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The title "15 Minutes for Your Finances" sounds... hmm, a bit overwhelming, right?

Kind of like: "Oh no, now I have to read AI-generated New York Times summaries AND analyze them?" 😅

But on the other hand... it's just 15 minutes. And a lot can actually happen in 15 minutes.

Okay, but why spend 15 minutes a day on finances anyway? Here comes my answer 😉

I borrowed the idea of this "financial quarter-hour" from Marcin Iwuć. And I have to say – at first, when you're still riding that exciting wave of novelty, this ritual was a no-brainer for me.

I was reading everything back then: about bonds, ETFs, types of portfolios... and I didn't even notice time passing. Building my household budget (you already know the general framework from my previous post) completely absorbed me – and honestly, I was doing it with pleasure.

Freedom Budget Roadmap: My 7 Stages to Financial Clarity and Control

Budgeting isn’t about spreadsheets - it’s about freedom. This post opens my *Create Your Own Budget* series: a personal journey through the mindset, structure, and reflection questions that shaped my financial philosophy 🌿

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But as time passed, once I had my model portfolio defined and my budget more or less set, I started wondering: How do I even fill those 15 minutes now?

After all, my goal isn’t to obsessively peek at my portfolio every day or track stock prices like a hawk.

And yet — the daily habit matters. Enormously.

It's precisely these small, regular moments of "micro-contact" with finances that make us aware, calmer, and more in control of our lives.

These 15 minutes build the discipline that helps me react before something spirals out of control.

And I think to myself: 15 minutes a day is less than scrolling through Instagram, yet the results are incomparable.

Don't believe me? Keep reading.

When's the Best Time to Use Our Financial Quarter-Hour?

My rule number one: during this time, I do only one specific thing.

Zero distractions.

Zero "oh, I'll just watch a show while I'm at it".

And zero "kids, can you wait?".

Otherwise, it simply doesn't work.

During this quarter-hour, I need to be focused on the specific task I've decided to tackle that day. The only exception? Mindless, repetitive tasks.

1. The Morning option ☕

This works best for me. A warm cup of tea, a calm breakfast, and the perfect moment for a focused 15 minutes. It’s a beautiful 2-in-1: I don’t rush through my breakfast, and I use the part of the day when my mind is the sharpest.

✅ mornings are when we have the most energy to act

✅ easier to focus on one task

❌ with intense mornings, you might not be focused enough to work properly

2. A Break at Work

I have a colleague who, during his 30-minute break, sits down with a book and devours it in one of the smaller meeting rooms. He doesn't need lunch at work, so he's carved out time to peacefully organize things like new travel ideas.

He doesn't need lunch, so he consistently uses that time for a "reset".

And that's great inspiration.

✅ super option for people who want to rest during their break and disconnect from everyone around

❌ risk that someone will walk in with "got five minutes?"

3. Commute to work/university

If you want to do something related to personal development instead of scrolling on public transport, this is the ideal moment.

I have my 15 minutes on the train – I'm still energized, still have power, sitting comfortably and can read or make quick notes.

✅ using time when you're not really doing much anyway

✅ creates a nice “productive routine” bond

❌ crowds can kill any focus

4. The Evening ritual 🌙

That moment just for us. Everything that could be done that day is done. You can focus on closing out the day.

If you like expanding your financial knowledge in the evening – this is a great place for that quarter-hour.

✅ easy to summarize the day since you still remember most details

❌ doesn't work for me due to being quite tired after the whole day and lack of focus on one thing

The most important thing?

Find your time of day.

Maybe it’s none of the above.

This isn't about perfection, but about habit.

And now I'll show you a list of things I actually do during my daily quarter-hour. And here you'll see how wrong I was thinking "I won't have anything to fill this time with".

What Do I Do During My "Quarter-Hour with Finances"?

1. My Daily Home Accounting 📚

Yes, I do this daily.

Thanks to this, I know exactly what happened that day and where I can book a given expense. It helps incredibly with categorizing. After a few weeks, I don't know if those 4 francs spent at Coop were a snack at work or something I wanted to buy for home 🙃

Daily entries allow me to:

• track where I stand in each category,
• react before "getting too close" to budget limits,
• keep categories organized.

2. A Few Pages of a Personal Finance or Self-Development Book 📖

This can really work wonders. "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel or "The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan make you approach your life with a completely different mindset.

They expand imagination, give a motivational kick.

3. Meal planning 🍽️

15 minutes is enough to prepare a meal plan for 2–3 days.

All it takes:

• peek in the fridge,
• use up leftovers,
• add a short shopping list.

This is one of the most underrated ways to save money.

One planned meal can mean 2-3 days with homemade food. My meals cost an average of 4-6 francs. Sometimes I'll make something much more exotic and then it's more, but there's no comparison with ready-made food.

4. Wishlist - my beloved list 🎁

Sounds like something influencers use for massive shopping sprees, right?

But it’s actually incredibly practical.

Before buying anything that wasn’t part of my monthly plan, I add it to my wishlist. Then it simply waits there for its turn - or for me to decide it’s actually not worth it.

My wishlist is:

• a way to make thoughtful purchases (things "sit" there before I buy),
• a ready-made “gift ideas for me” list I can send to others,
• my personal reward space (if I have leftover budget, I pick something from there)

In 15 minutes, I can review the list and remove what no longer makes sense.

5. My Personal Price Tracker

Just a simple Excel sheet. I created it mainly to stay sane during Black Friday. Every year I wondered: Is this actually a deal?

I usually buy similar items, so I track the prices 3-4 times a year. With that data, I can instantly see whether the “BIG SALE” is real or… questionable.

6. A Quick Payroll Day Ritual 💰

The moment the first day of the month arrives, I immediately transfer money to my savings accounts. I try to pay myself first - before spending on anything else. Without hesitation, without emotion, without "maybe not this time?".

And it works! It was great to see a large amount. However, taking care of savings and bills right at the beginning gives me a real overview of my actual accounting possibilities.

It gives an incredible sense of security and coherence.

7. I check subscriptions - and do a little detox

It seems like a detail, but the snowball effect here is enormous.

Once a week I check whether:

• I'm still using a given app,
• Netflix/Spotify/Adobe are actually being used,
• any subscription has "activated" accidentally after a free period (classic…).

I almost always find something to remove, and those 5–7 francs a month seem like nothing…

until you realize that's 60–80 francs annually for things you don't even notice.

And I prefer to put that money toward my financial cushion — or my wishlist.

There can be many more ideas for the day, and I encourage you to share your own ideas in the comments! It's only 15 minutes, but done systematically it really helps organize our money.

Economic-Financial Education as an Important Pillar of the 15 Minutes for Finances Rule

It might seem like - what can 15 minutes give me! This is the element that changes thinking and perception of money!

When you add expense control in your budget to this - everything changes. Falling expenses presented in chart form with monthly updates can show much more and provide the motivation needed to not stop working on our development.

This is the moment when you sit and think about your finances - because who's going to do it for you? Ultimately, these will be your own decisions!

The 15-Minute Ritual ✨

It also doesn't have to look like you're sitting with a book reading. You can add elements that make this time more attractive! Turn on music or light a candle. I usually have my more instrumental playlists that work to stimulate concentration on the problem.

Let's not make this a chore, but shape this time as something intriguing. Let's build this time to look forward to it. It's like waiting for time for yourself! A nicely scented candle (only one that won't interfere with focus), a blanket, and good tea – summer version with lemonade 😉

The Snowball Effect

Small changes you can make during your quarter-hour can ultimately give a huge effect!

• A book read about finance brought us closer to knowledge about investing or saving
• One thoughtful meal probably saved us 15 Fr. - once we prepare lunch 😄
• Creating a wishlist prevented hundreds of ad hoc spent money that we could have bought on impulse
• and there's even more!

15 minutes a day looks ridiculously small… until you look at it from a month's perspective.

15 minutes × 30 days = 450 minutes.

7.5 hours.

Meaning one full complete workday devoted to your finances - without stress, without panic, without big plans.

And suddenly it turns out that:

• the budget starts to "close" itself,
• you make shopping decisions more calmly,
• and your financial goals take real shape.

This is my private snowball effect:

small, daily moves → big, long-term changes.

And although it sounds trivial, in practice it really makes a difference.

What If the Quarter-Hour Doesn't Work Out?

Of course, sometimes I don't feel like it.

Of course, sometimes I have to force myself.

But every time I do sit down – I feel like I'm doing something good for myself.

Not for the world, not for Instagram, not because "I should".

Just for myself.

For my future.

For peace of mind.

With pride,

– ME, your Freedom Budget guide ✨