Seven great 'finfluencers' to follow

The rise in under 25s seeking advice outside normal means for the latest finance 'hacks' to help reduce debt or plan for the future is wildly increasing. Turning to social media platforms such as TikTok has meant that the hashtag #FinTok alone has grown to over 900 million views since the platform launched.

With so many accounts popping up, it can be really hard to know who to trust as influencers advice is unregulated. Financial journalist, Laura Whateley gave some great advice on how to tell what’s trustworthy, “If what you’re seeking is motivation to budget or pay down debt, savings hacks, or tips on how to spend less, then you’re not putting yourself in a risky position by taking on board what influencers have to offer. But when it comes to investing, or any discussion of alternative currencies such as bitcoin, be particularly wary.”

So, if you’re looking for some help on how to keep your bank account Link opens in a new window balance healthy or how to actually save and stick to a budget and tackle credit card debt – then we’ve got you covered with our pick of the top financial influencers who can help you with just that and more.

Mr MoneyJar - Podcast and Instagram

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Timi Merriman-Johnson is the host of the Mr MoneyJar Show, a weekly podcast where he speaks with other financial content creators and financial brands about all things personal finance, property, getting out of debt and more. Timi also creates clever infographics on his Instagram explaining complicated concepts such as National Insurance increases and income tax.

Timi's top tip: Link opens in a new window Move all your bills and subscriptions so they come out on the same day, each month - this will remove unpredictability from your monthly spending and provide you with a whole new level of budgeting satisfaction.

Thrifty Londoner – Instagram and Blog

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Laura started her Instagram blog when she became a Londoner in 2016 and reality hit when her rent and bills were totalling more than half her salary. Putting herself on a strict budget to keep herself from spiralling into debt inspired her to start sharing the money making, saving and budgeting ideas that she had learnt over the years. Her Instagram and blog is aimed at millennials living in London looking to get to a point of financial wellness, so they can live their best lives for less.

Laura's top tip: Link opens in a new window When you take an action to save more money, make sure a reaction takes place too. For example, if you've made lunch everyday instead of buying meal deals and you've saved yourself £20. At the end of the week, move £20 from your current account into your savings account and watch your hard work add up.

Pennies to Pounds – Podcast & Instagram

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Kia Commodore created the Pennies to Pounds podcast with a goal to dispel money myths while empowering Gen Z and millennials to increase their financial literacy to help shape their future. Kia covers topics from ‘how to buy a home as a solo-buyer in London’ and ‘the link between money and mindset’ to breaking down everything you need to know about pensions and credit checks. You can also check out the Pennies to Pounds Instagram for monthly saving challenges to help you literally turn pennies to pounds.

Kia's top tip: Link opens in a new window Try the 50/30/20 budgeting method: 50% of your income goes on needs (essentials, bills, food), 30% of your income goes on wants (shopping, meals out, streaming subscriptions) and then 20% goes into your savings account or towards paying off debt.

This Girl Talks Money – Podcast & Instagram

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Ellie is a certified financial coach and financial content creator with an aim to help millennial women feel confident and in control of their money without sacrificing their social lives. She believes that financial knowledge and confidence has the power to change everyone's lives. Ellie hosts a podcast with millennial financial advisor, Victoria Nabarro called ‘Money Unfiltered’ where they discuss the real-life money issues that no one dares to talk about such as ‘is money a make or break in relationships?’ and ‘does our mindset really impact how much we earn?’

Ellie's top tip: Link opens in a new window If you're looking to improve your relationship with money then take some time to identify your spending triggers and unfollow & unsubscribe from anything that triggers them.

My Frugal Year – Instagram & Author

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Clare Seal, author and financial influencer provides open and honest conversations about money and life on her Instagram. Clare was facing some difficult financial situations back in 2019 and decided to turn to Instagram to help make herself accountable. Little did she know that her wisdom, support and guidance would break the taboo and open the doors for others to speak freely about their money worries and change their mindset too.

Clare's top tip: Link opens in a new window If you're looking for ways to save money on your food shop then try the 'capsule fridge' approach by basing your meals for the week around a few key ingredients, it's a great way to reduce waste too.

Poku Banks – TikTok & Instagram

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David Poku’s TikTok is the home of funny financial sketches teaching followers about personal finance topics such as credit score myths, lifestyle inflation and NFTs. David told The Guardian Link opens in a new window that his "interest in money started because of the absence of financial literacy in school." This inspired him to go onto study finance, accounting and management at the University of Nottingham and share his learnings with his impressive 345K TikTok following.

Poku's top tip: Link opens in a new window If you're an impulsive buyer, then try and sleep on a purchase for seven days before splashing the cash on it. If it's still something that you're thinking about and want by the end of the week then buy it, but most of the time you'll have forgot about it by then.

She Does Money – Instagram & Blog

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Behind Emilie's beautiful and pink aesthetic Instagram feed is over 500 posts dedicated to helping women with their financial education. Emilie shares her top tips on budgeting, saving and paying off debt as well as holding monthly accessible and judgement-free personal finance workshops for all. Emilie’s aim is to help her followers make educated choices with their finances to achieve their version of financial freedom.

Emilie's top tip: Link opens in a new window If you're struggling to stick to a budget then try asking yourself "why?" five times. Each time getting deeper to the real root of your reason for sticking to a budget. Once this is clear to you, write it down and keep it somewhere you'll see daily.

The Virgin Money Mobile Banking app is packed full of clever tools to help you budget, top up your savings and sort out your spending. Get the app with any of our Virgin Money current accounts.