Mind-trick saving methods gain traction as revenge-saving trend spreads on social media

Britons are turning away from revenge saving and toward a set of mind-trick techniques designed to grow a cash pot with minimal conscious effort, according to This is Money. The approach reframes budgeting into a series of small, automatic habits that quietly accumulate savings over time.

The five mind-trick habits outlined by This is Money start with simply starting, even when you think you can't. Saving as little as £10 a week adds up and helps form a habit, says Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfacts Compare. Tesco Bank research found almost a third of people, 29%, regret not starting to save sooner. Banks such as Lloyds offer round-up features that save the change every time you spend, turning everyday purchases into savings. If you tuck away £10 a week at the start of the year, it’ll become £520.

2. Saving despite interest rates not being good. Rates have fallen since their October 2023 peak when the best easy-access account paid 5.2% and the top one-year fixed-rate bond paid 6.2%. Today, the base rate sits at about 4%, and the leading easy-access account pays roughly 4.3% while top fixed-rate bonds are around 4.45%, Moneyfacts Compare data show. Andrew Hagger, founder of MoneyComms, says: “Even though rates are less attractive now that shouldn’t deter you from saving. Even with no interest you are building a capital sum, the interest is just the icing on the cake albeit a bit thinner than it was a year ago.” If you put away £100 in the average one-year fixed-rate account with a rate of 3.98% (according to Moneyfacts Compare), you’d earn about £4.05 in interest over 12 months. The crucial part is to get into the habit; regular saver accounts can offer as much as 7%.

3. Letting the 'snowball' effect do the work for you. After a year of tucking away a small amount, you’d have built something more substantial. For example, a £10-a-week savings springboard might not seem like much but it will snowball into £520 over 52 weeks. It also benefits from compounding if kept in an account earning interest. Albert Einstein called compounding the eighth wonder of the world, describing the growth when interest is earned on both the principal and the accumulated interest. If you start with £100 and earn 10% interest, you’d have £110 after year one, £121 after year two, and £133.10 after year three. The bigger the sum, the greater the impact.

4. Doubling the amount you save each day. Starting small and increasing the amount you save by just a little at a time can help you build up a pot quickly with minimal effort. The idea is to compound gradually: begin with 10p on day one, then 20p, 40p, 80p, £1.60, £3.20, £6.40, and so on. By the end of week one, the total could be around £12.70. If you repeat this pattern every week for a year, you could reach about £660, according to Hagger. Apps linked to bank accounts—such as Monzo Extra, Perks or Max accounts—can automate this process for a monthly fee ranging from £3 to £17.

5. Make it automated and forget about it. This is perhaps the most hands-off approach: set up a direct debit to move money from a current account to savings on a regular schedule, such as on payday. Savings apps like Plum can also automate transfers, enabling access to money without constant attention. Springall notes: “You could use apps like Plum to automatically save cash every single week. If it collected £20 a week from now, that is £260 saved by Christmas week.” The approach emphasizes saving what you can afford and letting technology handle the rest. Not every reader has a large savings pot, but those who do are encouraged to share tips for building balances over time.

This Is Money, which published the guide to mind-trick saving, also includes typical promotional disclosures and affiliate references for financial products and tools. The content underscores a broader trend: simple, repeatable habits—even modest sums—can accumulate meaningful cash over months and years, especially when combined with time-tested ideas like compounding and automation. While revenge saving has gained traction on social media as a budgeting narrative, the piece frames these mind-trick methods as accessible entry points for people at different income levels to begin saving and to sustain a routine that can become a durable financial habit.