To think most people could save a small amount regularly if they prioritised it?

We have lots of different little pots of savings. So Xmas, Birthdays, Bet Bills, School etc but then we try to just have a generic savings pot but it always gets blasted with a large expense unfortunately.

I agree but I think £50 is a lot to start with. I encouraged my friends to save is squirrel 🐿️ accounts. A savings account from a totally different bank that you use regularly. £10 a month soon builds up.

Also encouraged then to save for xmas instead of going into debt or using hamper schemes. This also worked well .

I guess it's good if someone's actually managed to save an amount to go towards those costs, rather than having to borrow money with interest.

I think a lot of people save or try to save but life happens and those savings are abolished quickly. We try to save but for example in the last 6 months our car needed €1000 worth of work, our shower and washing machine broke. We had some savings but then had to use a credit card or finance for some also so now we have even less disposable income to try to build up that savings pot again.

So yes we save what we can and don't particularly have extravagant lives but keeping the head above the water is definitely harder later.

Depends what they're saving it for. So you've saved £600 over a year, then you need a new washing machine, oven, plumber, whatever. It's gone again.

I do agree, but I can also see how cutting back to the bone for 5 years could be soul destroying, and sometimes we need a little treat to make life pleasurable. I have just done a huge review of my finances and am doing exactly as you said, saving a little regularly and taking thay out of the pot on payday like a bill. But I am also aware I'm in the first flush of 'productivity' and I might feel very different in 6 months time if I've had to go without a lot to get there.