Discover how to spend less money and build a rainy day fund UK. Learn how to stop relying on credit cards or finance and live within your means easily
7th March 2026
Where does your money come from?
There are lots of sources of income. Earnings from paid employment being the most obvious and common source. Inheritance. Winnings, the lottery, premium bonds, bingo or a flutter on the races etc. A side hussle - doing a car boot or selling your services or things you make, or have outgrown use for. Given it, probably not the most likely source but you might get Christmas or birthday presents in cash. Bank interest or investment growth - yes, quite probable, but you have to have money in the first place to generate it.
So theres a lengthy list of sources of money.
But they have one thing in common: you can only spend it once. That's right. Your earnings this month, once spent on bills, the car, clothes, food, going out etc etc, in the words of whoevers slogan it is, 'when it's gone, it's gone'. And you need to replace it with more money to spend it on next month's bills, and food and going out etc etc.
So spend wisely. If you can reduce what you spend, by using energy more efficiently, choosing cheaper brands at the supermarket, or buying less clothes and 'stuff', you'll have some spare at the end of the month you can choose wisely what to do with.
You can build that rainy day fund, in case you lose your job or the washing machine breaks, or to grab that bargain holiday you deserve.
But, I hear you cry, I can just buy stuff on klana, credit cards, php, overdrafts, loans etc etc. You can indeed do that. But do you really need the stuff you want to buy on credit? Can you fix what has broken? Can you live another year without a new car? Can you get it second hand? Can you make do with what you have? Or, could you earn more money? Could you check you aren't entitled to any benefits from the government? Could you get a promotion? Could you get a second job / side hussle? Could you downsize your home? Move to a cheaper area?
However you manage your money, it has to come from somewhere and you can only spend it once. The only way to not have debt is to spend less than you have coming in and to save for future expenses, whether planned or emergency, by building yourself a little rainy day fund.
Once your monthly cash is gone, it is permanently gone. Head over to the Daily Allowance Calculator right now to strip out your essential bills from your income, discover your true maximum daily spending limit, and ensure every spare penny stays on Team Me.