A familiar scene: card — terminal — and you don’t even notice
You know that feeling when you buy something so often that you don’t even think about it? For me it’s a morning pastry and coffee on the way to the office. The price is 2€. Small money, right?
But recently I turned on “calculator mode” and just thought about it.
I share more real experiments like this here: Experience.
The math of “invisible” spending
No fancy words. Just numbers:
So in one year I “eat” a solid amount of money. The interesting part starts when you don’t just save it — you invest it.
My strategy: the experiment starts
I want to try this: what if I send 40€ per month to the stock market? No extremes — just a broad index fund.
Here is what it could look like if I replace pastries with investing:
| Time | Just saving | Investing (5%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 480€ | ~492€ |
| 3 years | 1440€ | ~1580€ |
| 5 years | 2400€ | ~2760€ |
*Example numbers to show the idea. Returns are not guaranteed.
Why I want to try it
This is not about saying “no” to everything. It’s about awareness.
- People often search for a “magic button” to get rich fast.
- But real money can be built from small habits like this.
I’m not saying I will never buy that pastry again. But I want to test this strategy. Because ~2760€ in 5 years looks better than yesterday’s croissant.
More personal stories and ideas are here: Experience.
Question for you
Do you have a “small invisible” expense that could become an investment? Share your thoughts — I’m honestly curious.