There was a point where I stopped checking my bank balance properly.
Not because I did not care.
Because it stressed me out.
Every time I looked, it was the same story.
Money in.
Money out.
Nothing left.
I worked.
I showed up.
I did what I was supposed to do.
Yet somehow, I was always one bill away from feeling panicked.
That is when I realised this was not a personal failure.
It was the city.
📌 Today’s Edition
💡 How London keeps people broke
🧠 Why does it feel normal
🛠️ Why it feels normal
🧠 The Main Idea
London slowly numbs you.
You get used to giving most of your income away before you touch it.
You get used to living without a buffer.
You get used to telling yourself that next month will be better.
After a while, you stop expecting progress.
Not because you have given up.
Because this feels like how life here works.
That is the trap.
⚠️ Why does this hit harder on a low income
When you earn a lot, mistakes fade.
When you earn less, mistakes follow you.
A small unexpected expense does not just annoy you.
It lingers in your head.
It changes how you sleep.
It makes you second guess every purchase.
Savings disappear.
Momentum breaks.
Confidence takes a hit.
Nothing dramatic happens.
You just feel tired of trying.
At this point, people assume they’re doing something wrong.
They’re not.
❌ The real problem
The problem is not discipline.
It is not laziness.
It is not a lack of effort.
It is letting money leave your account in the wrong order.
Rent takes priority.
Transport takes what is left.
Food and convenience fill the gaps.
Saving is an afterthought.
Most months, there is no after.
So people blame themselves.
They should not.
✅ The Solution
You do not need motivation.
You need protection.
One decision that removes stress instead of adding to it.
That decision is paying yourself first.
On payday.
Without thinking.
Before life starts spending for you.
It can be small.
It just has to happen every time.
🔍 What this looks like in real life
Most people do not need more advice.
They need fewer decisions.
One automatic transfer.
Same day every month.
Separate account.
Once it is set, the pressure lifts.
📘🟦 Real Example
Someone on a modest London income tried to save whatever was left.
Most months, nothing was left.
A £150 expense wiped out weeks of effort.
They stopped saving.
Not out of failure.
Out of exhaustion.
No mistake.
No bad decision.
Just normal London life.
That is how people quietly give up without realising it.
A few months later, they changed one thing.
They did not earn more.
They did not cut their life apart.
They changed the order.
Savings came first.
Nothing else changed.
Just the order of money.
The index fund stayed untouched.
Bitcoin allocation stayed fixed.
Next surprise expense?
Paid in cash.
No selling.
No stress.
🎉🟫 Fun idea of the week
Create a default investing setup.
Pick one index fund.
Pick a small Bitcoin percentage.
Automate both on payday.
Then treat it like rent.
Not a decision.
✨ Before you go
If you are low income in London, the goal is not to win.
It is to breathe.
You do not need clever ideas.
You do not need perfect timing.
You need one thing that keeps moving, even when life feels heavy.
That is how people slowly stop this city from draining them.
See you next Tuesday.
