I spent the week wincing at Bitcoin and a Microsoft buy I'd made too early — while the real money left the house quietly, by direct debit. Seventeen years in, I'd been optimising the wrong end. This week I sat down and worked out my household burn rate: the single number that quietly decides how much I've actually got to invest. Here's what I found, the two levers that move it, and why keeping more of your powder dry matters more than your next trade.

Week 1 of 12 · ~1,160 words · ~5 min read Why I'm writing this on a soggy Sunday I'm writing this from a typical Scottish day in May — rain and hailstones. One of those grey days when you really can't be arsed moving. I watched the streaks of rain running down the window and while studying their paths It reminded me of the long-term portfolio losers I've held over the years. And my inability to sell them when I had the multiple chances. A thought hit me. I've got a family

Paying 1.67% in fees sounds small—until it costs you £50k. SJP vs DIY ISA: the drag is real, and compounding cuts both ways.

The real fright this Halloween came not from Trick or Treaters in the evening, but from Rachel Reeves budget announcement at lunchtime as...