About this publication

How I Manage My Money is a publication about people's real-world relationships with money.

Most personal finance writing tells you what you ought to do. We are more interested in what people actually do: the accounts they open, the standing orders they forget about, the arguments they have with partners, and the small decisions that add up over years.

Every story is told by one person, with their exact age, income, occupation, location, home situation and relationship status shown at the top. That context matters. A savings rate means something different at £24,000 than at £86,000, and in York than in London.

What we cover

• Earning
• Spending
• Saving
• Investing
• Housing
• Pensions
• Family finances
• Financial goals

How to read the stories

Read them for perspective. Notice the trade-offs, the reasoning and the mistakes. Then think about whether any of it applies to your own life.

These stories are not financial advice

This site is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Articles use non-identifying names and details and include illustrative accounts, rather than verified personal interviews. All photos are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not depict the people described in the articles.

The stories on How I Manage My Money are personal experiences and general information. They are not personalised financial advice. What worked for one person may be wrong for you. If you need help with a specific decision, free impartial guidance is available from MoneyHelper, and regulated financial advisers can give personal recommendations.

Sample content

Read our editorial policy for more about the publication.

Share your story

If you would like to tell us how you manage your money, anonymously or by first name only, get in touch. We never publish addresses, postcodes or employer names.