For many people, January is all about goal setting, especially when it comes to their finances. We spoke to four people in the Starling customer service team in Southampton and asked what they’re saving for and how they plan to reach their targets. They all joined Team Starling in August 2019 and answer questions and queries from customers through calls, emails and live chat in the app, available 24/7.
Pippa Hall: Create and stick to a budget
“Forget hey big spender, I’m a big saver,” says Pippa Hall. To help her, she uses the Goals feature of the Starling app. It enables Starling customers to set target amounts and keep savings separate from their main bank balance.
You can also choose an image for whatever you’re saving for. For example, Pippa, 25, added a selfie with her partner for the savings pot she set up for their planned trip to the Philippines. “It reminds me what that savings Goal means to me,” she says. She plans to visit the Philippines, where she grew up, in the Spring and hopes to have enough to start flat hunting in the next 18 months. “For my flat deposit Goal I’ve used an idealised picture of the sort of living room I’d like.”
So how does she go about saving? “What I do is when I receive my salary, I deduct my rent and what I spend on food or bills. I then divide the remainder into three and put one third into savings. The remaining two thirds is divided to give me a budget.”
With the Starling app, the daily spending figures on the homescreen can help you keep to your budget. “With a card people can spend frivolously, compared to cash, but the Starling home screen brings back that tangibility.”