Debt Snowball vs Avalanche: Which Should You Pick?
Snowball clears the smallest balance first, avalanche the highest rate. Both methods run on the same three debts, with the interest, the timing and the trade-off shown.
Guides
How the numbers are worked out — each guide gives the answer first, then the formula, a worked example and the calculator to try it with your own figures.
How Big Should an Emergency Fund Be?
There is no single right size. Your income pattern, household and backup decide whether you aim for 3 months of essentials or 12 — and the maths is one multiplication.
How Is Compound Interest Calculated?
Multiply the balance by (1 + rate ÷ periods), once for every period. A £5,000 example worked step by step, and why time matters far more than how often interest is added.
How Much Can I Borrow for a Mortgage in the UK?
Two tests set your borrowing limit: a multiple of your income and a payment check at a higher rate. A worked £60,000 example shows which one bites, and why.
How Much Take-Home Pay Will I Get? A UK Salary Guide
Take-home pay is your salary minus Income Tax and employee National Insurance. A £45,000 salary leaves £35,919.60 a year in 2026–27, worked step by step.
Is It Better to Rent or Buy? How to Work Out Your Answer
Renting or buying depends mostly on how long you stay. A worked £250,000 example shows which costs you never get back and the point where buying pulls ahead.
How Many Bricks Do I Need for a Wall?
About 60 bricks per square metre for a single-skin wall and 120 for a double skin. The sum behind those numbers, worked for a real wall, and how to turn the count into an order.
How to Calculate a Percentage Decrease (Formula and Examples)
Subtract the final value from the starting value, divide by the starting value, multiply by 100. The formula, worked examples and the mistakes that catch people out.
How Is Stamp Duty Calculated for First-Time Buyers?
First-time buyers pay no stamp duty up to £300,000 and 5% on the slice up to £500,000 — then lose the relief entirely. The bands, the cliff edge and worked examples.
How Is a Mortgage Repayment Calculated?
The amortisation formula behind every repayment mortgage, worked through for a £200,000 loan — and why the balance barely moves in the first few years.