Growth Check #1 · 5-min read
Hey growers,
21%. 5 for 5. 60%.
Those are my money numbers for October: the share of my take-home pay I saved, the weeks my automatic deposit ran, and how much of my TFSA room I’ve used. The leaves in Vancouver are coming down and holiday spending is about to start, so it’s a good moment to look.
Once a month, this email turns into a Growth Check: my own progress, in public, in plain numbers. No account balances. Never what I bought. Just the habits and percentages that show whether the plan is working.
Why share it? Because the most useful thing I can give you isn't a tip. It's proof that small steps add up, including the months when they don't.
And November is Financial Literacy Month in Canada. This year's theme is "Talk Money." So this month we talk money, starting with me.
The Seed: say it out loud
Money gets easier the moment you stop hiding it from yourself. Writing down three numbers once a month is the simplest way I know to do that. You can't grow what you never look at.
My numbers: October
Automatic deposit ran: 5 of 5 weeks (target: every week)
Savings rate (share of take-home pay saved or invested): about 21% so far in 2026 (target: 20%)
TFSA room used: 60% of all the room I've built up since 2019, and more than 100% of this year's limit (I caught up on room I'd left empty in past years; unused room carries forward).
What went well: Automation. My deposit goes in on the great weeks and the ugly ones, so I never have to decide whether to stay invested. For me, that's the edge: time does the heavy lifting, and automation keeps me in the market for all of it.
What slipped: I didn't rebalance my portfolio this month. It's on the list for November.
What I'm changing: Paying closer attention to what's happening in the world, so I understand what's moving markets. The strategy doesn't change, but sometimes how you manage it has to adapt.
Planted North itself, month 1 (grown in public):
Readers: 23 → 29 (Issue 1 went to 23 of you; 0 unsubscribes since)
Average open rate: 46% across 4 issues (close to 1 in 2 of you)
Replies: 5 (I read every one)
Instagram: 225 followers (about 60 new since Oct 4) and 7.9K views in the last 30 days
X (@Plantednorth): 36 followers since joining in September
Most-viewed post: "A free Sunday email. 5 minutes." 789 views
Best post: "Nobody explained these to me. So here's the short version." (TFSA, RRSP and FHSA in one line each). 151 people reached, the most of any October post
The Move: 3 numbers on the 1st
Pick one day a month (the 1st is easy to remember) and write down:
Did my automatic deposit run every time? (how many weeks)
My savings rate: the share of take-home pay I saved or invested.
How much of my room I've used: TFSA, FHSA or RRSP. Your exact TFSA room is in CRA My Account. It shows your room as of January 1, so subtract anything you’ve put in since.
THE RING
5 for 5
And my deposit has run every single week since January 2024: almost three years of investing I never once had to remember.
Know someone who keeps meaning to start? Forward this to them.
Talk Money: my turn
Nobody taught me the money system. I learned it the slow way: years of part-time work in Vancouver, just making ends meet, and still investing small amounts anyway.
What changed things was getting organized: bills flowing on time, a cash stack for the short term, and goals for next year and for the long run, all lined up with what I do this week. The money grew, but the bigger return was peace of mind.
When the headlines get loud, with wars in the news and prices higher everywhere, it's tempting to change course. I do the opposite: I stick to the plan I chose and zoom out. Bad cycles come and go, and so do good ones. What counts is staying in through both.
Two rules I keep for myself. Money I'll need soon doesn't go into stocks: that's not investing, that's hoping. And when a return looks too high, too fast, I assume there's a catch, because it's never that easy. I'd rather be skeptical and know exactly where my money goes. Money is time, and time is the one thing I can't earn back.
Why all of this is free. I believe an organized financial life is one of the most effective ways to change someone's quality of life. So the basics here stay free: this email, the calculators, the Field Guide, the lessons. No picks, ever. Just how the system works, in plain English, so you can make better choices for yourself.
To me, financial freedom isn't about being rich. It's about having choices: calm today, and a future that isn't left to luck. And when more of us get there, it doesn't stop with us. It reaches our families, our friends, and whoever comes after us. That's the better world I'm planting for.
I believe the only person who can change your life is yourself. But nobody should have to figure it out alone. Writing this every month keeps me honest, and saying the numbers out loud makes them real. So, your turn.
Reply with one money number you've never said out loud. It could be your savings rate, your TFSA room, the age you started, or the amount you automate. On Nov 29 I'll share a few, anonymously or with a first name only, your choice, and only if you say it's OK.
And one number for the rest of you: how many weeks in a row has your money moved without you? Reply with the number. Zero counts. Mine started at zero too.
Plant today. Grow for decades.
Lucas
Educational content only, not personalized financial advice. The Growth Check shares my own habits and results to show the process, not to suggest what you should do. Example figures are illustrations, not forecasts. No stock or coin picks, ever: plantednorth.ca/standards
Sources: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, Financial Literacy Month 2026 "Talk Money" (canada.ca/financial-literacy-month)