Preparing a budget

Make two lists - one showing all the money you have coming in and another of all the bills you know you have to pay. Don't forget the annual bills, budgeting for them month by month will make them much more affordable.

Once you've got the financial basics sorted out, you can see exactly where you stand and how much spending money you can allow yourself. Our budget calculator will help with this task.

Make the most of Direct Debit to pay regular bills. Using Direct Debit is the safest and simplest way of paying bills automatically from your bank account. You might never have used a Direct Debit before so it's worth knowing what it is and how it works, visit about Direct Debit explained to find out more.