100 candles and a plane ticket

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Learn from this investor’s $100m mistake

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Hey money-savers, it's Ren here!

You know that old saying ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade?’

Well, aside from my favourite version of that being the Paul Rudd rendition in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (look it up, it’s hilarious), this week threw another lemon-shaped curveball.

It’s not that we didn’t know, it’s just that it ‘snuck’ up on us when we were busy living life and doing stuff.

Okay, let me back up a sec…

My hubby got a call a while back from his Dad saying his Grandmother was turning 100 and we were invited to attend.

The problem?

Firstly, I had a calendar clash with events for my own family, oh and it’s an international whirl-wind trip we hadn’t taken into account with our budget!

Then low and behold the time has come and hubby very kindly reminds me that he’s ‘off tomorrow!’

Yikes…

The good news? These things don’t need to be bank-breakers….

Start simply with our super simple budget template - claim your discount here. 

🤔 The Question:

How Do You Handle Life's Beautiful Surprises Without Breaking the Bank?

Now, before you start thinking "Oh great, another rich person talking about spontaneous international travel" - let me stop you right there!

Three years ago, this exact scenario would have sent me into a complete financial panic. We would have been frantically checking credit card limits and calculating how many months of ramen noodles it would take to recover.

But here's the thing that made me realize just how far we've come...

Instead of panic, my first thought was: "Which savings bucket do we tap into?"

Instead of stress, I felt excitement that we could actually make this happen.

Instead of debt, we had options.

💡 The Power of Preparing for the Unpredictable

Here's what I've learned: life's most meaningful moments rarely come with a convenient payment plan attached.

Grandma's 100th birthday doesn't wait for your next bonus. Your best friend's destination wedding doesn't check your savings account first. That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity doesn't care about your current budget cycle.

But here's the beautiful secret I've discovered about good money management...

When you take care of your money consistently, your money takes care of life's surprises gracefully.

Think about it like this: remember how our cave-dwelling friends (yes, I'm bringing back Ugg and Uggette!) had to prepare for winter even during the abundant summer months?

They didn't know exactly when the cold would hit or how harsh it would be, but they prepared anyway.

Same principle applies to our modern financial caves - we prepare for the unknown so we can embrace the opportunities when they arise.

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✅ Your Surprise-Ready Financial Strategy

Based on what just happened in our household, here's how to build a financial foundation that can handle life's curveballs:

1. The Multiple Bucket System

Instead of one giant "savings" account, we've got several mini-funds:

• Emergency fund (the "oh crap" money)

• Travel fund (for adventures and family visits)

• Opportunity fund (for those "we should totally do this" moments)

• Holiday/gift fund (because birthdays happen every year, yet somehow they're always "unexpected")

Why this works: When hubby's call came in, I wasn't robbing Peter to pay Paul. I was simply redirecting funds from our designated travel bucket.

2. The 10% Rule for Life's Surprises

Here's something most budgeting advice doesn't tell you: allocate at least 10% of your income to what I call "life happens" categories.

This isn't your emergency fund (that's sacred and stays untouched unless there's a real emergency). This is your "life is beautiful and unpredictable" fund.

Real example: Our travel fund gets $200 automatically transferred every month. In 18 months, that's $3,600 just sitting there, earning interest and waiting for adventure.

3. The Compound Opportunity Effect

Every dollar you save creates future opportunities. It's like planting seeds - you might not know exactly what you'll harvest, but you know the harvest will be worth it.

Hubby's grandmother story: Because we've been consistent with our savings, this trip isn't just possible - it's stress-free. We can focus on celebrating a century of life instead of calculating debt payments.

🚫 Common "But What About..." Concerns

"But Ren, what if nothing exciting ever happens?" Then congratulations! You've built wealth while preparing for adventure. That's literally the best-case scenario!

"But what if I can barely cover my current expenses?" Start with even $10 a month. I know it sounds tiny, but $10 monthly becomes $120 yearly. In five years, that's $600 plus interest - enough for a weekend getaway or unexpected car repair.

"But what if I need that money for something else?" That's exactly why we have multiple buckets! Your emergency fund handles true emergencies. Your opportunity fund handles the beautiful surprises.

📱 Making It Stupidly Simple

Week 1: Open one additional savings account and name it something fun (ours is called "Adventure Fund")

Week 2: Set up an automatic transfer of whatever amount doesn't make you break into a cold sweat

Week 3: Pretend that money doesn't exist (seriously, don't even check the balance)

Month 3: Check your balance and do a little happy dance at what you've accumulated without even thinking about it

Month 6: Start planning what amazing thing this fund might help you do

(don’t forget to claim your discount for our paycheck budgets here)

💭 The Real Magic

Want to know the best part about all this?

It's not just the money we've saved that makes these opportunities possible. It's the peace of mind that comes with financial preparedness.

When that call came in about grandma's birthday, instead of stress and worry, we felt pure joy. We get to be there for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration because we made choices months ago that created this possibility.

That's the real power of good money management - it doesn't just protect you from the bad surprises, it empowers you to embrace the beautiful ones.

As I write this, hubby is researching flights and I'm thinking about what gift you give someone who's been around for an entire century. (Seriously, what do you get someone who's literally seen everything?)

But the point is: we get to have these problems because we prepared for opportunities we couldn't even imagine.

🎯 Your Challenge This Week

1. Open one new savings account (even if you only put $5 in it)

2. Name it something that makes you smile (Adventure Fund, Dream Maker, Opportunity Jar - whatever speaks to you)

3. Set up a tiny automatic transfer (start small, think big)

4. Share your fund name with someone (accountability makes everything better)

Remember: every dollar you save today is a future opportunity you're creating for yourself. You're not just building wealth - you're building the freedom to say "yes" to life's most beautiful moments.

Here's to preparing for adventures we can't even imagine yet!

To your financial freedom (and spontaneous celebrations),

Ren

P.S. If you've got elderly relatives, maybe give them a call this week. Life's precious, and the budgeting skills we're building today help us show up for the moments that matter most. 💕

Ready to join the 53,000+ people who stopped making excuses and started making progress? Check out the Annual Budget Collection here.