Tiny Money Habits, Big Impact
Issue #10 Of The Chidera Peters Dispatch
Dearest gentle reader 👀,
In the spirit of keeping it real with you—it's March, and I still haven’t tracked my finances for February 🫣. Some months are just like that. Life gets busy, and tracking falls to the bottom of the list. But here’s the thing: no matter how long I delay, I must still get to it.
It’s been lingering on my mind, and tomorrow, I plan to finally sit down and go through it. If you haven’t tracked your February finances either, consider this your gentle nudge to do so. It doesn’t have to be complicated—you just need to know where your money went.
I use my Income & Expenses Tracker to make this process easy, and you can grab a copy for yourself here. I may even share some insights from my tracking in the next email.
Money Corner: Tiny Money Habits, Big Impact
Over time, I’ve seen how small, consistent habits have completely transformed the way I manage money. These five simple practices have kept me organized, stress-free, and in control of my finances:
✅ A Separate Bills Account – I have one account just for bills. This makes it super easy to track and ensures that my essential expenses are always covered.
✅ A Dedicated Spending Account – I use a separate account just for my day-to-day expenses. This keeps my budget in check because once the money is gone, it’s gone. Also, this is the only card linked to my Apple Pay.
✅ Emergency Fund = A Different Account/Pot – I don’t mix my emergency fund with my spending or savings accounts. Keeping it separate means I don’t accidentally dip into it for non-emergencies.
✅ Spending Only After Saving & Investing – Instead of saving whatever is left after spending—like most people do—I flip the script. I save and invest first, then spend what's left. This simple shift has made all the difference in staying consistent with building wealth.
✅ The 1% Progress Rule – Rather than overwhelming myself by trying to do everything at once, I focus on small, steady improvements—just 1% at a time. Whether it’s increasing my savings rate, fine-tuning my budget, or learning more about investing, these little steps add up to big results over time.
Upcoming Event: Live Mortgage Q&A
Buying a house in the UK and have burning questions? Mark your calendars!
📅 Friday, April 4th – We’re hosting a live webinar with a qualified mortgage advisor, where you can ask all your questions about buying a house in the UK.
📝 Details and registration will be out next week, so stay tuned!
🫱🏽🫲🏾 Join the WhatsApp Community
Last week, in my WhatsApp channel, I hosted an Ask Me Anything session, and it was super insightful! If you missed it, don’t worry—there’s more coming. Join the channel to be part of these exclusive convos, money tips, and behind-the-scenes updates.
🎥: 7 Investing Mistakes I Made as a Beginner
Made any money mistakes while investing? I have—big time! From ignoring fees to using the wrong investing account (side eye to GIAs), these mistakes cost me real money.
In this video, I break down 7 investing mistakes I wish I had avoided, plus what I should have done instead. Learn from my errors so you don’t repeat them!
Tracking finances is like eating vegetables. You know it’s good for you, but somehow, there’s always something ‘more important’ to do—like scrolling on TikTok or eating beans at 10 PM 😂. But at some point, you just have to get it done. So no more excuses 🙅🏽♀️; tomorrow it is—for me and you.
If you enjoyed this email, give it a heart ❤️ and forward it to someone who needs a nudge to get their money right!
Until next time,
XOXO
Chidera