5 Small Money Moves To Make This Week (That Actually Add Up)

When it comes to personal finance, big changes get all the attention, but it’s the small, consistent habits that quietly move the needle. If you’re looking for an easy win this week, here are five simple, small money moves that can help you feel more in control (without cutting out all the fun).

1. Automate One Bill. Just One.

If you’ve been meaning to set up auto-pay, pick a single recurring bill and automate it today. Even if it’s your smallest bill, it can still be beneficial.

Why it helps: No more late fees, no more “oops” moments, and it improves your payment history, which makes up 35% of your credit score in Canada. Read more in our blog on automating payments to understand the true benefit.

2. Check Your Bank Fees (Most People Don’t)

Pull up last month’s bank statement and look for things like monthly account fees, ATM surcharges, or e-transfer fees. Many Canadian bank offer no-fee accounts or will waive fees if you meet a minimum balance. Switching, or negotiating, can save you $150+ a year. Stop wasting money on fees you don’t need to be paying!

3. Try the “24-Hour Pause Rule” for Purchases

Before buying something non-essential, especially online, wait 24 hours. Most people find they forget about the item entirely or decide they don’t actually need it. If you still want it the next day? Buy it guilt-free.

Waiting on an online purchase can also present benefits such as the company following up with a discount code to complete your check-out. Sometimes small money moves save you money you didn’t even expect. Read more about how this method could help you save in our blog.

4. Put Found Money to Work

Got a tax refund, a bonus, or even a few extra bucks from selling something online? Don’t let it disappear into day-to-day spending. Try assigning a dedicated split to all incoming money from now on:

• 50% toward savings or debt
• 30% for upcoming expenses
• 20% for fun (because balance matters)

5. Review Your Subscriptions (The Sneaky Budget Killer)

Streaming, apps, fitness, cloud storage – subscriptions are like financial weeds. Set a timer for 10 minutes and go through your app store, bank statements, or PayPal history. Cancel anything you haven’t used in 30 days, forgot you were even paying for, or only got because of a free trial (we’ve all been there). You’ll be surprised what you can find that’s slowly draining your accounts.

This Week’s Challenge

Pick one of the five tips and do it today. Just one. Small improvements compound over time, and your future self (and bank account) will thank you for starting now.