The Pro Max Plan > September Should Never Catch You Off Guard Again

Jul 21
3 min read

You cannot stop prices going up. You cannot make the school list shorter. You cannot stop Christmas arriving in December. But you can stop being surprised by any of it.

That is what the Pro Max Plan is about.

It's a PLAN. A free, two-minute plan that shows you exactly what is coming and exactly what to set aside each month so nothing ever blindsides you again. Let me explain;

The problem with back to school is not September.

It is that nobody sees September coming until it is already here.

Then Christmas comes. Then Easter. Then the summer holidays. And every single time, the same feeling. Where did that money go? How is it this much again?

The problem is not that you spend too much. The problem is that the costs arrive as surprises. And surprises, when money is tight, feel like crises.

They are not crises. They are predictable. Every single one of them. And that is exactly what the Pro Max Plan shows you.

What is the Pro Max Plan?

It is an interactive planning tool we built ourselves thinking of all of us, free to use on our website.

You go through eight steps. Takes about two minutes. How many children you have. What school year they are in. When their birthdays fall. Those are expenses added to the plan.

You build your back to school list. Uniform, shoes, PE kit, bag, stationery. You pick your price range for each item.

The tool calculates your September costs and then does something most people have never done before. It multiplies that across the whole school year, because school costs do not stop in September.

You add your Christmas budget. You add your half term trips. Your summer holidays. Your children's birthdays spending usually. Every big cost across the whole twelve months. And then the Pro Max Plan shows you two things. Your full year total. And the monthly amount you need to set aside to cover all of it.

That is the plan. Clear, simple and completely specific to your family.

Three ways to make it work for you.

Once you have your plan, you choose how to fund it.

Just save. Set up a standing order for your monthly amount on the day your Child Benefit arrives. Money you never see is money you never miss. Your savings build steadily in your CLEVR Money account month by month.

Family Loan. CLEVR Money lends you a lump sum now so your September costs are covered immediately. You repay at £70.32 per month. The plan maps out every month so you can see exactly where you stand.

CLEVR Deduct. Your employer deducts your monthly saving directly from your salary before it reaches your account. The most effortless way to save. Ask your employer if they are set up with CLEVR Deduct.

Whichever path you choose, the plan shows you your monthly balance from September through to August. Every month. In and out. So you can see the whole year before it happens.

Why this changes everything.

The parents who feel most in control of their money are not the ones who earn more. They are the ones who stopped being surprised.

When you know in January that September is coming, September stops being a crisis. When you know in July that Christmas is four months away, December stops being a scramble.

The Pro Max Plan does not give you more money. It gives you a clear view of the money you already have and what it needs to do across the year. That clarity is the thing that changes how money stress feels.

And when setting aside a small amount every month becomes a habit, something remarkable happens. The stress that used to start every August quietly disappears.

One important note.

The Pro Max Plan is a planning and illustration tool. It shows you what regular saving through a credit union looks like in practice. It is not personal financial advice. The figures shown are estimates based on the information you provide. For advice tailored to your personal circumstances, please speak to a qualified independent financial adviser.

CLEVR Money is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Your savings are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £120,000.