November 17, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Monzo Investments Review UK 2026: Honest Verdict for Beginners

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is my own experience. I've invested in Monzo's Adventurous fund since November 2025, paying in £50 a month, with round-ups and my savings interest topping it up on the side.

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are my own and do not constitute professional advice.

Cool Factor: 4/5 Stone cold

This Monzo Investments review is based on real money I've had invested since late 2025, not a quick five-minute demo. I wanted to invest without downloading five apps, reading 19 Reddit threads, and accidentally becoming a part-time day trader. Monzo Investments keeps things simple on purpose. You pick a risk level, deposit from as little as £1, and let BlackRock-managed funds do the heavy lifting. No stock picking. No fiddling. No "should I buy Nvidia" spiral at 1am. And with the recent launch of Build Your Own portfolios, there's now more choice than ever without losing that trademark Monzo simplicity.

Before you read on: 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 not financial advice.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Want the Monzo current-account bonus?

There's no live Monzo Investments referral, but you need a current account to invest anyway, and that one does have a working offer (randomly £5 to £50, most people around £10). The latest terms are on our referral page.

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November 16, 2025Comments are off for this post.

TaxFix vs GoSimpleTax UK 2026: Which Tax Tool Wins?

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

If you need to file a Self Assessment tax return in the UK, the TaxFix vs GoSimpleTax question keeps coming up. Both promise to make tax season less painful, yet they work in completely different ways. One hands everything to a qualified accountant. The other gives you smart software and lets you do it yourself. So which one actually deserves your money? We have broken both down side by side to help you decide.

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.

Leaning towards TaxFix?

Our referral page tracks the current new-customer discount and exactly how to claim it.

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November 16, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Eero Mesh WiFi Review UK: Is It Worth It?

Last updated: 24 March 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 – Stone cold

I used to dread working from home whenever my partner jumped on a video call. Our old router would buckle, the bedroom WiFi would vanish, and streaming anything in 4K was a fantasy. Then I installed an eero mesh WiFi system and everything changed overnight. This eero mesh WiFi review covers exactly what happened, which model suits which household, and whether it deserves the hype in 2026.

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November 14, 2025Comments are off for this post.

How to Start Investing UK: A Beginner’s Guide for 2026

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

Your savings account probably gives you a forgettable return while inflation slowly chews up the value of your cash. Plenty of us know we should look at the alternatives, yet investing can feel like a locked club where you need a pinstripe suit and a secret handshake to get past the door. So, this guide on how to start investing UK-side is here to demystify it.

In this post, we will walk through the difference between saving and investing, explain what a Stocks and Shares ISA actually does, share what has worked for us starting with small amounts, and look at beginner-friendly apps including Freetrade, Lightyear, Robinhood UK, Monzo Investments and J.P. Morgan Personal Investing. So, let us get into it.

Important: This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice or a personal recommendation. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. 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.

Capital at risk. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

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November 11, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Wype Review UK – Is This Wet Wipe Alternative Worth It?

Last updated: 24 March 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 — Stone cold

If you've been thinking about ditching wet wipes but don't fancy the hassle of reusable cloths, this Wype review is for you. Wype is a UK-made gel that turns ordinary toilet paper into a moist, fresh wipe — no plastic, no fatbergs, no guilt. With a UK-wide ban on plastic wet wipes now confirmed (Wales from December 2026, England from May 2027), the timing for a switch has never been better. So is Wype actually worth it? We've been testing it to find out.

Want the latest Wype offer?

Current pricing and any starter-kit discount are kept up to date on our Wype page.

See the latest Wype offer

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November 8, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Affinity by Canva Review: Is the New Free Creative App Actually That Good?

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

Affinity by Canva is Canva’s new all-in-one creative app that combines what used to be Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher into a single, totally free program in this review we cover off everything from it's features to how it compares to Adobe's staples. It is aimed at people who want Adobe-level tools without paying a monthly subscription and it currently runs on Mac and Windows, with iPad on the way. Canva says this version is free forever and can export straight to Canva, which is a big shift from the old paid Affinity model.  

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November 4, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Winter Energy Saving Tips: Cut Your Heating Bills and Stay Warm

Last updated: 9 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.

When the temperature drops, energy bills tend to climb. However, a few smart moves can make a real difference. These winter energy saving tips cover everything from quick wins around the house to switching your energy supplier, so you can stay warm without spending more than you need to.

Whether you rent or own, most of these changes cost little or nothing. Some could save you hundreds of pounds over the colder months.

Want credit for switching supplier?

The current Octopus switching credit and eligibility rules are kept up to date on our referral page.

See the Octopus switch offer

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November 2, 2025Comments are off for this post.

TrainPal Review UK: Split Tickets, PalPoints and Real Savings

Last updated: 24 March 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 — Stone cold

Welcome to our honest TrainPal review, where we put the app through its paces to find out whether it genuinely saves you money on UK train travel. After months of booking tickets, testing split fares, claiming Delay Repay refunds and earning PalPoints, we're sharing everything we've learned. On top of that, you can get up to £11 off your first ticket using our invite code 57807b9c.

Want up to £11 off your first ticket?

Use our TrainPal invite link with code 57807b9c, and the discount applies automatically to your first booking.

Get up to £11 off your first ticket

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November 1, 2025Comments are off for this post.

Back Market Review UK: Honest Verdict on Refurbished Tech

Last updated: 24 March 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 — Stone cold

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5 — Stone cold

This Back Market review UK is based on our own purchases (one Apple, one Android), months of real-world use, and a deep look at what thousands of other UK buyers are saying in 2026. We cover what works, what falls short, and whether refurbished tech from Back Market is genuinely worth your money. For a factual overview of the service, head to our Back Market service guide. If you want a discount code, check our Back Market discount code page.

Want a Back Market discount?

Our Back Market discount code page has the current code and referral link for money off a refurbished device.

Get a Back Market discount code

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October 25, 2025Comments are off for this post.

ManyPets Review UK: Is It Worth It? (Honest 2026 Opinion)

Last updated: 9 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

This ManyPets review is our honest take on one of the UK's most popular pet insurers. We've looked closely at the plans, pricing, claims record, and small print to help you decide whether ManyPets is actually worth your money. Spoiler: it's very good, but it's not without a few catches you should know about before signing up.

Want the ManyPets sign-up perk?

Our ManyPets discount code page has the current referral link, which gets you a free Amazon voucher when you take out a new policy.

Get the ManyPets discount code

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