You do not need to read the whole manual before anything changes. These three actions take a weekend between them, and each one leaves you with a number you did not have on Friday. Do them in order. Do not skip to Part I until all three are done.
Not what you think you hold. Open every account and write the real figure next to it. Ten minutes of unpleasantness now saves you from planning around a number that was never true.
| Account / Holding | Where It Sits | Value Today | Last Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
If a figure takes more than five minutes to find, write "unknown" and move on. Unknown is itself a finding — it tells you where the friction is.
One. Not a budget overhaul. Pull the last three months of statements and list every charge that repeats. Then cut the single largest one you would not miss.
| Recurring Charge | Per Month | Per Year | Keep / Cut |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual, not monthly, is the number that matters. A £14 subscription is a £168 decision, and it renews whether or not you remember it.
Fifteen minutes a month, permanently. Find the release page for each of the five indicators in Part III, bookmark it, and write down when it publishes. That is the whole setup. You are building the habit now so the data is already familiar when it matters.
| No. | Indicator | Source / Where I found it | Publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Energy & oil | ||
| 02 | Inflation prints | ||
| 03 | Metals & commodities | ||
| 04 | Central bank policy | ||
| 05 | Supply chain throughput |
Done all three? You now have a real balance sheet, one recurring cost removed, and a monthly review in the calendar. Part I starts on the assumption that these are finished.