Why I Use Monzo: Saving, Budgeting & Investing Made Simple
A personal look at how I use Monzo to organise my money, build better saving habits and invest for the future.
Last updated: 31st August 2026
A quick note before we start. Monzo regularly updates its products, features, account options, rates and terms. The information on this page was correct when it was last updated, but please check Monzo directly for the latest details before making any financial decisions.
Why I Use Monzo
I've always believed that getting better with money doesn't necessarily mean making huge changes. Sometimes it's about making your money easier to see, easier to organise, and a little harder to accidentally spend.
That's one of the reasons I use Monzo.
I like being able to open an app and quickly understand what's happening with my money. I can separate it into Pots, track my spending, save towards different things, and even invest, all without juggling several different apps.
It fits neatly with something I talk about a lot on Freedom Blogger: small financial habits can eventually create much bigger choices. I wrote more about that idea in 7 Small Money Habits That Could Quietly Change Your Future, and Monzo has become one of the simplest tools I use to actually put those habits into practice.
Monzo hasn't magically transformed my finances. No banking app can do that. What it has done is give me a set of simple tools that make managing my money easier. And for me, that matters.
The App Itself Is Refreshingly Easy to Use
One of the biggest reasons I've stuck with Monzo is simply how easy the app is to live with day to day.
I can see transactions as they happen, get notified when I spend, understand where my money is going, and move it around without everyday banking feeling like a chore.
That visibility matters more than people realise. It's very easy to spend £5 here, £12 there and £20 somewhere else without noticing how much has quietly disappeared over a month. When your spending is clearly laid out in front of you, it becomes much easier to make conscious decisions about it.
That doesn't mean scrutinising every coffee you buy. It simply means knowing what your money is doing, which is something I explored in more depth in Why Saving Money Feels Harder Than Ever.
Pots Are One of My Favourite Monzo Features
I really like Monzo Pots.
Rather than seeing all of my money sitting together in one balance, I can separate it out for different purposes. You might set up a Pot for:
- Emergency savings
- Christmas
- Holidays
- Car expenses
- Home improvements
- Annual bills
- A future purchase
- Something completely personal to you
There's something psychologically useful about giving money a job. £500 sitting in your current account can easily feel like £500 available to spend. £500 sitting in a Pot labelled "Emergency Fund" feels very different. It's still your money, but you've already decided what it's for.
That simple distinction can make saving feel a lot more manageable.
My 1p Saving Challenge
This is probably my favourite example of how tiny actions can add up.
I use Monzo's 1p Saving Challenge. The idea is wonderfully simple. You start by saving 1p. The next day, 2p. Then 3p, then 4p, increasing by a single penny every day. Complete all 365 days and those small daily amounts add up to £667.95, before any applicable interest.
Monzo automates the whole thing through a Challenge Pot, so I'm not relying on remembering to transfer money every morning. Depending on your Monzo plan and current terms, there may be other challenge options and benefits available too, so it's worth checking the app for the latest details.
What I really like about the challenge isn't just the final total. It's the habit. Day one doesn't feel particularly impressive. Neither does day two. But that's exactly the point. You don't always notice financial progress while you're making it. Sometimes you only notice when you look back, which is very much the philosophy behind Freedom Blogger.
Small actions. Repeated consistently. Given enough time to make a difference.
The button below uses my personal Monzo referral link. I may receive a reward if you join through it and meet Monzo's qualifying conditions.
Saving Without Making It Complicated
Saving money can sometimes feel unnecessarily complicated. Which account? What interest rate? How much should I save? Weekly or monthly? Where should I keep it?
Those questions matter, but they can also become a reason for doing nothing at all.
I prefer making saving part of everyday life. Pots help me separate money with a clear purpose. The 1p Saving Challenge helps me save automatically without thinking about it. Other Monzo features can help you automate or organise saving in different ways too, depending on what suits you.
You don't necessarily need to start with hundreds of pounds. Starting with something is more important than waiting until you feel wealthy enough to start.
Knowing Where My Money Actually Goes
Another thing I appreciate about Monzo is being able to see my spending clearly. Transactions appear quickly and can be organised into categories, so you get a genuine picture of where your money is going.
For me, this isn't about becoming obsessed with budgeting. It's about awareness. There's a big difference between thinking you probably spend a certain amount, and actually being able to see it in black and white.
Sometimes simply seeing the numbers is enough to change a habit. You might realise you're spending more on takeaways than you thought. Or subscriptions. Or little convenience purchases here and there. None of that is necessarily a bad thing. The important part is that you're choosing where your money goes, rather than wondering where it went.
Saving and Investing Aren't the Same Thing
Monzo also offers investment options within its app, and I use it for investing too. I particularly like having saving and investing accessible in an app I'm already familiar with. It removes some of the friction that can otherwise make investing feel intimidating.
But there's an important distinction to make here.
Saving and investing are not the same thing. Money in savings is generally there for security, shorter-term goals or emergencies. Investing is about putting money into assets with the hope of longer-term growth, but its value can fall as well as rise, and you could get back less than you invest. That means investing isn't right for money you might suddenly need next month.
I see it as one part of building longer-term financial resilience, not a replacement for sensible savings. Monzo's investment products, funds, charges, eligibility and terms can change, so I'd always recommend reading the latest information from Monzo carefully before deciding whether investing is right for you.
This page reflects my own personal experience and isn't financial or investment advice.
Little Features That Make a Difference
There are plenty of smaller things I appreciate about Monzo too. Instant spending notifications. Being able to move money between Pots in seconds. Clear spending categories. Managing most of it from my phone, wherever I am.
Depending on your account and plan, Monzo also offers a range of additional money-management and banking features. Some will matter to you. Others probably won't, and that's fine. You don't need to use every feature available to get real value from something. For me, the attraction is that the features I do use make managing my money simpler.
Interested in seeing whether Monzo might work for you? The button below is my personal referral link. I may receive a reward if you join and meet the qualifying conditions.
What I Like Most About Monzo
If I had to sum it up, it would probably be this: Monzo makes my money feel more organised. That's it.
It doesn't promise financial freedom. It doesn't suddenly make you better with money. Downloading an app won't fix bad financial habits on its own. But good tools can make good habits easier, and that's why I use it.
The Pots help me give money a purpose. The 1p Saving Challenge encourages consistency. The spending information gives me visibility. The investment option gives me another way to think about my longer-term money. Together, they make managing my money feel a little simpler, and I'm a big believer that simple systems are usually the ones we actually stick with. That's a theme I keep coming back to in How Lifestyle Inflation Quietly Keeps You Broke too.
Want to Take a Look at Monzo?
If you've been thinking about trying Monzo and fancy exploring it for yourself, you can use my personal referral link below.
Referral disclosure: The button below contains my personal Monzo referral link. If you join Monzo through my link and meet the applicable qualifying conditions, I may receive a referral reward, and you may also be eligible for one. Referral offers, rewards, eligibility and conditions can change, so please check the information displayed by Monzo when you follow the link.
There's absolutely no obligation to use my link. I'm sharing it because Monzo is something I personally use and genuinely find useful. For more information about how Freedom Blogger uses affiliate and referral links, please see my Affiliate & Monetisation Disclosure.
A Quick Reminder
Banking products, savings rates, account plans, investment options, charges, referral offers and other features can change. Please check the latest information, terms and eligibility directly with Monzo before opening or changing an account, depositing money, or making an investment decision.
Investments can fall as well as rise in value and you may get back less than you invest. Nothing on this page should be considered personal financial or investment advice. It's simply my own experience of using Monzo and the features I've found genuinely useful.
Before You Go
One of the biggest lessons I've learned about money is that you don't have to overhaul your entire financial life overnight.
Start somewhere small. Create one savings Pot. Look at where your money went last month. Set aside your first £10. Start a saving challenge of your own.
The individual action might seem tiny. But repeated over months and years, small decisions can start creating something much bigger: more resilience, more confidence, and ultimately, more choice. That's what Freedom Blogger is all about, and it's a lot of what What Financial Freedom Really Means for Ordinary People is about too.
New articles land on Freedom Blogger every Sunday at 7pm UK time. If you'd like them straight in your inbox, you can subscribe for free on the site, or drop me a line any time at paul@freedomblogger.co.uk.