Money saving Archives - Page 3 of 3

March 22, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Easiest Mortgage Broker UK: 4 Brokers Compared (2026)

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

For context: I hold a Nationwide mortgage myself and have put £100 a month through Sprive since October 2021, so the broker notes below sit on more than four years of hands-on mortgage admin.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Want the Better.co.uk voucher offer?

The £100 Amazon voucher offer from Better.co.uk featured below, and the steps to claim it, live on our refer-a-friend page.

Get the Better.co.uk offer

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

CoolCuration is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide financial advice. The information below is for general informational purposes only. Always seek advice from an FCA-regulated broker or adviser before making mortgage decisions.

Trying to find the easiest mortgage broker in the UK? I used four different brokers for quotes on the same remortgage and compared them purely on how painless the process was. Spoiler: the rates that came back were almost identical. So if the deals are basically the same, the only thing that really matters is how much of your life gets eaten up by the process. That's even more true right now, as UK mortgage rates have climbed sharply following the Middle East conflict and lenders are repricing fast.

Here's how Habito, Better.co.uk, Sprive and Charles Cameron & Associates stacked up, ranked from smoothest to most old-school.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Money, Money saving, Personal finance, Services

Tags: Better.co.uk, Charles Cameron, ease of use, first-time buyer, Habito, mortgage, mortgage broker, remortgage, Sprive

March 19, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

TrainPal vs Trainline: Which Train App Saves More? (2026)

Last updated: 22 August 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

If you're booking train tickets in the UK, there's a good chance you've used Trainline. It's been around since 1997, and it's the name most people reach for first. But over the past few years, TrainPal vs Trainline has become a genuine debate. That's especially true for anyone who wants zero booking fees and automatic split ticketing. So which app actually saves you more money? We've compared the two side by side to help you decide.

Want money off your first TrainPal trip?

TrainPal books UK trains with zero booking fees, and our referral page keeps the current new-user offer up to date.

Get money off TrainPal

Published by Stiv in Apps, Commuter, Discount, Finance, Money saving, Reviews, Saving, Services, Travel lover, UK Deals

Tags: cheap train tickets, cheap train tickets UK, digital railcard, digital railcard UK, monzo, Monzo railcard, railcard, split ticketing, train apps uk, train booking apps UK, Trainline, Trainline alternatives, TrainPal, TrainPal vs Trainline, travel apps uk, UK trains

December 31, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Referral Offers UK 2026: £400+ in Rewards (Stacking Guide)

UK Referral Offers2026 Edit

The best referral offers UK, stacked in the right order

Last updated: 22 August 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I have been stacking UK referral offers for over four years, including using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021. So this guide reflects what has actually landed in my own accounts, not a list lifted from a press release.

Want to know what the best referral offers UK providers are handing out in 2026? Most people grab one sign-up bonus, forget the rest, and leave easy money on the table. This guide works differently, because it is a practical stacking plan you can complete in an afternoon.

Every offer below sits in a clear category, so you always know what to tackle first. Moreover, I have re-checked each one against the provider's own live terms this month and pulled anything that has ended. Done sensibly, and if you qualify, the cash and credit here adds up to more than £400. On top of that, the cashback layers keep paying long after setup.

Affiliate note: This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Not financial advice: nothing here is financial advice. Capital at risk applies to every investing offer, because the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Offers, values and terms change often, so always check the provider's current terms before you sign up.

Start with the biggest single win

If you only do one thing this week, switch to Octopus Energy. It pays real bill credit, there are no shares to sell and there is no lock-in.

Switch to Octopus Energy

Published by Stiv in Discount, Finance, Money, Money saving, Referral Guides, Saving, Services, UK Deals

Tags: 2026, bank bonuses 2026, cashback, cashback deals, energy switching, free money UK, free shares, investment bonuses, money saving, referral codes UK, referral offers, referrals, sign up bonuses, sign-up bonuses, uk fintech

October 29, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

Amazon UK Cashback Hack: Turn Spending Into Mortgage Savings

Last updated: 8 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Rates and terms can change; always check the provider's current terms before acting. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

If you want to squeeze more value out of every Amazon UK order, this Amazon UK cashback method is worth knowing about. The idea is simple: instead of buying directly from Amazon, you buy Amazon gift cards through the Sprive app, earn cashback on each card, and then funnel that cashback straight into your mortgage. Over time, those small percentages quietly chip away at your balance and interest. Combine it with a spending tracker like Emma to see exactly where your money goes, and you have a system that turns routine shopping into purposeful saving.

This is not financial advice. Always check your mortgage terms before making overpayments.

Want the Sprive sign-up bonus?

The whole method runs on Sprive, so it is the one to set up first. The current welcome offer and the steps to claim it are kept up to date on our referral page.

Get the Sprive referral bonus

Published by Stiv in Cashback, Finance, Money saving, Mortgage, Saving

Tags: amazon cashback hack, amazon gift card cashback, amazon savings uk, amazon uk cashback, amazon uk discount, cashback apps UK, cashback mortgage hack, cool curation, emma app, money saving tips uk, mortgage overpayment, Sprive app, uk homeowners finance

September 28, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

Save Thousands on Your Mortgage UK: Practical Tips That Work (2026)

Last updated: 16 August 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I've had a Nationwide mortgage since 2021 and have been making regular overpayments using Sprive and manual standing orders throughout that time. These are approaches I use myself.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Not financial advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article is for information only. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Consider consulting a qualified mortgage adviser before making changes to your repayment plan.

Start with a sign-up bonus

If the automated overpayment route appeals, the current Sprive welcome offer and the claim steps sit on our referral page.

Get the Sprive bonus

If you want to save thousands on your mortgage, the quickest wins come from cutting the cost of the loan itself. That is what this guide covers: getting off an expensive rate, timing your remortgage properly, trimming the term when you can afford to, and plugging the everyday leaks that quietly fund it all. If your goal is clearing the mortgage sooner rather than paying less for it, our guide to paying off your mortgage faster is the speed version of this page, and our overpayment savings page puts real numbers on either plan.

Serious about a cheaper mortgage? The tips are below. For everything we have written on Sprive, the app we use to overpay, see our Sprive guides hub.

Published by Stiv in Apps, Finance, Money saving, Personal finance, Saving, Services

Tags: best mortgage apps UK, cashback towards mortgage, mortgage comparison tools, mortgage interest savings, mortgage overpayment calculator, mortgage savings, mortgage savings UK, mortgage tips UK, overpayment mortgage UK, pay off mortgage early, save thousands on your mortgage, Sprive app

September 11, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

SMARTY Review UK: Is It Worth Switching in 2026?

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Cool Factor: 4/5

If you have been hunting for a cheap, flexible SIM-only deal in the UK, chances are SMARTY has popped up on your radar. In this SMARTY review we put the network through its paces, covering plans, pricing, coverage, the referral scheme and everything in between, to help you decide whether it is genuinely worth the switch in 2026.

Want the SMARTY referral reward?

Both you and your friend can earn up to £20 each, and the current refer-a-friend terms are kept up to date on our referral page.

Get the SMARTY referral reward

Published by Stiv in Money saving, Reviews, Saving, Services, Technology lover, UK Made

Tags: budget mobile network, SIM only deals UK, SMARTY mobile, smarty mobile reviews, smarty network coverage, SMARTY plans, smarty pros and cons, smarty reddit, SMARTY review, smarty reviews, smarty sim review, smarty trustpilot, smarty uk mobile, Three network MVNO

January 1, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster (UK): 7 Moves That Save Thousands

Last updated: 16 August 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is the strategy I follow myself. I've been overpaying my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, using a combination of Sprive's auto-save feature and tracking the impact over time. This is based on over four years of real use.

If you want to pay off your mortgage faster in the UK, you don't need extreme budgeting or a "one weird trick". You need a clear plan that focuses on the biggest levers: interest rate, consistency, and avoiding fees. This page is the master strategy guide. It shows you what to do, in what order, and what to check so you don't accidentally trigger Early Repayment Charges.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view. This is information, not financial advice, and CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Grab the Sprive welcome bonus

If Sprive ends up being part of your plan, the latest sign-up offer and how to claim it live on our referral page.

See the current Sprive offer

Published by Stiv in Discount, Finance, Money saving, Personal finance, Saving, Services

Tags: cashback apps UK, compound interest savings, home finance UK, how to pay off mortgage faster, mortgage calculator, mortgage overpayments, mortgage repayment, pay off mortgage faster, Sprive app, Sprive review, UK mortgage tips