The Continuous Improvement Loop
Continuous improvement is about creating a cycle of review, insight, and gentle automation.
- Run safe experiments. Make small changes then expand them if they work.. Redirect $10/month toward a goal and see how it feels, increase the amount overtime if that feels right.
- Track meaningful metrics. Focus on flow balance, savings rate, and time to goals — the markers that show your system is working.
- Turn insights into automations. Every time you find something worth repeating, automate it so it happens without effort.
- Look for easy wins. Start with the simple, low-effort fixes — canceling unused subscriptions, renegotiating a bill, or increasing an auto-transfer by 1%. Small optimizations compound faster than you expect.
Over time, this becomes a self-updating system — one that grows more intelligent and better aligned each year. Each small refinement strengthens the flow of money through your life, quietly moving you closer to the freedom and balance you designed it to create.
Callout: The Hunt for Zombie Subscriptions
Silent drains that quietly weaken your flow.
💀 Common Subscriptions People Forget About
- Streaming platforms — Netflix, Apple TV+, Hulu, Paramount+, Discovery+
- Music services — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium
- Cloud storage — iCloud, Google One, Dropbox, Adobe
- Fitness and wellness apps — Peloton, Calm, Headspace, ClassPass
- Software tools — Canva, Notion Plus, Grammarly, ChatGPT Plus, AI credits
- Retail memberships — Amazon Prime, Costco, Walmart+, subscription boxes
- “Free trials” that turned paid — VPNs, online courses, productivity tools
🔎 How to Find Your Own Zombie Subscriptions
-
Check your bank and credit card statements.
Look back 3–6 months for repeating charges you don’t recognize. -
Use your phone’s app stores.
- iPhone: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions
- Android: Google Play → Payments & Subscriptions → Subscriptions -
Search your email.
Look for terms like “receipt,” “renewal,” or “subscription.” -
Let tech help.
Tools like Rocket Money, Truebill, or Copilot can scan for recurring charges automatically. -
Create a “Subscription Day.”
Once a year, review and prune — cancel what no longer adds value and reroute that flow to something that does.
💡 Pro Tip: When you cancel, redirect the savings immediately to a goal account — travel, investing, or your emergency fund — so the reclaimed flow becomes forward motion instead of vanishing into daily spending.