First 5 Items.
Make your money work harder
Too many of us let cash languish in accounts or in products paying rotten returns. Shake off this laziness and make your money work harder, plus hunt down any forgotten funds or concealed cash. You may be amazed at what you find.
1. Give yourself a 25% pay rise
There's nowt more powerful than sorting out your own finances. By shifting to the best deal on every product, you can give yourself a 25% pay rise, without cutting back. Before anything else, this is the most important starting point.
How much? The average UK family could gain £2,500 to £5,000 a year doing this.
How do I do it? Use the step-by-step Money Makeover guide.
2. Make your credit card pay you
Cashback credit cards pay you back a proportion of what you spend each time you use them.
Set up a direct debit to pay the card off in full each month, so there's no interest cost, and you can earn £100s/year. Just use the card for all your normal spending.
How much? The top cards pay 5% cashback for the first three months.
How do I do it? For updated best buys, see the Top Cashback Cards guide.
3. Get Our Free Money Tips Email!
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes - join the 10m who get it. Don't miss out
Don't accept pitiful savings rates
Make sure you're getting the most out of your savings. Too many people leave their savings in pitiful high street bank accounts where former best buy rates have dropped massively.
Even worse, you may have it in a current account earning just 0.1%. Stop! Five minutes' work will let you increase the interest massively.
How much? For every £5,000 you have in a top easy access savings account, you could earn over £50 a year more than in a poor account – potentially much more if you're able to tuck it away for a couple of years.
4. Free £100+ for switching to a better bank account
There's fierce competition in the banking market, so much so, some bribe you to switch – usually between £100 and £150, but bonuses can be as much as £200. As often these are best buys anyway, take it and smile.
See Best Bank Accounts for a full guide on how to switch accounts, what the best deals are and what sort of account is right for you.
5. Pay off debts with savings
Most people who try to save while they're in debt are simply throwing their money away. The amount you pay in interest to borrow is much more than you earn on your savings, so pay the debt off with savings and you're quids in.
How much? Someone with £5,000 on a credit card and £5,000 saved is likely to be around £800 a year better off by paying off the debt with the savings.
Find out more: See the full Should I Pay Off My Debts?, Should I Pay Off My Student Loan? and Should I Overpay My Mortgage? guides.
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