Figures

Guides

Plain writing about
money — for one or for two.

Short, opinionated pieces on net worth, conscious spending, and how to actually run money — solo or with a partner. No shame, no jargon, no £4 coffee lectures.

I

Household net worth: the number that actually matters

What it is, how to work it out, and why your individual figure stops being useful once you live with someone.

5 min read

II

How to track net worth with your partner (without it getting weird)

A scripted first money conversation, a monthly 20-minute check-in, and how to handle the four disagreements every couple has.

6 min read

III

The conscious spending plan, for two people

Ramit Sethi's four buckets, rebuilt for UK couples. Fixed costs, investments, savings goals, guilt-free spending — without merging every account.

6 min read

IV

Figures vs spreadsheets: why manual tracking breaks

Spreadsheets work for a few months, then quietly fall apart — broken formulas, stale FX, no real shared access. Here's where they fail and what to use instead.

5 min read

V

ISAs, SIPPs and tax-free investing, without the jargon

What ISAs, Lifetime ISAs and SIPPs actually are, who they're for, and a simple order to use them in. UK, 2026/27.

6 min read

VI

Stocks, bonds, ETFs and funds — what they actually are

Plain-English explanations of the four words everyone uses and few people define. Plus what most sensible portfolios actually hold.

6 min read

VII

Diversification, without the lecture

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. What that actually looks like in practice, and the simplest way to get it right in a single fund.

5 min read

VIII

Pound-cost averaging, the quiet superpower

Same amount, same date, every month. Why a boring standing order beats the cleverest market-timer most of the time.

5 min read

IX

Do I need a financial advisor? An honest UK answer

When a paid advisor is genuinely worth it, when they aren't, what they cost, and the free alternatives most people should try first.

6 min read