💰

THE FIRST 3 STEPS
TO FINANCIAL
STABILITY

Your Quick-Start Guide to
Taking Control of Your Money

By Chidera Peters
The Money Method

👋

Welcome!

You're about to discover the three foundational steps that will transform your relationship with money.

These aren't just tips – they're the exact steps I used to go from financial confusion to becoming a UK homeowner with multiple income streams.

💡 Most people overcomplicate money.
But financial stability starts with just three simple actions.

Let's dive in →

📊 STEP 1

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

"You can't manage what you don't measure."

💷 Find Your TRUE Take-Home Pay

Look at your last payslip and find the "Net Pay" amount (not gross!). This is your ACTUAL monthly income.

Example:
• Gross Salary: £2,500
• After Tax & NI: £2,050
• This is what you actually have to work with

📝 Track ONE Month of Spending

Don't change your habits yet – just observe. Write down every purchase for 30 days.

You'll discover:

Where your money actually goes (usually shocking!)
Your "invisible" expenses (subscriptions, takeaways)
How much you have LEFT after essentials

🧮 Calculate Your Monthly Essentials

Add up these non-negotiables:

🏠

Rent/Mortgage

💡

Bills

🛒

Food/Groceries

🚗

Transport

📱

Phone

💳

Debt Payments

This is your survival baseline.

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

Find your net monthly income from payslip
Track every expense for 30 days
Calculate your monthly essentials total
Figure out: Income - Essentials = What's left?

💡 QUICK WIN: Most people discover they're spending £200-500/month on things they didn't realize. Just KNOWING this puts you ahead of 80% of people.

💰 STEP 2

PAY YOURSELF FIRST

"If you wait to save what's left, there will never be anything left."

🔄 The Game-Changing Method

❌

Most People:
Spend First → Try to Save → Nothing Left

✅

You'll Do:
Save First → Spend Rest → Build Wealth

⚙️ How to Set This Up (10 Minutes)

Step 1: Open a separate savings account

Use your current bank or open Monzo/Starling. Keep it SEPARATE from your everyday account.

Step 2: Calculate your savings amount

Start with 10% of net income. Example: £2,000 = Save £200/month. Can't do 10%? Start with 5%!

Step 3: Set up a direct debit

Automatic transfer day after payday. From current account → To savings. Done!

💰 Create a Separate Savings Account or Pot

Use a separate account or savings pot to track your progress visually:

🏦

Monzo

Create savings pots

🌱

Plum

Set up auto-save pots

💳

Chase

Open savings account

📱

Any Banking App

Use savings features

Why this works: Seeing your savings grow in a separate space makes progress visual and motivating! 📊

📈 Watch Your Money Grow

Your £200/month becomes:

£600

After 3 months

£1,200

After 6 months

£2,400

After 1 year

£6,000

After 2.5 years

That's your emergency fund.
That's your house deposit.
That's your freedom.

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

Open a separate savings account or pot
Calculate 10% of your net income
Set up direct debit for day after payday
Test it: Check it transfers automatically next month

💡 QUICK WIN: The best savings account is the one you actually use. Don't overthink which bank – just START.

🎯 STEP 3

SET ONE CLEAR GOAL

"Without a target, you're just drifting.
With a clear goal, every pound has purpose."

🎯 Pick ONE Goal for Next 3 Months

Don't pick 5 goals. Pick ONE.

💷 Save £500 emergency fund

💳 Pay off £1,000 credit card

🏠 Build £2,000 deposit fund

📊 Increase credit score 50 points

📝 The Proven Goal Formula

"By [DATE], I will [SPECIFIC ACTION]
so I can [REASON]."

❌ Bad goal: "Save more money"

✅ Good goal: "By March 31st, I will save £500 in my emergency fund so I can stop stressing about unexpected bills."

📊 Break It Down

Example: Goal = Save £500 in 3 months

£500 ÷ 12 weeks = £42/week
That's just £6/day

Now find £6/day to save:

Skip 2 takeaway coffees (£6)
Bring lunch instead of buying (£6+)
Cancel one unused subscription (£10/month)
Do a no-spend weekend (saves £20-30)

See? It's doable!

📈 Track Your Progress Automatically

Your banking app does the tracking FOR you! No manual work needed.

✨ AUTOMATIC TRACKING OPTIONS:

Monzo Pots: Shows your balance growing in real-time with graphs
Plum App: Tracks your savings automatically + sends you progress updates
Chase Savings: Displays your balance and interest earned
Emma App: Connects to all your accounts and shows total savings

💡 BONUS TIP:

Set up app notifications so you get a little celebration message every time money goes into your savings. It's motivating to see "You saved £50 this week!" pop up on your phone!

Just open your app → Check your pot/savings balance → See your progress!

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

Choose ONE money goal for next 3 months
Write it using the formula above
Break it into weekly mini-goals
Set up app notifications for savings updates
Set reminder to check progress every Sunday

🎉

YOU DID IT!

You've Completed the First 3 Steps

✅

STEP 1: You know your numbers

STEP 2: You're paying yourself first

STEP 3: You have a clear money goal

You're now ahead of 90% of people!

🚀

What Happens Next?

These 3 steps are your foundation. But there's so much more...

Questions you might be asking:

How do I build UK credit from zero?
When should I start investing?
How do I save for a house while sending money home?
What about pensions, ISAs, and UK-specific stuff?
How do I negotiate a better salary?

Ready for the Full System?

The Money Method is my 10-week programme covering everything you need to master UK money.

Join the waitlist to get:

Early bird pricing (£50 off)
Exclusive bonuses
First access when doors open in January

👉 JOIN THE WAITLIST

waitlist.thechiderapeters.com

Questions? Email: hi@thechiderapeters.com

Instagram: @thechiderapeters

You've got this! 💪

THE FIRST 3 STEPS
TO FINANCIAL
STABILITY

Welcome!

💷 Find Your TRUE Take-Home Pay

📝 Track ONE Month of Spending

🧮 Calculate Your Monthly Essentials

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

🔄 The Game-Changing Method

⚙️ How to Set This Up (10 Minutes)

💰 Create a Separate Savings Account or Pot

📈 Watch Your Money Grow

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

🎯 Pick ONE Goal for Next 3 Months

📝 The Proven Goal Formula

📊 Break It Down

📈 Track Your Progress Automatically

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

YOU DID IT!

What Happens Next?

Ready for the Full System?

systeme.io

systeme.io

THE FIRST 3 STEPSTO FINANCIALSTABILITY

Welcome!

💷 Find Your TRUE Take-Home Pay

📝 Track ONE Month of Spending

🧮 Calculate Your Monthly Essentials

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

🔄 The Game-Changing Method

⚙️ How to Set This Up (10 Minutes)

💰 Create a Separate Savings Account or Pot

📈 Watch Your Money Grow

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

🎯 Pick ONE Goal for Next 3 Months

📝 The Proven Goal Formula

📊 Break It Down

📈 Track Your Progress Automatically

✅ ACTION CHECKLIST

YOU DID IT!

What Happens Next?

Ready for the Full System?

systeme.io

systeme.io

THE FIRST 3 STEPS
TO FINANCIAL
STABILITY