pay off mortgage faster Archives

May 22, 2026 — No Comments

We’re Paying Off Our Mortgage with Our Food Shop Cashback. Here’s How.

Last updated: 21 May 2026

Can grocery cashback from your weekly food shop pay off your mortgage? Not entirely, no. But we've been routing our regular shop through Sprive's cashback feature for over a year, and the numbers are starting to look genuinely interesting. A percentage of every Tesco and Sainsbury's shop now goes directly off our mortgage balance. We didn't change what we buy. We didn't change where we shop. We just changed how we pay, and our mortgage is shrinking faster because of it.

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making £100 monthly overpayments through the app. The cashback feature has been running alongside this for over a year. This post is based on real use and real numbers.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. Cashback rates, retailer availability, and mortgage terms can change. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. We have a referral partnership with Sprive. Our experience and opinions are independent.

Published by Stiv in Cashback, Finance, Saving

Tags: cashback on groceries, food shop cashback, grocery cashback pay off mortgage, JamDoughnut, mortgage overpayment, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance uk, Sprive app, Sprive cashback, supermarket cashback UK, TopCashback

April 1, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Mortgage Overpayment Apps UK: Tested and Compared (2026)

Last updated: 29 March 2026

Looking for the best mortgage overpayment apps in the UK? Whether you want an app that automates everything, a savings tool that builds your overpayment pot, or a budgeting app that finds spare cash you didn't know you had, there are more options in 2026 than ever. We've tested and compared the main contenders so you can pick the right one for how you actually manage money.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Mortgage, Saving, Services

Tags: best mortgage apps UK, cashback apps UK, Chip, chip app, Emma, mortgage apps UK, mortgage overpayment, mortgage overpayment apps UK, mortgage overpayments, Open Banking, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance uk, Plum, Plum app, savings apps, Sprive, Sprive app

March 17, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Overpay Mortgage or Invest? UK Guide to the Right Call (2026)

Last updated: 10 May 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

We faced this decision ourselves. Since October 2021 we've chosen to overpay our mortgage consistently, totalling £3,294.55 through Sprive alone, including cashback from weekly shops. This guide covers how we thought through the trade-off and what we'd suggest considering.

Should you overpay your mortgage or invest the spare cash instead? It's one of the biggest personal finance questions UK homeowners face right now, and the answer isn't as obvious as either side would have you believe. With the Bank of England base rate at 3.75%, average fixed mortgage rates above 5%, and top savings accounts paying around 4.75%, the maths is closer than it has been in years. This guide walks through the key factors, the trade-offs, and a practical framework to help you decide what makes sense for your situation. Our free mortgage overpayment calculator now also has a compare-to-savings toggle, so you can run both sides of one of those scenarios in seconds.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Investing, Mortgage, Saving

Tags: FTSE 100, investing vs mortgage, mortgage interest, mortgage overpayment, overpay mortgage or invest, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance uk, savings rates UK, Sprive, stocks and shares isa

March 5, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Sprive vs Manual Overpaying: Which Method Pays Your Mortgage Off Faster?

Last updated: 29 March 2026

If you're trying to pay your mortgage off faster, you've got two realistic routes: use an app like Sprive to automate overpayments, or just do it yourself with a standing order. This guide compares Sprive vs manual overpaying honestly. It's not here to sell you on either option. It's here to help you pick the approach you'll actually stick with, because consistency is what moves the numbers.

Published by Stiv in Reviews, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: mortgage overpayments, mortgage savings, Open Banking, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance, personal finance uk, remortgaging, Sprive, Sprive app, Sprive vs manual overpaying, UK mortgages

February 8, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Sprive Mortgage App Review UK: Honest Verdict After 4 Years (2026)

Last updated: 19 April 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.

I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, making £100 monthly overpayments through the app's auto-save feature. In that time I've overpaid a total of £3,294.55, including cashback from Shop with Sprive on our weekly shops. This review is based on over four years of real, daily use.

If you're looking for a realistic way to make progress on your mortgage without committing to rigid overpayments, the Sprive mortgage app is one of the better-known tools in the UK. This Sprive mortgage app review focuses on what actually matters: how it works in day-to-day use, who it's good for, and where it falls short. It's not a sales pitch, and it's not a deep dive into regulation or bonuses. If you're mainly concerned about security and FCA regulation, we cover that separately: Is Sprive safe?

Cool Factor

★★★★☆

4 out of 5

Published by Stiv in Discount, Saving, Services

Tags: cashback apps, cashback apps UK, home finance UK, mortgage app, mortgage overpayments, Open Banking, pay off mortgage, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance tools, Sprive, Sprive app, Sprive mortgage app review, Sprive review, UK finance apps

February 5, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Is Sprive Safe? UK Security, FCA Status and Your Money (2026)

Last updated: 19 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I've had Sprive connected to my Nationwide bank account and mortgage since October 2021. Everything in this guide is informed by over four years of using the app with my own money.

Connecting a new app to your bank account and mortgage feels risky. I had the same reaction the first time I looked at Sprive: "wait, you want access to my bank so you can pay off my mortgage faster?" It sounded clever but also slightly terrifying. So before trusting it with my own accounts, I did a proper deep-dive into whether Sprive is safe, covering everything from FCA regulation and Open Banking security to how your money is actually held. Here's what I found.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Reviews, Saving, Services

Tags: best mortgage apps UK, How does Sprive make money, How does Sprive work, Is Sprive legit, Is Sprive safe, mortgage overpayment app, Open Banking apps UK, pay off mortgage faster, Sprive app, Sprive app review UK, Sprive cashback, Sprive FCA, sprive referral code, Sprive review, Sprive vs standing order, UK fintech review

October 8, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

How the Sprive App Works: Step-by-Step UK Guide (2026)

Last updated: 19 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I've been using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021. This guide is based on the actual setup process and over four years of daily use.

If you're trying to figure out how the Sprive app works, you're probably weighing up whether it's worth the setup effort or whether you'll download it and never open it again. This guide covers the mechanics only: what you do in the app, what happens next, and what to check so you don't accidentally trip over your lender's overpayment rules.

Published by Stiv in Finance, Personal finance, Saving, Services

Tags: cashback apps, cool curation, finance app, how Sprive app works, mortgage helper, mortgage overpayment, mortgage saving, Open Banking apps UK, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance uk, referral app, smart money apps, Sprive app, uk money tools

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

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

Last updated: 19 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This is the strategy we follow ourselves. We've been overpaying our Nationwide mortgage since 2020, using a combination of Sprive's auto-save feature and the Monzo overpayment calculator to track the impact.

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.

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

April 4, 2024 — Comments are off for this post.

Is Sprive Any Good? Honest UK Verdict for Homeowners

Last updated: 22 March 2026

Is Sprive any good? That is the question most UK homeowners land on after hearing about the mortgage overpayment app for the first time. You have probably seen it on Dragons' Den, spotted it on Trustpilot, or had a friend mention it over a pint. The short answer: for most people with a mortgage who want to overpay but struggle to stay consistent, yes, Sprive is genuinely good. It is not magic, it is not going to halve your mortgage overnight, and it is not for everyone. But after using it for several months, I think it earns its place on your phone. Here is why.

Published by Stiv in Discount, Finance, Personal finance, Reviews

Tags: budgeting, cashback mortgage app, is Sprive worth it, mortgage app UK, mortgage overpayment app, mortgage overpayments, Open Banking, pay off mortgage faster, personal finance apps, Sprive, Sprive review, uk fintech, UK mortgages