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the payday routine that helped me invest $200k and buy a house 💸

Melanie Laurene

50,584 views

Join me for my full payday routine: the exact step-by-step system I've been refining for 8 years to manage my bi-weekly paycheck with intention. In this video, I walk you through everything I do on payday: funding our joint mortgage account, paying off my credit cards in full, automating my investments in Wealthsimple (TFSA + RRSP), and deciding what to do with any leftover cash. I also share what I do when unexpected income comes in from my content creation business, including how I handle taxes as a side hustler and how I split that money between investing and treating myself. Whether you're just starting your personal finance journey or looking to tighten up your money systems, this video is packed with practical tips on budgeting, sinking funds, credit card strategy, and paying yourself first.

0:00 Intro
1:12 Money mindset
2:12 About me
3:00 Pre-payday planning
5:10 Step 1: Mortgage account
7:01 Weekly payments explained
10:20 Step 2: Credit cards
12:22 My credit card lineup
18:08 Step 3: Auto-investments
21:33 Setting up auto-investments
26:24 Step 4: Leftover money
28:05 Side hustle income
31:44 Tracking business income
35:03 Recap

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi: https://www.indigo.ca/products/i-will...

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🎵 MUSIC
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📈 SUBSCRIBER COUNT (as of date of publishing): 3,723

#Payday #PaydayRoutine #Money #PersonalFinance #MoneyRoutine

20 Comments

@yourinternetbigsis Creator 4 months ago Pinned

TEAM CREDIT CARD OR TEAM DEBIT CARD? 🤑

@thatgirlshaz 4 months ago

Heavy on if you can’t manage little money, you can’t manage the big money lol. Great video!

@jenrichardson.co_finance 2 months ago

8 years of refining is the detail that matters most here. Everyone wants the finished routine, nobody wants the years of tweaking that made it fit her actual life. That's the real lesson.

@SymmoneH 4 months ago

I pay with my credit card for everything lol. The points are definitely the incentive and I typically pay things off before the due date. I only spend what I have in my account. Great video!💕

@sue1703 3 months ago

I do a breakdown of expenses before Pay Day each month. Just like u do! I have done this for so many years. Great job!

@John-wx2ce 3 months ago

I would add that if your employer offers a 401k match, always max it out!

Live below your means and avoid lifestyle creep.

Building wealth takes decades.

@victoriacodella61 3 months ago

I am team debit card bc I am healing my relationship with credit cards. I just finally got a new one and I am definitely not falling back into old shitty habits! The reality is that a lot of people (previously me) were never taught how to responsibly use credit cards. But im glad i effed up bc it catapaulted me towards learning everything I know now.

And yes, orange vanilla, best flavor. Team creamsicle.

@noexcuses5524 2 months ago

This is so accurate. I’ve personally decided to skip the traditional path of buying a home and starting a family, and it’s completely liberating. 💯Why tie yourself down to a 30-year mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and endless maintenance when you can use that hard-earned money on travel and real-world experiences? Life is completely unpredictable and we never know when our time is up.

Weee constantly hoard money for a distant "future," but that future just brings us closer to death anyway. A stable, permanent house makes total sense if you want to start a family and leave an inheritance for your kids. But if you aren’t planning on that, why repeat the same hardships? My outlook might change way down the road, but for now, I want to save up and pour my funds into experiences becuse memories are the one thing that can never be stolen from you.
🌍✈️

@ashleyheineke 4 months ago

This is my second video of yours! I LOVE how you break down financial literacy in a way that makes so much sense!! Instantly subscribed 🥰

@alexs3779 4 months ago

First time viewer, subscribed, great breakdown of your finances!

@riahbrooke 1 month ago

soo helpful!! thank you!

@bloomweaver 3 months ago

Love this! I essentially have the same routine and honestly it works so well. I just wish I started it sooner haha. This is the guidance young adults (and teens) are missing. Knowing where your money is going to go before it hits your account is so key to managing it well. I use the 50/30/20 rule as a guide and it keeps things on track.🙌🏼👌🏼

@Yessieonabudget 2 months ago

First time viewer and I subscribed because I love how you explained everything. Simple and practical. AND I also do a quick pre-payday routine before actual payday. Great video!

@melfunky6 3 months ago

Love a fellow Melanie that is a freak about a budget and pay routine!

@krystinehamre7851 3 months ago

I was super good with my credit cards most of my life but i recently way over spent because I moved and went on a trip without budgeting and saving for them. So I racked up my line of credit. I’m a high earner but I wasn’t careful enough! I really needed this video. When you say you have $100-$200 after you pay yourself I was humbled. Because I’ve been thinking about why I racked up my Credit. And it’s because I spend as much as I need to and usually I can pay it off. I gotta start saying no to stuff and be more disciplined and I guess I went a little crazy when I started making more money. I need to realize things add up quick like my Amazon purchases and like buying furniture or house related stuff. Being rich means I gotta use my same old towels and be okay with my house looking empty ect. I want a lot of things but I don’t want them as bad as I want to feel financially stable.

@DavidKnicks 4 months ago

Well said!!!

@thegordonedit6618 4 months ago

Mel this was so helpful! I am currently trying to save an emergency fund before starting any investing but I’m book marking this for the future!

@morganberna 4 months ago

Oooh yes I’m sat ✍️

@5superblu 2 months ago

In the last year alone, I've gotten $880 of rewards and paid 0 interest. All for spending money on a credit card that I would have spent anyways. But I really need to work on paying myself, I'll spend up to $200 on my dog or clothes or books or gifts without thinking bc it comes out of the post-bills-paid "discretionary" spending that sits in my checking account, just like you said, probably 3+ times a month. It's time to shake things up!