Money guides & explainers
Practical UK guides for budgeting, borrowing, saving, property, bills and planning ahead. Each article is designed to explain what matters, what can change and what to check next.
Featured guide
A pay rise can improve your life now and your finances later. Use 25%, 50% and 75% saving scenarios to decide how much of the increase becomes lifestyle and how much becomes progress.
Financial terminology explained rather than assumed.
Understand the trade-offs behind the number or product.
Move from general guidance to your own scenario quickly.
Written around money questions UK households actually face.
Article library
Clear explanations with practical next steps and relevant tools.
A rent figure can look reasonable as a percentage of income and still leave too little for bills, transport, debt, saving and everyday life. Build the answer from t…
There is no magic salary percentage that makes a car affordable. A better test starts with your spare monthly cash, the savings you need to protect and the full cos…
Subscriptions are not bad, but every recurring payment needs to earn its place. This guide gives you a simple way to decide whether your subscriptions are useful, a…
Your financial runway is the number of months your essential costs are covered. This guide shows how to calculate it and improve it.
Redundancy pay can create breathing room, but it needs a plan. This guide helps you decide what must be protected before using the money elsewhere.
A higher income can disappear into nicer versions of ordinary life: a better car, more delivery food, upgrades, subscriptions and convenience spending. The fix is n…
A sinking fund turns a predictable future cost into a monthly line in today’s budget. It keeps annual bills, holidays, car repairs and Christmas from repeatedly bec…
Before spending thousands on a holiday, wedding, furniture, bike or tech, run four tests: protect emergency cash, price the full cost, compare saving time with borr…
The rent is only one part of moving out. Deposits, the first rent payment, moving costs, furniture, household basics and a post-move emergency buffer all need cash.
Cash, hire purchase and PCP move the cost around in different ways. Compare deposit, monthly payment, interest, final payment, ownership and the cash buffer you giv…
The price tag is only the starting point. The true cost of a car includes the value it loses, finance interest, insurance, tax, fuel, servicing, tyres, MOT and park…
A bigger car deposit can reduce borrowing, but using too much cash can leave you exposed to the next repair, job shock or household bill. Here is how to find the tr…
You cannot always stop redundancy, but you can prepare your finances. This guide explains the practical steps to take before income is at risk.
Redundancy is a career shock and a cash-flow shock. This guide helps you understand your money position before, during and after job loss.
When money is sliding in the wrong direction, the first job is to stabilise. This guide shows what to pause, protect and review first.
A one-month survival plan helps you focus on what matters now. It is designed for income shocks, big bills, job uncertainty or an unusually expensive month.
One expensive month does not have to become a financial spiral. This guide shows how to reset calmly and plan the next month properly.
Use Budget Wizard calculators to test scenarios, compare trade-offs and see which variables have the biggest effect on your next money decision.
