The Sunday Money Check-In: A 5-Minute Weekly Ritual

The Sunday money check-in takes five minutes. No spreadsheets, no guilt sessions, no "where did all my money go" spiraling into existential dread.

Just five minutes of clarity to start the week knowing exactly where you stand.

Why Sunday (and why 5 minutes)

Sunday evening is that bridge between weeks. You're mentally transitioning from weekend mode to work mode anyway. A quick money check-in fits naturally into that shift.

And five minutes is intentional—I've found anything longer becomes a dreaded obligation. Short sessions become manageable habits. You're way more likely to do something easy every week than something thorough once a month.

The check-in steps

Minute 1: Check your balance

Look at your bank account. Just look. Don't judge, categorize, or analyze. Just note the number.

"I have $2,847."

You now know more than most people know about their finances, honestly. That's not a joke.

Minute 2: Note what's coming out

What bills hit this week? Scan for: - Rent/mortgage due dates - Subscription renewals - Scheduled transfers - Anything you know is pending

You're not tracking every transaction here. Just the big stuff that affects your daily spending limit.

Minute 3: Note what's coming in

When's your next paycheck? Any invoices due to clear? Tax refunds? Reimbursements?

Don't count anything uncertain. Only count money that's basically guaranteed to arrive.

Minute 4: Calculate your number

Balance minus committed expenses, divided by days until income.

Let's say: - Balance: $2,847 - Bills this week: $1,200 - Days until payday: 8

($2,847 - $1,200) ÷ 8 = $206/day

That's your number for the week. You can spend $206 per day without worry.

Minute 5: Decide if anything needs attention

Based on your number, do you need to: - Tighten up this week? (number feels low) - Relax a bit? (number feels comfortable) - Move money around? (transfer to savings, pay off card) - Address something? (bill you forgot, subscription to cancel)

Most weeks, the answer is "nope, we're fine." And honestly, that confirmation is valuable—it's nice to know you're okay.

What you're not doing

Notice what's missing from this check-in:

Not categorizing expenses. You don't need to know if you spent too much on "entertainment." You need to know if you have money.

Not tracking every purchase. The daily number handles this. Spent $150 yesterday? Today you have $206 + whatever rolled over. Simple.

Not feeling guilty. This is information gathering, not judgment. The numbers are neutral. You're not "bad with money" if the number is low—you just have a low number this week.

Not making it complicated. Five minutes. If it takes longer, you're probably doing too much.

Making it automatic

The hardest part of any habit is remembering to do it. Set a recurring reminder:

• •Sunday at 7pm (after dinner, before the week starts)
• •Calendar event with 5-minute duration
• •Phone reminder that just says "Money check-in"

After a few weeks, it becomes automatic. You'll feel weird not doing it.

What if the number is bad?

Sometimes you'll check and realize: this week is going to be tight.

And you know what? That's okay. That's actually the point of checking—knowing before you're surprised.

Options when the number is low: - Accept a tight week (it happens to everyone) - Move money from savings (if available and appropriate) - Delay a non-essential expense - Pick up extra work if possible

The difference is you're responding to information, not reacting to crisis. That's a very different feeling.

The compound effect

One check-in doesn't change your life. But 52 check-ins per year kind of transforms your relationship with money.

You start noticing patterns: - "First week of the month is always tight" - "I consistently underestimate subscription costs" - "My spending naturally decreases when I check in regularly"

This awareness emerges without deliberate tracking. You just... notice things over time.

Variations that work

Some people prefer: - Friday check-in: See where you stand before the weekend, when spending often spikes - Payday check-in: Recalculate when income arrives rather than fixed day - Partner check-in: Do it together, takes 10 minutes, prevents money fights

The specific day matters less than the consistency.

The anti-anxiety effect

Most money anxiety comes from not knowing. You're not really worried about specific numbers—you're worried about the unknown numbers.

The Sunday check-in replaces unknown with known. Even if the known is uncomfortable, it's manageable. You can work with "$134/day" in a way you can't work with "I think I'm okay maybe?"

Clarity is underrated.

When to do more

The 5-minute check-in handles normal weeks. Some situations need more attention:

• •Major life changes: New job, moving, having kids—do a deeper review
• •Something feels off: If you're consistently tight and don't know why, dig in once
• •Annual check: Once a year, look at the big picture—insurance, subscriptions, that kind of thing

But 90% of the time? Five minutes is enough.

Start today

You don't need to wait until Sunday. Try it right now:

1. Check your balance 2. Note upcoming bills 3. Note upcoming income 4. Calculate your daily number 5. Decide if anything needs attention

Took less than five minutes, right? Now do it again next Sunday. And the Sunday after that.

That's really all there is to it.

💚

Five minutes a week. Total clarity. No spreadsheets required.