Help with managing your money

You might have less income than you've had in the past if your circumstances have changed. If that's the case, you may find our hints and tips helpful:

it's a good idea to contact the companies you may have Direct Debits, Standing Orders or repayments set up with. If you let them know about your situation, they may be able to lower the amount you pay back each time
make sure you cancelled any non-essential spend. Take a look at our 'Ways to cut your spending' section for helpful hints and tips
we suggest making a budget planner so that you can get an overall look of your outgoings. Our 'Budget planning' section on this page shows you how to get started.

We're here to help you get the most out of your money, with tips on how you can manage your spend.

Looking to complete a budget planner? Visit our 'Budget planning' section below.

Cut your energy spend

Millions of UK households are on standard energy tariffs, and likely to pay more than they should for electricity and gas. In a few minutes, you can find out whether you're able to switch to a less expensive tariff.

enter a few details about your home and utility spending habits
choose the provider and tariff that suits your needs
your old energy account will be shut down and the new oneseamlessly opened
using the link to Ofgem, you'll be able find helpful tips on dealing with high energy bills.

Visit Ofgem

Cancel unwanted subscriptions

With many services, such as TV or music streaming platforms offering subscriptions, you might be paying for something you don't need.

why not do a subscriptions spring clean and cancel ones you don't want anymore. You'll save money every month
don't fall for the 'Free trial trap', where you buy a service that is free for a short time, then forget about it
use Internet Banking to see repeating payments.

Reduce your TV spend

Are you paying for TV and video services that you don't watch?

ask yourself, do you need the premium packages, from Sky, Netflix, or Virgin Media?
are you paying for multi-screen packages but only watch on one screen?
have you thought about other ways to watch TV, such as All 4, BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub?
Ofcom can help you compare your current deal to try and save you money.

Visit Ofcom

Use less energy

cut your energy usage to lower your bills
don't leave items on standby
Increasing the temperature by just 1 degree can increase your annual heating bill by about 10%, so keeping your thermostat as low as possible can help reduce your bills (Energy Saving Trust, 2023)
draught-proof your windows and doors
Ofgem can give you helpful tips on how to use less energy.

Visit Ofgem

Watch your spend on food

Food is a big part of expenditure but there are things you can do to cut down.

can you buy fewer coffees and sandwiches outside the home?
try to cut down on the food you throw away - some people find that planning ahead and bulk cooking saves time and money.

A good first step to feeling better about your money situation is to create a budget planner.

Once created, you can easily see ways to spend better.

If you've filled in a budget planner, take a look at the bottom of this section for what to do next.

We suggest the MoneyHelper (used to be known as Money Advice Service) Budget Planner. Things like bank statements and bills will help you get the details you need to put into the budget planner.

Budget Planner

We have an anonymous budget planner, which means you don't have to worry about sharing your personal details with us. Use this planner if you just need a sense of your situation and your outgoings. Cater Allen won't see this information or be able to discuss it with you.

You can create an account and revisit this planner any time you'd like. You'll also be given some tailored tips to help you make the most of your money. And it's free to use.

Visit MoneyHelper

If you've recently competed a budget planner, here's what to do next:

Reduce your outgoings
If the budget planner shows you're spending too much, take a look at 'Ways to cut your spending'.
Get independent advice
Organisations such as PayPlan can offer free help and advice. Take a look at our 'Independent help and support' section below.

Looking after your money, looking after you

We all know that our mental health can affect how we deal with money, and how debt can affect our mental health.

Take a look at the independent third-party companies we've shown below and see if they can help.

PayPlan

help save money on your everyday essentials
check you're claiming everything you're entitled to
specialist team for the self-employed
dedicated vulnerable client team for anyone dealing with an illness, mental health concerns or addiction.

Visit PayPlan

MoneyHelper

guides to help improve your finances
tools and calculators to help keep track and plan ahead, like their free budget planner
support over the phone and online.

Visit MoneyHelper

Money Advice Trust

help tackle debt and manage your money with confidence
get advice from free, independent services: National Debtline and Business Debtline
help with debt management plans, debt relief orders and individual voluntary arrangements.

Visit Money Advice Trust

Alzheimer's Society

help for people affected by dementia including family members and carers
Dementia Connect support line available 7 days a week
Join the Alzheimer's Society online community and connect with others in a similar situation.

Visit Alzheimer's Society

Mind

advice and information on money and mental health including tips on how to manage your money
information and support to anybody experiencing a mental health problem. Through their website, their info-line and their peer support platform, Side by Side.

Visit Mind