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  "path": "/2026/06/06/im-accountant-much-save-per-year-based-salary-28656424/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-06T06:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Money",
    "Saving",
    "Work",
    "paid your mortgage",
    "drinks",
    "relaxing holidays.",
    "61% of UK consumers",
    "cost of living",
    "Nicole Zalys,",
    "The London Accountant",
    "social media",
    "people’s bank accounts",
    "savings",
    "Add us as a Preferred Source",
    "the popular 50/30/20 rule",
    "expensive cities like London",
    "building savings.’",
    "pension",
    "government",
    "‘Research suggests",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "It’s time to get smart with your savings (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nEver wondered if you’re saving enough?\n\nOnce you’ve paid your mortgage or rent, settled your bills, and done your weekly food shop, often there’s little left to squirrel away.\n\nAnd for many, that’s _before_ being able to spend your hard-earned cash on ‘little treats,’ from dinner and drinks with friends to relaxing holidays.\n\nHowever, it’s not _all_ doom and gloom in the world of personal finance.\n\nDespite 61% of UK consumers finding it harder to save compared to this time last year — caused by the cost of living crisis, which continues to squeeze finances — there are ways you can save _some_ money if you know how.\n\n**Metro** spoke with chartered accountant Nicole Zalys, also known as The London Accountant on social media, to get her top saving tips. Plus, to find out how much you could realistically save per year based on your salary.\n\nNicole Zalys, aka the London Accountant, has shared her money knowledge (Picture: Supplied)\n\nDisclaimer: We’re aware that, even though some people may be on the same salary, outgoings are likely to be different.\n\nWhen factoring in variables like rent, mortgages, financing cars, and kids, very different amounts will leave people’s bank accounts. Therefore, saving goals might be different.\n\n## Nicole’s top saving tips\n\nDrawing on extensive experience of her own and that of her clients, Nicole explains that saving money is something almost everyone says they want to do more of. Yet for many, it remains harder than expected.\n\nAccording to the FCA’s Financial Lives Survey, the average UK household has just £1,000 in accessible savings. So why do so many people struggle?\n\nHere, Nicole shares three things you can do money-wise that will consistently make a difference:\n\n### **First, automate it**\n\nNicole reveals that research across 94 studies found that specific ‘if then’ plans can double follow-through rates.\n\n‘A rule such as “when my salary lands, I transfer £X” is far more effective than relying on willpower alone,’ she adds.\n\n### Make the future feel tangible\n\n##  Don't miss our Money tips! Add us as a Preferred Source\n\nAt Metro Money, we're here to bring you all the latest news and advice on personal finance, cost of living, saving and investing. As part of our vibrant community of highly engaged readers, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories.\n\nClick the button below and tick ** _Metro.co.uk_** to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.\n\nAdd us as a Preferred Source\n\nOur Money experts are here to give you the latest tips and insider guides\n\n‘Our brains tend to treat our future selves like strangers, which helps explain why saving is so easy to put off.’\n\nHer advice? Give your goals a name. Make them personal.\n\n### Reframe it\n\nThird, if saving feels like deprivation, Nicole advises reframing it as paying your future self.\n\n‘You are not giving something up. You are spending on someone who happens to be you.’\n\nIs it time to re-evaluate your savings strategy? (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nAdditionally, while many attempt to follow the popular 50/30/20 rule, which suggests spending 50% of your monthly salary on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings, Nicole says it was actually designed with the American middle class in mind.\n\nTherefore, for individuals, couples, or households in expensive cities like London, housing alone can swallow a huge share of income.\n\n## What to do before starting to save\n\n‘Before looking at the numbers, one point matters most,’ states Nicole. ‘If you are carrying high-interest debt, especially on credit cards, paying that down should come before building savings.’\n\nClearing a balance charging 20% interest is effectively the same as securing a 20% guaranteed return, something no ISA or savings account is likely to match.\n\nOnce that is dealt with, the expert explains that the targets below become far more meaningful.\n\nEven if you don’t hit them every month, it’s important not to be disheartened: Living costs are high, but these figures are a useful benchmark.\n\n## How much should you save based on your salary?\n\nBelow, Nicole has zoomed in on six salaries. From sharing the average monthly take-home amount to a savings target, hopefully, it helps make your money journey easier.\n\nAgain, don’t stress if you don’t relate to these figures — saving in whatever capacity you can is still good practice. No one’s financial experience is the same, so it’s important not to compare yourself to others and their situations.\n\nEveryone is on their own financial journey (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n### £20,000 salary\n\n• **Take-home:** around £1,493 a month\n\n• **Target:** 3%\n\nAt this level, ‘most income will go straight on housing and essentials,’ states Nicole. Even saving £25 a month matters because consistency is what builds the habit.\n\n‘It is also worth making full use of a workplace pension, as the employer contribution is effectively free money.’\n\n### £25,000 salary\n\n• **Take-home:** around £1,793 a month\n\n• **Target:** 5%\n\nThis is still a tight income, particularly in cities. However, ‘consistency matters more than the amount itself.\n\n‘A Lifetime ISA offers a 25% government bonus on up to £4,000 a year, making it one of the strongest guaranteed returns available for first-time buyers or retirement savers.’\n\n### £30,000 salary\n\n• **Take-home:** around £2,090 a month\n\n• **Target:** 7%\n\n‘Before anything else, this is the point at which aiming for an emergency fund becomes particularly important,’ says Nicole. Covering three months of essentials, roughly £3,000 to £4,500, can make a significant difference.\n\n‘Research suggests people with this kind of buffer tend to make better financial decisions.’\n\nDo you have a comfortable safety buffer? (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n### £40,000 salary\n\n**• Take-home:** around £2,693 a month\n\n• **Target:** 10%\n\nAt this level, Nicole says it’s worth making the most of your Cash ISA allowance, currently £20,000 a year tax-free, while also reviewing whether your pension contributions are working hard enough.\n\n### £50,000 salary\n\n• **Take-home:** around £3,293 a month\n\n• **Realistic target:** 12%\n\nYou are approaching the 40% tax threshold, which means that where you save becomes almost as important as how much you save.\n\n### £60,000 salary\n\n**• Take-home:** around £3,780 a month\n\n• **Realistic target:** 15%\n\n‘This is the point at which the High Income Child Benefit Charge begins to bite, but pension contributions can reduce or even eliminate it entirely,’ the expert explains.\n\nMaxing out your ISA, reviewing salary sacrifice and speaking to a financial planner may all be worth considering.\n\nIt might be time for that pay rise… (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n## Bottom line?\n\n‘Sometimes, though, the answer is not saving more but earning more,’ educates Nicole.\n\nIn an inflationary environment, there is only so much to be gained from cutting back. Energy, rent and food are structural costs. For many people, the more powerful lever is income.\n\n‘Asking for a pay rise remains one of the highest-return financial moves available, and while many employers do not offer increases proactively, they will often respond when asked.\n\n‘Even a side income of £3,000 to £5,000 a year, if saved in full, can outperform years of budgeting on a lower salary.’\n\n_These figures are based on typical observations and should be treated as a guide rather than a rule. Always seek financial advice before making major decisions._\n\n_**A version of this article was originally published on March 27, 2026**\n_\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "How much you should save per year based on your salary – according to an accountant"
}