Savings. They’re what you make of them.
Whether your savings are a safety net for sudden emergencies, or a launchpad to your next business venture. A ‘just in case’ account or a ‘brand new car’ account. Savings are what you make of them.
So how do we make sure we’re saving in the best way possible? Here are some tips to make sure your savings are smart ones.
Think about your finances
Can you save more than you do now?
Look at your money – Understand what money is coming in and out of your account. If you know how much money you need for a week, you can see how much more you could be saving.
Emergencies – Be realistic about how much you’d need in an emergency, and make sure that money is able to be accessed easily. Ensure that your emergency savings are in an account that is easily accessible to you as well – a separate emergency fund is key to being financially smart.
Need vs Want – Decide what things you need, and what are ‘nice to have’. Are they extras you could live without? While giving yourself a sweet treat once in a while is never a bad thing, when you’re looking to save, these ‘nice to have’s are what can really help you cut down on costs and increase your saving potential.
The right account – For that extra money, putting it into a savings account will help you earn more interest and increase your savings. Do some research to understand which account is best for you.
Top Tip: Whether it’s on a spreadsheet, savings app or on paper, writing things down is a great way to look at your finances, especially if you have more than one kind of bank account. Putting them all down together is a great way to consolidate and understand your financial situation.
Create goals
Having targets to aim for means you’re more likely to achieve them.
Be realistic – Make sure your goal is high, but not too much of a stretch for you. You want your savings goal to be satisfying when you hit it, but not something that is impossible. This sweet spot is right where your savings goal should lie.
Be specific – Make your target specific. Instead of ‘saving for a holiday’, say ‘saving £4000 to go to Spain next August’. When you have a specific goal in mind, it makes it that much easier to be determined to reach the goal. Keeping your savings focused is a great way to stay motivated.
Be confident – Take confidence in knowing you can save even more than you already have. You’ve already proven to yourself that you can do it. Be proud of what you’ve already saved, and remind yourself that you can keep at it. Consistency is key.
Top Tip: Have a visual reminder that will help you save. If you’re saving for a dream holiday, make the destination your computer background, or a picture that you keep on your fridge door. Every time you see that picture, you’re going to feel more determined to reach your savings goal.
Stay in control
Feeling like you’re in control will help you build your savings.
Think time – Allocate some time to regularly check in on your savings. Even if it’s half an hour every week, giving yourself time to check back in with your goals and your savings is important in understanding what your money is doing. Know where your money is and what deals are ending aids you in staying in control of your finances.
Details – Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of any accounts you are thinking of opening. Financial jargon can be hard to understand, so ensuring that you know all the ins and outs of your different kinds of savings accounts will help you become the best smart saver that you can be.
Stay positive – Congratulate yourself on hitting your milestones, and don’t be too disheartened if you miss a target. It’s all about consistency and motivation. You’ve got this!
Top Tip: There are some great apps and online tools to help streamline your saving, whether it is automatically saving for you, collating your spending or helping you calculate your budget.
These are just some savings tips to help you become the best smart saver that you can be. If you want more information about UK Savings Week, have a look at their website.
Related Articles
Industry
MAY 26, 2026
Member Notice – Harpenden Online scheduled maintenance
Community
MAY 20, 2026
Jon’s Savings Blog – ISA Changes in 2027
There’s a famous saying: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second‑best time is now.” Well, when it comes to ISAs… the tree is about to get a little smaller.
Industry
APR 22, 2026
Member Notice – Staff training 23rd April
Latest News
APR 17, 2026
A Q&A with our CEO Tracie
Here’s a quick Q&A from our CEO Tracie Meadows diving into our new rebrand.
Industry
JAN 22, 2026
We celebrate our new branch opening in Harpenden
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new branch, located right on the High Street, in one of the busiest areas of Harpenden. The doors opened on the 15th of January, with the event being kicked off by celebrations and excitement from colleagues and members alike. Local members were offered the chance to visit and be a VIP guest to see the grand opening and were greeted by some food and hot drinks while they got to have a look around the new branch or ask our branch team any questions that they had. It was lovely to see so many members come and show their support for us. Also there to show their support were colleagues from the Harpenden Hopper, a local charity that we have supported for a few years. We were also joined by both the Mayor of Harpenden as well as our local MP. After some lovely speeches from our Chair and the Mayor all about the community-focus of the branch, the ribbon was cut, and our new Harpenden branch was declared officially open. You might notice a refreshed look to our brand both inside and outside the building. Our new branch aims to deliver confidence to our members. Being a mutual, our focus will always be about putting our members first. The branch is a nod to our heritage within Harpenden, as well as our renewed commitment to the community and our members. The customer experience is always at the front of our minds, and the new branch has been designed with this in mind. The colourful interior, while looking refreshed and playful, creates a welcoming atmosphere for our friendly branch team to help customers in the best way they can. This branch also comes with a technical upgrade, with iPads and digital screens to aid in the member's experience. With these new upgrades, we can assure our members that the clarity and trust they hold with the Society is still there and isn't going away any time soon. Our branch colleagues are as can-do and helpful as ever, but with a larger and more prominent location, we are setting our sights on an improved future. Tracie Meadows, the CEO of Harpenden Building Society said: "We at Harpenden Building Society always put our members first. Our new branch is just that. It's us giving back to our members and the community in Harpenden." She continued that, "We're giving our customers a better experience, while still being the friendly building society that's always ready to lend a hand. We want people to leave the branch feeling confident in us, and in their financial decisions." Our new Harpenden branch represents an exciting next step for the Society, and is just the beginning - there's definitely more to look forward to in the future.
Industry
DEC 01, 2025
FSCS protection limit increase
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has increased the protection limit from £85,000 to £120,000 from 1st December 2025. This means if you hold deposits or savings with a building society, bank, credit union, or other UK-authorised financial firm, and they go out of business, FSCS can provide compensation up to £120,000 per eligible person, per authorised firm. Temporary high balance protection also applies for up to six months, covering up to £1.4 million for large one-off deposits from events like property sales, redundancy payments, or inheritances. We will be communicating this change to our members shortly and will revise our materials to reflect the increase in due course. For further information visit www.fscs.org.uk.
Community
OCT 15, 2025
Jon’s savings blog – The importance of talking about money
Money. It’s not going away, and it’s one of the most essential parts of our lives, and yet, for many, it’s still one of the hardest things to talk about. Whether it’s how much we earn, how much we save, or how we manage debt, money conversations are often avoided due to discomfort, fear of judgment, or simply not knowing where to start.
Community
OCT 14, 2025
Our latest volunteering
Watling View For the third year running, eleven colleagues from across the Society visited Watling View School in St Albans for a day this summer to help give their facilities a spruce up ahead of the new term in September. Watling View is a special school catering for over 100 pupils aged 2-19 with a wide range of complex and profound learning difficulties. Their focus is helping students develop individual social lives, independence and communication skills, ensuring they're prepared for tackling in the wider world. Even during our short visits while the hallways are empty, we can see what a wide range of support is provided by their staff to their pupils, with specialist resources including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory and dark rooms, soft play facilities and a studio flat where older pupils can practice key life skills. In time-honoured fashion, most of us set about giving a few classrooms and corridors a fresh lick of paint (trying hard to get more paint on the walls than ourselves!). Elsewhere a team gave the Watling School café a refresh both inside and out; the café is one of many examples of how Watling View provides a safe environment for its pupils to develop practical skills which they can bring forward into adulthood. As always, Mark and the rest of the Watling View Facilities team were excellent hosts, providing our painting tools making sure we didn't get too lost around the school! Watling View's guiding vision is to support their pupils to "Be kind, Be responsible, Be the Best You Can", and we were delighted to lend a small hand in helping them to achieve this goal. When work was finished, the team decamped to the local pub for a much deserved refreshment. We look forward to continuing our tradition and visiting Watling View once again next year! Sunnyside Rural Trust On June 3rd, four of our colleagues volunteered at Sunnyside Rural Trust in Hemel Hempstead. Our team were given the task of clearing and tidying polytunnel 5 alongside trainees on-site for the day. Jobs included sorting out plant pots into sizes and discarding any broken pots not fit for use. We also sorted plastic plant trays into piles and helped the general organising of the polytunnel. Luckily, the British weather played its part which meant it wasn't too hot working in the tunnel. This was our fourth year in a row where we have spent a day volunteering at Sunnyside. The team had a great time, and as usual a very rewarding day was had helping out such a fantastic project. If any of our members get a chance, we definitely recommend a visit. About Sunnyside Rural Trust Sunnyside Rural Trust was founded in 1990 as a small, horticultural project for young people and adults with learning disabilities. It is now a thriving charity and social enterprise, offering training and work experience for over 170 vulnerable people in the local community. Sunnyside train people with learning disabilities to acquire skills in a number of rural and retail activities. These include beekeeping, looking after chickens, growing a wide range of plants and produce, landscaping, garden maintenance and working in on-site cafés and farm shops. Their training and work experience takes place across Dacorum in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Northchurch in a range of tranquil settings. In total, Sunnyside employs 36 staff and has 37 volunteers. Hemel Food Garden Hemel Food Garden (HFG) is one of four Sunnyside sites. Here the team grow produce such as fruit, vegetables and salads. They also engage in poultry and beekeeping, PAT testing, gardening design and maintenance, allotment makeovers, and growing and selling a wide range of plants. On site, HFG have a farm shop (open Monday to Saturday 10am until 3pm) where Sunnyside produce is sold (fresh eggs, honey, jam and vegetables). It champions local food and promotes local organic and fair-trade food. They also have a range of zero waste and plastic free products. Adjacent to the farm shop is the Sunnyside Up café. The café has a relaxing atmosphere and is situated in a sunny spot, making the seating area in the garden a popular destination for passers-by along the canal. The café provides trainees the opportunity to learn all the skills required to run a café, such as customer service, handling money, barista, cooking and stock control.