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#682: 52 Tiny Improvements in 2026 [GREATEST HITS]

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Today’s episode is a special rerun that’s perfectly timed for anyone looking to build stronger financial habits this year.

Originally aired on January 3rd, 2025, this episode introduces a game-changing approach to personal finance: instead of relying solely on big moves like career changes or investment properties, what if you made one small strategic tweak every single week? I present the complete “Tweak a Week” framework, 52 manageable actions spread across the year that compound into significant financial progress.

Drawing inspiration from the British cycling team’s “aggregation of marginal gains” philosophy (the same strategy that ended 76 years of Tour de France losses and led to Olympic gold), this episode proves that tiny improvements, when combined, create extraordinary results. From foundational habits like calculating your net worth to optimization strategies like building price shock funds, I map out an entire year of financial wins, one week at a time.

Key Takeaways
  • Small, consistent tweaks compound into massive change through the “aggregation of marginal gains” philosophy that proves dozens of 1% improvements often outperform a few big moves.
  • The quarterly 1% savings challenge gradually boosts your savings rate by 4% over the year, adding up to $3,840 annually for someone earning $8,000/month without feeling overwhelming.
  • Focusing on one financial metric helps you avoid fragmented attention because when you concentrate energy on a single meaningful goal like debt payoff, it creates spillover benefits across other financial categories.
  • Automation and proactive planning prevent financial surprises by building systems that remove decision fatigue and keep you on track, from setting up transfers to planning for irregular annual expenses.
  • Celebrate effort over outcomes because you control your inputs like consistent savings, debt payments, and smart choices, not market returns, so measure success by the actions within your locus of control.
    • Resources

    2026 One Tweak a Week

    Chapters

    Note: Timestamps are approximate and may vary across listening platforms due to dynamically inserted ads.

    (0:00) Introduction: British cycling team and aggregation of marginal gains

    (8:01) Week 1-4: Writing your financial motivation and calculating net worth
    (15:37) Week 5-13: Boosting savings, decluttering, and energy efficiency
    (27:14) Week 14-26: Thermostat adjustments, emergency funds, and price tracking
    (39:22) Week 27-38: Transportation costs, meal planning, and career safeguarding
    (50:00) Week 39-46: Housing calculations and the quarterly savings challenge
    (58:19) Week 47-52: Managing food costs and celebrating progress
    (1:04:00) Reflection on 2025 market performance and controllable inputs (1:06:28) Closing thoughts on marginal gains and financial goals

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