Making better decisions

A few habits.

Practical rules

Compare like with like using annual costs, delay large discretionary purchases by a day, and review recurring payments once a year.

Small recurring costs matter more than occasional large ones.
Budget for irregular expenses; they are predictable in aggregate.

Reading economic news

Ask what the number measures, over what period, and against what baseline. Percentage changes on tiny bases and figures quoted without inflation adjustment mislead most often.