Top tips for a bank holiday clean-up

Category: Money
Author: Lieke Braadbaart
Date: 10/08/2018

Bank holidays offer a great opportunity not just to relax and make the most of good weather (fingers crossed!), but also to tackle some essential household tasks. While many may be attempting some DIY or decluttering in the next few days, you shouldn't forget about your finances either. To help you tackle an essential finance clean-up, we've collected some tips.

• Review any debt. Before you can even think about saving, it's important to tackle your debt. Those with previous credit card debt may want to consider switching to one of the top 0% balance transfer credit card deals, while those sitting in their overdraft could search for a competitive money transfer card deal. More substantial debt could require a personal loan or discussion with a debt charity. Remember that ignoring it won't make it go away.
• Those not worried about debt could still use some credit. Specifically, having a cashback credit card to hand could see you get something back from all that bank holiday spending.
• When was the last time you had a second look at your utility bills? If it's been a while, now might be the perfect time to see if you can switch to a better gas and electricity deal, especially with some providers increasing rates soon. The same goes for your broadband, insurance and other providers.
• With all the savings you'll be making on your spending and utilities, it could be prudent to see if your savings accounts are ready for the extra funds. If you don't have an easy access account yet, now might be the perfect time to open one – with or without an introductory bonus. For small monthly savings amounts, there are also regular savers to consider, as these can provide some of the highest rates on the market, as long as you can put some cash away every month.
• For more substantial savers, such as those with ISAs, this weekend might be a great opportunity to see if any fixed bond deals you're invested in are ending soon, and how you can make the most of your current ISA allowance. Have a look at our ISA charts to see if any of the available tax-free savings accounts suit your requirements.
• Now that your savings are sorted, you might also want to take a look at your bank account. Are you getting anything out of it? Are you paying high overdraft fees, or even an annual account fee? There may just be a better deal out there for you.
• Finally, a weekend may be too short a time to tackle your current mortgage, but you could make sure your current end date is displayed prominently on your fridge or bulletin board, and remember to start looking for deals to remortgage to at least a few months in advance of your current end date.

That's it. It may seem like a daunting list and could require some searching if your financial information is scattered all over the place. But that's even more reason to tackle one or two things now – your future self will likely thank you for it.