Howdy Reader!

This week’s edition is going to be a bit shorter and sweeter than usual because I am currently writing this from the couch, feeling quite ill. I woke up this morning with a full-blown cold.

Seriously, who gets a cold in the middle of August?

It feels completely backwards and I don't feel the best right now, but we are pushing through.

Other than the bizarre summer sickness, it was a fairly standard week for us. We had three different Airbnb guests check in and out over the course of the week, which kept things moving.

We also spent a massive chunk of our weekend over at the Ancaster rental property, pushing the renovation closer to the finish line, a huge shoutout to Katie for putting in some serious sweat equity with me. We painted the new trim, installed new light fixtures throughout, hooked up a new kitchen faucet, and swapped out all the old light bulbs to brighten the space up. I also got down and did some fresh grout work (which you can see in the video below) and tackled the backyard maintenance.

We are officially in the home stretch. All that is left on the scope of work is getting the new quartz countertop with matching backsplash and LVP flooring installed this weekend and steam cleaning the existing carpets. If all goes according to plan, we are ready to open the doors for showings by next Sunday!

While I’ve been resting up today, I came across a fascinating read that I wanted to share with you all.

Brain-Hacking Your Savings

The Wall Street Journal just published a great piece on behavioral finance, specifically looking at how people are using psychological "mental tricks" to get better with their money and aggressively increase their savings rate.

As healthcare professionals, we are highly educated and heavily analytical. We know the math. We know we should be spending less than we earn and investing the difference. But personal finance is only 20% head knowledge; it is 80% behaviour. Willpower alone is a terrible financial strategy.

If you are struggling to build your cash cushion or hit your 20% savings target, here are three "brain hacks" you can implement this week:

1. The "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" Hack Stop keeping your savings in the exact same bank as your checking account. When you log into your app to check your balance and see a massive pile of cash sitting in savings, your brain subconsciously tells you that you are "rich" and have permission to spend.

✅ Automate your savings to a completely different institution (like a high-yield savings account at a different bank) and delete the app from your phone. If you can't see it, you won't spend it.

2. Name Your Dollars (The Psychology of Labels) Your brain has a very easy time raiding an account labeled "Savings 1" to pay for a spontaneous vacation or a new clinic gadget. It has a much harder time stealing from an account labeled "Financial Freedom," "Rental Property Downpayment," or "Katie's 2026 Car Fund."

✅ Log into your banking portal and rename your sub-accounts. Give your money a specific, emotional job.

3. The 48-Hour Friction Rule Retailers (like Amazon) spend billions of dollars to remove the "friction" from buying. One-click checkout is designed to bypass your logical brain and trigger an emotional dopamine hit.

✅ Reintroduce friction. If you want to buy a non-essential item over $100, put it in the cart and close the tab. Force yourself to wait 48 hours. If you still genuinely want it and it fits the budget two days later, buy it. 90% of the time, the impulse fades and the money stays in your pocket.

Your financial success isn't just about how hard you work in the clinic; it is about how well you manage your own psychology when you get home.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

I’m going to go drink some tea and try to sleep off this August cold.

​@financiallyfulfilledpro and Certified Financial Counsellor CFC™

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