Why I Use Monzo: Saving, Budgeting & Investing Made Simple

A simple look at how I use Monzo to organise my money, build better saving habits and invest for the future.

Last updated: 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 is happening with my money. I can separate money into Pots, keep track of my spending, save towards different things and even invest without needing several different apps.

It fits very neatly with something I talk about a lot on Freedom Blogger:

Small financial habits can eventually create much bigger choices.

Monzo hasn’t magically transformed my finances. No banking app can do that.

What it has done is give me some simple tools that make managing my money easier.

And for me, that matters.

The Monzo App Is Incredibly Easy to Use

One of the biggest reasons I’ve continued using Monzo is simply how easy I find the app.

I can see transactions quickly, get notifications when I spend, understand where my money is going and move money around without making everyday banking feel complicated.

That visibility is important.

It’s very easy to spend £5 here, £12 there and £20 somewhere else without really noticing how much is disappearing over a month.

When your spending is clearly visible, 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.

Pots Are One of My Favourite Monzo Features

I really like Monzo Pots.

Rather than seeing all of my available money sitting together in one balance, I can separate some of it for different purposes.

You might have 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 purpose.

£500 sitting in your current account can easily feel like £500 available to spend.

£500 sitting in a Pot called Emergency Fund feels very different.

It’s still your money, but you’ve already decided what its job is.

That simple distinction can make saving much easier.

My 1p Saving Challenge

This is probably one of my favourite examples 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 you save 2p.

Then 3p.

Then 4p.

The amount increases by just one penny each day.

Complete 365 days and those tiny daily amounts add up to £667.95, before any applicable interest.

Monzo automates the process through a Challenge Pot, so I don’t have to remember to manually transfer the money every morning.

Depending on the Monzo plan and current terms, additional challenge options and benefits may also be available, so check the latest details in the Monzo app.

What I really like about the challenge isn’t just the £667.95.

It’s the habit.

Day one doesn’t feel particularly impressive.

Neither does day two.

But that’s the point.

You don’t always notice financial progress while you’re making it. Sometimes you only notice when you look back.

That’s 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?

Should I save weekly or monthly?

Where should I keep it?

Those questions matter, but they can also become a reason for doing nothing.

I prefer making saving part of everyday life.

Pots help me separate money.

The 1p Saving Challenge helps me save automatically.

Other Monzo features can help people automate or organise saving in different ways too.

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 Goes

Another thing I like about Monzo is being able to see my spending more clearly.

Transactions appear quickly and spending can be organised into categories, helping you understand where your money is actually going.

For me, this isn’t about becoming obsessed with budgeting.

It’s about awareness.

There is a big difference between thinking you probably spend a certain amount and actually being able to see it.

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.

None of those things are necessarily bad.

The important thing is that you’re choosing where your money goes rather than wondering where it went.

Salary Sorter

Another clever feature is Salary Sorter.

If you have qualifying money coming into your Monzo account, Salary Sorter can help divide it between spending, bills and savings.

I like the principle behind this.

Rather than waiting until the end of the month to see what is left to save, you can decide what your money needs to do when it arrives.

Bills have their allocation.

Savings have theirs.

Spending money has its place.

It’s a simple idea, but it can make money management feel much more organised.

Saving and Investing Aren’t the Same Thing

Monzo also offers investment options within its app.

I use Monzo for investing too.

I particularly like having saving and investing accessible within 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.

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.

You could get back less than you invest.

That means investing isn’t appropriate for money you may suddenly need next month.

I see it as another potential part of building longer-term financial resilience rather than a replacement for sensible savings.

Monzo’s investment products, funds, charges, eligibility and terms can change, so I’d recommend reading the latest information from Monzo carefully before deciding whether investing is right for you.

This page is about my personal experience and isn’t financial or investment advice.

Little Features That Make a Difference

There are lots of smaller things I appreciate about Monzo too.

Instant spending notifications are useful.

Being able to quickly move money between Pots is useful.

Seeing spending categories is useful.

Being able to manage so much from my phone is useful.

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.

I don’t think you need to use every feature available to get value from something.

For me, the attraction is that the features I do use help 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.

And downloading an app won’t fix bad financial habits.

But good tools can make good habits easier.

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.

And 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’re most likely to stick with.

Want to Take a Look at Monzo?

If you’ve been thinking about trying Monzo and would like to explore 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 a reward. 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 experience of using Monzo and the features I’ve found 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.

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.