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Compare and choose26 expert ways to save and make money in 2026
From birthday freebies to £200 bank switching deals, there are plenty of simple ways to make your money go further this year
The new year often comes with a promise to get on top of your finances, even if those good intentions can slip as January goes on.
After the extra spending that tends to come with the festive season, this is still a sensible moment to take stock and reset.
From boosting your income to trimming everyday costs, including subscriptions you rarely use, here Which? shares 26 ways to make and save money in 2026.
Check what your bank does for you
Knowing what your bank does for you now – and what you could get elsewhere – is a good place to start.
1. Shop around for the best rates
If you’ve already got some money put aside, it makes sense to ensure that it's working as hard as possible.
Although interest rates have fallen from their 2023 peak, some savings accounts are still offering close to 5% AER. These tend to be limited to certain instant-access savings accounts and cash Isas.
Rates are expected to edge down further, so if you’re looking to lock in a competitive deal, now might be the time to act.
- Find out more: Best savings accounts 2025.
2. Save your spare change
Some banks, including Chase, Monzo, NatWest and Starling, offer round-up features that automatically move spare change into savings.
For example, if you spend £2.70, the transaction rounds up to £3 and the extra 30p is transferred into a savings pot. It’s a simple way to save without really noticing.
- Find out more: 7 easy ways to save money each month.
3. Take on a savings challenge
Savings challenges can help you build a healthy pot over the year. The 1p challenge involves saving an extra penny each day, adding up to £667.95 by the end of the year. The 52-week challenge, where you save £1 in week one, £2 in week two and so on, adds up to £1,378.
You could also try a ‘no-spend’ challenge, where you avoid non-essential spending for a set period. This can help you become more aware of your spending habits.
- Find out more: 6 savings challenges to start in 2026.
4. Trace lost savings
Billions of pounds sit unclaimed in old bank and building society accounts, premium bonds, investments and child trust funds. Finding lost money can give your finances a useful boost and help you get organised.
Several services can do some or all of the legwork for you. My Lost Account is a free-to-use, industry-run tracing service for lost or forgotten bank, building society and premium bond accounts.
For child trust funds, you can use the online tool on the gov.uk website. There’s also Gretel, a free service for tracing lost investments, shares, life insurance and other things.
- Find out more: how to find lost bank and savings accounts.
5. Switch banks for a cash boost
I’ve taken advantage of a bank switching offer myself this year and earned £200. Using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) made the process straightforward, but it’s important to carefully check the eligibility criteria. In my case, I didn’t already have the required two active direct debits on the account I was switching from, so I set up a regular charity donation, and a direct debit into my stocks and shares Isa to make sure I qualified for the bonus.
Switching current accounts is often one of the easiest ways to earn extra money.
Several banks are offering switching incentives, including £175 from The Co-operative Bank, £200 from Santander and £175 from Nationwide.
- Find out more: best current account switching deals in December.
6. Try investing for better returns
If you're willing to learn the basics of investing in equities, you could earn much higher returns from your savings than if you store your cash in the bank.
However, there's always an element of risk involved when putting your money into stocks and shares. Even the most seasoned investors sometimes lose money.
For this reason, it's often recommended that you spread your funds across a wide range of investments.
- Find out more: investing for beginners.
Cut household bills
Household bills can quickly become too expensive if you don't keep a close eye on them.
7. Shop around and haggle
Regularly checking your bills can help prevent overpaying. For services such as energy, broadband and mobile phones, you can often find the same deal for less by switching providers.
If you’d rather not switch, haggling can also help reduce costs or prevent price increases. Broadband, car insurance and mobile contracts are the most negotiable.
Check competitor prices, ask to speak to your provider’s retention team and be prepared to leave if needed.
- Find out more: how to save hundreds by switching or haggling.
Compare broadband deals
Use Which? to search for faster, more reliable broadband services
Switch and save8. Cancel subscriptions you no longer use
Subscriptions, such as streaming services or gym memberships, can add up if you forget to cancel. It’s good to stay on top of them.
Check your bank statements from the past few months to find any regular payments you're making, but no longer use or need.
For example, could you cancel one of your streaming services or share a subscription?
- Find out more: best and worst TV streaming services.
9. Check water bills and council tax
Water bills and council tax are harder to cut, but savings are still possible. Many water companies offer free water-saving devices, such as regulated shower heads and gel pouches. Some households may also save by switching to a water meter.
With council tax, it’s worth checking you’re in the correct band, seeing if you qualify for a discount and asking to spread payments over 12 months instead of 10.
- Find out more: how to get a council tax reduction or refund.
Find ways to make extra money
Whether it’s a side hustle or a small earner, extra income can help ease pressure on your finances.
10. Earn cash through task sites
f you're skilled at small repairs or running errands, you can earn money through sites such as Airtasker or TaskRabbit .
You can do many things, such as putting up shelves, building furniture or walking dogs. If you're a certified plumber or electrician, Handy offers extra work for people with those skills as well.
11. Rent out things you already own
You can rent out pretty much anything, from your parking space to garden tools.
You can use sites such as Just Park and YourParkingSpace for your parking space, or JustCharge or Co-Charger for EV chargers.
You can use Hygglo (previously known as Fat Llama) for household items and By Rotation for clothes.
What you earn will depend on what you’re renting. For example, you could rent out a Raptor 8K VV cinema camera professional filming kit for as much as £400 a day, whereas we saw pressure washers from £5 to £15 a day.
12. Sell unwanted items
The new year is a great time to declutter and sell things that you no longer use. You can use sites such as Depop, eBay or Vinted to find a home for your old items.
To sell successfully, make sure your listings have clear photos, a detailed description and a fair price.
Which? money expert Grace Witherden has rounded up her 11 top tips for buying and selling on Vinted.
- Find out more: How to sell second-hand online
13. Try mystery shopping
You can get paid to do simple tasks, such as photographing supermarket tomatoes or testing a pint at a pub through mystery shopping apps such as BeMyEye, Roamler and Shepper.
Tasks vary, and how much you earn depends on what you need to do. They usually include taking photos of shop displays and billboards or checking the condition of properties and vehicles.
However, as with all things in life, there are scammers out there taking advantage. Be wary of mystery shopper jobs posted on social media platforms and online job boards.
- Find out more: mystery shopping job scams exposed.
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Be smart with your supermarket shop
Food prices remain high, but small changes can still reduce your weekly spend.
14. Avoid delivery apps
I do the food shopping for my mum since she had a fall last year, but as I don't have a car or live near her I need to order it all online. This year, my lack of organisation meant that I frequently ended up buying supermarket groceries for her via rapid food delivery apps such as Deliveroo. Groceries are already expensive enough because of soaring inflation, so I'm going to get more organised in the new year and book online supermarket delivery slots well in advance to make sure that we're not paying more than we need to.
Our latest research shows that you pay up to 20% more, on average, when buying supermarket groceries from rapid delivery apps such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats.
An easy way to save on extra expenditure is to avoid it altogether and try to get everything you need online or directly at your local supermarket.
15. Shop at the cheapest supermarket
Each month, Which? compares prices across the UK’s biggest supermarkets to find the cheapest place for groceries.
Aldi has consistently been the UK's cheapest supermarket this year, although Lidl has snatched the title a couple of times.
Meanwhile, Asda has maintained its lead as the cheapest option for a larger list of groceries.
- Find out more: cheapest supermarkets 2025.
16. Hunt for yellow stickers
Yellow-sticker shelves are home to discounted items that are nearing or at their use-by or best-before dates and can offer big savings.
Timing matters. When Which? asked supermarkets about when reductions are applied, Aldi and M&S said discounts are more likely to be added near closing time. Asda said it usually reduces items twice a day, while Lidl said reductions tend to happen in the morning and again later in the day. Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose told us there are no fixed times for applying reductions.
It’s also worth remembering that coloured labels don't always signal a genuine bargain if a product is already on offer, so check prices carefully.
- Find out more: how to spend less at the supermarket.
17. Check different aisles for the same product
The same item can appear in more than one part of the supermarket, sometimes at different prices.
Staples such as rice, pulses, sauces, spices and baking ingredients are often cheaper in world food or baking aisles than in the main grocery section. Dried fruit and nuts can also be better value outside the snacking aisle.
Taking a moment to look beyond the first shelf you see can help you avoid paying more than you need to for the same product.
- Find out more: shop smarter and save money with seven secret supermarket hacks.
18. Join loyalty schemes
Most major supermarkets offer loyalty pricing that can reduce the cost of some items if you sign up.
If you already have a loyalty card or app, it’s usually worth using it to access lower prices and occasional personalised offers. However, loyalty prices aren't always the cheapest option overall, so it still pays to compare prices and shop around rather than assuming a deal is good value.
Loyalty points can also be spent beyond the supermarket, such as for rewards with partner retailers.
- Find out more: loyalty schemes compared.
19. Plan meals before you shop
Planning meals and checking what you already have at home can help you avoid buying duplicates and reduce impulse purchases.
Writing a shopping list and sticking to it can make a big difference to how much you spend and how much food ends up going to waste.
- Find out more: best supermarket food and drink.
20. Buy frozen
Frozen fruit and vegetables are often cheaper than fresh, last much longer and help to reduce waste. They're usually frozen soon after picking, so they can be just as nutritious as fresh alternatives, according to Which? writer and nutritionist Shefalee Loth.
Keeping a well-stocked freezer can make it easier to cook from what you already have rather than resorting to more expensive last-minute options.
Shop smarter
Many of us love to shop, but finding simple ways to spend less makes it even better.
21. Delay purchases with the 30-day rule
Over the past two years, I've worked hard to stop impulsive spending. Now, I make a list of things I want during the month. On payday, I look at the list again to see if the purchase is really worth it. Going into 2026, I am pushing this even further, with my next goal being learning to sew. I'm tired of throwing away socks with holes in them, so that has to change this year.
22. Earn cashback on spending
Cashback sites such as Quidco and TopCashback pay you money when you shop through their links. The amount you can earn will vary depending on how much you spend, what you buy and what the cashback offer is. Cashback can range from pennies to more than £100 in some instances.
Other sites offer cashback when you buy gift cards. Apps such as HyperJar and Jam Doughnut let you buy gift cards for retailers, including Asda and John Lewis, with cashback paid instantly on the purchase.
You may also be able to earn cashback through your current account, as many banks now run retailer offers.
If you want to take cashback more seriously, you could also consider a cashback current account or a cashback credit card. But, as with all cashback, it only makes sense if you were planning to make the purchase anyway.
- Find out more: best cashback credit cards and best bank accounts for cashback.
23. Buy second-hand where it makes sense
Charity shops check donations before selling them, meaning items are usually in good condition. Online marketplaces such as Depop and Vinted also make it easier to search for specific brands, sizes or styles without trawling through shops.
When buying second-hand online, it’s worth checking measurements carefully, and looking for clear photos and detailed descriptions. This can help avoid disappointment and reduce the chance of returns.
- Find out more: best and worst places to shop second-hand online.
24. Make do and mend
Repairing items you already own can be far cheaper than replacing them. Simple fixes such as sewing on a button, mending a small tear or tightening a loose chair leg can extend the life of clothes and furniture by years.
While ‘make do and mend’ may sound old-fashioned, learning a few basic repair skills can help keep more money in your pocket and reduce waste at the same time.
- Find out more: best sewing machines: tried and tested.
Spend less on travel and treats
Taking advantage of discounts and freebies when travelling or going out can help keep costs down, without cutting back entirely.
25. Get a railcard
My 26-30 railcard has just run out, so I looked around for any other railcard or train discounts to help manage the costs and discovered the Network Railcard. This gives me one third off rail travel in London and across the South East. Sadly, you don't get discounted rail fares at peak times, but you do off-peak, so it does have some benefit.
Although rail fares have been frozen next year, the cost of travelling by train is much higher than it was a few years ago. It’s always worth considering ways to save, and a railcard can help.
They currently cost £30-£35 per year and often pay for themselves through a few off-peak train journeys. There are nine railcards available, offering discounts of 33% to 50% on rail fares.
- Find out more: how we saved almost 60% on first-class train tickets.
26. Cash in on your birthday
Birthdays can be expensive, but many retailers and restaurants offer freebies or discounts if you sign up for their loyalty schemes.
Supermarkets such as Lidl, coffee chains, including Caffè Nero, and food brands such as Krispy Kreme offer free treats through their apps. Some restaurants provide free meals or drinks, while fashion retailers and online shops, such as Asos and H&M, often send birthday discount codes.
Signing up in advance and keeping track of the offers can help you enjoy a day out or treat yourself without increasing your spending.
- Find out more: 41 birthday freebies and discounts.
