Sprive gift cards are now reloadable. Here is how the one-card, Apple Wallet and auto top-up setup works, from four years of real use.
June 30, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Sprive Gift Cards: The Reloadable Card Explained
June 22, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How Does Sprive AutoSave Work?
Sprive AutoSave2026 Guide
Sprive AutoSave, explained in plain English
Last updated: 21 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have run my Nationwide mortgage through Sprive since October 2021, so more than four years now, making regular overpayments through the app. Because of that, this guide to Sprive AutoSave comes from steady real use rather than a quick demo.
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 general information, not financial advice. Sprive deals with your mortgage, so your circumstances matter and it is worth doing your own research.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
So what actually happens when you switch on Sprive AutoSave? In short, you set an amount, and each month it quietly moves that money into a holding pot inside the app, ready for your mortgage. Above all, you stay in control, because nothing reaches your lender until you tap to send it. Below, I walk through exactly how Sprive AutoSave works, where the money sits, and how to pause or switch it off, with notes from four years of real use.
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May 5, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Mortgage Overpayment Savings: How Much Could You Save? (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
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. This post is based on over four years of real use and real numbers.
Most people know they should overpay their mortgage. Almost nobody knows by how much, or what it actually saves them. So we built a free mortgage overpayment calculator to find out. Then we ran our own numbers through it. The mortgage overpayment savings took us by surprise. We've since added a compare-to-savings toggle so you can see whether overpaying or saving the same money comes out ahead at your specific rates.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. Mortgage products, rates, and overpayment terms vary by lender. Always check your lender's overpayment policy before making extra payments. 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. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
See your own overpayment savings
Our free calculator shows what your overpayments could save, and whether saving the cash instead would beat them.
Open the overpayment calculator
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April 29, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Sprive vs Plum vs Chip: Honest Comparison (2026)
Last updated: 10 June 2026
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. This comparison is based on over four years of real use alongside Chip and Plum.
Sprive vs Plum vs Chip is the question that keeps coming up whenever anyone in the UK talks about saving money automatically. All three apps promise to do the hard bit for you. But they are not the same thing, and picking the wrong one means you are either missing features you need or paying for ones you do not. Here is how they actually compare after months of using all three.
Between the team, we run all three. Sprive handles mortgage overpayments. Chip is our primary auto-saver. Plum runs alongside Chip so we can see how the two compare in real life. Each has earned its place on someone's home screen, but for very different reasons.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some apps in this comparison offer investing features, which carry risk including the possible loss of capital. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. 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.
Sprive's current sign-up offer
If Sprive ends up being your pick of the three, the latest welcome bonus is always on our referral page.
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April 22, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Best Apps to Save Money UK 2026: The Ones We Actually Use
Last updated: 10 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
There are hundreds of money-saving apps in the UK app stores. Most of them are rubbish. The best apps to save money are the ones we've tested over the past few years, narrowed down and kept on our phones because they actually work. No fluff, no apps we downloaded once and forgot about. Just the ones that earned a permanent spot.
Between the team we've got about 12 money apps installed. Half of them we actually use. The other half sit there judging us. We tried about 20 apps before settling on this list. Some were too fiddly. Some had great ideas but terrible execution. A couple were brilliant but shut down. These are the survivors.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Some apps in this list offer savings and investment features. Your capital may be at risk. 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.
Our top money-saving pick
If you only set up one, make it Chip: it is the app that has quietly saved us the most by moving money before we miss it.
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April 16, 2026Comments are off for this post.
When Should You Remortgage UK? Timing, Tips and What to Watch For (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I've been remortgaging and overpaying my own Nationwide mortgage since October 2021, using Sprive to make £100 monthly overpayments. This guide draws on that real experience alongside verified market data.
Knowing when to remortgage UK is one of the most valuable financial moves you can make as a homeowner. Get it right and you could save thousands over the life of your deal. Get it wrong and you risk haemorrhaging money to your lender's standard variable rate while you scramble to sort a new deal. A surprising number of homeowners either leave it too late or jump too early and pay penalties they did not need to. Several of us on the CoolCuration team have remortgaged in the last couple of years, so this guide draws on real experience alongside verified market data.
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.
Important: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or mortgage advice. CoolCuration is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not provide regulated mortgage advice. Always consult a qualified mortgage adviser before making decisions about your mortgage. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Sprive welcome offer
Once the new deal is sorted and you turn to overpaying, the latest sign-up bonus is kept up to date on our referral page.
Check the current Sprive bonus
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April 15, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How Does Sprive Make Money? The Business Model Explained (2026)
Last updated: 8 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have a Nationwide mortgage and have used Sprive to make overpayments since October 2021, over four years of regular use.
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.
Want the sign-up offer?
Should you fancy trying the app while you read, the current welcome bonus and how to claim it are set out on our referral page.
View the Sprive referral offer
If Sprive is completely free to use, how does Sprive make money? It's a fair question, and one worth asking before trusting an app with your bank account and mortgage details. The short answer: Sprive earns from remortgage commissions and a share of gift card cashback revenue. The longer answer is worth reading, because understanding the business model helps you judge whether the app's incentives actually line up with yours.
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April 13, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How to Get Cashback on Groceries UK: Save £100+ a Year (2026)
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.
If you want cashback on groceries UK, there are a handful of apps that deliver results. We have been using JamDoughnut, TopCashback, and Sprive for our own weekly food shops for months, and the savings quietly stack up. This is not couponing. This is not switching to own-brand everything. It is simply routing your existing spending through an app that gives you a percentage back.
We ran the numbers on a typical £80 weekly Tesco shop using JamDoughnut and, at a standard rate of around 2%, that works out at roughly £83 back over a year. When rates get "pumped up" (more on that below), it could be closer to £125 or more. For cashback beyond groceries, see our full cashback apps roundup.
Our pick for grocery cashback
Of the three we use, JamDoughnut is the one I like best for the weekly shop, thanks to the widest supermarket list and instant payouts.
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April 1, 2026Comments are off for this post.
Best Mortgage Overpayment Apps UK: Tested and Compared (2026)
Last updated: 9 June 2026
By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance
I have a Nationwide mortgage and have been testing mortgage overpayment tools since 2021, including Sprive alongside manual standing orders and savings apps.
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.
After the Sprive bonus?
Sprive leads the comparison below, and the sign-up offer it currently runs is covered on our referral page.
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. I've tested and compared the main contenders so you can find the right one for how you actually manage money.
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March 27, 2026Comments are off for this post.
How to Cut Household Bills in the UK: 7 Realistic Ways to Save
Last updated: 10 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.
The average UK household now spends well over £2,800 a month on bills and living costs. Energy alone accounts for £1,641 a year from April 2026 under the new Ofgem price cap, and that is after a 7% reduction. Council tax is rising again. Broadband providers are quietly adding £3–4 a month to existing contracts. It all adds up fast.
So how do you actually cut household bills in the UK without making your life miserable? This guide covers seven realistic ways to reduce what you pay each month across energy, your mortgage, food shopping, broadband, mobile and more. Every suggestion links to a deeper guide or a tried-and-tested deal on this site, so you can act on each one straight away.
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