Learn about money

Learn the basics

• MoneyHelper budget planner

  Money and Pensions Service, backed by the government

  Ten minutes to see where your money goes each month, with a spreadsheet to keep.

• MoneyHelper

  Money and Pensions Service, backed by the government

  Plain guides on borrowing, saving, pensions, benefits and what to do when money gets tight.

• Managing my money

  The Open University, on OpenLearn

  A free eight-week course, about three hours a week: budgeting, debt, saving, pensions and insurance.

• Managing my money for young adults

  The Open University, on OpenLearn

  The same idea for anyone starting work, college or university.

Short courses from AirGap

AirGap is run by Joel Harvey, who also runs MyOwnPurse. These five courses are free to read, with no sign-up, no product names and no affiliate links.

• Your financial picture

  AirGap

  Work out what you own, what you owe and where the money goes, then build a budget that tells the truth.

• Get out of debt

  AirGap

  Types of debt, which to pay first and why, your credit file, and talking to lenders.

• Build your safety net

  AirGap

  How big an emergency fund to aim for, where to keep it and how to build it from nothing.

• Earning on the side: the rules

  AirGap

  Before you charge anyone: start-up costs, pricing, tax, Universal Credit, telling a debt plan, insurance and licences. It leads on to free courses in skills people pay for.

• Money traps

  AirGap

  Lifestyle creep, subscriptions, payday loans and get-rich-quick schemes, and how to spot them early.

If you work for yourself

• Self Assessment tax returns

  GOV.UK

  Who needs to file, the deadlines, and how to register, straight from the source.

• HMRC on YouTube

  HM Revenue and Customs

  Short videos on registering, filing and paying tax when you’re self-employed.

• Business Debtline

  Money Advice Trust, a charity

  Free debt advice for the self-employed, on business and personal debts, tax included.

Benefits, grants and money worries

• Turn2us

  A charity

  Check which benefits you could get, and search for grants from charities and trusts.

• Money and Mental Health

  A charity founded by Martin Lewis

  Help for when money problems and mental health problems feed each other.

Listen and watch

Journalists and a financial planner explaining money in general terms. It isn’t advice about your situation, and we don’t vouch for every word. Anyone who tells you to borrow to invest, promises quick money or sells a course to get there is worth a wide berth.

• Money Box

  BBC Radio 4

  The weekly consumer and personal finance programme, with listeners’ questions. Also a podcast.

• The Martin Lewis Podcast

  BBC Radio 5 Live

  Weekly money news and how-tos, from energy bills to tax on savings.

• Meaningful Money

  Pete Matthew, a chartered financial planner

  A long-running podcast and YouTube channel: each episode explains one money topic, then what to do about it.