Finance
1 ruleExcel
Pay Yourself First
Nothing's ever left at the end of the month. That's why you set it aside at the start.
Three cells, one calculation, and the exact instruction to give your bank so saving stops depending on your willpower.
Every month you plan to save whatever's left. Every month nothing's left. It's not that you earn too little or that you're a mess: you're just using the wrong order.
Why it works
It's the oldest rule in money, and it still goes unfollowed because it sounds too simple: before you pay anyone — landlord, supermarket, subscriptions — set a part aside for yourself. Not what's left at the end (nothing ever is): a fixed percentage, on the day you get paid.