Be Clever with Your Cash

Andy Webb, Founder/Editor-in-Chief

North Yorkshire, UK

2024

Be Clever With Your Cash is helping readers achieve financial freedom

Andy Webb was always clever with his cash. So when he started a website dedicated to money saving advice, he was able to help readers better understand their money and learn how to use it in life-changing ways.

Money saved, lessons learned

One look at your receipt from the supermarket and you’ll notice: the cost of living has gone up over the past few years, no matter where you live. And as costs go up, the need to stretch a dollar has never felt more urgent.

Luckily, Andy Webb of North Yorkshire, UK always had a knack for budgeting and spending wisely — and he wouldn’t hesitate to help a friend when they needed some help with money tips. So when he decided to leave his production job at the BBC, it was time to strike out on his own and build a business around one of his true passions.

“I knew I wanted to do something creative,” says Andy. “So in 2014 I decided to combine this thirst for creativity and my love of financial management to create Be Clever With Your Cash.”

Andy’s blog lives up to its name, giving readers the tips and tools they need to reach their financial goals and achieve financial freedom. The content quickly resonated with readers looking to save. As readership grew and it came time to monetize the site, he knew he didn’t want to put content behind a paywall.

“That would be a bit ironic, wouldn’t it?” says Andy. “If I want to help readers save money and learn about financial wellness, I certainly don’t want to force them to pay a monthly fee to access my content. I knew I had to get created if I wanted to turn this into a business.”

A clever ad strategy

Andy felt passionately about keeping his content independent and in the best interests of his readers — and featuring sponsored or collaborative content went against that. So when he qualified for Mediavine, it was time to make the switch to ads.

Mediavine, a Google Certified Publishing Partner, got Andy’s site up and running with display advertising through Google Ad Manager. Working with an experienced partner like Mediavine, Andy was able to make sure his ads were high-quality and the placement didn’t distract from the site’s valuable financial content.

“I’m proud that we’ve been able to use ads to keep our content free,” says Andy. “Putting our content behind a paywall would limit who could access it, which contradicts our site’s whole spirit of leveling the financial playing field.”

“Ads have also helped us stay away from sponsored content. I’m glad people can’t just pay to get their products featured on our site. Instead, we’re able to stay independent and have control over the content we create.”

With a steady stream of ad revenue coming in, Andy was able to devote himself full-time to the site — and start imagining new content possibilities.

Thinking bigger

Recently, Andy has expanded his team with a couple new members who quickly got to work helping him write and edit content for the site.

“In the last year, we’ve seen just how much we can achieve with just a couple more people helping us, so expanding even more would be brilliant,” says Andy. “We've gone from being a one-man band blogging in my free time to something that is really competing with some very long established players in the market — we're on a kind of equal footing with them.”

With a growing team, Andy has been able to think about more than just his website. He’s also started posting more to YouTube and even expanded his Cash Chats podcast to two episodes a week.

“We’re more than just a website now,” says Andy. “With a thriving YouTube channel and podcast, this is turning into a multifaceted business with so many areas for potential growth.”

Last year, Smart Money People, another big player in the financial content space noticed Be Clever With Your Cash’s growth — and was so impressed, they acquired Andy’s site and gave him a whole new set of resources.

“I think what impressed us most about Andy and his site is the commitment to integrity,” says Emma Burhouse, Head of Marketing at Smart Money People. “He always wants to do what’s best for his audience, which really made us feel like there was some overlap and room for partnership with Smart Money People. When people visit these sites, they know they’re getting financial insights without compromise.”

“I’m proud that we’ve been able to use ads to keep our content free. Putting our content behind a paywall would limit who could access it, which contradicts our site’s whole spirit of leveling the financial playing field.”

Time (and money) well-spent

Looking ahead, Andy wants to keep up the momentum — which will include expanding his team further, developing his other content channels like YouTube and podcasts, and building on his new partnership with Smart Money People.

“I never would have imagined this sense of scale when I started,” says Andy. “I remember when I hit 10,000 visitors it was just unbelievable. To now be way past 20 million all-time views and still growing means the world to me.”

But it’s not just about the numbers to Andy. Even with such a large audience, it’s still the individual stories from loyal readers that move him the most.

“I recently heard from a couple who used the site to save on their dog’s medical treatment,” he says. “They insist their dog wouldn’t still be with them today if our content didn’t help them find extra cash to fund this unexpected expense.”

No matter what comes next for Be Clever With Your Cash, the goal will be the same: working every day to help people better understand their money and use it in life-changing ways.

“That’s what keeps me going,” says Andy. “When we post content, we know someone’s life is going to be better as a result of it. That’s what I love about what I do.”

About the Publisher

Andy Webb is the founder and Editor-in-chief of BeCleverWithYourCash.com. He also writes a monthly column for Reader's Digest and another every week for the Metro newspaper and previously presented Shop Smart, Save Money on Channel 5. When he's not creating content on all things money, he's probably playing tennis or listening to BBC 6 Music.