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The £1,000 Spatula
Personal Development

The £1,000 Spatula

Michael Heppell
Michael Heppell
April 16, 2026

‘A fiver?’

That was the guess, my soon-to-be son-in-law, Rupert gave when his mentor held up a spatula and asked if he knew it how much it was worth.

Many years ago when Rupert worked as a chef (he’s a trainer now – good lad) his boss explained the spatula may have cost a fiver, but it was worth £1,000: here’s why.

Using the supple silicone scraper to clear the last scraps from a bowl may, on the face of it, only save a little of the mix. But if 8 chefs, do it 10 times a day, 6 days a week, it isn’t long before those little scrapings add up.

And that £5 spatula becomes a £1,000 super tool.

This is one of those situations where we underestimated the compound effect of small habits.

How many of these do you do?


Financial Spatulas
(I feel like Martin Lewis here)

Switch off lights when you’re not in a room

Pick up coins from the pavement

Use scrap paper for notes

Check subscriptions and see if there’s a better deal

Use leftovers for another meal

Delay purchases by 24 hours before buying


Health Spatulas

Walk instead of drive

Twenty chews per mouthful

Daily stretch (especially if you’re over 50)

Drink a couple of extra glasses of water

Go to bed 15 minutes earlier


Personal Development Spatulas

Read books that make you better (5 pages a day)

Consciously reduce social media

Mentally slow down (not watching TV)

Keep a journal – 50 words to sum up your day

Ask more questions than give answers (2:1)

Say no to time wasters


You don’t need to do them all, but add an extra ‘Life Spatula’ (have I just invented a thing?) a day, and you’ll be surprised by the positive compound increases and savings you’ll make.

Be Brilliant!

Michael

What would you add to the spatula list?

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