How do I stop impulse spending?
Practical friction that interrupts unplanned purchases, rather than relying on willpower that runs out.
beginner20 min2 min read
Budgeting
Knowing what comes in, what goes out and what's left.
41 guides in Money & Practical
How do I manage the cost of Christmas and big occasions?
Spreading and controlling the cost of predictable annual expenses so they stop arriving as emergencies.
beginner45 min2 min readShould I pay off debt or build savings first?
A framework for the classic trade-off: a small buffer first, then whichever of debt interest or savings interest is larger, with the exceptions that override the arithmetic.
beginner40 min3 min readHow do I budget for a holiday properly?
Costing the whole trip rather than the flights, and the categories that are consistently underestimated.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I plan for annual bills and costs?
Turning irregular yearly costs into a predictable monthly figure so nothing arrives as a shock.
beginner45 min2 min readShould I keep sinking funds in one pot or separate ones?
Separate pots make it obvious what the money is for; one pot goes further because the costs do not all land at once. How to get most of both.
beginner20 min3 min readWhat is opportunity cost, and how does it change everyday choices?
The cost of anything is the best thing you gave up to have it. Why that changes household decisions that look obviously worthwhile when considered alone.
beginner10 min3 min readHow does an overdraft work and what does it really cost?
Arranged and unarranged overdrafts, why they are quoted as an APR now, and the reason a small permanent overdraft can cost more than a loan.
beginner30 min4 min readWhat should I know before using buy now pay later?
How instalment credit at the checkout actually works, the protections it may not carry, and the practical checks before using it.
beginner25 min3 min readWhat are the different types of ISA and which does what?
The main ISA types, what each is designed for, and the transfer rules that let you move money between them without losing the tax treatment.
beginner30 min4 min readHow do I open a bank account, including if I have been refused?
What banks actually check, the identification that satisfies them, and the basic bank accounts designed for people who fail a standard application.
beginner45 min4 min readShould I overpay my mortgage or save the money instead?
The comparison between mortgage rate and savings rate, the overpayment limits and charges to check first, and the reasons flexibility sometimes beats the arithmetic.
intermediate45 min3 min readHow does a balance transfer card work?
What a balance transfer actually does, the fee and promotional period arithmetic, and the specific behaviours that turn a good transfer into an expensive one.
beginner30 min3 min readHow does compound interest work, on savings and on debt?
What compounding actually does over time, why the frequency and the AER matter, and why the same mechanism makes debt grow the way it does.
beginner25 min3 min readShould we open a joint account, and how does it work?
What joint and several liability actually means, the credit file link it creates, and the bills-account structure most couples find works better than pooling everything.
beginner40 min3 min readHow is my money protected if my bank or building society fails?
How deposit protection works in the UK, why the licence rather than the brand is what counts, and the temporary high balance rule that covers a house sale.
beginner25 min3 min readAre budgeting apps and open banking connections safe to use?
What open banking access actually grants, how to verify an app is authorised, and the practical checks before connecting an account to anything.
beginner30 min3 min read
Going deeper: ToolFoundry
Interactive calculators — quantities, conversions, costs and sizing — rather than prose.