so you know what you’re normally paying and when. It can help to do this as a household if you share expenses with anyone else.

Make a list of all the companies you pay, when and how much you normally pay.

Think about household bills (like energy, water, internet, mortage or rent, council tax), subscriptions (like TV or streaming services, gym membership, recurring deliveries), financial products (like insurance, bank charges or credit cards) and anything else that's relevant for you. This advice is mostly looking at bills, but you may want to include other costs like living costs, food and transport.

Reviewing this list might help you find any goods or services you don’t need right now and can cancel, like a streaming service you don't use very often, but remember some bills are essential and should be prioritised - visit MoneyHelper for advice on this. If you find a regular payment to a company you don't recognise, try an internet search to find the company before making any changes, to make sure you're not cancelling an important payment. 

If you're not sure how to review your bills online, we've partnered with digital support charity Citizens Online, so that all Triodos Bank UK customers can access free, one-to-one telephone support with a Digital Champion, at a time that suits you. Find out more here.

Many costs have gone up recently, but it's worth checking through to see if there have been any unexpected increases. If so, you might need to contact the company involved and find out why the bill has gone up. As so much is paperless now, many of us are used to just looking at our outgoing payments. Take a moment to check every bill you receive online to make sure you are only being charged what you were expecting.

Try to highlight any bills where you are on a reduced cost or fixed contract, and set yourself a reminder to review them before the deal ends. You might automatically be moved onto a more expensive option when your offer or contract ends, but you may be able to get a better price by contacting the company, or shopping around and switching to a different provider.

Some suppliers will have a period towards the end of your contract where you can take out a new offer before your current contract or fixed term ends, like mortgage providers or energy suppliers. Check with your existing supplier to find out if this applies to you. If your contract has expired already, check with your supplier to see if a better option is available, and consider shopping around - you may be able to find a better deal for new customers. Price comparison websites can help with this, but you can also check with the company directly, through their website or by talking to someone.

You can often pay by direct debit, internet banking or over the phone. If possible, you might find it easier to make all of your payments from the same account so you can see your outgoing costs in one place. You could also consider having a separate bank account to cover all of your bills and essential spending.

If possible, it might help to have most payments going out on the same day you are paid, so you know how much is left for the rest of the month.

If you are worried about paying any of your bills, speak to the company or provider involved. They can offer guidance on anything they can do to help you. MoneyHelper has a useful online tool for helping you to prioritise your bills - Help with bills and payments | MoneyHelper