'I'm going to be mortgage-free by the time I'm 40 thanks to simple app'

Martha Collins, a 24-year-old events professional from Liverpool, believes she will be mortgage-free by her early 40s thanks to a mobile app that rewards users with cashback on everyday purchases. The couple, Martha and her partner Harry, purchased their first home in January 2025 for £137,500. After moving in, they initially hesitated to overpay their £130,625 mortgage due to ongoing renovations. However, the discovery of the free app Sprive changed their approach. Martha came across the app while browsing TikTok and decided to try it out. The app allows users to earn cashback on purchases from well-known retailers including Morrisons, Costa Coffee, Primark, and Uber. Users can select the brand and input the purchase value before checkout, after which they receive a voucher to pay for the goods. The cashback is credited to their account within a few hours, enabling them to direct funds toward mortgage overpayments with minimal effort. According to Martha, the app’s appeal lies in its ability to facilitate overpayments without directly withdrawing money from their bank accounts. Instead, the cashback is applied to the purchase, effectively reducing the cost of everyday expenses while contributing to mortgage payments. Both Martha and Harry now actively use the app, checking whether their planned purchases are covered by Sprive before proceeding with transactions. Through consistent use of the app, the couple has already overpaid their mortgage by more than £800, aided further by £712 from weekly prize draws. Their goal is to save approximately £30,000 in interest payments, potentially freeing them from their mortgage by their early 40s. Martha acknowledges the long-term nature of their mortgage but finds comfort in the incremental progress made through the app’s incentives. As a self-proclaimed “spreadsheet girlie,” Martha manages the couple’s finances meticulously, maintaining detailed records of their spending in a monthly budget spreadsheet. This practice ensures transparency and awareness of their financial commitments. She frequently shares insights about being a first-time homeowner on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok under the handle @marthcollinshome, offering advice on renovation costs and interior design deals. Currently, the couple is working on completing the upstairs portion of their home, aiming to finish the bathroom by August. Martha attributes their financial discipline to lessons learned from their parents, who encouraged them to take responsibility for managing household expenses even during their time living together at her mother’s house. This upbringing instilled in them a clear objective of homeownership, guiding their decisions and ensuring they prioritized saving and investing in their future. Martha reflects on how having a defined goal motivated them to avoid unnecessary sacrifices while pursuing their dream of owning a home. Her journey highlights the impact of innovative financial tools in achieving long-term objectives, demonstrating how technology can play a pivotal role in personal finance management.