Saving money is hard, especially in the UK where prices for many things are soaring. But don’t worry, we’re here to help with the ultimate guide to UK saving apps in 2022.
In this article, we curate a list of the best apps to help you save money on groceries, travel, and even monthly bills. We also cover the best payment cards that enable you to save money on FX rates, allow for free ATM withdrawals and more.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, so we’re covering the best saving apps for different purposes. Whether you’re looking to save a little bit of money each month for a holiday or want to build up some serious life savings, here are some apps worth checking out!
Best apps for saving money in the UK:
| App name: Nutmeg |
| App type: Investment |
| App cost: Free |
 Nutmeg is the UK’s first online discretionary investment management company meaning it caters to customers who prefer to have their investment decisions made for them. It invests customer funds in listed securities, cash, commodities, and other investment asset classes. https://www.nutmeg.com/ |
| App name: YNAB |
| App type: Budget Tracker |
| App cost: Free |
 YNAB or You Need a Budget is another excellent app for budgeting and tracking your spending. It’s not free, like Mint, but it offers additional features like goal setting and debt tracking for about a fiver a month. You can try YNAB free for the first 34 days, so if you’re convinced about the spend-money to the save-money concept, it’s a good way to see if it’s worth it for you… https://www.youneedabudget.com |
| App name: Monese |
| App type: Round up & saving |
| App cost: Free – £14.95 |
 We recommend the Monese app because as well as being able to open up to 10 savings pots, each pot comes with an easy-to-use roundup feature. Round-up apps automatically round up your purchases to the nearest pound and transfer the difference into a savings account. For example, if you spend £15.50 on groceries, the app will round up to £16 and transfer 50p into your savings account. This is an easy way to save without even thinking about it! https://monese.com |
| App name: Chip |
| App type: Auto-save & investing |
| App cost: Free – £3 |
 Boasting “AI-powered” investing, the Chip app is something to consider if you’re looking for the best in class round-up apps. Wanting to detach itself from the “hype” and stigma of “dog coin” and Reddit investing, Chip is a no-nonsense investment app that allows you to round up, auto-invest, set savings goals and more. Chip also offers a referral program, so you can earn an easy £20 for every friend you refer to the app. https://www.getchip.uk |
| App name: Chase |
| App type: Bank account & spending tracker – 1.5% AER & 5% AER round-ups |
| App cost: Free |
 Relatively newly launched in the UK, the US giant JPMorgan’s Chase banking app has taken the nation by storm. You may have seen their recently viral refer-a-friend scheme, which offered an extremely lucrative £20 for both parties upon signup and deposit.Although this scheme has ended, the app is still brimming with exciting features, one of which is its round-up incentive. Automatic round-ups can be turned on and off, and round-up savings are generously subject to a 5% annual equivalent rate (AER). Not only this, but you can take the money out of your round-up pot whenever you want, making this app one of the best choices.Also: Chase offers a tasty 1% cashback on every single transaction for the first 12 months. There is no minimum spend, and you can withdraw the cashback whenever you want with no fees. https://www.chase.com |
| App name: Curve |
| App type: Spending Tracker, Free ATM withdrawal, Travel & Cashback |
| App cost: Free – £14.99 |
 Curve is a really nifty little app that allows you to group all your cards into one. You can select which one to charge from, and save money via free ATM withdrawals, good rates abroad and a good UI to track your spending.TIP: You can combine cashback offers with Curve, so if you opt for one of the Curve packages that gives 1% cashback, and choose to charge a card which has 1% cashback, you’ll get 2% back! https://www.curve.com |
| App name: Revolut |
| App type: Bank account, FX, Cashback |
| App cost: Free |
 If it’s an FX card that you’re looking for, Revolut’s is one of the best on the market. With no foreign transaction fees and the ability to hold over 150 currencies, it’s perfect for those who often travel or make regular purchases in another currency. You can also use Revolut’s FX card to get free ATM withdrawals in over 200 countries, making it a superb choice for those who travel frequentlyRevolut also offers a great cashback feature on their Metal card with cashback on all of your spending, and no minimum spend. The metal card, however, comes with a small monthly subscription cost of £12.99. https://www.revolut.com |
| App name: Monzo |
| App type: Bank Account, Round-ups, Saving |
| App cost: Free |
 Monzo was one of the founding fathers of the digital banking era, and their services are some of the best available when looking to maximise savings.The Monzo saving pots are arguably the best of any banking app, as well as boasting a fantastic auto-save round-up feature. Current interest rates on savings are around 1.3% AER, which is very competitive.Lastly, Monzo’s budget tracking and spending sorters categorise your expenses, allowing you to implement limits and easily see where your money is going – e.g. you can limit yourself to £50 on takeouts a month. https://monzo.com |
| App name: FirstDirect |
| App type: Joining bonus, ISA savings account, 0% interest overdraft up to £250 |
| App cost: Free |
 A good way to keep on top of your spending and, most importantly, earning money on your savings is via ISA saving accounts.If you’re looking for a well-regarded bank account with no monthly fees, First Direct is a really solid option. With this account, you can get up to £250 cashback when you switch, as well as 0% interest on your first £250 overdraft. https://www.firstdirect.com |
The Verdict
So there you have it! These are just a few of the best money-saving apps in the UK. Our recommendation? As of the time of writing this, our personal recommendation for the all-around best-saving app in the UK has to be …
Chase!
The best banking app for savings, roundups, cashback and AER in the UK at the moment has got to be Chase, tipped by many as a marketing ploy to launch in the UK, the incentives offered far outweigh all other existing current account offers. The access to any-time 1.5% AER savings pots can be customised and offer the highest rate of any free current bank account.
Everyone should be taking advantage of the 12 months cashback feature from Chase at the least, let alone their extremely high-interest rates, roundups, free ATM withdrawals and
free-spending abroad. We’ve been using it as our main bank account for the last three months without any complaints!
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Our mission at SAVI is to help people protect their savings from inflation. Stay tuned to be one of the first people to try out the app when we go live.
