I’ve been using Plum for a little while now and, honestly, it’s one of those apps that makes me feel like I’ve got my life together far more than I probably have. 😂
I know that sounds dramatic for a money app, but there’s something about having little pots, savings rules and even a tiny bit of investing going on in the background that makes me feel like a proper grown-up. Not the kind of grown-up who has matching Tupperware lids or remembers to cancel free trials on time, obviously, but a grown-up all the same.
Plum is basically an app that can help you save, budget and invest in a way that feels quite easy to manage. You connect it to your bank account, choose how you want to use it, and then you can use different features to help you set money aside. I don’t use ALL OF T it offers, but the bits I do use have been genuinely helpful for making small amounts of money feel like they’re doing something useful.
The main reason I like Plum is that it makes saving feel less like a big serious task and more like something that just ticks along in the background. I’m a big fan of anything that helps me make progress without needing a huge amount of effort because, let’s be honest, life is busy enough without having to sit down with a spreadsheet every five minutes.
How I use Plum
The bit I probably use the most in Plum is the automations because they make saving feel almost invisible. I’ve got a few little rules set up and none of them feel like a big deal on their own, but they’ve quietly added up to £384.02 in deposits this year, which is honestly a bit mad when you think about it.
At the moment, I have £20 going in on payday each month, round-ups switched on, £3 a week going in through the weekly depositor, and £1 going in on sunny days because apparently I’m now the kind of person who saves money based on the weather. 😂
The round-ups alone have added up to £108.02, which is exactly why I like things like this. I don’t really notice the odd pennies being rounded up as I spend, but seeing the total sitting there makes it feel like free money, even though obviously it’s just my own money being sneakily organised for me.
The sunny day rule is my favourite because it feels a bit silly in the best possible way. It’s added £74 so far, which means I’ve basically been rewarded for nice weather, and I am absolutely fine with that.
I also like that I can keep everything quite small. I’m not transferring huge chunks of money or trying to overhaul my finances overnight. It’s more a case of having lots of tiny rules quietly doing their thing in the background, and that suits me so much better than trying to be perfectly disciplined all the time.
Why I turned off automatic savings
One thing I did turn off quite quickly was the automatic saving feature, where Plum looks at your bank account and decides how much it thinks you can afford to put away.
That’s not because I don’t think it’s a good feature, because I can see how it would work really well for some people (Miss Frugal is a huge fan of this feature) just not for me right now because the account I use for day-to-day spending isn’t the same account we use for bills, so Plum wasn’t seeing the full picture of our money.
If it only looks at my spending account, it might think I have more spare money than I actually do, because it can’t see all of the bills and proper grown-up expenses coming out elsewhere. And while I do want to save more, I absolutely do not want an app getting overexcited and moving money when I know there are other things going on in the background.
So instead, I’ve kept the bits that work for me. I use the fixed little rules like payday savings, round-ups, weekly deposits and sunny day savings because they feel more predictable. I know what’s going out, I know when it’s going out, and I can keep it all small enough that it doesn’t cause any stress.
That’s probably one of the things I like most about Plum actually. You don’t have to use every single feature just because it’s there. You can switch things on and off, play around with the settings and make it fit your own money set-up rather than trying to force yourself into the app’s idea of how you should save.
Using Plum for investing
I also use Plum for investing, which is the bit that makes me feel extra grown-up. I’m not talking huge amounts of money here, and I’m definitely not pretending to be some kind of stock market expert, it just moves a percentage of the amount it takes from my bank each week and moves that to my investment pot. I’ve invested £87.40 so far and I’m currently showing a return of £13.88 after a couple of months.
That works out at around 15.9% up at the moment, which I’m obviously very happy with, but I do want to be clear that investing isn’t the same as saving. The value can go down as well as up, and the return I’ve had so far isn’t guaranteed to continue.
I’m only investing small amounts that I’m comfortable with, and for me it’s more about learning and feeling a bit braver with money than trying to get rich overnight. I used to think stocks and shares were something for people in suits who knew what all the graphs meant, whereas I am very much a “let’s just see what this button does” kind of person.
Plum has made it feel much more accessible, and I like being able to dip my toe in without feeling like I need a finance degree first. It’s made investing feel less intimidating, which is probably the biggest win for me.
And yes, there is something ridiculously satisfying about opening the app and seeing that little investment return sitting there. It might only be £13.88, but it feels like a win to me.
Why small savings work better for me
I’ve always found that small money habits work better for me than big dramatic ones. I’m much more likely to stick with £3 a week, round-ups and little savings rules than I am to suddenly decide I’m going to save hundreds of pounds a month and then feel like I’ve failed when real life gets in the way.
That’s why Plum suits me. It feels low effort, but not pointless. The amounts are small enough that I don’t really miss them, but they’re still adding up in the background, and I think that’s the sweet spot for me.
There’s something really motivating about seeing money build up when you haven’t had to think too hard about it. It’s not life-changing money overnight, but it is proof that little habits do make a difference.
And I think that’s the bit I’d say to anyone who feels like saving isn’t worth it because they can’t put away huge amounts. Tiny amounts still count. A few pounds here, a round-up there, a little payday deposit once a month — it all adds up eventually.
Plum’s refer-a-friend scheme
Another reason I wanted to write about Plum is because they have a refer-a-friend scheme, and it’s actually a decent one if you already use and like the app so once you do download the app and realise that it’s working as well for you as it does for me, you can start recommending it to your friends and add to your savings that way.
The exact offer can change (it’s £15 per referral right now), so it’s always worth checking the details in the app before signing up or sharing your link. Usually, the referral details, reward amount, steps and expiry date are shown in the Referrals or Earn section of the app, so you can see exactly what you need to do.
The important thing is that your friend needs to sign up using your unique referral link, otherwise the referral usually won’t track. They also need to complete whatever action Plum asks for in the current campaign, which might be something like making a deposit, setting up the app properly or joining a certain plan, depending on the offer running at the time.
For me, this is exactly the kind of referral scheme I like sharing because I’m already using the app myself. I don’t like recommending things just for the sake of a bonus, but when it’s something I genuinely use and think other people might find helpful too, then I’m happy to share it.
If you fancy trying Plum, you can use my referral link here:
Just make sure you check the current offer details when you sign up, because referral rewards and requirements can change.
Is Plum worth trying?
I think Plum is worth trying if you want to start saving in small amounts, feel a bit more in control of your money or try investing without it feeling too scary. It’s not magic, and you do still need to keep an eye on fees, settings and what you’re signing up to, but I’ve found it really useful for making my money feel a bit more organised.
I’d especially recommend looking at the settings properly rather than just switching everything on and hoping for the best. What works for one person might not work for someone else, and I think the best thing about Plum is that you can make it fit around your own money habits.
For me, that means predictable little savings rules, round-ups, a bit of payday saving, a very silly sunny day rule, and a tiny investment pot that makes me feel like I know what I’m doing even when I absolutely do not.
Plum hasn’t transformed my finances overnight, but it has made saving and investing feel easier, less intimidating and a bit more fun. And anything that makes money feel less stressful is a win in my book. 😀
I’d love you follow me on Twitter and it would be amazing to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉 Do your future self a favour – Pin this post for later.
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