What to save money for

What is it you’re looking to achieve? From wanting a safety net to being able to afford a holiday or pay for home improvements, there are many reasons to save. Whatever you're wanting to do, having a specific goal in mind can help you get there quicker.

There may be occasions where you’re faced with unexpected costs you need to cover, or as we’ve seen with coronavirus, a period where you’re not able earn as much money as you normally would.

This is where an emergency fund can come in handy. It’s recommended you have around 3 months’ worth of savings to cover your outgoings, but this will depend on your individual circumstances.

Once you have an emergency fund in place, you may want to start focusing on other financial goals, like buying a property or investing – knowing that you have some funds available should something happen.

If you want to buy your own home, you’ll likely need to save for a deposit between 5-20% of the value of the home you want. On average, first-time buyers put down a deposit of around 20%¹, but some mortgage lenders may lend a 95% mortgage depending on your circumstances.

Keep in mind – the more you borrow, the more you’ll have to repay and also pay in interest, so it's helpful to save as much as possible beforehand.

It’s also important to save enough to cover the costs involved in buying a property, including conveyancing fees. 

If you’re wanting to start a family, putting some money aside early can reduce any struggle later on. From prams and beds to everyday items like food and nappies, the average cost of raising a child until they’re 18 is almost £75,000.² And that doesn’t take into account childcare costs, or any other extras.

Building up your savings may help you stock up on essentials before your baby is born, or provide extra support if one partner is on maternity/paternity leave for a long period of time.

Explore more: Having a baby on a budget

Where you’re going, how many people are going and how long you plan on going away for, will determine how much you need to save.

If you’ve already decided where you want to go, try looking at the price of flights, the cost of hotels, and the cost of travel insurance online to give you an idea of how much you’ll need to set aside. It’s also a good idea to look up the cost of local attractions and food, so you can make sure you take enough money away with you.

Explore more: Should you use a card or travel money outside the UK?

Whether you’re looking at ISAs (individual savings accounts) or regular savers, there are a number of different savings accounts available to help you reach your goal.

Finding the right savings account for your needs may be able to grow your savings faster with any interest you make.

For example, if you’re an HSBC UK current account customer, you could benefit from our Regular Saver account. See how much you could save over 12 months with our Regular Saver Calculator.

Once you’ve decided on your reason to save and how much you’ll need, set yourself a plan. Our savings goal calculator could help you work out how long it will take you to reach your goal, so you can create a clear timeline to work towards. 

This article provides general information and does not take into account the financial situation of the reader. For this reason, it must not be relied on as financial advice. All accounts are subject to terms and conditions.

¹https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/saving-money-for-a-deposit

²https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/blog/what-is-the-average-cost-to-have-a-baby