High-yield savings account:
I recommend Plum. Plum is not a bank. Rather, they are a mobile app that uses open banking technology to ‘plug’ in to your current account, from which you can manage, save and invest your money. There’s a free basic tier and three paid tiers: Plus (£3.99/mo), Boost (£7.99/mo) and Max (£14.99/mo). I use the free tier and receive 3.2% interest (as of Jan 2026) on my easy access savings (which I use as an Emergency Fund). It is often ranked amongst the best savings account interest rates offered in the UK.
Investment account:
Vanguard. They have the lowest investment fees, by far, of any investment company available in the UK. The interests of Vanguard are aligned with the owners of the funds (you and me), because Vanguard’s funds are the owners of Vanguard. This means that the fees are lower (the lowest on the market in fact), and you keep more of the returns. So, a win for the investor.
An honourable mention goes to JP Morgan personal investing (formerly Nutmeg). They offer a range of robo-advisor investment funds which I used many years ago when I first started investing. At the time, I didn’t feel confident enough to manage the money myself, so I invested into one of their actively-managed funds to get a taste for it. If you want, you can use this as a springboard on your investing journey – but once you feel confident enough to manage things yourself, I’d recommend moving towards Vanguard.
Another honourable mention goes to Trading212. Although I don’t recommend stock picking, if you do want to scratch the itch, this is the place to do it. I have a “fun fund” with T212, which is a tiny fraction of my portfolio that I use to make more speculative trades.
Mobile phone company:
GiffGaff. They use the O2 network in the UK, and have a great selection of cheap data plans that you can opt in and out of without extra fees. At present (Jan 2026), I pay £10 per month for 60GB data and unlimited calls and texts. All data plans come with 5GB free roaming in the EU too.
Books:
The Simple Path to Wealth – JL Collins. A straightforward guide to financial independence and retiring early (FIRE), with no jargon or complexity. JL Collins shares practical advice on saving, investing and building wealth with simplicity and minimal stress – while emphasising the power of index fund investing and discipline to achieve financial freedom. This book is ideal for absolutely everyone – from complete beginners to personal finance and seasoned ‘veterans’ alike. This is a beautiful and elegantly-written book, and a must read.
The Intelligent Investor – Benjamin Graham. “By far the best book on investing ever written ” according to Warren Buffet. That about says it all. This book is a valuable resource to every investor – but is aimed at those with knowledge and understanding of investing. So don’t make this the first investing book you read – build yourself up to it by immersing yourself in the subject and learning as much as you can. Ben Graham was a mentor to Buffet, and his book is the most comprehensive on investing you will find. It covers every aspect you could wish to know about, and also explains different investing mindsets to take based on risk appetite.
Outlive – Peter Attia. If you wish to unlock the keys to living a long and healthy life, by the world’s leading expert on the subject, then you need to read this book. The basic concept of the book is that you need to stop relying on the conventional healthcare system if you want to live a healthy life into your nineties and beyond. Traditional healthcare is curative rather than preventative – you must take the initiative. Outlive is science-heavy, but this is necessary to fully explain the concepts written about.
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey. A profoundly important book that has changed my life, after reading in early 2023. Covey takes a holistic approach to building an intentional and effective life by replicating seven habits which are practised time and time again by the most effective and influential people in society. This book provides the foundation to intentional living – if you want to discover how to be highly efficient and maximise your potential , then look no further.
Running shoes:
I have been running regularly since 2015, and have always used Nike shoes. It’s fine to save money on running tops, shorts, trousers, socks (who needs running socks anyway?), but you really cannot afford to have anything but the best shoes. I’ve always used the Nike Pegasus line of trainers (and have gone through 8 pairs over the years). They are highly versatile and give great cushioning.