The €2,000 lie I told myself
Hey Future Millionaire,
You'd think I'd be better at this
Last month I spent €2,000 on an unexpected car repair and convinced myself it was just a "one-off" expense.
"April was unusual," I told myself. "May will be back to normal."
But May was even worse.
Without that car repair.
The culprits? Festival tickets, summer camps, travel insurance, flights, new glasses, and a mini World Cup entry fee.
All "one-off" expenses.
Here's the uncomfortable truth I've discovered after working with 230 clients:
One-off expenses are not one-off
Every single month has them.
Sarah thought March was unusual because of her holiday flights. Then April brought car insurance and her daughter's school trip.
Michael blamed January on Christmas recovery. February had the boiler service and new tyres for his BMW X5.
The pattern is always the same. We tell ourselves this month is different, but it never is.
Those "unexpected" expenses? They happen every bloody month.
The solution?
Accept that surprises happen and plan for them.
I've created a simple spreadsheet that helps you track these patterns and prepare for the inevitable.
It's the same system that's helped my clients find their biggest financial wins.
Because here's what I've learned my friend: financial freedom isn't won by investing cleverer.
It's won by spending smarter.
When you get your expenses sorted, two powerful things happen:
You need less money to become financially independent
You can save and invest more to get there much quicker
Ready to take control?
Got questions? Send me a message on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear from you.
Or if you want the full framework for sorting your finances, let's chat:
We'll uncover exactly what's stopping you from financial freedom and what to do about it.
I am off to hang out with my dad who is in Dublin for the weekend.
You have a brilliant weekend,
— Sjoerd
Financial Freedom Coach | Ex-Sales Director | Tedx Speaker | Human Like You
P.S.
Just gave my first Ted talk about overcoming my stroke - terrifying but worth it. I'll share the video once it's live.
