This week: Andy Burnham arrives at No.10 → UK growth crawls to 0.1% → Base rate decision looms on July 30th → a free way to fund your takeaways → why cherishing the small stuff matters more than any of it.
THE BIGGEST LESSON:
Health is still the biggest wealth you'll ever have.
It was the final week of school before the summer holidays, and I was walking home after dropping my son off. That's when I bumped into a neighbour — a mother in her 40s, going through leukaemia, tubes running through her nose — walking her son to school for what might be the last time.
Something I take for granted every day was the thing she put all her energy into that morning. It stopped me in my tracks. I choked up after I passed her, and I still do thinking about it now.
So what: it made me cherish the small stuff — the chats on the school run, bedtime, bath-time. Whatever wealth you're building, it means nothing without your health, or the health of the people you love. This week, do one thing to actually look after it, not just think about it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
We have a new Prime Minister... again.
Andy Burnham has moved into No.10, the UK's seventh PM in 10 years. Early claims to watch:
- Major Cabinet reshuffle
- Immediate cost-of-living relief
- Council housebuilding programme
- Public ownership/control
- 10-year plan
He's appointed John Healey as Chancellor, a veteran Labour politician, who regidned as Defence Secretary under Starmer due to defence funding dispute. Worth watching what he actually does with an economy that badly needs growth.
So what: new faces, same revolving door. I'll be watching policy, not promises — I'll flag anything that actually hits your pocket.
The economy grew in May... just.
UK GDP grew 0.1% — not exactly a number to celebrate, but it's the right direction. Labour are calling it proof their plan is working, despite waving away the same 0.1% under the Conservatives. It won't rescue the markets, but it likely delays a recession we'd otherwise struggle to climb out of for a while.
So what: don't read too much into one month's number either way — but a delayed recession beats an early one.
Rates set to rise?
The Bank of England announces its Base Rate decision on July 30th, having held at 3.75% for months. Rumours suggest a rise is coming.
So what: if you're on a tracker mortgage, your repayments go up — but so does your savings rate. Fixed mortgage? Your rate holds, but savings rates may still climb. Either way, worth checking where your savings are sitting before the announcement.
SOMETHING YOU CAN COPY:
How I get free UberEats.
Every train ticket I book goes through Uber — it pays back 5% in Uber Credits, which I then spend on takeaways or taxis for free. Travel a lot? Uber One pays out 10% instead.
I've been doing this for years and genuinely couldn't count the free or discounted takeaways it's covered. If you're regularly on the train, it's a five-minute setup for money you're already spending anyway.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"It's tough to find value when everyone is gambling." — Warren Buffett
If the world's best investor is struggling to pick stocks, the odds you'll out-guess the market this week aren't great either. This is your reminder: low-cost, well-diversified ETFs, and take the stress out of investing.
THE TAKEAWAY:
This week's theme: notice the things you'd miss.
New PMs, growth numbers, rate decisions — none of it changes what actually matters day to day. What does is the school run, the bedtime routine, the small conversations that feel monotonous until you imagine them gone.
One thing to do today: think of one small, ordinary moment in your life you'd genuinely miss if it disappeared. Reply and tell me yours.
