Hey Reader

This week, I’ve been thinking about how far I’ve come with saving and investing and how different it looks from where I started.

Back then, I was just putting a small amount into retirement because I knew I should. It was about $200 a paycheck. Nothing fancy. Just a start.

Which reminds me of this common piece of advice you’ll see everywhere in personal finance:

“Save 15–20% of your income.”

Which begs the question…is all that really necessary? Honestly, yes, but not all at once.

For most people, that number feels out of reach. And when something feels out of reach, it’s easy to do nothing at all.

When I first started taking my money seriously, I wasn’t anywhere near that. Even when I got a job with a match, I only did 6%, just enough to get the free money. That came out to about $660 a month.

But over time, I increased it.

Now I’m saving about 19–20% of my income. I max out my work retirement account and my Roth IRA every year. And that steady progress is a big reason I’ve been able to grow my investments to over $520K.

That didn’t happen overnight. It happened because I started... and then kept going.

I want you to think about this as a long-term goal, not something you need to hit right now.

If you’re not saving much yet, even opening a high-yield savings account is a solid first step. It gives your money a place to grow instead of just sitting there.

If you don’t have one or you're in the market for another, you can click here to open one with Ally.

They’re offering a $100 bonus right now, and the interest rate is over 3%, which is a simple way to earn something on money you’re already holding. From there, you can build.

Maybe you increase your contribution by 1%.

Then again in a few months.

You don’t need to jump to 20% overnight. You just need to stop staying at 0% or what number you might be stuck at right now. Small steps, repeated over time, are more impactful than you might think.

Eager to see you thrive,

Prisca

P.S. ready to find your first 1% this week? here is your 3-step checklist to stop staying at 0%:

1. do the math: take your monthly income and multiply it by 0.01. (if you make $5,000, that’s just $50).
2. find the "leak": look at your last statement where you do most of your spending. is there a subscription you don’t use or a "convenience purchase" that equaled that amount?
3. move the needle: log into your payroll or retirement portal and increase your contribution by exactly 1%.

It’s the smallest move with the biggest long-term payoff. you won't even miss the $50, but your future self will definitely notice the momentum.

P.P.S. I help women like you create a customized plan for your money that allows you to enjoy life now while saving for your future. Schedule a free call to learn how my coaching can help you.

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