Three ways I’m putting money aside for ‘fun’ stuff this year!

At the start of this year, I had big plans to share my money goals early on. I wanted to be organised, intentional, and very much on it from January.

But real life had other ideas.

I haven’t been very well, and a lot of my energy has gone into just getting through the days rather than writing about plans and intentions. So this post didn’t happen when I thought it would. What has been happening, though, is the quiet work in the background.

Even when I haven’t been sharing much, I’ve still been focusing on our finances in small, manageable ways. Nothing dramatic or world changing and that’s what I wanted to share with you today. 

Better late than never!

This year feels like a big one for us. We’re in the middle of moving house, trying to keep life ticking along as normally as possible, and still wanting to have things to look forward to — especially travel which is very important to me. 

Because of that, I didn’t want 2026 to be about strict budgets or constantly telling myself “no”. I wanted savings habits that felt realistic, kind, and sustainable. Things that work quietly in the background without needing loads of effort or willpower.

Over time, I’ve learned that if saving feels too complicated or means giving up too much, I won’t stick to it. So this year, I’m focusing on small, consistent things that add up without making everyday life harder.

These are the three ways I’m saving money in 2026….

Using the round-up feature with my bank!

The first one is using the round-up feature with Starling Bank. Every time I spend on my card, Starling rounds the amount up to the nearest pound, doubles it and moves the extra change into a savings pot. I’ve set that pot up specifically for travel.

So if I spend £2.60, 80p goes straight into the holiday pot without me having to think about it. It doesn’t feel like saving at all, but it really does add up over time.

On top of that, I also transfer £50 into the same holiday pot every payday. That’s my regular contribution, and the round-ups are just a little extra on top. I like that I don’t feel the extra money leaving my account so it just builds up quietly with no effort needed from me. 

Using Plum to save!

The second thing I’m using is Plum, which is an app that helps you put small amounts of money aside automatically based on simple rules you choose. I’ve used it before but I stopped a few years ago and forgot all about it until Miss Frugal showed me how much she had saved up in her Plum account. She was over the moon that she had enough in there to pay for her spending money when she went away in January.

I downloaded it again at the start of the year and have been using it for the last few months – I’m only using the free version and it’s perfect for what I need it for. Plum is my grown up savings account for things other than travel. There’s a few bits and bobs that I know we’re going to need when we move house so these savings will go towards that. 

I tried the automatic saving feature at first, but it was a bit too enthusiastic for me with the amounts that it wanted to take from my bank account, so I turned that option off and set it up in a way that feels much more manageable for me.

At the moment, Plum saves £3 every week, £20 on payday, £2 on days when I don’t spend any money, and £1 on sunny days. None of those amounts feel big, which is exactly why it works for me.

Some weeks more goes in, some weeks less, and that’s fine. I don’t really notice the money leaving my account, but I do notice it building up over time, which is the bit that matters.

If you decide to sign up yourself with Plum then please feel free to use my refer a friend link. 😁

Saving the extra bits of money I get!

The third way I’m saving this year is by using money I wouldn’t normally count as part of my everyday budget.

I use TopCashBack whenever I can, and any cashback I earn goes straight into our holiday savings pot. Because it’s money I wasn’t relying on in the first place, I don’t miss it when it goes.

I do the same with anything I sell on Vinted. If I sell clothes or bits we’re no longer using, that money goes straight into savings as well. I like the idea of turning clutter into something positive, especially when we’re in the middle of moving house and trying to simplify a bit.

None of these amounts are huge on their own, but together they really do add up.

Alongside all of this, I also save through a work sharesave scheme, which comes straight out of my wages before I even see it. I don’t think about that one much day to day, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there quietly doing its thing in the background.

As we move through this year — with boxes to pack and then unpack, plans to make, and trips to look forward to — I’m reminding myself that progress doesn’t have to be huge and impactful for it to make a difference.

Even when I’ve been unwell, even when I haven’t shared everything online, these small habits have been carrying on in the background. They’re helping us move forward, one step at a time, towards a new home and new memories.

And right now, that feels exactly right.

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.