I Made This Calculator For You (No Cost, All Smiles)🧮

Turning Financial Surprises into Strategic Wins

You guys won't believe what happened to me the other day! I was sitting at my favorite café working on our household budget when I had this total lightbulb moment.

See, I was looking at our upcoming bills and realized something kind of funny - most of our "surprise" expenses aren't really surprises at all! They're more like those friends who say they "might" drop by, and then absolutely do.

And it got me thinking about how we handle these not-so-surprise expenses in our household.

(I swear old Ben must have been dealing with quarterly insurance bills too!)

🤔 The Question:

How Do We Turn Financial Surprises into Strategic Wins?

Okay, let's get real for a second. We've ALL been there - those annual or quarterly bills suddenly arrive, and they feel like a financial ambush. Insurance premiums, holiday spending, school fees, even those sneaky subscriptions that make you go "Oh right, that's due again!"

💡 The Mini-Goals Magic

Think of mini savings goals (or as some fancy financial folks call them, "sinking funds") like meal prep for your money. Stay with me here - you know how meal prepping stops you from ordering that expensive takeout when you're too tired to cook? Same principle!

Here's why they're absolute game-changers:

1. They Remove the Surprise Factor I used to shriek at the sight of our insurance bill (Sorry neighbors!) Yeah, not anymore! Now it's more like "Oh hello there, expected expense. I've been waiting for you!"
   

2. They Make Big Goals Manageable It's like when I'm organizing our move to New Zealand - you don't pack the whole house in one day! You break it down into smaller, manageable chunks.
   

3. They Protect Your Emergency Fund Your emergency fund is like that fancy dress in your closet - you want to keep it for special occasions, not wear it to the grocery store!

✅ Your Step-by-Step Strategy Guide

Okay, confession time! The other day I was doing my usual spreadsheet dance (you know, the one where I'm so focused I don't hear hubby asking if I want tea for the third time 😅) when I realized we needed to make this super simple.

So grab your favorite beverage (I've got my trusty chai latte right here) and let's break this down into some super simple steps you can start TODAY:

1. List Your Periodic Bills Pull out those statements, emails, and receipts. We're going on a bill-hunting expedition! Think about:
   

   • That car insurance that makes you wince once a year

   • The quarterly water bill that always seems higher than expected

   • Those annual subscriptions you forget about until they auto-renew

   • Holiday spending (because somehow Christmas is "unexpected" every year 😉)
     

2. Calculate Total Costs Time to channel your inner mathematician! Don't worry, I've got a calculator that does all the heavy lifting for you. But first:
   

   • Add up each category

   • Round up a bit (because prices love to surprise us)

   • Add a little extra for those "just in case" moments
     

3. Divide by Time Available This is where the magic happens! Take each total and break it down into bite-sized pieces:
   

   • Monthly savings needed = Total Cost ÷ Months until due

   • Example: That $600 insurance bill due in 6 months? That's $100/month

   • I like to add an extra month as buffer (because life happens!)
     

4. Set Up Your System Make it easy on yourself:
   

   • Create separate savings accounts (I name mine things like "Car Insurance Fund" and "Christmas Cash")

   • Set up automatic transfers (because we all know manual transfers are like manual coffee brewing - great in theory, rarely happens!)

   • Track your progress (I use my spreadsheets, but any method works!)

💫 Advanced Tip: Looking Beyond Basic Savings

Money masters! Once you've got your sinking funds working like a well-oiled machine, you might be wondering "what's next?" for your extra funds. Have you considered diversifying into alternative investments?

Our friends at UpMarket are making hedge funds and other alternative investments accessible to accredited investors - think of it as adding some fancy sprinkles to your financial sundae! They've helped investors access opportunities in companies like SpaceX and Anthropic. Pretty cool, right?

Private Market Access for Accredited Investors

UpMarket brings accredited investors closer to the potential tech giants of tomorrow. Trusted by over 500 investors, our platform has facilitated over $175M in investments in private companies like OpenAI, ByteDance, and SpaceX. UpMarket simplifies access to exclusive deals that could help you redefine your investment portfolio. Embrace the future of investing with UpMarket and gain a foothold in nascent industries and sectors that are changing the world.

Join now

🚫 When Things Go A Bit Wonky

Okay, story time! A while back I mentioned as part of my dream future, I wanted 6 chickens I want for our future home? Well, I started a "Future Farm Fund" for them (yes, really! 🐔), and you know what happened?

I saw this AMAZING coffee machine on sale and thought "well, the chickens won't mind if I borrow from their fund just this once..."

Spoiler alert: This is exactly what NOT to do! Here's why:

1. The "I'll Start Next Month" Trap This is like saying "I'll start eating healthy after this cake." Trust me, I've been there (many times 😅). But here's the thing:
   

   • Start now, even if it's tiny amounts

   • Future You will thank Present You

   • Remember: Baby steps are still steps!
     

2. The "Borrowing Between Goals" Temptation Oh boy, this is like playing musical chairs with your money. And just like musical chairs, someone (usually your goals) ends up without a seat!
   

   • Keep your funds separate (seriously, no mixing!)

   • Name your accounts something meaningful

   • Think of each fund as a separate promise to yourself
     

3. The "Perfect Plan" Paralysis You don't need a PhD in economics to start this! Sometimes we get so caught up in making everything perfect that we never actually start.
   

   • Start messy

   • Adjust as you go

   • Learn from your whoopsies (I've had plenty!)

📱 Making It Super Easy

1. Separate Savings Accounts I know what you're thinking - "Ren, won't multiple accounts be confusing?" Actually, it's like having different drawers for different clothes. You wouldn't keep your socks with your fancy dresses, right?
   

   • Label them clearly

   • Keep them dedicated

   • Watch them grow!
     

2. Automation is Your BFF I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but my husband is like a Golden Retriever. Friendly, almost blond-ish, kinda cuddly. Well, automation is like a well-trained puppy - it does exactly what you want, when you want!
   

   • Set up recurring transfers

   • Time them with your paydays

   • Set and forget (but check occasionally!)
     

3. FREE Savings Calculator - A little gift for you for reading this far.
   

   • Pop in your numbers

   • Get your personalized plan

   • No more math headaches!
     

   Click here and make a copy to start using.

💭 Final Thoughts

You know what's funny?

When I first started doing this, my husband thought I was a bit nuts (okay, he still does, but for different reasons 😉). But now, when those big bills roll around, we just smile and pay them like it's no big deal.

Think of it this way - you're not just saving money, you're buying peace of mind. And let me tell you, that's worth every penny!

That’s it! Go grab the calculator and start playing around with some figures.

To your financial success (and future stress-free bill payments!),

Ren

P.S. Seriously, grab that FREE calculator. It's like having a mini-me doing all your math! Just click here to download.