10 ways to make your money go further in 2026

1. Snub the sales

2. Set a savings goal

3. Take advantage of transport deals

4. Make use of your personal savings allowance

5. Try out a no spend challenge

6. Look out for restaurant deals and offers

7. Streamline your subscriptions

8. Make money on your unwanted items

9. Review your energy bills

10. Swap the gym for pounding the pavements

Resist the urge to hit seasonal sales and try to shop smarter instead. Set yourself no spend days and if you do want to buy new things try second-hand sites or charity shops. 

A good way to go into the new year with better savings habits is to set a savings goal. Set up a standing order so you automatically pay into your savings each month so it's something you don't have to think about.

If you need a little help with saving, take a look at the range of different savings accounts available at first direct. We have a range of different options to help you grow your money. 

When it comes to travel it pays to be organised. If you have a trip coming up, try to book trains well in advance to make sure you get the best deals on tickets - most timetables are released 12 weeks before. Plus, if you usually take the train or bus to work, you might be able to save more money by getting a weekly or monthly travel pass. It can often work out cheaper than the cost of buying your tickets each day. 

Your personal savings allowance lets you earn interest on your savings without paying tax. If you're a basic rate taxpayer, you can currently earn up to £1,000 tax-free, while higher rate taxpayers can enjoy up to £500. Additional rate taxpayers do not have a PSA.

To maximise this allowance, see if you could benefit from putting your savings into an ISA. By doing this, you'll pay no UK income tax or capital gains tax on interest, regardless of your PSA.

ISAs can be a great way to boost your savings without worrying about tax limits (the annual ISA limit for 2025/26 tax year is £20,000). You can learn more about paying tax on your savings in our explainer.

Keep an eye on interest rates and think about spreading your savings across different accounts to get the best returns. Regularly reviewing your savings strategy means you can grow your money while staying within tax-free limits.

Find out more about how your personal savings allowance works in our guide.

Challenge yourself to not spend any money for a month, or even just a couple of weeks. The key to the no spend challenge is you can only buy things that are essential - so things like food, bills, transport and medicine are all allowed. It's just the non-essentials you'll need to cut back on. Recording your progress as you go should help spur you on so you can see how much less you've spent and how money you have left over to save. Find out more about it in our no spend challenge guide.

If you usually go out for dinner, tons of restaurants have deals to attract customers in the quieter months. Check their social channels or their websites to scout out the best discounts and offers before booking a table.  

From music streaming and TV to beauty boxes and razor blades, there’s subscription services for everything so it’s easy for those Direct Debits to stack up throughout the year. Start the new year by reviewing yours and get rid of any you don’t use to cut unnecessary costs. If you have a first direct account, here's how you can review your standing orders and Direct Debits. 

Having a big clear out can be a great way to make some extra cash. Selling unwanted items you might have received as gifts for birthdays or Christmas can be a good place to start. From electronics and clothes to books and furniture, all can be sold online and can help you bring in some extra money - getting you closer to your savings goals. 

A new year can be a good time to review gas, water and electricity bills to see whether you could be making any savings. Often providers have different rates and deals which may save you money - depending on what tariff you're already on. If you haven't changed for a while, it's worth checking to see whether it's worth making a change. 

Gym membership can often be costly and not always a commitment we stick to. Instead, why not try getting fit by walking, running or trying out free YouTube online exercise tutorials at home. They're all cheaper alternatives to a gym membership and a great way to blow away the cobwebs.

Check out the savings accounts available at first direct.