Buy Less Crap. Buy More ETFs.
Just simple long-term investing, regular contributions, and real-life lessons on building wealth one step at a time.
Free forever. No credit card. Just honest investing talk from someone who's been doing it since 1999.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this site is financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own research. This is what I do.
Good Old Common Sense
Making more than money sat in the bank.
Here's what most people don't think about: your money sits in the bank earning next to nothing — maybe 0.1% if you're lucky. Meanwhile, the bank takes your deposits, lends them out at 5%, 10%, even 20% interest, and pockets the difference. The bank makes all the money — and that's no good for us.
Instead of letting the bank profit off your cash, put that money into broad-market ETFs. Historically, the S&P 500 has returned around 10% per year on average over the long run. That's your money actually working — compounding year after year, decade after decade. It doesn't take a financial genius. It takes common sense.
Everything on Buy Less Crap is free. I may earn small referral fees from some platforms I mention — Trading 212, InvestEngine, and others sometimes pay a commission when you sign up through a link. That doesn't cost you anything extra. It's how I keep this site running without charging anyone a penny. Full transparency, always.
Buy less coffee. Buy less crap. Invest the difference. Make your money grow.
I'm Not An Investment Guru
I'm just an ordinary bloke trying to make my money work for me.
Instead of sitting in a bank account doing very little.
I've spent years building businesses and helping other people with theirs. Now I'm applying the same common-sense approach to investing.
No fancy trading strategies.
No "get rich quick" promises.
No pretending I know where the market is going tomorrow.
I simply invest regularly into ETFs and quality companies, keep learning, and let time and compounding do the heavy lifting.
I use a Stocks ISA, a SIPP, and invest directly in individual shares — keeping it simple and steady across all three.
I share what I do, what I learn, what works, what doesn't, and the occasional mistake along the way.
If you're looking for investment advice, I'm not your man.
If you're looking for an ordinary person trying to build a better financial future one step at a time, you're in the right place.
What You'll Find Here
Simple investing for normal people.
No complicated strategies. No insider jargon. Just the stuff that actually works for everyday investors building wealth over the long term.
The Buy Less Crap Club
Stop chasing shortcuts. Start building wealth.
Stop
- ✗Chasing shortcuts
There's no magic stock. Anyone promising fast riches is selling something.
- ✗Buying rubbish you forget about a week later
That impulse purchase isn't making you happier. It's making you poorer.
- ✗Waiting for the perfect time
The best time to start investing was 20 years ago. The second best is today.
Instead
- ✓Invest regularly
Same amount, same day, every month. Automate it and forget about it.
- ✓Think long term
Decades, not days. Time in the market beats timing the market.
- ✓Let compounding do the heavy lifting
Your money makes money. That money makes more money. Repeat for 20+ years.
- ✓Enjoy the journey
Building wealth shouldn't mean living on rice and beans. Live your life while your money grows.
No jargon. No complicated strategies. Just the practical steps to go from zero to investor.
The Strategy
Invest. Wait. Repeat.
It really is that simple. Buy broad-market ETFs, invest the same amount every month, and give it decades. The magic isn't in picking winners — it's in consistency and time.
Choose Your Platform
Open an account on Trading 212, InvestEngine, Vanguard, or whatever works for you.
Pick a Broad ETF
S&P 500, FTSE All-World, or a global index fund. Low fees, wide diversification.
Automate It
Set up a monthly direct debit. Same amount, same day, every month. Remove emotion from the equation.
Live Your Life
Stop checking the ticker. Let compounding work its quiet magic in the background for 20+ years.
The Tax-Free Wrapper
Stocks & Shares ISA.
If you're in the UK, this is the account you want. A Stocks & Shares ISA wraps your investments in a tax-free shield — no capital gains tax, no income tax on dividends, and everything inside grows tax-free forever.
- £20,000 annual allowance — you can invest up to £20k per tax year across all your ISAs.
- Use it or lose it — the allowance resets each April 6th. You can't carry unused allowance forward.
- Open one with any platform — Trading 212, InvestEngine, and Vanguard all offer them. Takes minutes to open.
- One of each type per year — you can open one S&S ISA per tax year and pay into it. Transfer old ones too.
Your Future Self Will Thank You
Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP).
A SIPP is like a Stocks & Shares ISA but for your retirement. It's a personal pension you control — you pick the investments, and the government tops up your contributions with tax relief.
Why a SIPP is worth it:
- 25% tax relief top-up — for every £80 you put in, the government adds £20. If you're a higher-rate taxpayer, you can claim even more back through your tax return.
- Tax-free growth — like an ISA, everything inside a SIPP grows free of capital gains and dividend tax. It stays sheltered until you access it.
- Access from age 57 — you can start drawing from your SIPP at 57 (rising to 58 in 2028). Take up to 25% completely tax-free as a lump sum.
- Same investments as an ISA — ETFs, index funds, shares. Same platforms, same simplicity. Just a different wrapper.
ISA vs SIPP — which one first?
If you're working with an employer pension, start with your workplace scheme — that's free money from your employer. After that, max your ISA first (flexibility to access whenever you need). Then put what you can into a SIPP for the tax relief boost. The ideal setup: workplace pension + maxed ISA + SIPP contributions. All invested in broad ETFs, all compounding for decades.
See exactly what I'm buying
I share my real portfolio — every ETF, every index fund, every move. No cherry-picked winners. Full transparency.
Mistakes, lessons & real talk
I share what I'm researching, the mistakes I make, and the lessons I learn. No sugar-coating. No survivorship bias. Just honest investing.
📈 📈
Stocks go up. Stocks go down.
But if every stock went to zero, we'd probably have bigger problems than our portfolios — the world may have ended. That's why I invest for the long term, ignore the noise, and let time do the heavy lifting.
☕ Buy less crap.
📈 Buy more ETFs.
⏳ Be patient.
Not financial advice. Just what I do.
Ready To Start?
Buy less crap. Buy more ETFs.
Everything you need to go from zero to investor — platforms, ETF picks, ISAs, and the simple monthly habits that build real wealth over time.
Get The Free GuideNo jargon. No complicated strategies. Just simple, honest investing.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this site is financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Always do your own research.
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