Most financial damage is behavioural rather than mathematical: lifestyle rising in step with every pay increase, purchases made to manage emotion, and avoidance of the numbers.
Part 01
The lesson
Two habits solve a surprising amount: a waiting period before non-essential purchases above a set amount, and a monthly hour spent reviewing your accounts, whatever they say.
Reflection
Questions to sit with
- 01Do you know exactly what you spent last month, or are you estimating?
- 02If your income stopped today, how long could your household continue?
- 03What are you actually building toward financially, and by when?
Put it into practice
Action points
- 01Track every expense for 30 days and categorise them at the end. Do not change your spending in week one — just observe.
- 02List every debt with its interest rate on a single page and choose a repayment order.