Make a plan for your money

GFY Crowdsourced Gift Guide - Over £200

GFY’s annual gift guide series. A crowdsourced project where we look to you for the best gift ideas and purchases of 2024.

GFY Crowdsourced Gift Guide - Under £50

GFY’s annual gift guide series. A crowdsourced project where we look to the GFY Community for the best gift ideas

GFY Crowdsourced Gift Guide - Under £200

Welcome to GFY’s annual gift guide series. A crowdsourced project where we look to the GFY community for the best gift ideas and purchases of 2024.

"My husband hid debt from me and I just can’t let it go"

Navigating love and £20k debt while planning for parenthood—how do you balance love and finances?

“I develop s*x toys for a living”

Balancing creativity, humour, and professionalism, they share the highs, challenges, and unexpected moments of a unique career.

“I took a £100k job at a gambling company”

Making peace with a high-paying role in a morally grey industry - how this person balances ethics and success.

“I’m considering breaking up with my friend over petty stinginess”

Navigating friendship and finances: one person’s dilemma with a friend’s stingy habits. Should they cut it off?

“How being child-free has impacted us and the way we plan our wills”

Discover how a child-free couple approaches their financial planning and will-writing to leave a lasting legacy.

I’m 23 and feel guilty about having 80k in savings

‘My boyfriend's family expect me to buy our house to make up for his frivolous ways’

How I own my own home after being diagnosed with MS

'Is it wrong that I haven’t told my partner about my £25k pay rise?'

'How I’ve learnt to love single & renting life’

‘Are we the a**holes for spending gifted wedding money on our honeymoon?’

'I invested in myself and it paid off'

'My dad died and left me £400k in inheritance'

My friend’s fiancé asked me for a Rolex watch as a wedding gift

Sharing my maternity leave secured me a 10k pay rise

I’m 33 and have earned £520,000 this year

‘We gave up owning a home to move to a hamlet in the south of France’

‘My ex owes me £99k, but I chose to walk away for the sake of my mental health’

‘Is it wise to be a guarantor for a family member?’

'My chronic illness has cost me £160,000 in 18 months'

AITA for considering reporting my sister for benefits fraud?

'I was in £16k of debt and too ashamed to tell anyone'

‘I think I might be in a financially abusive relationship’

'A holiday with family ruined our relationship'

My husband blindly accepts handouts from his family and it's ruining our marriage

My cancer diagnosis at 35 crippled me financially

'Gifted house deposit from father-in-law was too good to be true'

The untold financial pressure of being made a godparent

How I went from earning £20k-100k by doing a coding course

101 Guide to ISAs and How to Make the Most of Them

Everything you need to know about the ISA deadline

My partner's family hosted Christmas... and sent me an invoice

'My ex-boyfriend owes me £10K. I’m moving on'

‘My friend's BF requested £2.50 for a slice of her birthday cake’

‘Children changed my ambitions. Here’s how I became self-employed’

‘I’m choosing between my mental health and my disabled mother’

“I’m a Junior doctor - here’s why we’re striking”

“I sacrificed my morals for a 6-figure, tax-free salary in Saudi Arabia”

‘I was given a London flat, mortgage-free - here’s how I feel’

“I was forced to compete with a close colleague for the same job”

"Conversations about unpaid labour caused me to end our marriage"

Hosting a young person in my home gave me perspective

‘If it costs you your peace it’s too expensive...and other things my ex taught me'

“Estranging myself from my family was the best decision I ever made”

“Booking holidays to deal with my toxic job landed me £10,000 in debt”

I’m considering taking a 65% pay cut to feel like I’m making a difference

Being left to look after my brother-in-law has crippled us financially

A four day work week changed my life. Here's how...

On Sunday afternoons I would still have a tiny bit of ‘blues’ that the weekend is over, but I can honestly say I don’t get that anymore. I have Mondays off and by the time I reach Monday afternoon I feel I’ve achieved everything I want to and therefore I’m ready to hit the next working week.

My parents won the lottery when I was a child. Here's how it impacted my life...

I think it’s just sort of like what happens with any big life change- you lose the people (friends and family) you thought would always be there for you and the people who support you are the ones you didn’t think would.

I quit my toxic job and doubled my pay as a contractor. Here's how...

When I had my breakdown, that was the push I needed to really look at my career, what was meaningful to me and what environment I needed to be in to perform well. As a result, I decided to leave that job as I knew I couldn't get better if I stayed.

I went from earning £23k to over £400k and I’ve felt proud and guilty

NHS, free education and social equality are high on my agenda when it comes to the ballot box. Whilst I wait for the country to sort it's priorities out, I donate every month to my local food bank and a homeless charity in London. It is the minimum a fortunate high earner can do.

"I've stopped worrying about finding Mr Right, and bought a house with my best friend instead"

I figured that there is no point putting my life and dreams on hold in the hope that I'll meet Mr Right. Pretty sure single men buying houses don't get asked 'what if you meet someone?' like we did, it's just accepted that they're making strides to build a life for themselves.

Signing a declaration of trust was the best financial decision I ever made... here's what happened.

I wouldn’t have been able to buy this house, especially with Norfolk prices, without my ex signing a declaration of trust or the market being in such demand at the time of sale.

I have a 'What to do if I die' spreadsheet for my family. Here's why...

I'm lucky that my parents are financially secure and the money wouldn't necessarily be an issue, but I just feel so much better knowing that I'd be relieving some of the stress. And also for my son to know I was prepared.

My husband makes over 10 times my salary.... here's our story

We like to treat our families to one nice holiday each a year and that is probably what brings us the most joy. I never in a million years thought he would be earning what he is now.

I’ve ditched dating during the cost of living crisis to focus on me... here's why

A lot of the time the date goes well, you spend the money to stay longer and get good vibes, then it doesn’t end up going anywhere. After yet another dead end date and repeating the same cycle, I decided to come off all dating apps.

How to have a hot girl retirement: the full guide

It’s the 2022 Hot Girl Retirement Guide!

I financially support my partner due to his chronic illness

Thinking purely about the money aspect, I feel mixed emotions. Lucky that I earn enough to support us, pressure that I need to keep my job and try to earn as much as possible, and guilty that I perhaps do not give enough financially to my partner.

I’m tempted to fake interest in a relationship with my dad for the money... here's why.

I can’t help but come back to the thought that as he is unwilling and incapable of trying to make up for this emotionally, doesn’t he deserve to do so financially? And don’t I deserve something from him that could bring me something good in my life?

I quit my well paid but stressful job in search of a happier life.

I am on less money but I work with amazing people for great causes and I am so much happier. That year off gave me time to find hobbies which I would never have made time for before- weekends had always been to catch up on sleep and recover from burning out.

My ex refused to go part-time to share childcare. That was the beginning of the end...

I asked him to go part time too when our daughter was born. I thought we could both do 4 days at work and each have a day at home with the baby and therefore pay less childcare. But he refused. He wouldn't even consider it.

My boyfriend wouldn't tell me his salary, so I ended it. Here's why...

I really cannot see how couples can have separate finances in todays' economy- I am happy if it works for them but to me it seems like a slippery slope into possible financial abuse.

I make more than my husband, but I don't feel financially secure in my marriage. Here's why...

I don't fear for my marriage, but you just never know what life might throw at you. Even if we never divorce, unexpected deaths and critical illnesses can leave a person completely helpless if they affect the bigger earner.

I moved to Spain and it's plunged me deep into debt... here's why

Spain's job market is just really difficult. And the salaries are low. Even if I got a job with a permanent contract, I'd struggle with the salary because it's just me. I'd need to be living with family or a partner to survive on a 'normal' Spanish salary.

My ex surprised me with a house... It was the final sign to leave.

I felt controlled. He had picked the house, picked the area and was using his family’s wealth to stop me living my life. Then to top it off, he acted like I was crazy for not being grateful.

I use my high salary as a test when dating

Being a female breadwinner is such a great qualification opportunity for relationships. 1) you can test his ego and truly see if he celebrates your success. 2) you know your financial situation will never influence your decision to stay in a relationship.

I put myself in debt for my friend's wedding

I do blame myself for not being more vocal, I should have spoken up at the time and not just quietly gone ahead spending money I didn’t have, and I’ve still not openly had this conversation with her.

I have a 10k anti-f***wit fund... here's why

It adds up pretty quickly! Obviously it’s highly personal- but for me, giving future me a bit of breathing space if things go tits up (for any number of reasons!) is worth investing in now.

I'm "quiet quitting" because I feel so unappreciated at work

I feel generally the ‘quiet quitting’ term is a misnomer, we are acting our pay. For reference, I am frequently receiving praise and even internal awards for my hard work. Since ‘quiet quitting’, I’ve not had any negative comments but there’s definitely been a few suggestions of burnout mentioned.

I'm engaged, but don't want to get married

I'm engaged but do I really want to get married?!

'I had to leave home when I was 19...I want to talk about the unspoken costs of being gay.'

I'm 42, still renting. Here's how I make peace with that

I really wish someone had encouraged me to buy a house when I was 20. When a 2 bed terrace cost about £25k in my town

I proposed to my boyfriend. Here's the story...

"he was totally on board with me proposing, and that it was just the *when* that was going to be a secret to him"

'I do not dream of labour - I have a dream lifestyle and I pursue that with my whole heart'

Here's how I've decided to live

I Make 6x His Salary (100k+). Here Are My Honest Thoughts

A woman having it all is a real rarity. Here's what I've come to accept as a Mum

Finally I have come to terms, almost 4 years into parenting, that my babies are the priority

My 12k Pay Rise Feels Like a Dream. I finally feel like I have a career in tech

I was initially planning to take a pay cut to around £25k+ so being in the new role still feels a bit like a dream. I finally feel like I have a career

Good Life Guide: How to feel more in control + build a financial routine

"I'm a woman in construction...here's my career story and how I feel about starting a family"

I’m a 25-year-old female from Lancashire. I joined the construction industry back in 2015 at the age of 17 and here's my experience

'My Mum Took Out 50k In My Name' - How to Escape Financial Abuse

Why I took a sh*t job to escape a really sh*t job

I applied to every job in my nearby area and even attended 5 interviews in one day.

'My partner earns 3x my salary, we split rent 40/60 and everything else 50/50' What's fair?

As time’s gone on he’s now saved a large amount of money that I haven’t been able to, and whilst we still pay 50/50 for meals out etc, when we moved in 2 years ago he said that our wage gap wasn’t fair and split it in both our favour so that I can now also save.

I quit my life of overconsumption & materialism and moved to Cyprus to work remotely

Moving away from a life of over-consumption and materialism was the best decision I could make. My life is a lot more simple here

I saved my house deposit by living with a 90-year-old lady

My family and friends who met her all adored her too and we’d all have a good laugh & natter over wine!

5 Options for When You're Asked About Your Salary

The Fawcett Society has said that asking about previous pay when hiring is keeping the gender pay gap alive. GASP

A Good Life Guide: Your Emergency Fund

A new-school widsom guide to the Emergency Fund. Why and how to build one.

I lost £3000 after joining a toxic evangelical church

'It takes serious audacity to get up in front of a congregation in a city renowned for its poverty in a pair of Gucci trainers and preach about money from a brand new iPad'

Financial confessions: 'I saved to have a baby without a partner'👶

Financial confessions. Meet anon who after a messy break-up decided to have a baby without a partner

My £300 evening course led to a £10k pay rise

I swapped a traditional career path to work on a tiny island in Belize

We believe that we have been given a huge opportunity and have had so much experience as it's only myself and my husband who run the station. We are both ambitious and have brought the station to the best place that it's ever been in terms of finances, educational offering and research projects.

My grandad's will broke up our family... here's how.

I saw a post not too long ago where someone had a line in their will along the lines of "anyone who contests this will shall automatically receive £1 inheritance and nothing further" - I will be writing those same words into my own inheritance.

It blows my mind that anyone can save

‘My husband and I will be mortgage-free at 34’

'I'm spending money I barely have to attend a hen party'

'My boyfriend dumping me transformed my life and doubled my salary': 1 year later

Why and how you should talk to your colleagues about your salary

'My Grandad’s "for when I’m gone" file changed my life'

“I’m 23 and feel guilty about having 80k in savings”