This simple 1% rule could help you cut spending and save hundreds of pounds
Your friends are planning a weekend away and before you know it, you've chipped in for the deposit. You work hard, it sounds fun, you deserve it.
Then your monthly bills start rolling in and you wonder if a spontaneous holiday was such a good idea after all.
We've been there. But if you find yourself committing to expensive trips or buying high-end items too frequently, one simple budgeting hack could help you keep impulse spending under control.
The trick, known as the 1% rule, is designed for those who often find themselves splurging on non-essentials.
If you're thinking about treating yourself to a non-essential item – like a VIP concert ticket, a quick city break or a designer handbag – and it costs more than 1% of your annual income, take a beat.
Give yourself 24 hours before entering your last three digits to whatever shopping website you find yourself on.
Impulse spending is buying something on a whim, without considering the long-term impact on your finances. While extreme cases might require stricter budgeting or professional help, there are some simple strategies to help scale it back.
Another money-saving hack 'wage-weighting' – which is when you think of items in terms of your hourly or daily wage.
If it equates to half a day at work – or maybe even if days – is it still worth it? Thinking about how long you'd have to work to afford an item could be the hack to unnecessary spending.
Alice Tapper, financial expert at Go Fund Yourself, previously told Metro: 'The challenge we face is that it's very difficult to conceptualise the real value of money.
'When you consider the time you need to work to afford an item, it becomes a bit easier.'
This cooling off period allows time to re-think the purchase. If you're desperate to buy it, there's no harm in taking an extra day to think about it.
The rule was popularised by Glen James, host of the Australian finance podcast, My Millenial Money, and has since been shared widely by finance gurus on social media.
TikTok finance expert @frugal_spender recommends the trick to those earning less than £100,000 per year – especially those who earn just below or above the national average of £36,000.
He says the tip 'doesn't work for people on very low incomes and it doesn't work for people on very high incomes'.
He explains: 'So let's say you're on an average salary of £30,000 per year, 1% of that is £300. If you are considering making a purchase over £300, then you need to sleep on it.
'You need to give yourself a whole day, 24 hours, to figure out whether that decision is the right one to make.
'Now this doesn't mean you can't splurge your money, it just means you're being intentional with what you're spending. '
Finance guru @christosfellas also explained the rules to his followers, saying: 'When you wake up in the morning you can weigh up the pros and cons of how that thing can actually bring you value.
'Doing this will likely stop you from making those bad impulse buys and the things that you do go ahead and buy will end up bringing you lots of value.'
Matthew Sheeran, money expert at Money Wellness, tells Metro the 1% rule is a 'simple and clever trick to stop those 'should I, shouldn't I' moments when you're about to splurge'. More Trending
He says: 'It's especially handy for those bigger non-essential spends, like new tech, furniture, or a weekend away.
'Giving yourself 24 hours can be just enough time to dodge an impulse buy and figure out what you really want, or if it was just a 'scrolling temptation' moment.'
However, the trick isn't a sure-fire way to stop overspending.
View More »
'It's not a magic fix for managing money or getting out of debt,' Matthew adds. 'It's a great starting point, but for bigger money worries, you might need a more detailed plan.'
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE: You can save £600 on family holidays by avoiding this flight booking mistake
MORE: Map reveals how much you need to earn in each UK region to be considered wealthy
MORE: Martin Lewis urges Brits to claim 50% savings boost with 'unbeatable' Government scheme
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Skintight leggings or baggy joggers? What your gymwear says about you
Around me, a group of women in skintight gym sets are side planking. Some are wearing full-coverage unitards, others leave slices of midriff bare. No one is wearing a baggy T-shirt from 2008 with a naked Rufus Wainwright on it, and hardened flecks of damp-proof paint. Except me. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. If TikTok is to be believed, my gym-mates must be millennials, born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s; gen Z would find such skin-tightness a bit retro, or basic, or even 'jurassic fitness'. Another generational schism has opened online – to add to socks, jeans and boundaries – this time over what millennials and gen Z are wearing to work out in. Tight-on-tight outfits supposedly single you out as a millennial – it is 'giving middle school', said one gen Z user witheringly – while gen Z prefers something baggier. Looking around me at pilates and in the park, though, I suspect some of the women wearing a second, seal-like skin are younger than 30. And here I am, days after turning 40 – squarely a millennial – wearing an enormous T-shirt. It is a muddled picture. Kelechi Okafor – at 38, a millennial – is a fitness professional, a former personal trainer and the owner of a pole dance studio. She used to wear tighter clothes to exercise but now wears baggy joggers and tops, in the reverse of what TikTok might have you believe. 'The way that the tailoring is done for a lot of gymwear does not have my body size in mind,' she says. 'There was something liberating about saying: 'Actually, I'm not wearing this any more. I'm going to wear baggy things.'' Michelle Carroll, a 29-year-old (millennial) body image coach and nutritionist based in Edinburgh, who typically wears leggings and a vest or cropped top, says that at her gym: 'Younger people tend to wear brighter, shorter and tighter clothes.' She sees it as 'in part, influenced by 'fitness culture' we see online – it's almost a uniform'. Lauren Crowder, managing director of ELEVEN:ELEVEN Studios in Liverpool city centre, says clients in their 20s and early 30s 'tend to embrace the trend of matching activewear sets – brands such as Adanola, Bo+Tee, or Gymshark are really popular' – whereas clients in their late 30s and up 'generally prefer a more relaxed fit'. Georgie Burke, founder of the Barre Fitness Studio in Bristol, says the younger clients there like 'plain colours, white grip ankle socks and tight vest tops' – what she calls the 'Adanola aesthetic', referencing the British activewear brand that seems to be everywhere now, while the 30-plus crowd opt for 'a print legging but with a looser style top'. Farther afield, in the Canadian city of Guelph, Samantha Brennan, a professor of philosophy and co-author of Fit at Mid-Life: A Feminist Fitness Journey, has also noticed young women wearing beautiful sets – the kind of 'workout bikinis' that some men have been complaining are 'intimidating'. It is not so much that they are tight that Brennan notices – though they probably are – but that they all match. Where she sees the gym as 'a place where you get to take a break from fashion', she says, 'they're wearing things I recognise as outfits, and they're specifically bought for wearing at the gym'. It makes a lot of sense that gym wear is being given as much attention as it is. The gym now has such gravitational pull that for many it is seen as – and this is very much gen Z's sentiment, not mine – 'the new club'. It is a place for socialising and dating; some are calling it 'workout-wooing'. A raft of newer brands, such as Toronto's Literary Sport, founded by creatives Deirdre Matthews and M Bechara, and Los Angeles's set up by former American Apparel employees, may be behind the looser lines, popularising casually-fitting track pants, among other items. Some more longstanding, millennial-coded brands, such as Lululemon, are also now offering baggier fits or 'away-from-body styles', as Lululemon's chief merchandising officer put it. But, given the often hefty price tags, they appear to be aimed at older exercisers, who are generally more able to afford them. Meanwhile, other brands, such as Sweaty Betty, have been explicitly marketing the idea of wearing tighter, skimpier clothes, at least as part of an exercise ensemble, and disregarding body hang-ups: 'Wear the damn shorts' is the tagline from a campaign last year. While the generational divide may feel over-egged, what we wear to exercise reveals a lot about where we are at with body image. Several brands, for example, now do bottoms with 'scrunch' designs at the bum, to accentuate curves, because Kardashian-esque glutes remain idealised. It is a style that unites twentysomething 'TikTok gym girlies' and celebrities such as J-Lo. What you wear to exercise also depends on what exercise you are doing. Reformer pilates – the hyper-expensive and highly engineered full-body workout – makes more sense in cinched styles that won't get stuck in equipment. A jog in the park, less so. Subtle flares are becoming a thing for yoga, but they would be annoying on a treadmill, and a trip hazard on a squash court. There are also other, shall we say, external factors. 'There's a fear of people taking advantage and hypersexualising and dehumanising folks, particularly women, in these spaces,' says Samantha Noelle Sheppard, a Cornell professor who writes about sport. What she often sees is a 'mix of tight and baggy, like really tight shorts' with an oversized shirt, as a way to keep unwanted eyes off bodies not looking to be objectified. Shakaila Forbes-Bell, a fashion psychologist, has been seeing more conversations among gen Z about wearing baggier clothing for the gym tied to 'what is for the male gaze and what is for me'. Again, though, this doesn't have to be generational. Navi Ahluwalia, an editor at fashion and sportswear site Hypebae, is a millennial who typically goes for 'leggings with a baggier top'. While she loves 'the way the tighter gym clothes look', she also hates 'the feeling of people looking at me while I exercise, so I personally don't want to draw any attention to myself – particularly not from creepy men'. I would hazard that most, if not all, women who exercise in public will have had similar thoughts. Burke says: 'A fair few of our clients will stay in activewear all day, for coffee, work and the school run, due to our studio being less on the sweaty side.' That tallies with the continued march of gymwear as everyday wear. At least part of this is about comfort; activewear is forgiving when working from home and, at least in my case, practical, when combined with the hope that a trip to the gym (or a 20-minute Yoga with Adriene) is just moments away. It also, consciously or not, broadcasts status. 'You think it shows fitness and the idea of an athletic body and a healthy mind,' says Sheppard. 'But what it shows is a healthy bank account.' '[It is] meant to be performative in all these different kinds of ways,' she says. 'Not only do you look like you have the time to work out, you have the resources to work out – go do your pilates, go do your Peloton class – in a very expensive set.' Looking like a 'gym person', then, perhaps particularly for a younger gen Z crowd, comes with cultural capital. It is not the first time gym gear has been loaded with meaning. In an article in 2019, New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino posited athleisure as a uniform that represented the principle of 'optimisation': 'the process of making something, as the dictionary puts it, 'as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible''. Athleisure, she said, was designed to optimise your appearance at the same time as your performance. But not on everybody. Lululemon founder Chip Wilson made this explicit. 'The definition of a brand is that you're not everything to everybody … You've got to be clear that you don't want certain customers coming in,' he said in a 2013 interview. As Tolentino wrote: 'Athleisure broadcasts your commitment to controlling your body through working out.' You create – if indeed you can and you want to – a body that fits athleisure rather than the athleisure moulding to fit you. Okafor looks back to her days of trying to make ill-fitting, tight gymwear work. No matter 'how high I pull up the waistband, no matter how much I try to shuffle about with the sports bra, it still doesn't look right to me'. Clothes seemed to have been designed in a way that wasn't 'honouring' her shape. 'It's just like: 'Oh, you're not skinny?' It's the thoughtlessness of how these things are made that reinforces that I wasn't being considered.' A host of brands now make exercise clothes constructed with different bodies in mind. Okafor cites Grrrl as one (tagline: 'We make real clothes for real women who simply don't care'). Forbes-Bell says the brand Curvy Kate has created 'sports bras for larger-chested women at more affordable prices', something that has been a battle for her since she was a teenager. And Gymshark is 'creating a lot of more inclusive clothing: size-inclusive, more modest wear as well. For gym clothing, that was very scarce before.' With all the new and improved tight gym gear out there, if younger women in their 20s are still opting for baggier styles, could it be for other reasons? Okafor sees 'all manners of bodies and ages' at her pole studio and thinks that, in general, younger generations are 'giving themselves more space'. Sheppard sees this as a response to our times. Young people 'are living in a period of global crises that make the focus on themselves seem too indulgent … It's like, just put on clothes. We've got bigger problems.' Ultimately, if there is more room for divergence from a workout uniform, then it might have benefits for all generations. 'How many people would probably want to go to the gym and work out if they could wear clothes that didn't make them feel embarrassed?' asks Okafor. 'It's about questioning the motivations,' says Forbes-Bell. 'And I think that's empowering, whether it's baggy or whether it's tight, that idea of: 'Why am I actually wearing this? What am I trying to achieve?''
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Lionesses legend Chloe Kelly shows off dance moves with Man Utd star after jetting off on holiday ahead of Euros
CHLOE KELLY showed off her dance moves while soaking up the sun on holiday. The Lionesses star took a well-earned break ahead of the Euros, which begins on July 2. Advertisement 8 Chloe Kelly and Gabby George showed off their dance moves Credit: TikTok 8 The pair stripped down to bikinis as they jumped on TikTok trends Credit: TikTok 8 They cooled off after their dance by jumping into the pool Credit: TikTok 8 Kelly's husband Scott Moore joined them on a couple's break Kelly, 27, jetted off alongside her husband Scott Moore and Manchester United star Gabby George and her boyfriend. The two couples rented a stunning villa with a swimming pool that overlooked the sea. Kelly and George took to Instagram and TikTok to share videos of themselves enjoying their time abroad. The duo both stripped down to revealing bikinis while dancing to viral song Jealously by Khalil Harrison and Tyler ICU. Advertisement And in another clip, they grooved and sung along to hit Ran Out by JT before making a splash in the pool behind them. George captioned the post: "Holiday szn with my girl." Fans loved it, with one saying: "You at Chlo and Gabs." Another commented: "Forever loved this duo." Advertisement BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS A third wrote: "Love it girls. Enjoy your holiday." Kelly, who recently lifted the Champions League with Arsenal on loan from Manchester City, has been named in Sarina Wiegman's 23-player Euros squad. Chloe Kelly stuns Arsenal fans as she heads straight to local PUB after Champions League trophy parade She will be hoping to fire England to glory with another winning goal in the final - just as she did in the victory over Germany at Wembley in 2022. Advertisement George, who is Jesse Lingard's cousin, has been capped three times before but did not get a Euros call-up. She is pals with Kelly from their days at Everton together, where they were team-mates for four years. The striker is in talks with Arsenal over making her switch to North London permanent after accusing parent club City of "assassinating her character". Meanwhile, England hero Millie Bright has pulled out of Euro 2025. Advertisement SunSport exclusively revealed that she has left her fiancé and fallen for a married personal trainer. 8 Chloe Kelly has been enjoying a well-earned break ahead of the Euros Credit: Instagram @Chloekelly 8 The striker scored the winner at Euro 2022 final against Germany Credit: Getty 8 She is now a fashion icon and A-list star Credit: Getty Advertisement
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I swear by my 12-step routine to be the hottest mum on the school run & a £5 Primark buy is a must for ‘flawless' skin
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MOTHER has shared the 12-step routine she swears by to be the hottest mum on the school run. So if your skin is looking lacklustre and you're eager to have a glow up but have no idea where to start, then you've come to the right place. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A savvy mum has shared the 12-step routine she does every day to be the hottest mum at the school gates Credit: TikTok/@faithcoe 3 So if you want to turn heads and look as gorgeous as Faith when you drop your little ones off, you'll need to take notes Credit: TikTok/@faithcoe 3 Faith Coe loves this moisturising primer from Primark, which is only £5 Credit: Primark A content creator named Faith Coe revealed the products she uses for flawless skin, including a £5 buy from Primark you won't want to miss. Not only this, but she also gave her followers a close-up look at the setting spray you need that will ensure your make-up stays in place all day. Posting on social media, Faith revealed her '12-step make-up to be the hottest on the school run', leaving many totally stunned. Faith tucked into a coffee as she kicked off her morning routine which first of all, involves the 'de-shed'. With this step, the brunette removed her hair bonnet that she slept in to protect her locks, as well as her chin strap and mouth tape, which is said to "freeze ageing". For the second step, the mother goes in with her moisturiser. Faith swore by the PS…Prep + Perfect Flawless Primer, which you can buy for just £5 from Primark. Not only does the moisturiser work to 'protect your skin from the sun', but it also provides a 'surge of moisture and hydration into the skin'. For the third step, the influencer applied a primer to her face. She confirmed that she used the Melon Jelly Dewy Primer from The Beauty Crop, which 'helps to hydrate and smooth the skin and make your make-up last all day'. Lidl is selling a £2.99 product beauty fans are racing to nab - you don't have to wear foundation AND it contains SPF50 Following this, Faith then applied a skin tint, as she swore by L'Oreal Paris True Match. The Plumping Tinted Skin Serum is just £14.99 from Boots and according to the listing, is an 'innovative formula combining the benefits of a skincare serum with the radiance and coverage of a foundation.' Top 3 beauty products every woman should be using Hayley Walker, Beauty Expert at Justmylook shared the holy-grail products every woman needs to be using. A cleanser, SPF, and hair oil are must-haves within beauty routines. A cleanser is crucial for healthy skin as it removes dirt, oil, and other impurities for flawless skin. This skincare step not only cleanses the face and removes dirt, but also prevents breakouts and premature skin ageing, helping you maintain a healthy, youthful, and blemish-free complexion. The Aveeno Face Calm+ Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser is a go-to of mine due to its gentle formula that soothes and restores the skin's appearance and texture. SPF is non-negotiable and should be in everyone's daily skincare routine. Even on cooler, cloudier days, our skin is exposed to the sun's UV rays which can be harmful to unprotected skin and even lead to damage. These damages include sunburn, pigmentation changes, and wrinkles which can impact the skin's texture and appearance. In some cases, prolonged exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancer. Applying SPF daily prevents these damages and protects the skin from harmful rays. I recommend the Beauty Of Joseon Rice & Prebiotic Sunscreen PA++++ SPF50+ for its lightweight, non-clumping texture that absorbs quickly for a natural finish and maximum protection. Hair oil has many benefits and should be regularly used. This treatment can strengthen and protect the hair from external stressors while improving its appearance and shine. Regularly applying hair oil can also reduce breakage and even encourage hair growth for longer, fuller locks. Hair oils also target the scalp, reducing dandruff and improving its health through exfoliation. I recommend using this deeply nourishing treatment a couple of times a week or more depending on the hair's moisture levels. The Hair Syrup Rapunzel Pre-Wash Oil Treatment is a nutrient-rich treatment that revitalises strands to promote a happy scalp and healthy-looking locks. Apply the syrup throughout damp hair before washing; massage from root to tip and allow the formula to penetrate strands before rinsing and styling. For the fifth step in her routine, the mum-of-three who often wakes up at 6am to kick off her morning routine, then applied concealer under her eyes, on her chin and a small amount in the middle of her forehead. Contouring was the sixth step, which Faith used to define her cheekbones and add colour and depth to her face. She then set her face with the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder for the seventh step, which has been hailed as 'a staple in every make-up artists' kit' for an 'iconic soft-focus finish with zero flashback.' For the eighth step in the routine, Faith used a brush to add bronzer to her cheekbones, to further define and add colour to her face. I ain't got time for that and I ain't got no one to impress on that school run TikTok user After this, she then applied a blusher to her cheeks and nose. To set her make-up in place, Faith used The Beauty Crop Pore Filter Setting Mist, which is just £10 a bottle and ensures 'long-lasting wear.' Moments later, for the eleventh step in the routine, Faith applied mascara to her lashes. And to finish off her look, Faith then put lipstick and lipgloss on her plump pout. Big divide The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @faithcoe, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 117,900 views. Not only this, but it's also amassed 1,804 likes and 85 comments. You are absolutely stunning TikTok user But social media users were left divided by the clip - while numerous beauty fans were impressed and thought Faith looked 'pretty', other mums claimed they don't have the time for a 12-step routine each morning. One person said: 'I admire the dedication.' Another added: 'You are absolutely stunning.' Biggest skincare trends for 2025 Face The Future's Head of Clinic, Kimberley Medd, shared the five skincare trends predicted to take off in 2025. 1. Exosomes Exosomes are the buzzword for 2025, taking advanced skin regeneration to new heights. These micro-messengers signal skin cells to repair damage, boost collagen, and accelerate recovery, and they're a gamechanger for targeting ageing. 2. Streamlined Skincare The age of 12-step routines is fading as consumers shift to more intentional, multi-functional products. Streamlining skincare not only saves time but also reduces the risk of overloading your skin. In 2025, we'll see a rise in hybrid products that combine active ingredients for simplified, effective results. 3. Vegan Collagen Plant-based collagen will dominate the skincare world this year, providing a sustainable, ethical alternative to traditional animal-derived collagen. Expect vegan collagen in everything from moisturisers to serums. 4. The Rise Of AI AI is revolutionising the beauty landscape, making it possible for consumers to get truly personalised skincare solutions. In 2025, we predict a dramatic shift towards AI-powered tools that help people understand their skin on a deeper level. 5. Hair Loss Solutions - Hair loss is an issue that affects more men than we often realise, and it's no longer just something we're talking about behind closed doors. This year, expect to see a continued rise in demand for treatments that not only tackle hair loss but also nurture overall scalp health. A third commented: 'Super pretty.' But at the same time, one mother gasped: 'No mum has time for all that in the morning.' A second chimed in: 'Yeah I ain't got time for that and I ain't got no one to impress on that school run.' Meanwhile, one woman claimed: 'Sorry but life is just too short.' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club
