Notes on the quiet side of money.
Short, honest essays on why smart people get stuck with money — and what behavioural research actually says about getting unstuck.
Why do I feel like I have to spend all my money?
You earn decent money but it's gone before you know it. Here's the real reason why, and what to do the moment money lands.
- Anxiety & avoidance
The global economy is defying gravity. So are you. That's the problem.
When chaos becomes normal, we stop seeing it. Here's the money psychology behind why that's dangerous for your business.
- Spending & shame
Why do I spend money so fast?
You work hard, money lands, and somehow it's gone. Here's what's really happening, and why it hits harder when you're self-employed.
- Spending & shame
The delivery guilt loop: what your brain is actually doing
Gen Z aren't the only ones ashamed of small spending. Here's the brain trick behind the guilt-then-repeat cycle.
- Self-employed
What percentage of my paychecks should I be setting aside for taxes?
No one tells you what percentage to set aside for tax when you're self-employed. Here's how a tax pot works, and why the habit matters more than the perfect number.
- Self-employed
You rushed into AI. Now you're cleaning up the mess. Here's what your brain did.
The AI backlash is real. Here's the behavioural reason you moved fast and why the hidden costs always catch up.
- Self-employed
Is profit something we put away for a rainy day and Owner's pay simply our paycheque?
Profit and owner's pay aren't the same thing. Here's what they actually are, why the money still vanishes, and one thing to try today.
- Self-employed
The AI tsunami warning and the money blind spot costing you right now
The IMF just called AI a 'slow-moving tsunami' for jobs. Here's the brain trick that stops you preparing for it.
- Self-employed
Should we set our income to the total of all our monthly expenses and then adjust from there?
Still unsure what to pay yourself? Here's how to set your income when it swings every month, without the panic.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Prices are up and you're avoiding your numbers. Here's what's happening in your brain.
Tariff-driven price rises are hitting everyday goods. The urge to stop looking at your spending? That's the ostrich effect.
- Self-employed
The salaries of my employees will be paid out of the revenue, but what about my salary?
Your employees get paid on a set date. You don't. Here's why that keeps happening, what it costs you, and one small step to change it today.
- Anxiety & avoidance
When mortgage rates jump, your brain does something sneaky with the bill
The average five-year fixed mortgage rate just hit 6%. Here's the mental trick that stops you acting before it bites.
- Self-employed
How can I set a budget when there are months without significant income?
Budgeting on lumpy income feels impossible. Here's why knowing your floor, not building a monthly plan, is what actually works for self-employed people.
- Self-employed
Mortgage rates hit 6%: why your brain is making this harder than it needs to be
Rates are climbing and your brain has a trick that makes the pressure worse. Here's what's actually happening.
- Self-employed
When your portfolio becomes your spending account
More people are raiding investments for everyday costs. Here's the brain bias behind it, and what to do instead.
- Anxiety & avoidance
A diesel shock is building. Why your brain won't warn you in time.
A possible US diesel export ban could spike fuel costs worldwide. Here's the behavioural reason you'll feel it before you plan for it.
- Self-employed
Fuel prices just spiked hard. Here's what that does to your brain.
A record diesel price is hitting self-employed people right now. Loss aversion explains why it feels so much worse than it is.
- Spending & shame
Streamflation is quietly draining your account, and your brain is letting it happen
Streaming prices keep creeping up. Here's the mental trick that stops you from noticing, and what to do about it.
- Spending & shame
Why do I keep buying courses and planners hoping THIS one finally fixes everything?
You keep buying planners hoping this one fixes everything. That's not a willpower problem — it's your brain doing exactly what brains do under threat.
- Budgeting that sticks
Why do I avoid setting money goals because I'm scared I'll fail them again?
Scared to set money goals because you've failed before? Your brain learned that lesson on purpose. Here's what's actually happening — and one small way out.
- Behavioural basics
Why do I feel like everyone my age has money figured out except me?
Everyone else looks sorted with money. You're not broken — you're experiencing a cognitive illusion. Here's what's actually going on.
- Behavioural basics
Why do I trust random advice online more than my own money judgement?
You Google strangers' money tips but ignore your own gut. There's a name for that — and it's not stupidity.
- Behavioural basics
Is it too late to fix my finances in my 40s?
You're not behind. Your brain is just doing something predictable — and once you see it, the grip loosens.
- Behavioural basics
Why do I feel like I need to earn more before I'm allowed to relax?
That 'I'll relax when I earn more' feeling has a name — and understanding it might be the most useful thing you do today.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why do I always assume the worst about my financial future?
Your brain isn't broken — it's doing exactly what brains do under financial stress. Here's the science behind why you always fear the worst.
- Behavioural basics
Why am I too scared to invest even though I know I should?
You know investing makes sense. So why does opening that app feel impossible? The answer is in your brain, not your willpower.
- Self-employed
Why do I splurge in a good month and panic in a bad one?
You're not bad with money. Your brain is doing something specific with uncertain income — and there's a name for it.
- Self-employed
Why do I feel guilty charging what I'm actually worth?
You lower your prices, feel relief, then hate yourself for it. Here's the behavioural science behind why that loop is so hard to break.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why does sorting my finances feel impossible when everything else is already overwhelming?
When your brain is already full, money admin feels impossible — not because you're bad with money, but because of cognitive load science.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why do I freeze when I've got too many money decisions to make at once?
Freezing when money decisions pile up isn't weakness — it's your brain hitting a hard limit. Here's the science behind why, and one way out.
- Self-employed
How do I budget when I'm secretly worried about losing my income?
If income anxiety is making you avoid your budget entirely, your brain isn't broken. Here's what's actually happening — and one small thing to do instead.
- Budgeting that sticks
Why do I keep dropping every hobby, goal, and budget the moment the novelty wears off?
You start strong, then stop. This isn't a willpower problem — there's a behavioural reason your brain drops every budget the moment it stops feeling new.
- Budgeting that sticks
Why do I want a budget app that shows what I have LEFT — not what I've spent?
You don't want a spending tracker. You want to know what's left. There's a real reason your brain works that way — and it's not a flaw.
- Spending & shame
Why is buying something I can clearly afford triggering this much guilt and remorse?
You can afford it. You bought it. So why does the guilt hit harder than the joy? The answer is in your brain, not your bank account.
- Behavioural basics
Am I doing money "right"? Why am I so terrified I'm getting it wrong?
That dread you feel around money decisions? It has a name — and it's not a character flaw. Here's what's actually going on in your brain.
- Spending & shame
How do I forgive myself for the years of irresponsible spending I'm still paying for?
Still paying for past spending mistakes? Your brain is wired to punish you for them — here's why that's making everything worse.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why does even the smallest money task feel like deadlifting 500 pounds?
If opening a bank app feels impossibly heavy, your brain isn't broken — there's a name for what's happening, and it's not laziness.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why do I lie about money to my friends and then feel worse?
You lie about money to protect yourself — then feel worse. Here's the psychology behind the shame loop, and how to quietly step out of it.
- Behavioural basics
Should I save for my kids' future or my own retirement first?
Torn between saving for your kids or your own retirement? Your brain isn't broken — it's doing something very human. Here's what's actually going on.
- Spending & shame
How do I stop accumulating subscriptions I never use?
You're not bad with money. Your brain is wired to keep subscriptions you hate — here's the science, and one small fix.
- Self-employed
Why is doing my self-assessment the thing I dread most?
You dread your self-assessment more than the actual filing. Here's the brain science behind why — and what actually helps.
- Spending & shame
Why do I always blow my bonus, tax refund, or windfall money?
You got a bonus and somehow it's gone. No, you're not bad with money — your brain literally treats windfalls differently. Here's the science.
- Spending & shame
Should I say no when family asks me for money I can't afford?
Saying no to family money requests feels impossible — but it's not weakness. Here's what's really happening in your brain, and how to change it.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why do I feel like a failure at 25 with money?
Feeling like a failure at 25 with money? Your brain is wired to compare — and the comparison is rigged. Here's what's actually happening.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why do I have £10k saved but still £10k in debt?
You've got savings AND debt at the same time. You're not bad with money — your brain is doing something very specific. Here's what's actually happening.
- Spending & shame
Why do I keep buying things that "future me" will deal with?
You're not lazy or broken — your brain is wired to treat future-you like a stranger. Here's the neuroscience behind impulse buying and what actually helps.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Is it normal to cry over money?
If money stress has ever made you cry, freeze, or spiral — you're not broken. Here's what's actually happening in your brain.
- Behavioural basics
Why do I feel poor even though I earn well?
You earn more than ever but still feel broke. It's not a money problem — it's a brain problem. Here's the science behind why.
- Behavioural basics
How much should I have saved by 30/35/40? (and why the answer is wrong)
The savings benchmarks everyone quotes are making you feel behind — here's why those numbers are wrong, and what actually matters instead.
- Behavioural basics
Why is talking about money with my family so hard?
Family money conversations feel impossible — and there's a real psychological reason for that. Here's what's actually happening in your brain.
- Anxiety & avoidance
How do I stop avoiding my financial admin (taxes, statements, bills)?
You're not lazy or bad with money — your brain is protecting you. Here's the psychology behind financial avoidance and one small step that actually helps.
- Spending & shame
Why do I feel guilty buying things I can afford?
You check the bank balance, see you can afford it, buy it anyway — and still feel terrible. Here's the science behind spending guilt (and why it's not your fault).
- Behavioural basics
Should I pay off debt or build savings first? (the actual answer)
The debt-vs-savings question has a maths answer and a brain answer. Here's why ignoring the second one is exactly why people get stuck.
- ADHD & money
I have ADHD — why is every budgeting app I try useless after a week?
ADHD brains don't fail budgeting apps — the apps fail ADHD brains. Here's the neuroscience of why, and what actually works.
- Behavioural basics
Why my partner and I spend differently — and how we stop fighting
Your partner isn't broken and neither are you. Here's the behavioral science behind why couples fight about money — and what actually helps.
- Self-employed
How do I budget when my income is different every month?
Traditional budgets assume a steady paycheck. If your income changes monthly, your brain needs a different system — one that works with uncertainty, not against it.
- Spending & shame
Why do I impulse buy when I'm stressed?
You're not weak-willed. Your brain treats shopping like a fire extinguisher for feelings. Here's the actual neuroscience behind stress spending.
- Budgeting that sticks
I keep starting budgets and giving up — what's wrong with me?
You're not failing at budgets because you lack willpower. You're fighting your brain's wiring. Here's what behavioral science says about why budgets collapse.
- Anxiety & avoidance
Why am I scared to check my bank account?
If looking at your balance makes your stomach drop, you're not broken — you're running a documented behavioral pattern called the ostrich effect. Here's what helps.
- Spending & shame
Why do I overspend right after payday?
You're not undisciplined — your brain treats fresh money differently. Here's the behavioral economics behind payday spending sprees.