Finding Financial Freedom
If you’re approaching 18 and preparing to move out on your own or into supported accommodation, it can be a really exciting but scary time.
Having your own money and the freedom to spend it how you want is brilliant, but it’s also a big responsibility. We’ve put together some tips on how to budget and why it’s important to learn how to manage your money responsibly.
1. Improve your financial literacy
Students across the UK are often taught very little about managing money while at school. Scotland is currently leading the way to better financial education by committing to making sure that children receive a good standard of financial education by 2030.
However, that’s still a long way off, and there’s a good chance you feel overwhelmed with how you’ll manage your own money, pay your bills and live independently now that you’re becoming a young adult.
We should never stop learning, even after we leave school or college. Here are some ways in which you can increase your own financial education, known as ‘financial literacy,’ so that you can become confident in making decisions around money.
- Read books or listen to audiobooks on finance. You can find both for free at your local library. Some great ones include ‘Girls who Invest’ by Simran Kaur and ‘What They Don’t Teach You About Money’ by Claer Barrett.
- Talk to responsible adults in your life about how they manage their money.
- Speak with your social worker about the financial support and guidance you are eligible to receive from your Local Authority when you leave foster care.
- Check out local community hubs in your area, who may offer free classes or advice on topics including money management, job searching, mental health and claiming benefits.
- Check out reliable online resources, such as Martin Lewis’ Money Saving Expert website.
TOP TIP
Remember, the financial advice which you see on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram may not always be correct, and some people online have an ulterior motive for the information they share, such as promoting their online courses. Always do your own research on a topic rather than solely relying on what a content creator has said.
2. The importance of having a budget
As a young adult, no one will be in control of your money, which means it’s your responsibility to make good decisions. When you have your own money for the first time, there can be a real temptation to spend it all on fun stuff. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with treating yourself to some little luxuries, part of becoming a young adult is learning self-control and how to hold yourself accountable for your decisions.
The best way to ensure that you’re making sensible decisions with your money is to set up a budget for yourself. A budget is a plan which sets out all of your expenses so that you have a clear understanding of what you can spend, and where. By understanding how much of your income you need to spend on essentials like food, rent and electricity, you’ll have a clear idea of how much you’ll have left over to spend on fun things, like nights out, travelling and hitting the shops.
The most important part of budgeting is being able to identify what you need vs what you could live without. Below are some examples of needs vs wants which you could include in your personal budget.
| Needs | Wants |
| Rent | Entertainment |
| Groceries | Eating out/ordering in |
| Pet food | Holidays |
| Phone contract | Shopping allowance |
| Travel expenses | Gym membership |
| Household bills (water, energy, broadband, council tax, etc) | Charity donations |
| Essential items (like toiletries and cleaning products) | Netflix or gaming subscription |
How to start your own budget in 5 easy steps
- Figure out how much money you have each month. Sit down with a pen and paper and figure out exactly how much money you’ll have coming in each month, whether this be from work, side hustles or benefits. Use the Government benefits calculator or talk to your social worker to see what you might be entitled to.
- Write out a list of all your wants and needs. Everyone’s list will look different; for example, some people might consider things like a TV licence, gym membership or savings to be in their ‘needs’ category, while others might see these as ‘wants.’
- Allocate your budget. Next to each item in your ‘needs’ category, write down an estimation of how much you’ll need to spend on each item per month. It’s better to overestimate how much you’ll need to spend in each category than underestimate; you can always come back and adjust your budget if you need to. Then do the same with your ‘wants’ category, allocating yourself a reasonable amount in each category with the money you have left over. When the month begins, try to stick as closely as you can to what you’ve written out in your budget.
- Revise your budget. Now that you’ve started putting your budget into action, you should sit down at the end of each month and work out how much you have actually spent in each category. You may find that you’ve overspent in some areas and spent less than you’d anticipated in others. Use this information to adjust your budget accordingly.
- Check in each month to keep track of your finances. After your first three months, look back on your past three bank statements to see if there are any areas where you are consistently overspending so that you can make a plan to tackle these.
Top Tips to Make Budgeting Fun
- Try cash stuffing. Some people find that cash stuffing, a method popularised by TikTok where you take your money out of the bank so that you can keep track of your spending more easily, is a really effective method of budgeting. It’s also especially helpful for people who struggle with overspending on things they want but don’t need.
There are lots of fun pre-made and customisable cash stuffing binders out there to help you get started, though you can just use normal envelopes to keep track of your money if you prefer. Learn more about how to get started with cash stuffing. - Reward yourself when you succeed. Having a goal to work towards, such as treating yourself to a new video game, a pair of trainers or a new makeup palette if you stick to your budget, can help you stay on track. Creating a vision board can also be a fantastic and fun way of keeping yourself focused on your financial goals.
- Set yourself a budgeting challenge. ‘Gamifying’ is a well-known technique to make boring things, like budgeting, a little more exciting. Setting yourself spending goals and challenges, such as a no-buy or a low-buy month, can turn budgeting into a fun and rewarding challenge.
For example, you could make a commitment at the start of next month to not spend any money on clothes, or you could commit to only buying second hand clothing for 6 months; not only will you save yourself money, but you’ll also be saving the planet by using what you have and not buying new.
The importance of savings
Another important aspect of budgeting is ensuring that you put some money away in a savings account. An estimated 30% of UK adults have no savings, which is a very vulnerable position to be in financially. Savings are important for three main reasons:
- Savings give you a safety net if you need money unexpectedly, such as if your washing machine breaks or your car needs fixing.
- Savings allow you to build up a pool of money which can be used for important life goals, like buying a new home, travelling abroad or getting married. Savings are also important for your retirement, though that may seem a long way of right now!
- Savings generate a passive income; meaning that, if you keep your money in a savings account, you will earn free money known as ‘interest.’
You can set up a savings account very easily through your online banking app. If you’re just starting out with saving, we’d recommend an instant access savings account, which allows you to draw out your money at any time. Look for accounts with a high interest rate to maximize your savings: between 4-5% is considered a good rate.
Top Tips on Saving
- The 50/30/20 rule. When it comes to savings and budgeting, lots of people favour this method. People who follow this rule spend 50% of their monthly income on their needs, 30% on wants, and save the remaining 20%. You don’t have to follow this rule to the letter, but it’s a great place to start while you figure out your own financial goals.
- Always save first. Rather than putting the money you have left over at the end of the month into a savings account, put a percentage of your income into savings as soon as you get paid. Having a ‘save the change’ style account, where every purchase you make with your bank card is rounded up to a pound and the left-over change goes straight into a savings account, is a super easy way of getting started with savings.
- Open a LISA account. We recommend that all young people who would like to own a home in the future open up a LISA bank account. A LISA account can be opened for as little as £1, and thanks to a government scheme, the government will give you an extra 25% free money on top of whatever you save, meaning you could save up to an extra £1,000 per year. Learn more about LISA accounts.
- Help to Save. If you’re on benefits, you may be able to benefit from the Government’s ‘Help to Save’ scheme. The Government will match your savings up to 50% to give you a fantastic savings boost. Learn more about the ‘Help to Save’ scheme in Scotland.
Take control of your financial future
Want to learn more about how to build your independence as a young person? Check out our Care Hub for more guidance, which includes great articles like how to find your first job and how to live independently.
