Take our Christmas money reset challenge and save £2,000

The summer holidays are over, and everyone is back to school. Now is the perfect time to give finances a makeover or start a 100 days to Christmas money-saving challenge. 

In this guide I’ll explain how to set yourself a Christmas money-saving challenge and reset your finances to help fund the festive season. 

September 16th is 100 days until Christmas; that’s why we’re renaming it - Money Reset Day. All you need to do is take 16 minutes on 16 September to reset your money.

Below we’ll explain how to do it and how to take part in Money Reset Day or our 100 days to Christmas savings challenge. 

Save up to £2,000 before Christmas

Saving up small amounts between now and Christmas Eve, and you could have £2,000 - and all you need is 20p to start. 

You can start the challenge whenever you want, but September 16 gives you 100 days until the 25th of December. 

Try increasing the amount you save each day. How much you increase your payment depends on your final target.

We’ve created downloadable and printable trackers so that you can keep track of how much you want to save based on having £500, £1,000 or £2,000. 

We've created downloadable and printable trackers so that you can keep track of how much you want to save based on having £500, £1,000 or £2,000.

If £2,000 feels unrealistic, the challenge can be scaled down. Starting with 10p and adding 20p each day produces £1,000, while beginning with 5p and increasing the payment by 10p a day builds a £500 fund.

If £2,000 feels unrealistic, the challenge can be scaled down. Starting with 10p and adding 20p each day produces £1,000, while beginning with 5p and increasing the payment by 10p a day builds a £500 fund.

Pick an amount that fits comfortably alongside your bills and other financial commitments, as the whole point is creating a savings plan that is manageable. 

You could make each transfer manually, use scheduled payments where your banking app allows it, or keep a checklist and transfer the week’s total into a separate savings account. 

Keeping the money away from your everyday spending account should make it less tempting to dip into.

Even better if you can use a savings account is a high interest. It’s worth checking out which one would work for you by comparing savings accounts.

Take the Money Reset Day challenge

Savings challenges are great for getting you into the habit of saving money - but if you don’t have any spare cash or your budgets are tight, then you need to unlock some. 

14 ways to reset your money on 16 September

1. Cancel an unused subscription: save up to £168¹ a year

   Start your reset by checking your bank and credit card statements for subscriptions, memberships and paid apps you no longer use. Government figures suggest an unwanted subscription costs an average of £14 a month, equivalent to £168 a year.

2. Set a Christmas budget: save up to £100

   Make a list of everyone you plan to buy for and set a maximum budget before you start shopping. Cutting your planned spending by £10 across 10 presents would leave you £100 better off.²

3. Use your loyalty points and vouchers: potentially unlock up to £100 or more

   Check supermarket loyalty apps, retailer accounts, gift cards and paper vouchers before spending cash. Recent figures show more than 500,000 Tesco customers have at least £100 in unused Clubcard vouchers, while 95,000 have more than £200.

4. Compare your car insurance: potentially save up to £527.07³

   Check when your car insurance renews and set a reminder to compare prices before accepting the renewal quote. Confused.com data shows that 51% of its car insurance customers could save up to £527.07.

5. Compare your home insurance: potentially save up to £211.16⁴

   Don't allow your home insurance to renew automatically without checking the alternatives. Confused.com data shows that 51% of its home insurance customers could save £211.16 on a combined buildings and contents policy.

6. Check your credit card interest rate: potentially save around £190⁵

   Find out how much interest you're paying and whether you could qualify for a cheaper or 0% balance-transfer card. Moving £1,000 from a card charging 22% to a 0% deal with a 3% transfer fee could save approximately £190 over a year, provided you clear the balance before the interest-free period ends. Eligibility, fees and offer periods vary.

7. Move your savings to a better rate: earn £41 more by Christmas

   Check the interest rate on your savings rather than assuming it is competitive. Moving £5,000 from an account paying 1% to one paying 4% could earn approximately £41 more over the 100 days to Christmas, or £150 more over a full year, before tax where applicable.

8. Check your energy tariff

   The energy price cap rose by 13% in July 2026, taking the illustrative annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit to £1,663 under Ofgem's updated usage measure. Check whether a fixed tariff could cost less, taking any exit fees into account. Switching appliances off at the plug could save around £45 a year.⁷

9. Check your broadband contract: potentially save £84 to £108 a year⁸

   Find out whether you are out of contract and compare new deals or ask your existing provider to reduce your bill. Ofcom says customers who are in contract typically pay £7 to £9 less each month than those who are out of contract, equivalent to £84 to £108 a year.

10. Check your mobile contract: potentially save £262⁹ a year

    If you have finished paying for your handset, consider keeping it and moving to a SIM-only deal. Switching from an ending 24-month handset contract to an equivalent SIM-only plan could save £262 a year, or approximately £22 a month.

11. Downshift your supermarket shop: potentially save £520¹⁰ a year

    Try replacing branded groceries with cheaper own-brand alternatives, starting with products where you are unlikely to notice a significant difference. Cutting £10 from a £30 weekly shop would save £520 over a year. The amount you save depends on what you buy and how much you normally spend.

12. Check whether you are missing out on benefits: potentially unlock £5,396¹¹ a year

    Use a free benefits calculator to check whether you qualify for Universal Credit, council tax support, childcare help, social tariffs or other assistance. Turn2us says people who identified new entitlements using its tools found support worth an average of £5,396 a year. You can also ask Citizens Advice for help understanding what you may be able to claim.

13. Use a cashback website: potentially earn £300¹² a year

    Before buying something online, check whether a cashback website offers money back from the retailer. TopCashback says members could earn an average of more than £300 a year when shopping across its specified categories and referring a friend. Cashback is never guaranteed, so buy only what you intended to purchase and don't choose a more expensive retailer purely for the cashback.

14. Have a pre-Christmas clear-out: aim to raise £150¹³

    Sell unwanted clothes, toys, electronics and homeware through platforms such as Vinted or eBay. eBay research found that 76% of people who sell online make less than £150 a year, although nearly a quarter of UK households believe they have unwanted belongings worth more than £500.