Top budgeting tips for January and beyond

January 9, 2023

So, the festive period is boxed away and we’re embarking on another year. There’s lots of bad we could talk about, but here at Monese we’re using the reset as a chance to get wise with our money management. Let’s make this year’s goals a reality, whether it’s saving for something special or finally feeling confident with our finances, we’ll get there by kicking off the year with #dryspendjan.

Buddy up with your budget

Our budgeting feature is your new best friend. If you don’t get your Monese salary paid into your account (find out how to do that here!), then deduct all your direct debits and known outgoings before moving the rest to your Monese account. Now you’ve got your disposable income and you can set a budget on each spending category with live transaction alerts.

We let you know when you’re at 80% of your budget, as well as a notification for when you’ve overspent, so you’ll know for sure that unfortunately buying lunch out multiple days this week is not viable at this moment in time…At the end of January, you’ll see your spending habits and can adjust your budget accordingly for Feb.

Believe second(hand) is the best

Don’t just think of charity shops for clothes - although a great place to start if you’ve realised a raincoat should have been on the Christmas list! If you need to buy presents this month, they’re brilliant treasure troves to discover homeware or vintage books and records. A unique gift for someone else that saves you money, donates to charity and avoids buying new -what’s not to love?

Consider holding a clothes swap party with friends too. It clears those unworn and unloved clothes in return for clothing that’s new to you, without relying on the fast fashion cycle.

Food for less

Shake up the way you food shop. Maybe not the sentence ending you were expecting, but just making a couple of changes could help you keep spending to a minimum. Plan your meals using online recipes, stick to a shopping list and don’t turn your nose up at the reduced section. Make a cheat code for yourself by buying easy meals to make when you can feel the takeaway temptation beckoning.

Top the Pots

Hopefully you’re already using our Pots feature as it’s an easy way to save by rounding-up transactions and keeping your savings right where you can see them. Hold a (friendly!) saving competition with someone else that’s on Monese and see who can reach £100 first. Not invited anyone yet? Get a referral bonus of up to £30 for each friend you invite using your link under the Invite tab on your app.

Kiss social media ads goodbye

Social media seems to know exactly when you are most vulnerable to bombard you with targeted ads. Like we suggested in our post Covid spending control blog, hit the ‘x’ on ads as much as possible. Not only will it help against impulse spending (no, you do not need an electric pencil sharpener), but it also protects against purchase scams which are on the rise.

Step up

For the less active amongst us, another 2-4-1 is more moving and less spending on small transport trips by making the most of walkable journeys wherever possible. You could download an exercise tracker -if you don’t have one already -and see how the little choices can add towards your activity for the day. If you've just joined a gym or want to start a new hobby, how about popping a pound in a Pot every time you go? Reward your motivation and grow your savings too!

Lay foundations

If being more financially savvy is on the vision board for 2023, this one’s for you. We’ve lowered our Credit Builder to only £2.50 a month, less than a cup of coffee. You choose the amount you can afford to put away each month, and using it for a year could give you a glowing credit score which equals better deals on credit cards, payment plans and even mortgages. Building a better life can start here!

The final tip is to make sure to keep one treat that you know is good for you -body, mind or soul. If that’s your gym membership, a meal at your fave pasta restaurant, or an extra large coffee on a Monday then keep it! This month it’s just about thinking before we buy, keeping spending at a minimum, and making the most of things that don’t cost the world.

Got another tip to share with the community? Share with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or write to us at community@monese.com. We’ll post our favourite ones!

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Company

Finding the right Monese plan for you

Some of our plans are getting a tune up - here’s all you need to know

If your plan is impacted by this change, you can find more information below. For a full rundown of our terms, please click here.

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At Monese, we are committed to delivering the best possible banking alternative, so that anyone across the UK and Europe can better manage their money, digitally.

So, we’re making improvements to our plans to better tailor them to our customers' everyday needs. These changes will include updates to transfer limits, adjustments to fees, and tweaks to our free plan.

As a part of this, we are enhancing our Classic plan to include our new Cashback offering. We are also introducing a new plan called Everyday, designed for those on our free plan who are looking to start using their Monese card more often. All our plans have a bunch of great ways to spend, send, and save your money - with options tailored for every need.

With these updates, we are confident that everyone will be able to find a plan that is right for them, and help them build a brighter financial future.

Read more below for some of our most commonly asked questions, and a full schedule of changes at the bottom.

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What are the main changes?

Monese plans now have four tiers: Pay As You Go, Everyday, Cashback, and Premium, so that you can find the right plan for your needs.

For our current Simple users, the main update is just a simple name change, and slight updates to domestic transfer fees. We’re also making virtual cards free on all plans so that you can connect your account to your Apple or Google Wallet.

For Classic users, you will start to see us refer to your plan as Cashback. We also have an exciting new way to help you save. You can read more below on changes to your particular plan.

We are also introducing a new tier, Everyday, designed for those using their Monese card regularly, rather than occasionally.

This means that there are more options for more people using Monese around the world.

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Why are we making these changes?
We’re all about making sure we deliver the best tools for you to manage your money, and based on how people are using Monese currently, we noticed that we needed to create some new options for our customers.

It’s especially important that we provide an Everyday plan for customers who feel that £7.95 per month is a bit of a stretch, but want to start using Monese more regularly.

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What is a Pay As You Go plan?

Pay As You Go does what it says on the tin. Previously known as the Simple plan, our Pay As You Go plan allows you to access Monese without a monthly fee. This allows customers starting out on Monese to get familiar with the app, and only pay for what they use. This plan is perfect for someone using their Monese card sporadically, or looking to explore their options in the app.

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What is included in the Everyday plan?

Our new Everyday plan has everything you need to get you started on your journey to a brighter financial future with Monese. This plan is designed to be a low cost, low commitment option for those looking to save on transfer limits, deposit fees and virtual cards - perfect for those always on the go. Everyday will also include Partner Cashback.

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What is the Cashback plan and why has my Classic plan changed?

For our Classic users, there won’t be a huge amount of change, aside from the inclusion of Cashback, a new way to earn as you spend every month, among other changes to:

FX and international transfer fees
Free transfer out limits
Cash top up limits

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You can read more in our schedule of changes below.

Plus, with Enhanced Cashback, you can earn up to £2.50 per month on your everyday spend. This is on top of being able to access our regular partner Cashback.

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Will my Premium plan be changing?

For our current Premium plan users, nothing is changing. This is still the best plan for those using Monese as their primary account.

See below for the full details of what is changing in every plan

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Pay As You Go (previously Simple)

Monthly domestic transfers out (limit): Previously £1 per transfer, Now £1.29 per transfer

Debit Card Top Up Fee (%): Previously 1%, Now 2%

Card spend Abroad FX (%): Previously 2%, Now 3%

Virtual card order fee: Previously £0.30, Now Free

Physical card order fee: £4.95, now free with your first £100 deposit

No other changes

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Cashback (previously Classic)

Free monthly domestic transfers out (limit): Previously 100, Now 10, £1 after

Debit card top up fee (%): Previously free, now 1%

Cash top up fee (%): Previously £400 free, now £100 free, 3% after

ATM out fee (%): Previously £500 free, now £300 free, 2% after

No other changes

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Premium

No changes for existing customers

First physical card order fee: previously free, now £4.95

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Security

Cyber Monday: Things to remember

Cyber Monday has arrived! And it is, as ever, a veritable behemoth of a worldwide sales event, bristling with bargains and a dizzying array of offers, all at low, low prices. It’s all too easy however to get a little disorientated by the mass-induced shopping frenzy, and perhaps a little careless in our singular pursuit of that must-have item we've seen online. This means we can often overlook, or ignore, the warning signs that what we're buying, and where we’re buying from, might not be all it seems.

With this in mind, we thought it would be helpful to list a few tips and tricks – as provided by our Fraud Team – that should help keep you stay safe during the Cyber Monday excess, and help keep your money protected from any dodgy deals. One smart way to stay protected while shopping online is to keep your device optimized and free from security vulnerabilities. Using a tool like CleanMyMac can help by removing junk files, clearing malicious threats, and ensuring your system runs smoothly while you browse. A cluttered or sluggish computer can slow you down and even make you more susceptible to scams, so giving your Mac a quick cleanup before diving into Cyber Monday deals is a simple but effective safety measure.

Lock down the URL

When inputting sensitive information, especially financial information on a purchasing page, make sure the URL starts with ‘https’. The ‘S’ means it’s secure.

Avoid bank transfer buying

Try to use trusted payment sources only. Professional merchants usually will have websites that support a variety of payment options. Fraudsters tend to prefer bank transfers.

Watch out for those ‘hidden’ subscription traps

Have you ever looked at your account to see a recurring charge that you didn't expect and didn't order? A subscription trap occurs when you're purchasing online and you're tricked into buying additional products or services that you don’t need. Many have been stung by these types of subscription traps. Over the coming days, check your balance very closely!

Protect your most valuable asset, your data

When making purchases online, think twice if you’re asked for additional personal and sensitive data. Are you being asked for ID, passport or driving licence numbers? Or even National Insurance numbers? These details are irrelevant to your purchase. Your identity could end up getting ‘stolen’ and used to commit unscrupulous things.

Beware fake “IT Support”

Some scammers can give the impression that the website you’re visiting has ‘frozen’ and urge you to call a support team to fix it. During the phone call, these scammers can masquerade as major computer companies and persuade you into believing that your computer is riddled with viruses. In reality it is not, and you’ve passed over sensitive information unnecessarily.

Buy from trusted sites only

Buying from third-party sellers, including some social media stores, offers no refund policies and are a haven for fraudsters looking to steal your money.

By keeping sight of these basic rules of engagement, there’s no reason why your Cyber Monday shopping bonanza – even if you’re just hunting for a great deal on a new phone – shouldn’t be an easy, secure and rewarding pre-Christmas indulgence.

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Features

Introducing the new unlimited Monese Premium plan

We’re dedicated to providing next-generation financial services to everyone, which is why we offer a range of account options - to suit the various needs of our customers.

First and foremost, we cater to those who simply need a free, fully operational Monese account - one that offers all the essential features you’d expect of a standard bank account. Some of our customers, however, are more active than others, which is why our fixed-fee Plus plan is often a better choice - offering lower rates on currency conversions and cash top-ups.

Unmetered money management is cleared for launch

Now we’re introducing the unlimited Premium plan! Designed with the most heavy-duty Monesers in mind, we’re offering them this fantastic opportunity to enjoy the removal of all transactional fees of all kinds, providing a truly exceptional and frictionless mobile money management experience. For a fixed transparent monthly fee, we’re proud to offer Monese Premium - capping the cost of a completely unmetered financial service. Money management simply doesn’t get any better than this!

A fixed fee that’s simple and fair

The flat fee of £/€ 14.95 a month will allow for genuinely unlimited money management, offering you as many free ATM cash withdrawals as you like. You’ll also enjoy free foreign currency exchange at the wholesale rate, free cash top-ups and free instant card top-ups. You’ll also get a second account (either UK account or Euro IBAN, depending on your first account) and card at zero extra cost.

Make savings with every transaction

We can confidently recommend Monese Premium as the best personal finance solution for those who travel frequently - whether it’s for business or pleasure. If you’re travelling for 3 months around the globe, or spending two weeks on holiday with the family, there’s no reason to worry about restrictions on withdrawals or charges on exchange rates. Everything is included in the cost - making for a money management experience that is completely unlimited.

Compared to our own Starter plan you can expect to make considerable savings on cash top-ups (£10 on a £500 Post Office top-up). You can also expect to rack up significant savings if you’re making regular international money transfers on a frequent basis - these could be potentially huge savings when compared to many high street banks.

No strings, no hidden fees

Monese Premium comes with no strings attached - if you don’t use it for an entire month (and don’t have any money in it), you won’t even be charged the monthly fee and there are no penalties. And you can always downgrade your plan whenever you like, without having to commit for a minimum term.

In the Monese Premium plan, we believe we’re offering something truly unparalleled, that champions our core ideals and our dedication to providing the very best service at the lowest possible prices. Whatever pricing plan you’re on, we’ll always present our costs of service in way that is completely transparent and ethical - and this latest addition is no exception.

To compare our all of our plans, you can have a look at our pricing page here.

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