The Monthly Finance Method

A simpler way to understand and improve your personal finances

Most personal finance tools ask for constant attention: daily spending categorisation, real-time alerts, and complex dashboards.

While detailed, these approaches often create friction, guilt, and disengagement.

Our method is built on a different idea

Financial progress is best measured over time not day to day.

The Core Principle: Low-Friction, High Signal

At the heart of the method is a single monthly check-in.

Once per month, users record three simple inputs:

  1. Total income received

  2. Amount added to each savings or investment account

  3. Current value of each account

This information takes only a few minutes to enter, yet provides a clear, high-level view of financial direction and momentum.

No transaction imports.
No daily budgeting.
No micromanagement.

Why Monthly Data Works

Personal finances naturally operate on a monthly cycle:

  • Salaries are paid monthly

  • Bills recur monthly

  • Savings decisions are often made monthly

By aligning measurement with this rhythm, the method captures what matters most:

  • Consistency

  • Progress

  • Trends over time

Short-term noise is filtered out, making long-term patterns easier to see and understand.

What the Method Measures

From these three inputs, the system calculates a set of objective, easy-to-understand metrics, including:

  • Savings rate
    How much of income is being saved each month

  • Net worth trend
    How total balances change over time

  • Contribution vs growth
    Whether progress comes from saving behaviour or account growth

  • Consistency
    How regularly users engage with their finances

  • Goal progress
    Estimated time to reach a target at the current pace

These metrics are descriptive, not prescriptive. They explain what is happening, not what someone should do.

Goals Without Micromanagement

People can define personal financial goals — such as building an emergency fund or saving towards a future milestone — and track progress over time.

The method estimates timelines based on observed behaviour rather than assumptions, helping users understand how current habits translate into future outcomes.

There is no requirement to categorise spending or optimise every decision. The focus remains on direction, not perfection.

Education, Not Advice

This method is designed to support understanding and reflection.

It does not:

  • Recommend financial products

  • Suggest specific investments

  • Provide personalised financial advice

Instead, it offers clear information, trends, and behavioural insights so users can make their own decisions with greater confidence.

Designed for Sustainability

The most effective financial system is one people continue to use.

By requiring minimal time, avoiding daily pressure, and focusing on long-term progress, the Monthly Finance Method is designed to be sustainable — not just informative.

Five minutes a month is enough to stay engaged, aware, and moving forward.