Holiday spending rises in November and December. Gifts, travel, and dinners all come in the same 2 months, which makes it easy to lose track of how much you spend.

With World Savings Day coming up, it’s the perfect time to think about how to organize your savings. If you set up your savings before that happens, they keep growing while you spend. This guide explains why saving gets harder at the end of the year, which habits help, how much to save each week, and how much interest your savings can earn.

Why saving gets harder at the end of the year

Spending peaks in the last 2 months of the year, and that affects savings. In our survey of 1,000 people in Italy, 80% said they expect to spend more than usual in November and December. Of those surveyed, 73% said they had already used part of their savings for everyday expenses over the past 12 months. In a similar survey in the UK, 74% said they expect to spend more over the holiday season, and 42% said they save less or nothing over Black Friday and Christmas.

Several costs arrive at the same time. Gifts, travel, and food all cost more in these weeks, and sales events like Black Friday make it easy to spend more than you planned. On top of that, your regular bills, such as insurance and subscriptions, still have to be paid.

How to save money when your budget is under pressure

Saving works best when it happens automatically, so you don’t have to remember it. These 4 habits help:

1. Organize your income

Decide how to divide your income as soon as it arrives. A simple split is fixed costs first, then spending money, then savings. If you move your savings amount on payday, it’s set aside before you can spend it. Your budgeting tools show what’s left after your fixed costs, so you know how much you can put away each month.

2. Turn on Auto Round Up

Auto Round Up rounds up each payment and moves the difference to your savings automatically. If you pay €3.40 for a coffee, €0.60 goes to your savings. It’s a small amount each time, but it adds up fast during weeks with many purchases, such as gift shopping.

3. Set savings goals

A goal gives your savings a purpose. “Emergency fund” or “January rent buffer” is easier to protect than “savings,” because you know what the money's for. Pick an amount and a date, and you can see how much you still need to save each week.

4. Earn up to 3.11% interest with bunq

Interest helps your money keep its buying power when prices rise. With the bunq Savings Account, you earn up to 3.11% a year, depending on your balance and threshold. Interest is paid weekly, and you can add or withdraw money any time.

How to plan your holiday budget

A simple plan takes about 10 min and shows you how much to save each week.

1. List your costs. Include gifts, food, travel, and events.

2. Add 10% for costs you didn’t expect.

3. Divide the total by the number of weeks you have left. The result is the amount to save each week.

If you expect to spend €300 on gifts, €400 on food and travel, and €100 on events, your total is €800. With the 10% margin, it comes to €880. Starting 8 weeks before the holidays means saving €110 a week. Starting with 4 weeks left means saving €220 a week, so an early start makes each payment smaller.

How savings interest works at bunq

bunq increased its euro savings rates on October 15, 2026. Your rate depends on your threshold, which is the highest balance you held in the previous 6 months.

• Up to your threshold, you earn the base rate: 1.61% on the first €10,000 and 1.51% on the rest.

• Anything above your threshold earns the bonus rate of 3.11%.

With a threshold of €15,000 and a balance of €20,000, your interest per year is calculated as follows:

Illustrative example using annual rates on a constant balance. Your actual interest depends on your balance and threshold, and rates can change.

How bunq’s savings rate compares

Your savings can earn up to 10 times more at bunq than at the average euro area bank. bunq pays 1.61% a year on your savings up to your threshold, and 3.11% on anything above it. The average bank pays only 0.29%¹ in 2026.

What to do this World Savings Day

World Savings Day (October 31) is a good moment to spend 10 min on your savings before the busy weeks start. Here’s what to do:

1. Pick 1 goal for the next 3 months.

2. Work out your weekly amount with your holiday budget.

3. Turn on Auto Round Up so you save with every payment.

4. Set 1 reminder in early December to review your savings.

With a plan in place, your savings keep growing, and you know how much you have left for gifts and dinners.

Final thoughts

You don’t have to choose between enjoying the holiday season and having a safety net. Set a simple rule, automate it, and earn interest on what you save.

Ready to earn more on your savings? Open a bunq Savings Account and keep saving through the season.

bunq B.V. is licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and supervised by the AFM.

¹ Source: European Central Bank, new household overnight deposits, August 2026. bunq rates as of 20261015. The bonus rate applies to savings above your threshold. Rates change.