Ignore big name brands and find cheaper alternatives for pills and drugs that do the same job.
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Off-the-shelf medication
When you’ve got a cold, you’ll ask for Lemsip. When you’ve got a headache, you’ll ask for Nurofen. When you’ve got a hangover, you’ll ask for a Berocca.
Yes they cost more than own brand, but surely that’s because they’re better at making you feel better?
Well, it turns out there’s little or no difference between many similar medications. In truth you’re usually paying over the odds for name recognition. And this isn’t the only time you might be paying more than you need on medication and prescriptions.
To help you make a decision that’s good for your wallet as well as your health, I’ve taken a look at some of the ways you spend too much on medications and how to save some cash.
Branded medicine is one of the biggest rip-offs we fall for. The vast bulk of the time the ingredients used to make the tablet, cream or sachet are pretty much the same as those cheaper alternatives on the shelf below.
There might be slight variations, but it’s unlikely they are enough to make a difference to your ailment.
You might also have to hunt for these cheaper options, generally hidden on lower shelves with the big brands at eyeline and easy to grab.
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Here are a few examples of the price difference I found:
Lemsip vs own brand cold medicine
In Boots, a pack of 10 Lemsip Max sachets will set you back £5.70. The own-brand alternative is just £3.49, saving you £2.21. The ingredients are almost exactly the same. And they’re cheaper again buying the own-brand options in supermarkets.
Nurofen vs own brand ibuprofen
Worse is ibuprofen. Standard Nurofen costs £2 for 16 tablets in Boots. The own-brand version is £1.69. But better still is the non-branded value pack at just 55p. And they all contain the same simple ingredient: 200g of Ibuprofen.
The only difference is likely to be in the coating, which won’t make a difference to the effectiveness of the pain relief.
Berocca vs own brand effervescent
Berocca meanwhile costs £5.90 for 15 tablets. The Boots own brand equivalent of the effervescent multivitamin is £1.99 for 20 tablets. That’s 10p per tablet rather than 39p for pretty much the same thing. In fact since the Boots tablets are bigger you actually get slightly higher doses of each vitamin.
Watch this video where I share how to see if items are the same or similar
Exact same products, different packaging
You can even find some products which are exactly the same! In my mini-investigation (i.e. trying to subtly take photos of packaging in Boots) I found an example where the tablets in different packaging were the very same.
Both Panadol Extra Advance and Panadol Period Pain are the same product. They have literally just been put in different coloured packs (you’ve guessed, it’s pink for the period painkiller).
The way to tell is to look for the product line code. This is the letters PL followed by some numbers. If the code is identical then so is the medication.
Now, these two Panadol items should therefore cost the same, right? Well there’s a 10p difference at Boots (surprisingly it’s the one aimed at women which is cheaper). Ok not much money but you get the idea.
And bigger savings are likely to be found when comparing own brand versions of meds in different shops. It’s possible that you might find the exact same formulation at a far lower price.
When I looked a few years ago, I also found that the Boots, Tesco and Asda cold and flu items had exactly the same PL number but at varying costs. So exactly the same item made in the same factory!
I think it also raises a question as to whether these targeted meds are actually anything other than marketing. You could well be better off with the standard version.
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Will a prescription be better or worse?
Hopefully your GP won’t prescribe you standard, everyday items like paracetamol that you can buy for less direct from the shop, but it’s worth double checking. Things like eyedrops, steroid creams and more might cost less without a prescription. A pharmacist will let you know if you’re not sure.
However some items will be cheaper if you can get it prescribed, so if there’s something you’re taking regularly do ask your GP if they’ll do this. And don’t forget prescription subscriptions that can work out cheaper too.
And of course, if you’re outside of England, under 18 or over 60, then you won’t pay for any prescriptions, so see if that’s an option for what you need.
The same goes if you are prescribed anything privately. If your GP will fill out a prescription from them instead, it’ll dramatically cut what you pay.
Recycle clothes and shoes to help save on something new
H&M, M&S, Schuh, John Lewis, River Island and George at Asda all have schemes that let you swap old clothes or shoes for vouchers.
It’s a great way to clear the clutter and save money at the same time. Plus it’s far better for items to go to charity or get recycled than adding to landfill.
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H&M clothes recycling scheme (£5 voucher)
Donate any bag of old clothes or unwanted garments into an H&M shop and you’ll be given a £5 voucher to spend as part of the H&M Garment Collection programme. In theory, you’ll get a voucher per bag of clothes so you can get multiple vouchers. However, there is a £25 minimum spend with each voucher.
So what can be in the bag? Well you don’t need to have any H&M products to get the voucher. And you can also donate any kind of textile, whether its curtains or knickers as the fabrics are all recycled.
You can also do the same at H&M’s Monki and & Other Stories brands. The latter also has a beauty recycling programme where you get 10% off their cosmetics if you take in your empty beauty product.
M&S and Oxfam’s Shwopping Clothes Exchange (£5 voucher/freebie)
There are three ways to get something back via Marks and Spencer and Oxfam.
Get a £5 off £35 voucher
Hand over your old gear at an Oxfam and you’ll also get a £5 voucher to spend on clothes in Marks and Spencer.
One item must be labelled M&S, and you can only use the voucher in the same calendar month. There’s a minimum £35 spend and it’s only valid on clothing, home or beauty.
I asked in a store a while ago if you can use the voucher with other offers and the checkout woman said she’d seen the vouchers be used with Sparks offers such as 20% off everything. So it’s worth grabbing one of these to use when those deals come around.
You can also trade in your old M&S school uniform and receive 20% off selected kids’ clothing as part of the Back To School Shwopping Scheme.
All you’ll need to do is hand in your pre-loved uniform at a participating M&S store and scan the QR code on the Shwop Box.
You’ll then receive a voucher for 20% off selected kids’ clothing in the M&S app which can be used online or in-store.
Get a Sparks freebies
Or if you want to drop clothes off at an M&S Store you’ll be able to scan a QR code to receive a free treat via the M&S Sparks loyalty scheme.
It can be from any retailer, and the item doesn’t have to be clothing, with shoes, handbags, belts, hats, scarves, jewellery all taken, along with things like bedding, towels, throws and napkins.
The idea is that your donation will either be sold by Oxfam or recycled.
You’ll have to pop into a shop to see if it’s running there or not, but M&S say you can do this at most M&S clothing stores. It seems to work that you can get the Sparks treat every 30 days.
When I tried it the gift was a free pastry from the in-store bakery and I had 30 days to claim it. The M&S staff member who also tried it with me got the same promotion but I was told the offer will change and will be tailored to each person.
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Additional Info
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River Island x ReSkinned (£5 voucher)
This scheme requires you to send at least three items via courier to Reskinned. In return you’ll get a £5 voucher to use on purchases over £40 at River Island stores. They’re only valid for one month from issue, so don’t forget to use them.
Schuh “Sell Your Soles” scheme (£5 voucher)
You can get a £5 voucher to use at Schuh for every pair of shoes you donate. The shoes are donated to Recyclatex with around 98% of materials reused.
You can use your voucher online or in-store on full price items over £25.
John Lewis “Fashion Cycle” (£5 voucher)
Take five items of clothing into any John Lewis store as part of their FashionCycle scheme and you’ll get £5 off Fashion Rental, with a minimum spend of £50. They’ll accept shirts, t-shirts, jumpers, cardigans, jackets, coats, shorts, trousers, jeans, childrenswear, dresses, jumpsuits, skirts and school uniform.
You need to be a member of the free My John Lewis scheme and note that the voucher is only redeemable during the month.
Donate to Cancer Research UK via TK Maxx (no voucher)
You can take a bag of unwanted clothes to TK Maxx who will pass it on to Cancer Research to sell or recycle. Cancer Research UK will keep all the proceeds.
Donate to Zara (no voucher)
Zara will also take unwanted clothes that will be donated to those in need or sold by charitable organisations to raise funds. There’s no voucher for you if you do this.
Plan ahead so you don’t miss out on getting your turkey delivered to your door this Christmas
We may not have had Halloween yet, but the supermarkets are already thinking about Christmas! This is the busiest time of the year to get a supermarket delivery, so some supermarkets are already letting you book delivery slots for the festive season. Here’s when each supermarket will open up advance booking for Christmas deliveries in 2024.
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Tips to get a Christmas delivery slot in 2024
If you’re planning on hosting this year, make sure to pop the date in your diary and nab the time and date you want your Christmas groceries delivered. And if you do miss out on the slot you want, there’s always collection slots to check out.
In addition, it’s worth remembering that with delivery and collection orders there’s always a risk that they won’t have what you want in stock, so don’t leave it too late for anything you know is essential. In fact, I once booked a collection and there were more than 10 items missing. I popped in-store at the time of collection and found every single item available – it was a frustrating experience.
With fresh food, you can always buy it earlier and store it in your freezer if the best before or use-by date is sooner than you want to eat it. Here are our tips on the foods you can freeze.
In addition, if you’re prepared to wait to buy your veggies in the final days, a lot of supermarkets reduce their Christmas vegetable prices in the days before Christmas – they could be worth leaving off your delivery.
Don’t forget there are also ways to boost your supermarket spending power at some of the big brands with this savers stamp trick.
When can I book a supermarket Christmas delivery slot in 2024?
Asda has announced that Delivery Pass customers will be able to book a Christmas delivery slot from 15 October, and everyone else from 22 October 2024.
Iceland has confirmed that you can book your Christmas delivery slot six days ahead of your delivery, although its click and collect service will not be available for Christmas bookings this year.
Ocado opened its Christmas slots to Smart Pass customers on 23 September, and will be gradually releasing the remaining slots to everyone – although they are not quite saying when this is yet! However it’s only for those who were already Smart Pass members before 1 September this year.
There will be a minimum spend of £90 for slots booked between 20-24 December. And the good news for Smart Pass customers, is that their Christmas delivery slot is free if they sign up for a voucher via the email they receive before 30 November (delivery up to the value of £9.99).
If you are an Ocado Reserved customer, Ocado will be pausing the service between 20–27 December and 31 December–1 January.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Sainsbury’s Christmas delivery slots 2024
If you have a Sainsbury’s Delivery Pass, you’ll be able to book a slot from some time in mid October, although an official date has not yet been released. Sainsbury’s will send an email to customers when they release their slots. Last year it was a week in advance of the rest.
But we do know when that is – for everyone else it’s 23 October 2024.
Christmas delivery slots will be available at Tesco for Delivery Saver customers from 5 November and for all customers from 12 November. You can sign up to Delivery Saver until 4 November for the early access to Christmas delivery slots.
Here are the pick of the best student discounts – and you don’t need to be a student for some!
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Whether you’re a full-time student or just someone with an NUS card (sadly our loophole where anyone could get one has been closed – though previous Totum cardholders can get an alumni card), there are some fantastic deals to be had! The key is to ask – you never know!
Sadly there are a few discounts only available via MyUniDays or Student Beans, and you can only get those if you have a .ac.uk email address.
We’ve not listed all the different retailers, but you can also save at the likes of ASOS, Office and Foyles. The usual rate is around 10%, but is sometimes boosted to 20% at the start of term.
Here are our favourite discounts – there will be more!
For all students, staff and school children
Some discounts are available for staff working at universities and schools (and you don’t need to be a teacher), as well as for students at schools and colleges.
Apple student discount & up to £120 gift card
Flash your TOTUM card, proof you’ve been accepted into a university or that you work at an educational establishment and you’ll save up to 10% on a new Mac. You can also save on other items, with around 5% knocked off iPads.
If you buy something around the start of the new academic year, there’s often also a free gift card or another incentive. Last year it was a gift card worth up to £120.
Buy a qualifying iMac or MacBook and you’ll get the full £120 voucher, it’s £80 with a Mac mini or iPad Air or iPad Pro.
You can use them on products or purchases on the Apple Store! This extra offer usually starts in mid-July, and last year it ended on 21 October 2024.
These discounts work with your Uni or college ID or an NUS/Totum card (which includes some non-students).
English Heritage: £12 annual membership (ended)
There are a number of routes that students can save £30 on the normal discounted price for membership, but this offer works for those ex-students who also have an NUS Totum card.
You’ll need to enter the code EHYP24TOT when paying via direct debit on the English Heritage website. You will have to show your student ID when using your pass to visit attractions.
You can save 10% on your purchases at Boots. You’ll need to have a Boots Advantage card as well as an NUS/Totum card, and you need to connect these at a Boots checkout till.
Since you only need the Advantage card to get the discount, you could share your card with other family members so they also get the money off – though it does mean they won’t earn their own Boots points.
The discount is valid until 31 August each year so you’ll need to reactivate it at the till from 1 September onwards.
This is sometimes boosted to 20%, including at the start of the academic year.
You can also stack it with other deals and offers on the Boots site.
You’ll need to sign up to the Health & Beautycard scheme (it’s free), then link your NUS/Totum card or student ID to the account in-store. It’ll then work for the academic year online and in person.
Tickets to theatre, galleries, festivals & other live events
You can also often get reduced rates for everything from theatre to opera. The Royal Exchange in Manchester and the ENO are among those that do.
Many galleries will have a reduced student price, often 50% less. And the Art Pass offers discounted student membership at the start of each academic year.
Not many festivals do, but it’s worth checking when you buy tickets to anything.
Sport
Football fan? I’ve used my NUS card to get concession tickets to see my team Crystal Palace in the past, and it’s saved me hundreds of pounds. Many clubs and other sports have similar deals.
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Eating out
You can also save on food with your Totum or other student card. This includes:
Tastecard – three months free
Leon – 15% off
Itsu – 15% off
Greggs – freebie with lunch deal
McDonalds – freebie with meal deal
Shopping
Though some retailers now ask for a Unidays ID or code, it’s worth trying every shop you go to. Online you might have to click through from the NUS website.
For anyone with a student email address
Ikea: £10 or £20 coupon (ended)
Verify yourself as a student at Ikea and get a coupon for £10 off when you spend £75. If you spend £150, you’ll get a £20 coupon. You’ll need to login or sign up for Ikea’s Family account and fill out the form using your student credentials. You’ll need a student email address but if you don’t have one yet you can use alternative documents.
The offer runs until 13 October and you can only use the discount once.
You can save 46% on Spotify Premium. That’s £5.99 a month rather than £11.99. This version gets rid of adverts and lets you take songs offline to your phone or tablet, meaning you don’t need wifi or your data. Here are the best Spotify deals.
Apple Music: 50% off
You’ll pay the same for Apple Music – but get Apple TV thrown in. You’ll also get this for 48 months once you’ve been validated via MyUniDays.
Software
I got my Adobe suite (things like Photoshop) at a massive discount. We’re talking hundreds of pounds! You can also save on Microsoft Office – though free alternatives like Google Docs might do the job instead.
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You can get Amazon’s delivery and streaming service free for six months as a student (or 18-22 year old). Then after that you can get a full annual Amazon Prime subscription for £4.49 a month, for three years.
The easiest way to get this is using an academic email, though there are other ways to verify student status. Sadly Totum cards are no longer accepted.
Watch out for other Amazon Student offers throughout the year, such as money off codes at Black Friday or Prime Day.
The 16-25 Railcard is a great way to cut the cost of train travel. Mature students outside this age range need proof they are studying with a form completed by their Uni or college.
If you travel by tube and live in London during term time you can get an 18+ Student Oyster card. This saves 30% on travel in the capital.
There are also bus and coach student passes.
International travel
Check to see if you have an ISIC (International Student Identification Card) included with your Totum student card. If not it’s worth looking at separately.
When we went on a big trip to South America in 2013, our ISICs saved us over £200 on internal flights, excursions such as the Inca Trail and admission to museums and galleries, and we did it again on our honeymoon a few years later.
Reduce the impact money and your mental health have on one another to keep both under control.
Often people think of mental health as serious conditions such as bipolar or depression, but it’s something we should all consider – not just for ourselves but for friends and family. Mental health is pretty much how you’re feeling and functioning. It can be good, it can be just ok.
But all of us will have moments where it’s bad – even if it’s not a condition that might require longer-term management or medication. Whenever we’re feeling down, feeling stressed or feeling lonely we’re experiencing poor mental health.
And there’s a good chance any of these can impact our finances. Here are a few tips to help you keep on top of things.
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How mental health impacts your money
On a more severe end of the scale, poor mental health could mean you need to miss work, causing you to lose money. It’s common for people to get anxious when dealing with any kind of admin, but when that’s bills or bank statements it can be a larger issue.
Motivation can be a problem, leading to important money matters being ignored. Or perhaps moments of depression or mania could prompt people to spend more money (or money they don’t have.)
The worst-case scenario is that these scenarios lead to unmanageable debts – but it can work the other way too. The two are linked. Money problems can feed depression and anxiety, and that in turn can impact relationships, work and family. Big life changes can make a difference to both finances and mental health too, such as having a baby or losing a loved one.
So it’s not something we should dismiss or hide from. It’s important to take some action before anything happens.
What you can do
Here are some things you can do to manage your finances if you’re likely to experience poor mental health
Automate as much as possible – this means having standing orders and Direct Debits set up so you don’t miss payments when it gets too much to deal with your finances. You can also automate your savings.
Keep on top – When you’re feeling good, build a budget so you know exactly how much have and spend. Then use apps such as Snoop or Plum to keep track of balance and spending, or use a digital bank like Chase, Revolut or Monzo. Find out if your bank will send text or app notifications when you spend or to let you know about upcoming payments.
Use webchats – If you don’t want to pick up the phone, look for a webchat option when getting customer service from your bank.
Give access to a family member or friend – They can deal with banks and bills when you can’t – but you have to absolutely trust them with your money.
Make it harder to spend – Don’t take cards out with you and don’t let browsers remember card details. Or you can just make sure you don’t have credit cards at all. You can also look into ways to stop impulse spending.
Talk to your bank – Many banks will have a dedicated support team who can work through different options to help you manage your account.
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Get help with your finances
Get free debt help – It’s important to deal with money problems before they become a crisis, but it’s never too late to seek help. And importantly, you shouldn’t pay for this. Places like Stepchange and NationalDebtline are good options. Moneyhelper (formally the Money Advice Service) has a free tool to find free advice near you, whether that’s face-to-face, over the phone or via online chat.
Can you save money on your groceries at one of Britain’s pricier food shops?
M&S have a reputation for pricey yet high quality produce in their Simply Food and Foodhall stores – but how do their prices compare to other supermarkets and can you get a reasonably priced grocery shop from there? Here are our top tips to bring down the cost of your trolley.
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Sign up to Sparks
Sparks is the M&S loyalty scheme. Though you won’t earn points or get exclusive prices for scanning your card at the till, it’s still worthwhile joining.
The Sparks offers are loaded onto your app and you have to activate them first. Most last a few weeks so you have plenty of time to use them.
Here’s what you can expect to get, even if you’re just an occasional M&S shopper:
Free gifts
Although the free gifts are not frequent, I’ve received a few bags of Percy Pigs, a couple of loaves of bread and even a large chocolate bar. Keep an eye out on your birthday too, to see if a treat has been added to help you celebrate.
You can also get a freebie by recycling old clothes in-store as part of their Schwopping scheme. You can learn more about clothes recycling in our article.
Personalised coupons
You’ll also see personalised offers covering both groceries and clothes in the app. The best ones tend to be a set percentage off meat or fish, though sometimes it’s specific products. Again you’ll need to activate them before shopping.
Win your shopping
Another reason to use Sparks is the chance to get your shopping for free. Each store gives away one shop to someone who scans their Sparks card every week.
I’ve not seen anyone who has bagged this, but the staff see it every week, so it definitely does happen and the amount of shopping given away varies as it’s completely random. I will just keep wishing for it every time I scan my Sparks card and maybe one day it might just happen!
Buy value products
M&S offer many everyday products at ‘remarksable’ prices such as half a dozen free range eggs for £1.25 or four pints of milk for £1.45. That’s comparable to most supermarkets, including the budget ones.
In fact, last summer, M&S dropped the price or price-locked over 200 products as part of their promise to offer customers the best possible quality at the best possible price.
You also find some really good prices on fruit and vegetables such as 70p for a head of broccoli or 50p for a bag of carrots, prices comparable to the cheaper supermarkets.
Look out for shelf edge barkers to identify price-locked products and if you want to find the fruit and veg on offer, it’s usually right at the entrance.
Shop M&S Meal Deals
Meal for two, pizza night, stir fry, family chicken dinner and fresh pasta dine-in offers are just a few examples of the meal deals available at M&S.
They offer great value for money and my particular favourite, the chicken feast dine-in deal, could get you all you need for a chicken dinner (one main including a whole chicken and three sides), for £10.
These meal deals offer great value and you can stretch them further by picking the pricier options, such as the whole chickens or steaks. And you don’t have to eat it all at once, so make use of the family meal deals even if you cook for just one. You can use up different components for different meals or even freeze some bits and use them at a later date.
You’ll find these great value meal deals on the end of the aisles and there always seems to be one or two available every time I shop at M&S.
Purchase multi-buy offers such as the “3 for £12” meat and fish
You can buy top quality meat and fish at M&S – but you pay for it. So this is a really good ongoing offer to pay less.
To get the most value out of the multi-buy offers, pick the products which are expensive at full-price such as salmon. The discount then brings the price down, sometimes to less than at other supermarkets. You can get this in-store and at Ocado.
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Shop in the evening for yellow stickers
Although M&S reduces groceries in the morning, it is usually only by a nominal amount, but the final reductions from an hour before closing, is when you can pick up amazing bargains.
Don’t forget you can freeze so much and many of their ready meals can be cooked from frozen. Read our guide to freezing food.
Check cashback apps
Cashback apps like Checkout Smart, Shopmium and Green Jin have cashback offers on products for most supermarkets and although M&S is listed on these apps, at the time of writing, only Green Jin had cashback offers available for M&S.
Consider the Marks and Spencer credit card
The M&S credit card gives you one point per £1 spent in M&S but it only offers one point per £5 spent elsewhere. Each point is worth a penny so it pays 1% on purchases at M&S but only 0.2% on purchases elsewhere. So in short, it could be decent if you regularly shop at Marks, but not a great return as a credit card on other spending.
Alternatively you could use a card that pays 1% at all retailers, not just M&S. Find out more about the best reward credit cards.
The M&S Club Rewards scheme is a paid add on to their credit card, but it’s best avoided for all but the most ardent M&S shopper. Here’s our guide to how the M&S Club Rewards work.
You can purchase M&S gift cards from sites like JamDoughnut, HyperJar and Cheddar and receive cashback. Here’s how to purchase discounted gift cards . At the time of writing you could get 5% cashback with both JamDoughnut and Cheddar and 4.5% cashback with HyperJar.
Use Too Good to Go
Many M&S outlets at stations, hospitals and petrol station forecourts are on the food waste app TooGoodToGo. You could grab yourself a bag of surplus goodies worth more than £15 for less than £5.
Next time you’re rushing to catch a train, take a second to see if M&S is on the app and you could bag yourself a lovely M&S sarnie and more for a bargain price. Though you could also end up with some ready meals which you can’t really eat on a train!
Buy from Ocado
You can get lots of your M&S favourites delivered to your door from Ocado and if you combine your M&S groceries with other cheaper brands available on Ocado, such as their own-label, you could get a full grocery shop for a more reasonable price.
Most of the M&S offers are available on Ocado too like the meal deals and the multi-buys so you don’t have to go in-store to take advantage of these promotions. Find out how to save money at Ocado here.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Shop via a cashback site
You may not be able to shop with M&S directly for groceries using cashback apps, but Ocado shoppers can. Currently on Quidco, you can get 25% off your first shop with Ocado, free delivery and 7.5% cashback, and up to 7% cashback at TopCashback.
The cashback on both these sites is limited to a number of transactions, but it’s a great way to get M&S groceries and earn yourself some much appreciated cashback in the process. Here’s how to get up to £20 when you sign up to a cashback site.
So is M&S competitively priced compared to the UK’s other supermarkets?
Marks and Spencer made a bold statement back in 2020, that they were reducing many of their prices in their M&S Foodhalls to attract more family shoppers, as well as joining with Ocado to offer online shopping. The idea was to attract mainstream shoppers, rather than just being known for luxury products.
They still sell those higher end food and drink items, and of course you can expect to pay more for them – though for many that quality is worth the extra cost.
They are also competitively priced with lots of everyday products such as milk which is priced the same as all the other supermarkets and bread which is 75p and comes with the added benefit of being a source of vitamin D, as well as being the same price as Tesco standard sliced bread.
Other products like biscuits, crackers, eggs and breakfast cereals are all competitively priced and many identically priced to other UK supermarkets and it goes without saying, that the quality of M&S products is top notch.
But not everything is on par pricewise with other UK supermarkets and don’t forget M&S doesn’t have a big value range, so you won’t find staple products like rice and pasta as cheap.
So when it comes to shopping at M&S, you will have to check the prices before putting things in your basket, as although some prices are competitively matched, there are some areas where prices are still a lot higher than other supermarkets.
I’m a huge fan of monthly or regular savings accounts. They’re great for people putting money aside every month, and they also tend to have some of the highest interest rates! You can get up to 8% via these accounts – far above the best options elsewhere.
But these monthly savers are often misunderstood, especially when it comes to the amount of interest you’ll earn. So here’s an explainer to make sure you know how they work.
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What is a regular savings account?
A regular savings account is designed for people saving some of their income every month rather than depositing a lump sum. Hence the name. Usually this transfer is made by a direct debit, set up when you open the account.
I’m a big fan as they encourage you to save a set amount every month, rather than ad hoc amounts as and when you have spare money.
How regular savers work
Often there are limits and restrictions, though this can vary depending on the account.
You’re limited to how much you can save in them
You can typically only deposit between £50 to £500 every month, with most actually having a cap of around £200.
You might also have to pay in a minimum each month, though that might not be much – usually £25 or £50.
The account normally closes after 12 months
The vast majority of regular saver accounts (Natwest/RBS’s option is the main exception) last for just one year. Once the year is up you’ll be paid the interest and the account is closed with your money moved to a lower paying easy-access account.
Rates can be fixed or variable
Unlike most other types of savings account, you’ll find some could change during the time you have them, while others are fixed.
During this time of likely base rate cuts, a fixed rate account is a good option, and worth tying in while you can.
Withdrawals can be limited
Some regular savers don’t allow withdrawals until the year is up, or have extra limits on them such as just two a year. If you do take money out, you might not be able to add it back in for that month.
The best accounts require current accounts
The highest paying regular savers are usually restricted to existing customers of the bank. Though you should be able to easily open a new current account with those banks to be eligible, there might be better paying options at other banks, for example a monthly reward or cashback. There are also a handful of loyalty savers via building societies that require you to have been a member on a certain date.
How interest is calculated
The main area people get confused about is the interest rate. For this example, let’s use an interest rate of 5%.
If you save £250 a month into the account, and therefore have £3,000 saved by the end of the year, you might expect to get 5% on that £3,000 – a total of £150.
However you don’t have £3,000 for the full year – you’re adding money incrementally. This means you’ll only earn interest on the cash held each month. So the first £250 will have been saved for 12 months and earn the full 5% – a figure of £12.50 over the year
In turn, the second £250 saved will only be in the account for 11 months. So you’ll earn 11 twelfths of 5% on £250 – which works out as roughly £11.45 of interest.
The next £250 will be 10 twelfths, the next one 9 twelfths and so on. If you miss a month or pay less in that month, then that’ll also affect your earnings. If carried on you paying in the maximum every month, you’d earn £81 after a year.
If you calculated this £81 return on the total £3,000 balance it’s effectively 2.7% – just over half the advertised rate. This is why people get angry. But you are still earning that headline money on your monthly deposits.
And that “50% of the headline rate” is a handy shortcut if you want to find out how much you’ll make based on the annual balance saved. For a more accurate figure, you can use the calculator on Money Saving Expert.
How much could you make?
Here are the top paying accounts at the time of writing, and the interest in the first year if you deposit the maximum amount allowed at the start of the month.
* Interest for 6 months only ** Carries on after 1 year but only paid on the first £5,000
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Regular savings hacks
These regular savings accounts aren’t just for people building up a new savings pot. You can funnel other, lower-paid savings, into these accounts.
Drip feeding your savings
If you’ve got a small lump sum you can gradually move money from one account into a regular savings account.
Say you have £3,000 already. The first thing to do is move it to the highest-paying account or accounts you can find.
For the example here let’s assume it’s all in an easy-access account earning 4.8%. In a year this would earn you £144 of interest.
But if you then move it month by month (at £250 a time) to a regular saver account paying 7% you would earn a combined total of £180 in interest (£113 from the regular saver and £67 from easy access account). That’s £36 more than if you’d left it in the easy-access account.
However, this might not be too different from putting the cash in a one year fix. For example, one that paying 5% would earn £150. Here’s more on drip feeding vs fixes.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Using multiple regular savers for larger savings
You’re not limited to just one regular saver, so you can use the same trick as above to drip-feed deposits if you have a larger stash.
For example, at the time of writing, you could pay a total of £1,000 each month into four accounts that earn above 7%.
Are regular savers worth it?
Andy’s Analysis
If you want an account that pushes you to save every month, earns decent interest and sometimes make it harder for you to access the money for a year then they can’t be beaten.
And as they’re offering some of the best rates on any kind of account, you’ll also likely be earning the most money you can. The fact that some are fixed also means you’re locking in a decent rate when they’re likely to fall elsewhere.
But, many of these high-paying ones do require a current account. Though there’s no reason you can’t open up more accounts to get these offers, it’s worth considering if you’ll make more money by switching bank instead. Plus bear in mind you’ll be credit checked to open those current accounts.
However, it doesn’t make sense to have a regular saver paying less than the best easy-access accounts, while lump sums might be better off in a fixed-rate bond. We’ve listed the highest paying ones in our savings best buy tables.
Choosing the best student bank account is typically about finding the one with the best benefits, such as the size of the interest-free overdraft, then other things, like money management tools, freebies and what’ll happen when you graduate.
Here are the best bank accounts for students in 2024 and what they offer.
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How to choose the best student bank account
When choosing a student account, you typically want to focus on the size of the interest-free overdraft, despite freebies being tempting.
It’s also worth noting that most accounts are designed for three-year courses, so check the terms — especially for the overdrafts — if you have a longer degree.
When looking at your options, these are the key questions to ask.
How big is the 0% overdraft?
A 0% overdraft could be essential to help you get through your time at university. You won’t be charged any interest on the money in there, making them the cheapest way to borrow money.
Of course, you need to be careful about using it and not treat it as free cash as you will have to pay it back. You will generally have a few years after you graduate (and hopefully start working) to do this, but even so, don’t spend this money just because it’s available.
The lengths of 0% overdrafts change between the banks – and you might not even get the advertised amount. If the wording says the overdraft is “up to” that means you might not get the high sum mentioned in the adverts.
But it might be best not to go for the largest amount, as the bigger the overdraft the bigger the temptation to use it all. Instead, work out how much you think you’ll need to use and ask for that.
Plus, even if you think you won’t need one at all, it’s worth choosing a bank that offers one and applying for it at the start – you never know how things could change.
Some banks will also increase the size of overdraft each year, though you often have to ask. This means you can’t blow it all in the first year.
However, there could be conditions attached to having one of these fee-free overdrafts, so make sure you read all the T&Cs upfront. It could be something like pay in £500 every term.
There’s also the chance you could get rejected for the overdraft so check your credit file before applying. Most students won’t have much on their file, but it’s worth making sure there’s nothing wrong there.
And of course, if you spend more than your overdraft allows you may be hit with huge interest charges of around 40%.
What freebies are available?
Freebies typically come in the form of cash, although we’ve seen some accounts offer other things, such as subscriptions, including Headspace and Perlego. Santander’s been offering a Railcard for years, a great perk if you’re moving further away.
Some of these could save you a fair bit of cash, if you’d have bought them anyway, that is. These should generally be a second deciding factor once you’ve looked at overdraft options.
It also pays to check how much these freebies would cost if you looked around for extra deals and discounts. Often the value advertised is much higher than you’d actually need to pay.
What happens after you graduate?
Banks go all out for your business as a student as they know there’s a good chance you’ll stick with them for the rest of your life – and that’ll make them money. You’ll usually be moved to a Graduate account with the same bank, but you don’t have to stick with them — you could choose a better graduate account or go for bank switching cash or other rewards. You can see the types of offers currently on offer here.
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The best bank accounts for students
Here’s our pick of the best accounts to get. You can only have one student account at a time, usually, but you can open up additional standard bank accounts on top.
You’re also able to switch from your student account to a new one if you want to change banks mid-degree. However with most, you’ll be subject to a credit check, so don’t apply for these too close to each other.
Year 1: Up to £1,000 Year 2: Up to £2,000 Year 3: Up to £3,000
£125 in cash for existing current account customers on 1 July 2024
Up to £3,250 overdraft: Natwest or RBS Student Account
Perk: £100 cash and a 4-year Tastecard
The interest-free overdraft is up to £500 in the first term and then up to £2,000 after this. You can get up to £3,250 in the third year. By offering you an increasing amount you’ll be able to budget more efficiently and reduce the risk of blowing it all in Freshers’ week.
New Trading 212 customers get an increase of 0.72% AER to 5.07% for 12 months.
More details ▼
Additional Info
Existing Trading 212 customers get a rate of 4.5%
FSCS Protected?: Yes
Allows transfers in?: Yes
Flexible ISA?: Yes
▲
Up to £3,000 overdraft: Nationwide FlexStudent
Perk: £100 cash, one of the largest overdrafts and top ethical choice
The Nationwide student account offers £100 if you open an account after 16 July 2024 and pay in £500 by 13 December 2024. You can’t have had a FlexStudent or FlexGraduate account on 15 July 2024.
This also has one of the largest overdrafts over the course of the degree (NatWest offers up to £3,250 and HSBC also offers up to £3,000) The overdraft builds gradually over your degree, stopping you from blowing it all in one go.
This is so far one of the best student accounts in 2024 due to its large interest-free overdraft and the cash perk. It’s a good choice if you’re worried about the ethics of your bank, too.
Nationwide FlexStudent
Overdraft
Up to £1,000 in year one; up to £2,000 in year two; Up to £3,000 in year three
Opening offer
£100 cash and £120 in Just Eat vouchers
Bonus paid
14 days after meeting criteria
Requirements
Open a new FlexStudent account no more than five months before and 12 months after starting your course
Deposit £500 by 13 December 2024 (for the bonus and vouchers)
Deposit £500 every term (for the overdraft)
Not had an open FlexStudent or FlexGraduate account on 15 July 2024
The Santander Edge Student account offers a guaranteed £1,500 overdraft for the first three years, so it’s a decent option if you want certainty on how much you can borrow. If you study longer it increases to £1,800 in year four and £2,000 if you stay on for a fifth year.
You also get a free four-year 16-25 railcard, a nice option if you are likely to be travelling by rail a lot as it knocks a third of train fares but I’d opt for hard cash instead.
Santander Edge Student
Overdraft
£1,500 in years one to three, £1,800 in year four, £2,000 in year five (if still studying)
Opening offer
4-year 16-25 Railcard (worth up to £100)
Bonus paid
Within 5 working days you’ll get a code to redeem the railcard
The HSBC Student Account has an overdraft of up to £1,000 overdraft in the first year, but you can get up to £1,000 added to your limit further up to £1,000 increases in the second and third year, though you’ll have to ask for it.
Like other banks, there’s £125 thrown in on top, but only for some. Those who didn’t have a HSBC current account on 1 July 2024 aren’t eligible for the cash.
HSBC Student Account
Overdraft
Up to £1,000 in year one, up to £2,000 in year two, up to £3,000 in year three
Opening offer
£125 for existing customers
Bonus paid
Within 30 days of meeting criteria
Requirements
Open the account after 15 August 2024
Make 5 debit card transactions within 30 days
Deposit £500 every term
Not had an HSBC Student Account on or after 1 July 2021
It’s worth checking out these accounts too, some of them offer good overdrafts, but they mainly offer freebies. These might seem more attractive than 0% overdrafts, but if you do need to borrow, an overdraft is probably worth more.
If you’re really not bothered by an overdraft then it’s still worth nabbing one and putting that cash in savings.
Year 1: Up to £1,400 Year 2: Up to £1,700 Year 3: Up to £2,000
None
How to get a student bank account
You have to be over 18 and living in the UK to get any student bank account, and most will require you to be at the start of your first year to get the freebie.
You’ll need to show ID such as a passport, driving licence or birth certificate. You’ll also need to bring along proof of your acceptance to the uni or college – possibly your UCAS letter or university acceptance letter.
You don’t need to wait until you get to your university to open the account, so doing it now before you head off means you can get your bank card and PIN sent out and your online banking set up in advance.
Can I have more than one student account?
Most of the time you can only have one “student” account, this is usually laid out in each bank’s T&Cs – you’ll likely not get the perk or overdraft if you try and attempt it.
You could potentially open one of these accounts to get the freebie, then close it down and open up another one (or switch it). You’ll need to do this within the stated timeframes to get any perks, and it’s worth double-checking the T&Cs of each account to make sure you’re allowed.
There’s nothing stopping you from opening another bank account that’s not got the “student” perks – keep reading for more on these.
Can I switch my student bank?
You can switch your student bank account to any other account of your choosing, whether that’s another student account with another bank or a standard current account. This is as long as the bank is part of the Current Account Switching Service.
In some cases, this can get you an extra perk, so it could be worthwhile.
If you want to switch after you’ve graduated, this is possible too, just be careful about trying to switch if you’re overdrawn, as you may wind up paying overdraft fees.
Can I earn interest on my savings?
Though some of the student accounts will offer interest on money in the account, they are quite limited and not a reason to pick one account over another.
However, if you think you’ll have more money available or don’t think you’ll need to use all of your overdraft, then you could look at other savings accounts offering up to 7%.
Just be careful not to lock it away if you think you’ll need to access your savings.
Could you stooze your overdraft?
Stoozing is where you borrow money at 0% and put that cash into savings. Normally it’s via a specialist credit card – but you don’t need to do that when you have an interest-free overdraft.
To take advantage you simply transfer the money from your current account to a top-paying savings account. Putting £1,000 into a 5% paying account will earn you £50 in interest in a year.
If you’re confident you won’t need to use the money at all then you can get higher rates by fixing your savings.
If you do this, make sure you have enough cash in the bank to cover your everyday spending.
Alternative to student accounts
The bulk of the specialist student current accounts will have perfectly decent apps. But if you want one that’ll help you budget or have more advanced features you’ll want to look at digital banks Starling, Chase or Monzo.
They have a number of features that will help you do things like keep track of your spending, split your money by purpose (e.g. bills, going out, groceries) and it’s also a lot easier to set alerts for when your balance is getting low.
However, none of these offer specific student accounts and therefore don’t have a 0% overdraft. Instead, they could be a good secondary account alongside a high-street bank, getting you the best of both worlds.
I suggest using one of these as your day-to-day bank or everyday spending, transferring over a set amount to spend each week from the student account with an overdraft.
They’re also decent bets for spending abroad, whether studying overseas or on holiday.
You don’t have to stick with just a student account. You can open one with other features at another bank to use in addition.
Our top pick is Chase Bank thanks to the 1% cashback you’ll earn on most spending. It only performs a soft credit check, so it should be easy to get it in addition to your main student account.
You could also consider Starling or Monzo, though you won’t get the cashback.
Pret no longer offers five coffees a day with the subscription
Club Pret is Pret’s subscription service. It used to offer five drinks a day for £30, but has been given an overhaul, and ultimately downgraded, instead offering half-price drinks for a fiver a month.
Here’s what you need to know about Club Pret, including how many coffees you’ll need to drink each month before you start saving money.
Some articles on the site contain affiliate links, which provide a small commission to help fund our work. However, they won’t affect the price you pay or our editorial independence. Read more here.
How Club Pret works
Club Pret gives you five half-price drinks for a monthly fee. You need to sign up in the app or on its website, including entering your payment details. Once you’ve done that, you’ll get a QR code in its app and by email.
When you’re in Pret you order as normal and scan your QR code to get the discount. You can use it five times each day with at least a 30-minute gap between each one, to stop you from sharing the discount with your friends.
If you previously had the subscription then you’ll be moved to this one on your next billing date after 2 September, so you may have been moved to it already. You’ll need to cancel before your September billing date if you don’t want the new membership.
How much is Pret’s subscription?
Club Pret costs £10 a month, although it’s being launched at £5 per month until 21 March 2025. The start of each month is determined by the date you sign up, so if you sign up on 10 May, your next month begins on 10 June.
You’ll be charged for the next month on the last day of the current month. So, in the above example, you’d be charged on the 9 of every month.
There’s no minimum subscription term, so you can cancel at any time. You’ll get the full month regardless of when you cancel so it makes sense to not leave it too late, just in case you forget.
Drinks included in Club Pret
As long as it’s a drink ordered over the counter and prepared by a barista (not a premade one in the fridge) then you’ll get the discount on it. This includes coffee, tea, hot chocolate, iced coffees and Pret Cooler Lemonades. Milk alternatives and syrups are included, too.
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How much could you save?
For our calculations, a latte, flat white or mocha costs £4.05, tea is £3.30 and iced drinks are around £4. The cooler lemonades are £4.20.
If you order a single £4.05 coffee every weekday, you’ll have roughly 22 coffees a month. This would usually cost you £89.10, but would be as little as £49.55 including the £5 membership fee. When Club Pret costs £10 per month, it’ll be £54.55.
If you pay £5 per month for Club Pret from 1 October until 31 March (6 months) and taking into account annual leave, sick leave and bank holidays (so roughly 110 days), you’d potentially save £192.75.
If you go to the office three days per week and get a coffee each time, you’ll save £19.30 each month.
Minimum orders to break even
At £5 per month and with a latte costing £4.05, you need to have as many as three coffees each month before you start saving money. When the membership moves to £10 per month, it’ll take five coffees to break even.
Do you get discounts on food with Club Pret?
Previously, Club Pret subscribers got an additional 20% discount on all menu items – including sandwiches, hot food, soft drinks and crisps, as well as additional hot drinks. This isn’t offered with the new subscription.
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At first, it’s definitely not got as much appeal as its previous “unlimited” but more expensive iteration. However, it could still save you cash, and may even work out better for more casual Pret customers.
If you reckon you buy at least three drinks each month at Pret, it’s probably worthwhile to get the membership. Once the membership goes up to £10 per month, you’ll need at least five every month to start saving money — still a good deal, but only if you know you’ll drink there.
There are downsides — you have to stick to Pret. Don’t let Starbucks’ new syrups tempt you away. And if you tend to get tempted to grab a pastry or sandwich that you wouldn’t otherwise buy, you’re not saving money.
Alternatives to Club Pret
If you’re missing Pret’s original subscription then you could go for Leon’s newly launched subscription that gets you five coffees a day for £25 each month.
Or you can sign up for other coffee shop loyalty schemes which can offer stamps to earn a free drink or other discounts. You might even get free coffee with other memberships or services without even realising it.
