year for a first home costing up to £450,000. From 29 October 2026 the charge for using it on a dearer home falls from 25% to 20%. From April 2029 it's replaced for new savers by a First Time Buyer ISA with no upper age limit. In England, the Your First Home scheme from April 2027 offers an equity loan of up to 20% with a deposit from 2.5%, interest-free for five years (household income caps apply).
Work out the mortgageClear the most expensive debt first
Pay the minimum on everything, then put any spare money towards the debt with the highest interest rate, usually store cards and credit cards. If debt feels unmanageable, free advice charities can help.
Plan your way out of debtOverpay your mortgage if you can
Small regular overpayments can take years off a mortgage and save thousands in interest. Check your deal's overpayment limit first, usually 10% a year on fixed rates.
See what overpaying savesFamily and kids
Check free school meals
From September 2026, every child in England in a household on Universal Credit can get free school meals, whatever the household earns. Apply through your council, as schools often get extra funding when you do.
Claim Child Benefit even if you earn more
Even if the High Income Child Benefit Charge means you'd pay it back, registering protects the non-working parent's National Insurance credits towards their State Pension. You can choose not to receive the payments.
Child Benefit on GOV.UKBuy school uniform second-hand
Many schools run uniform swaps or pre-loved sales, and plain supermarket basics with a sew-on badge are fine at lots of schools. Label everything to avoid buying replacements.
Find free days out
Most national museums and galleries are free, local libraries lend books, games and sometimes laptops, and parks often run free holiday activities. Check your council's website before each school holiday.
Give and get for free
Toys, prams, cots and children's clothes are outgrown fast. Freegle and local Facebook groups are full of free and cheap kids' items in good condition.
Find reuse sitesFigures checked for the 2026/27 tax year, the October 2026 energy price cap and the Budget on 28 October 2026. Allowances and schemes change, so check the official site before acting. These tips are general information, not financial advice.