As we come to the end of another year, we want to thank all our members, partners and supporters for being part of Hoot Credit Union. Your trust and loyalty help us continue our mission of supporting our community with fair, affordable financial services.
From everyone here at Hoot, we wish you a warm, peaceful and joyful Christmas, and a positive start to the New Year.
During the festive period, our opening hours will change slightly to ensure our team can enjoy time with their families while still providing support where you need it. Please take a moment to check when our branch and online/phone services will be available.
Christmas & New Year Opening Hours
(23 December – 2 January)
Please also check with your salary or benefit provider for payment dates over the festive period, as these may differ from usual.
Even when our branch is closed, members can still:
Check balances
Apply for loans
Manage savings
Send secure messages
Access their account via the Hoot App or online portal
This is the quickest way to manage your money during the festive period.
Need Help? We’re Still Here
If you need support, advice or have a question about your account, please get in touch when our online or phone services are open. We’re here to help you navigate the end of the year smoothly and confidently.
Warm Wishes from All of Us at Hoot
Thank you for being part of our credit union community. We are proud to serve you and look forward to supporting you with your savings, loans and financial well-being in 2025.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
Everyday habits to save money! Saving money doesn’t always mean making big sacrifices. In fact, some of the most effective ways to cut costs are found in small, everyday habits that quietly reduce your spending without feeling like hard work.
Here are ten simple changes you can start today that will help you keep more money in your pocket – almost without realising.
1. Turn Appliances Off at the Wall
Many household items continue using electricity even when they’re not being used – known as phantom or standby energy. TVs, game consoles, microwaves, chargers and even some kettles quietly draw power all day long.
Switching appliances off at the wall can save £50–£80 a year, depending on your home. It’s one of the easiest habits to adopt and takes only a second.
2. Reduce “Tap and Go” Spending
Contactless payments make life convenient, but they also make it incredibly easy to overspend. A few small taps here and there soon add up.
Try:
Setting a daily spending limit
Using cash for discretionary spending
Checking your banking app before making a purchase
Becoming more mindful with your tap-and-go payments helps you stay in control of your money rather than letting convenience run the show.
3. Make the Most of Your Local Library
Libraries aren’t just for books anymore. Many offer:
Free magazine and newspaper subscriptions
Audiobooks and eBooks
Free Wi-Fi
Community events and workshops
Study spaces
Borrowing instead of buying can save you hundreds of pounds a year – especially if you’re a big reader or have children.
4. Set “No-Spend Days” Each Week
A no-spend day is exactly what it sounds like: a day where you avoid all unnecessary purchases. No coffee runs, no online shopping, no quick convenience snacks.
Start with one day a week and build gradually. It’s a powerful way to break impulse spending habits and become more conscious of where your money goes.
5. Use Cashback Apps on Everyday Purchases
Cashback apps let you earn money back simply by shopping as you normally would. Popular UK apps include:
TopCashback
Quidco
Airtime Rewards
You can earn cashback on everything from groceries to clothing and even your mobile bill. Over time, these small amounts add up – many people save over £100 a year with little to no effort.
6. Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Meal planning helps you shop with purpose, avoid food waste and reduce last-minute takeaways. A quick weekly plan can cut your food bill by £20–£40 every week.
7. Use Public Transport When You Can
Even replacing one or two car journeys a week with a bus, tram or train can reduce fuel costs. If you travel regularly, check whether a railcard or travel pass could save you even more.
8. Switch Off Lights When Leaving a Room
It’s basic advice but still one of the easiest ways to save on energy. Using LED bulbs and turning lights off when they’re not needed can save around £25 a year.
9. Unsubscribe from Marketing Emails
It’s hard to resist a “flash sale” or “20% off today only!” notification. Unsubscribing from marketing emails and turning off retail app notifications reduces temptation – and helps keep impulse purchases in check.
10. Buy Own-Brand Instead of Branded Products
Supermarket own-brand groceries are often just as good as big-name products, and the difference in cost can be significant. Switching even half of your weekly shop to own-brand items can save £200–£300 a year.
Small Changes, Big Savings
You don’t need to overhaul your lifestyle to save money. Small daily habits can quietly build up to meaningful savings over time. Try introducing one or two changes a week and see how much you can save without feeling like you’re cutting back.
If you’d like more simple money-saving tips or budgeting guidance, Hoot Credit Union is always here to help you take control of your financial well-being.
If you’re looking for a simple, low-pressure way to build up your savings in 2026, the 1p Savings Challenge might be exactly what you need. It’s easy, flexible, and genuinely surprising when you see how fast those pennies add up. Whether you’re saving for Christmas, an emergency fund, or simply want to build better habits, this challenge is a great place to start.
How the 1p Savings Challenge Works
The idea is beautifully simple:
Save 1p on 1 January
Save 2p on 2 January
Save 3p on 3 January
Keep going, adding one penny more each day
By the time you reach 31 December, the day’s deposit will be £3.65.
And here’s the exciting part:
By the end of 2026, you will have saved a total of £667.95.
That’s the power of small steps adding up to big results.
Imagine ending the year with almost £670 simply by putting aside pennies!
What If You Didn’t Start on 1 January?
Don’t worry – you can join the challenge at any time.
Just catch up by adding together the total amount for each day you’ve missed.
Here are a few examples:
Starting on 5 January? Save 15p on your first day (1p + 2p + 3p + 4p + 5p), then continue with 6p on 6 January.
Starting on 20 January? Save £2.10 on day one (the total of days 1–20), then continue with 21p on 21 January.
You can even adapt the challenge to suit your circumstances. Some people reverse it – saving £3.65 on day one and finishing the year with a penny! It’s brilliant if you prefer to tackle the bigger amounts while motivation is highest.
Why This Challenge Works
1. It’s manageable for everyone
The early amounts are tiny, making it easy for beginners or anyone nervous about saving.
2. It builds a habit
Saving daily – even small amounts – helps train your mind towards long-term financial wellbeing.
3. The total adds up fast
£667.95 is a brilliant amount to put towards Christmas, holidays, unexpected bills or even a savings cushion.
4. It’s fun
Many people enjoy ticking off the days or colouring in a savings tracker. You can even involve the kids as a way of teaching good money habits.
Tips to Make the Challenge Easier
Use a jar or piggy bank (your red piggy bank illustration would sit nicely here!)
Set a daily reminder on your phone
Use your online banking to transfer the exact amount into a savings pot
Do a weekly transfer if daily saving doesn’t suit your routine
Print a tracker so you can cross off each day
Want to Take it Further?
If the 1p Challenge feels too easy, try one of these alternatives:
The 52-Week Challenge: Save £1 in week 1, £2 in week 2, up to £52 in week 52 – total saved: £1,378.
Reverse Challenges: Start with the largest amounts and work down.
Daily Round-Up Saving: Round your spending to the nearest pound and save the difference.
Hoot Credit Union is here to help you build positive money habits. Whether you’re taking your first steps or refreshing your financial goals for the year, small actions can make a big difference.
Ready to Start Saving Wisely?
Why not begin the 1p Savings Challenge today? Your future self will thank you – and you’ll be surprised how motivating it feels watching your savings grow penny by penny.
If you’d like more tips, tools or support with saving or budgeting, the Hoot team is always here to help.
Bus passengers could save up to £240 with a new value product
Option to spread payment over a year at no extra cost through the Credit Union when all buses come under local control in four months
An innovative scheme would provide certainty about fares and help keep travel affordable, supporting people through cost-of-living challenges and giving better access to jobs, skills and opportunities
Other fares are being cut and new ‘hopper’ tickets are to launch when all buses come under local control
The announcement comes as the latest GM residents’ survey shows more than half of respondents’ mental health is negatively impacted by cost-of-living pressure.
With four months to go until all buses in Greater Manchester come under local control, the Mayor of Greater Manchester confirmed today, Thursday, 5th September, plans for a new annual bus pass that will cut the cost of travel.
Available from 5th January – subject to agreement by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority – and costing £800, the Bee Bus Annual pass will be up to £240 (23%) cheaper over a year compared with 28-day tickets.
Recognising inequalities and high levels of deprivation across Greater Manchester (according to national figures, around 1 in 4 (over 700,000) residents live in areas defined as within the 10% most deprived in England), customers will be able to spread payment, at no extra cost, throughout the year with a Credit Union loan – paying £66.67 per month or £15.36 per week compared with £80 or £20 for 28 or seven-day passes respectively.
TfGM is working with all Greater Manchester Credit Unions to open applications from 5th December so that passes are ready to use from 5th January. TfGM is also working with credit unions to offer customers the chance to spread the cost of existing Metrolink products or an annual bus and tram pass starting in March 2025.
Ciara Davies, Executive Lead for the Greater Manchester Consortium of Credit Unions, said:“The Greater Manchester Consortium of Credit Unions is delighted to be involved in this innovative new partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester. Credit Unions are not-for-profit financial co-operatives that have been providing access to affordable financial services in communities and workplaces in GM for over 30 years. This new product will spread the cost of travel and save people money which is just one of the ways in which credit unions can help make your money go further.”
The changes to fares build on steps already taken to bring the cost of travel down, including the launch of the discounted Bee Anybus + Tram ticket in September 2023 – cutting the cost of combined journeys by up to 20%, the introduction of capped bus fares in September 2022 and the continued support for Our Pass, offering free travel to 16–18-year-olds. Metrolink fares have also been frozen since 2020.
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news here at Hoot Credit Union – we’ve just become an accredited Living Wage Employer! What does that mean? Well, it means that every single person working at Hoot is guaranteed to earn at least £12 an hour, which is more than the government’s minimum wage for over 21s, currently set at £11.44 per hour. We are so proud to Pay the Real Living Wage!
Why is this important? In the North West, where we’re based, around 13.5% of jobs pay less than the real Living Wage. That’s about 397,000 jobs where people aren’t earning enough to comfortably meet the cost of living. But at Hoot, we believe in fairness, and we’re committed to making sure that everyone who works with us earns a wage they can actually live on.
The real Living Wage isn’t just any wage – it’s calculated based on what people need to get by. It’s a voluntary rate that employers can choose to pay to ensure their staff are looked after properly. And since 2011, the Living Wage movement has helped over 460,000 people get a well-deserved pay rise, putting £3 billion extra into the pockets of those who need it most.
Proud to Pay the Real Living Wage
Chris Canham, our Chief Executive, couldn’t be prouder. She said, “Our employees are the heart of what we do at Hoot. It’s crucial that we take care of them just as they take care of our community. By paying the real Living Wage, we’re making sure they’re fairly rewarded for all their hard work.”
The Director of the Living Wage Foundation, Katherine Chapman, also shared her thoughts: “We’re delighted that Hoot Credit Union has joined the ranks of over 14,000 responsible employers across the UK who go beyond the government minimum to ensure their staff are paid enough to live on. It’s great to see Hoot leading by example and recognising that a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
This is a big step for us at Hoot, and we’re so proud to be part of a movement that’s making a real difference to people’s lives.
If you want to know more about the real Living Wage and the work of the Living Wage Foundation, check out their website.
