Blog

Did you know that, on average, Mum’s get seventeen minutes to themselves every day? I don’t know about you but I think that seems generous… Whether you are a parent or not, self care is often something most people neglect when life is so busy, you need to make time for you, and make sure […]

It could be that a financial advisor is a good option, especially for longer term planning around life events and especially where you want to optimise tax allowances. We were lucky enough to bag our community member Clare a free session with the financial advisor team at Berry & Oak to see exactly what’s involved… […]

Saving for a house during a cost of living crisis? There’s 3 things you can do today to help you on your way: 1. Open a LISA  An absolute no brainer if you’re saving for your first home. But what is it? A Lifetime ISA (LISA) is a house or pension savings account that you […]

How to budget on a low income Times are hard for many of us right now, but especially for those living on a low income and battling the cost of living crisis. With the rate of inflation increasing ahead of the rate of pay growth, it’s never been a more crucial time to budget and […]

Want to combat the cost of living crisis? There’s always room to bring in some extra cash, whether through a side hustle or a passive income. Let’s look at ways to make more money in 2022. Investing Investing is a great example of a passive income; it can make you money whilst you sleep. In […]

Women are behind in all areas of personal finance: specifically in pay, literacy and investments.   So why is it that we also face other financial discrimination such as the Pink Tax? It’s 2022… when are we going to get a fair deal? So what is the Pink Tax? The Pink Tax refers to the […]

Don’t leave money on the table – In partnership with PensionBee Who doesn’t like to get their hands on a freebie?  We love discounts, referral credits, cashback and giveaways. We even love collecting points, Airmiles or even little stamps on our local coffee shop loyalty cards.  So you would think more of us would realise […]

You’ve probably heard of the gender pay gap, but have you ever heard of the gender investment gap? There’s currently a £1.65 trillion investment gap in the UK alone (yes, a lot of zeros). This equates to a woman on average having £100,000 less in her pension pot compared to a man when it comes […]

As humans we’re always striving for progression.  Society has primed us to always want more. Whether it’s our car, our home, our clothes or our jobs, are we always trying to advance to the next stage?  Why do we feel we must show progression, growth and success through our physical possessions? Even though we should […]

Close your eyes.  Who do you see when you picture an investor?  A man in a suit?  Warren Buffet? One of the Dragons from Dragons Den? Whoever you picture, I suspect you picture someone that isn’t you. Investing is often portrayed as a sophisticated, complicated and inaccessible activity that takes time, headspace and large sums […]

Rishi Sunak, the UK’s Chancellor today shared the government’s Spring 2022 Budget plans – let’s get into the plans and work out what it means for us. It’s worth noting that Rishi opened his budget speech with specific references to the war in Ukraine, reminding us that the financial sanctions to Putin’s regime “are not […]

The Energy Crisis – 4 Things You Can Do If there’s one thing most people are impacted by financially, it’s the energy price crisis, where the price we pay for energy is set to rise significantly over the next year at least. Why are energy prices rising? In 2019, the energy price cap was introduced […]

For so many of us, life admin is something we put off.  The bill that needs paying, the dentist checkup that needs booking in, the life insurance we still haven’t sorted. Women especially put everyone else’s needs before their own, it’s called the mother load for a reason.  Important life admin tasks such as putting […]

I Am Not Equal. It is widely known that there are a number of financial gaps between men and women; the pension gap is one of them.  Pensionbee research has shown that whilst the average pension gap stands at 38%, it can be as high as 57% depending on savers’ age and location. It is […]

I Am Crypto-Curious. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few years, you’ll have heard of cryptocurrency.  A means to riches for some, a diversified investment for others – but clouded in mystery for many. If you are crypto-curious, you’ve come to the right place. As is the case with more traditional investing […]

You may have heard of a f**k off fund before, but what does it really mean and why can it be important for our financial wellbeing?The term F**k Off Fund was initially associated with women building up cash in a secret place until they had enough to leave unhappy, unhealthy or controlling relationships. We now […]

Financial Wellness in The Workplace Employers have the power to enhance financial wellness in the workplace by providing the ideal resources and support. Here’s why and how. Employee wellbeing is an integral part of creating a healthy workplace, with a surge of initiatives in the employee engagement space, but there seems to be a missing […]

Make Financial Wellness Your Goal in 2022 So it’s that dreaded resolution-setting time. “New year new me. I’m going to eat clean, go to the gym, walk 10K steps per day, drink 2L of water, make a million dollars.” Is it just us that find this is a female thing more than a male thing? […]

The festive season is upon us and the list of gifts you need to buy grows. You’re asking what the little ones in your life would like for presents and you may be getting concerned about time, money and more important than ever before – the planet. In anticipation of the gift-receiving, it could be […]

Earlier in October, the Financielle community collectively compiled our Winter must-haves, things that bring us joy during the autumn and winter months. Here are 50 of the answers we had, some duplication but we thought we should share them all! Walks in wellies Hot drinks outside with the chill on your face Lighting the fire […]

Why your pension is a key part of your financial wellbeing. Pension. The P word that we hear once in a while, and know we should care about but ultimately often falls to the bottom of the life admin pile. We have to juggle so many financial obligations: paying today’s bills, paying tomorrow’s bills; even […]

Free money to buy your first home?! Buying a home is expensive and the journey to building a house deposit is not for the faint hearted.  For many of us, our first house deposit will involve saving up more money than we ever have before, so we need all the help we can get. So […]

Did you know that the UK side hustle economy is worth £346 billion and that female-run small businesses grew 18% in the last five years? More women than ever before are following their passions and channelling their energy into doing the things they love. If you’ve recently launched your own business or started to invest […]

How to survive Halloween without scaring your bank account Halloween is fast approaching, meaning it’s time for you to pull together your fancy dress costumes, create your list of spooky Halloween films and run to the shop to pick up the sweets and candy for those little monsters trick-or-treating at your door. The problem is,each […]

Goals are incredibly important. Whether little or large, goals can help us focus on a direction and can support us to achieve the vision we have for our lives. Goals are personal. You goals are unique to you and should be centred around milestones that would enrich you personally. Some goals may be connected with […]

Financial Products Are Built By Men, For Men Did you know that women are far more likely to suffer serious injuries in a car crash than men? This is due to crash dummies mainly being modelled on males. Just like most things in this world, it’s become apparent that financial products are designed by men, […]

Who Wants to be an ISA Millionaire The ISA Millionaire Club is an exclusive club. It is estimated there are now over 1,000 individuals who have grown an ISA portfolio valued at over £1,000,000. The current ISA annual contribution limit is £20,000 per person, which is £1,666.67 per month. If you were to max out […]

Why Women Are More Likely To Be In Debt It’s no secret that debt can be crippling to our mental health. With more women struggling with debt than men, we’re going to talk about the affecting factors in this article, along with some handy tips to help you get out of debt. Do women struggle […]

Guest Blog – I Chose to Leave the City In this guest article from @penceandcents, we hear about a home buying journey that involves a huge change of heart. Enabled by the pandemic and remote working, the ability to relocate to a less expensive area allowed for a complete change in plan and ended in […]

What You Need To Know Before Buying Your First Investment Property In the UK, buying a property for the purpose of renting it out is a popular investment property strategy. Investing in property is a great way to bring in extra income, but there’s a lot you need to know before jumping in. Having a […]

The Journey of a First time buyer: A Financielle Guide The Journey of a First Time Buyer is exciting, but if you don’t know what’s coming, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. From the mortgage application process to picking up the keys, you need to be clued up on all things home buying. So, you’re looking […]

When all seems to be going wrong, there’s always a cherry to go on top to make the world’s worst problematic cupcake, especially when money is involved. When you feel like you’re in full crisis mode and find yourself trying to piece together the remains of your finances and budgets, it’s easy to think of […]

Whether you’ve heard of the Joneses or not, it’s likely that you’re trying to keep up with them. Cambridge Dictionary defines Keeping up with the Joneses as “always wanting to own the same expensive objects and do the same things as your friends or neighbours because you are worried about seeming less important socially than they […]

The pandemic might have hit hard when it comes to making money and for some of us, it’s been savings galore! The truth is, there’s always room to bring in some extra cash whether it’s a side hustle or a passive income. In this article, we’re going to be discussing 12 ways to make more […]

Right now, your Facebook and Instagram feeds may be blazoned with “back to school” pictures, new uniforms and blazers that one size too big (fingers crossed they’ll get at least another year out of it). No one ever posts “still at work” pictures, do they? At Financielle, September is one of our favourite months; productivity […]

After a summer of fun, restrictions being lifted and keeping your eyes off your bank account, your finances might have taken a little bit of a hit. It’s a known fact that summer can be an expensive time of year and by the time September comes around, we’re hit with the harsh reality of how […]

So, it’s September. Normal life is returning, and you’re left to scoop up the little bits of routine you’ve got left. You’ve just had a relaxing summer in the English heat, you might have even escaped the country for some abroad sun (lucky you) but it’s now time to settle back into regularly scheduled programming, […]

Buy Now, Pain Later Ahh Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), where do we start? Since when did splitting up payments for a T-shirt or mascara become the norm? In this article, we’re going to be lifting the lid on BNPL and giving you some reasons as to why we think they should be avoided at […]

Car finance is one of those things that sounds too good to be true. Having the luxury of a brand-new fancy car without forking out £40,000, sounds great! But there’s so much more to it. In this article, we’re going to be lifting the lid to the ugly side of car finance. Some of you […]

Within the Financielle community, a big goal for many is buying their first home. You may be buying alone, buying with a partner or just planning for someday. Whatever your goals, it’s important to find your own ways of saving for a house deposit. In this article, we’re going to be talking about the process […]

Why Investing Young Could Set You Up for Life A few years ago, the word investing might have sparked thoughts of middle-aged men in pinstripe suits buying and selling, we wouldn’t judge if your mind went straight to Leonardo DiCaprio dressed as Jordan Belfort from Wolf of Wall Street. However, in recent years, due to […]

Worrying about money is a common occurrence for most people. When you feel like you don’t have enough to make ends meet or you’re worried about how your finances will play out in the future, you feel completely consumed by your money situation. This is where changing your money mindset comes in!    It’s easy […]

Life insurance is an incredibly underrated form of protection and as a financial asset. And we know that it can be overwhelming at times, but Bequest is here to help close the life insurance gap!   To make it simple, here are 5 myths that we as women need to know about life insurance. Be […]

This article is part of a paid partnership with Bequest to help close the life insurance gap in the UK.  The life insurance gap As of 2019, the life insurance gap was at £312 billion. At Financielle, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to get everyone talking about this and help close that gap along with […]

Conscious Consumerism For the past year, we’ve sat and watched influencers live their best lives; blazoning £500 Asos hauls across their stories, TikTok and YouTube (where were they even going to wear all that?). How many times have you been scrolling on TikTok, seen an influencer raving about a product and swiped straight across to […]

In this article, Financielle team member Lucy shares her personal thoughts on the cost of her education and questions if her degree was worth it. With a year and a half of online lectures, socially distanced accommodation and quiet nights in, university isn’t what it used to be. With the ‘experience’ aspect taken out of […]

Thoughtfully Created by Natascha Raihani Upon scrolling through independent shoe brand Taschka’s Instagram, you’ll quickly notice the sheer style, wearability and sustainability that comes alongside. From supporting a charity close to their heart to ensuring their Portugal-based family-run workshop staff are paid fairly, Taschka embodies the level of ethicalness we should be seeing from most […]

You Can’t Sit With Us – Greenwashing edition We all know that sustainability is of huge importance at the moment, we need to save our planet! But we also know that sustainability is a trend. You might think “ah whether it’s a trend or not at least it’s helping the planet,” and you might be […]

Self-Care on a Budget Spending all your hard-earned cash on overpriced face masks and takeaways you regret the next day is not too conducive to the notion of self-care. It doesn’t require a huge splurge and a full day of spa activities to maintain your general wellbeing. Here are a few calming ways to implement […]

3 Products That Will Aid Your Financial Journey You know by now that Financielle LOVES a product that aid you on your financial journey. During our ‘Products that WOW’ week, we’ve found a few that make your life that little bit easier. We hope you’re as wowed as us!  Wealthify [AD] At Financielle, we believe […]

5 ways to boss your Summer budget Summer has always been a time for a new wardrobe, increased social activity and holiday breaks.  With lockdown lifting, this summer especially calls for more gatherings and reunions than ever before, but what can we do to make sure this doesn’t impact our money strategy?  Here are 5 […]

The 6 Books You Need To Read For Mind, Body and Business Hankering for a new self-help book? You’re in the right place. Here at Financielle, we’ve chosen some of our favourites that cover mind, body and business. From morning routines to challenging existing beliefs, these books are great for whatever point you are at […]

The fast-fashion vs sustainable fashion debate is nothing new, but what if pre-owned fashion companies were also now great for your investment portfolio as well as for the environment? With a year in lockdown, we’ve apparently had time on our hands to clear out wardrobes and part with items that no longer “spark joy”.  The […]

In this blog, we have a guest blogger share her emotional experience of losing her Mum, with the positive comfort of having both a practical and financial plan to carry out her Mum’s wishes.  She wants to encourage others to think about their loved ones when the time comes and even a simple will and basic […]

This guest blog, we have an incredible community member shared her experience of the aftermath of her Dad’s passing.  Her story is emotional, compelling and intended to reinforce the need for us to work on our financial wellbeing not just for us, but also for our families.  Your financial wellness will have an impact long […]

We are so very grateful to have Financielle community member Erin, blogger at  Erin Isabel, share her emotional experience of receiving an inheritance and trying to make the most of such a gift. Making the most of an inheritance This is a tricky subject, I know.  Inheriting anything comes with a whole mixed bag of […]

Like so many people, I always said “I’ll get round to doing my will.”  It’s one of those things we tend to put off.  Here are some of the reasons we may do this: “I don’t have much to leave in a will.” So many people think that wills are for the wealthy only.  This […]

Welcome to our ‘The Waterfall Budget’. You can’t have it all. Or can you? It’s Holly here and I’m here to share with you the Financielle method for taking on a home renovation without taking on any debt. We have a FUGLY house as I like to affectionately call it, our little quirky piece of […]

When it comes to adopting a new way of managing money, such as working The Financielle Playbook stages,  there will inevitably be times when you will ‘slip up’ or fall off the financial wagon, and we are here to tell you that that’s okay! We want you to take the guilt out of being over […]

Hi, Holly here. I’m proud to announce that we are now a one car family! Before I dive in, I want to call out that I understand I am in an extremely privileged position to be part of a family that even had one car, never mind two.  This blog hopes not to trigger but to […]

As of 19 April 2021, a new mortgage scheme has been launched to try and increase the number of 95% mortgage deals available on the market.  Several major lenders are taking part in the scheme, where want-to-be homeowners have access to 95% mortgages that are backed in part by the Government. How does the Mortgage […]

We are now in the 2021/2022 tax year and so check out this simplified guide to help you understand what your income, savings and pensions allowances are.  Take a look at the below and think about putting together some goals to help you make the most of these allowances and right at the end, I […]

So what is the frog and why should you eat it? Mark Twain once said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”   Brian Tracy uses this quote in his book  “Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get […]

  I’m Erin – 32-year-old single mum of one, currently living on the south coast. Around the time I found Financielle on Instagram I was working with a counsellor. This is not unusual for me, it’s something I’ve done on and off for a number of years. What was different about this particular counsellor was […]

You hear of many entrepreneurs being individuals who wanted to break free from the 9 to 5 and be their own boss. Others work up the corporate ladder to a leadership position. Then there are those who spot something: a problem that requires fixing, a need that seems to be growing and there becomes an irresistible […]

By Holly Holland, a beginner on a pensions journey. Pensions, where do I start? I have never been inclined to learn about pensions or know more about my own. You know the drill, man in suit comes into your place of work to talk pensions and you sit wondering why all this matters when retirement […]

The government will be introducing an official Breathing Space scheme in May 2021 as part of the Debt Respite Scheme.  This is a positive step in supporting individuals to get control of their debt. There are 2 types: a standard and a mental health crisis breathing space. This standard breathing space will enable a 60-day period […]

Earlier in October, the Financielle community collectively compiled our Winter must-haves, things that bring us joy during the autumn and winter months. Here are 50 of the answers we had, some duplication but we thought we should share them all! Walks in wellies Hot drinks outside with the chill on your face Lighting the fire […]

As the dark nights draw in, many are turning their minds to a much lighter topic: Christmas. A time for festivities, family, food and gifts. Lots and lots of gifts.  Christmas is a time that many look forward to but it can actually provoke fear, guilt and overwhelm in many too. The pressure to conform […]

As the dark, cold nights settle in and the boxset choices run a little low, why not try the new-style date night, money date night! Long gone are the nights of Netflix and chill, takeaway and a glass of wine. There’s a new date night to consider (don’t worry, the takeaway and wine are welcome […]

Wherever you are on your money journey, saving money is never a bad thing. Whether it is to pay down debt, build up an emergency fund or put towards a goal like homeownership, a dream holiday, or you may simply wish to put more money towards investing – we would all welcome tips of how […]

Financial wellness is often forgotten about as a pillar of wellness, yet it is crucial to being happy and healthy in life. A lack of financial wellness in our lives can lead to stress, anxiety and can prevent us from building our dream lives. Working towards financial wellness is a journey and there is no […]

We often dream of the life we want, and go as far, as to set the goals and make plans, you all have the capability to create your dream life. What helps to bring these goals to life is visualisation, research and planning. Another good way to bring your goals to life is to actually […]

There are so many articles showing you how to hold your dream wedding on a budget. Pinterest is a frugal wedding rabbit hole and it is amazing how these resources support those planning a wedding on a budget. The other extreme is large budget weddings that, if not for a wealthy family footing the bill, […]

Budget is now a dirty word. They are often spoken about as if they restrict and limit our ability to spend and that they keep us from doing what we want. People also connect budgets to not having enough and that they are only needed for those in difficult financial situations, who need to “make […]

This weekend, the Financielle Instagram account hit 4,000 Followers, so thank you so much for all of your support in getting it there. Financielle is two years old, but since March it has been growing at a fast pace. For a while, Follower count didn’t matter, as the humble beginnings of the Instagram account was […]

The definition of tough love is: love or affectionate concern expressed in a stern or unsentimental manner (as through discipline) especially to promote responsible behaviour. For some time, Financielle content has slipped into a bit too much of a “softly softly” approach, trying to gently nudge people to make better money moves. Maybe I was […]

This is a Monday morning truth bomb to some people reading this that are like everyone else. This article will tell you why your debt is the problem.  You buy things on finance. You use your overdraft. You put things on a credit card. You are normal. Maybe you thought you could afford the monthly […]

Sinking funds are the corner stone of every budget. Not only do they ensure you have money to hand for those important expenses that regularly come up, but they help you practice the discipline of planning ahead and not spending everything you earn. This article will tell you the 5 steps to take your sinking […]

One of the things that the Financielle Platform aims to do is address the inherent in-balance in wealth in our community, and give everyone no matter what the income, gender or even race, a simple strategy to achieve financial wellness. The Wealth Gap The gap between the rich and the poor is widening; the rich […]

The start of a new month, where many of you are starting a fresh budget, with a fresh pay check, is the time to execute your money strategy. But if you are “good with money”, why do you need a strategy? Many people let their bills go out, perhaps pick an amount to go into […]

A platform focussed on financial wellness can only do so much in promoting the positive and helpful ways we can improve our financial wellbeing. Understanding how you think and feel about money, following a clear strategy and plan instead of wandering from month to month and working to a budget are all key foundations for […]

Someone very special to me shared a great acronym to help make decisions: WITY. WITY stands for: What’s Important To You? For example. You could be shopping for a new foundation: What’s important to you? Is it great coverage? Is it the dewy glow? Is it the SPF? Is it the price? Is it how […]

The more we explore strategies for gaining control of our finances, we start to see that there are many synergies between a financial wellness programme and a fitness or healthy eating programme: 1. They are all good for your health, for example, whether that be physical health, mental health or both. We are all taught […]

The self-care movement has boomed in recent years, with not only society’s approval but its active encouragement to practice self-care. Self-care is essentially something that a person does regularly or often that helps them personally live and sustain a healthy life. It could be setting aside alone time to read a book or go for […]

Traditionally, goal setting involves looking at a combination of short, medium and long term targets to aim for. Examples of longer term goals may be to compete in the Olympics, or to become a architect, or for us mere mortals, it may be simply a goal to become debt free. These goals start with the […]

I wanted to take some time, in the hype of the madness, to write down how I am feeling right now. This weekend, I finally launched something that has taken years to come together – my financial wellness course called The Financielle Playbook. It quite simply has been the most memorable of “digital” launches and […]

When it comes to money, buying or selling a property is usually one of the biggest money moves we make. We had an amazing interview with Leanne Parr, founder of award-winning estate agents Harper Williams, who gave us her expert tips for buying or selling a house during or immediately after the COVID Crisis. SELLING […]

There are a million resources out there about how to become wealthy. Everyone (whether on good authority or not) has a view. Invest in property. Invest in the stock market. Invest in bitcoin. Sell on Ebay. Create an Amazon Store. Start your own business. There is nothing wrong with wanting to become wealthy – it […]

We’ve all disappeared down the Zoopla or Rightmove rabbit hole. Whether it’s having a sneaky look inside a neighbour’s home, or contemplating whether you would have to redecorate the £1M house you stumbled across, it’s easy to get carried away looking at houses for sale online. When we’re actively looking for a house to buy, […]

We think it is important to point out something that appears to be an urban myth in finance: you do not need to take out credit to have a good credit score. Yes taking out credit and using it responsibly can improve your score, it doesn’t mean it is a must. For many people, taking […]

There is no right or wrong way to deal with finances, especially in a relationship, so that is the first thing to remember. Especially as there are so many different variations of relationships – such as blended families, new relationships, irregular earning patterns, no children, some children, etc. Its also important to remember the risk […]

We wanted to share some tips and tricks for working at home during the Coronavirus and, after asking Instagram for help, we have compiled the below: 1. Get Dressed It might seem like a simple tip, but it’s a crucial one. You can still wear something informal and comfortable. The simple acts of showering and […]

There has been a lot of helpful guidance during the Coronavirus crisis about how you may be able to freeze or have “holidays” from big ticket expenses such as mortgages or credit cards, but what about car lease payments? For many households in the UK, two car lease payments combined could surpass the mortgage as […]

For whoever needs to read this right now. You were sailing through life, one monthly pay check at a time. Bit of savings here, bit of debt there. All going smoothly. And then one day, the storm to beat all storm comes and hits your life like a ton of bricks. It may be due […]

We love a good fresh start, a good routine, setting better habits than the days prior. Maybe Mondays give us permission to start again? Here are some things you can try from today to be more “financially well” this week: – Study your bank account and don’t be afraid of it. Do all money transactions […]

1. INVEST See money as a tool for growth, rather than an enabler of consumption. This is a key factor as to why women are so far behind men financially. Women are more likely to indulge in “retail therapy” in response to a negative situation such as a tough week at work or receiving bad […]

Would you call yourself an investor? An Investor is a person or an organisation that invests money in something, with the expectation of seeing a financial return. Let’s consider the ways in which you may already be an investor: 1. You invested in you You may have invested in a college course or degree, a […]

It doesn’t matter whether you earn £10k per year or £1,000,000 per year – if you don’t know how to manage your money and tell it where you want it to go, you will have nothing much left at the end of each month. So grab a pad and pen, because at the end of […]