Pillar 01 · Money
The Same-Day
Skim Calendar
Twelve months of a standing order that leaves on the day your salary lands. Put your own numbers in and watch what 5% builds against 10% — same salary, same account, one decision apart.
Your numbers
Gross, before anything is taken off.
Of what actually lands, not of gross.
2.49% is the market average. Best buys sit near 5%.
One month of bare survival. Starts at 60% of your take-home — overwrite it with your real figure.
What actually lands
Twelve months, two decisions
The calendar
| Month | Your skim | 10% skim | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In | Interest | Balance | In | Interest | Balance | |
The gold rail under each balance tracks progress toward your full three-month fund.
The interest isn't the point in year one. On an average rate it's the cost of a takeaway — the separate account is doing the work, not the return.
Doubling the skim doesn't double the wait — it halves it. Adjust the numbers above and find the highest figure you'd still forget about by the third of the month. That one is the right one.
How this is worked out
- England & Northern Ireland rates, 2026/27: personal allowance £12,570, basic rate 20%, higher 40%, additional 45%. Scottish rates differ.
- National Insurance at 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above.
- Auto-enrolment pension: employee 5% of qualifying earnings — the slice of pay between £6,240 and £50,270 — taken before income tax (net pay arrangement). Your employer adds at least 3% on top, which isn't shown here because it doesn't touch your take-home.
- Interest compounded monthly from the AER you enter, with the skim landing at the start of each month. Rates are variable and can be cut at any time.
- Interest is well inside the £1,000 personal savings allowance at these balances, so no tax to think about.
- Doesn't account for student loan repayments, salary sacrifice, or a pension above the legal minimum. Guidance, not financial advice.
This is Pillar 01: Money