Investor Journeys—Sam
After backpacking all through her 20s, Sam decided to break the cycle of “saving and spending, saving and spending” and start building long-term wealth. She shares her experience “playing catch up”, what she’s investing towards now, and the lessons she’s learnt along the way.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m in my mid-30s and live in the Blue Mountains with my husband. I’m an outdoorsy person at heart. I love hiking, and I've got a bunch of chickens, honey bees, and a veggie patch. I work in marketing for a large FMCG company—my first full-time “career” role.
What’s your money story?
Growing up, my parents didn’t really talk about money. They split up when I was 11, and I was raised by my mum. We didn't have a lot of money, but I never would have known that we were struggling. She hid it very well from my sister and me.
My mum was of the opinion that “you don’t want to be the richest person in the grave”. So throughout my 20s, I did a lot of traveling. I’d work for six months, save money, and then go out on the road again. I just assumed I’d catch up later. But by my late 20s, all my friends were buying houses, and I started to feel like I was behind.
During COVID, I was working in retail. I wasn’t earning a lot, but I figured that if I wanted to manage my money better, I needed to learn how to do that on a lower wage first, so if my income ever did go up, I’d know what to do with it. That’s when things started to change.
How did you start investing?
Before I started, I had the mindset that investing is gambling; that it’s risky, and only for the rich. I started listening to the She’s on the Money podcast which helped me build my confidence. I realised that the only way to get ahead in today’s economy would be to start investing.
I downloaded a micro-investing app, had it for about a week, and was like “Nah, I’m bored. I want to actually invest in things that I choose and that I think are important.” That’s when I downloaded Sharesies. I’ve been using it to invest for about a year and half now. It’s the only platform that I use.
I’m a big believer in learning as you go. That's why I was like, I'm just going to do it. I'm going to start small, see what happens, and build my portfolio from there.
How would you describe your investing approach?
I’m very much an automation girl! I auto-invest a small amount every week, and reinvest all my dividends. Every time my income goes up, I increase the amount I invest.
I mostly invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs); a mix of bonds, index funds, and tech ETFs. I like that they’re managed by a fund manager and allow me to have a diversified portfolio.
Every now and then, I’ll Google different companies and do some research. I’m a Type 1 diabetic, so I often keep an eye on pharmaceutical companies.
What goals are you investing towards?
I’m investing for retirement. I don't want to make millions of dollars. I just want to enjoy my lifestyle as I get older and hopefully be able to pull back on work a bit. I don’t want to have to rely on the government to retire in case the rules change or the retirement age gets lifted.
In the past five years, I was lucky enough to buy into my partner’s home. We’d really like to have the house paid off by the time we’re 55. Not having a mortgage, and having a passive income from investing is the goal. Even if it's just a small amount, I think having money I can access from my investments as I get older will give me a bit more peace of mind.
What are the biggest lessons you’ve learnt as an investor so far?
Do your own research
After I started investing, I convinced my husband to open a Sharesies account too. At first, he didn’t know what to invest in, and I was like, “I can’t tell you! You have to do your own research.” There’s so much information out there. I completely understand why people get overwhelmed, but you have to invest in things that align with your own values and goals. So now we do that bit separately and have a competition to see whose portfolio is performing better!
Ride out the ups and downs
Over time, I’ve seen my investments go up and down. I’ve learnt to not freak out if my portfolio dips because more often than not, it’ll bounce back. These days, when there’s a dip in the market, I’m like “Great, shares are on sale! I can get them at a lower price now.”
Time in the market
They say that the best time to start investing was yesterday, and the second best time is today. Focusing on my long-term goals now rather than travelling has been a tradeoff, but I love my quiet life, building for the future. It feels really good knowing that every time I invest, I’m creating generational wealth. And it isn’t as scary as you think! If you have super, you’re already an investor.
The people shown in our Investor Journeys are Sharesies investors, and their stories are actual experiences they’ve had with us. They’re paid for their time to record their story.
Ok, now for the legal bit
Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial adviser, or seek independent legal, taxation, or other advice when considering whether an investment is appropriate for you. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. This content is brought to you by Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand and Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation, and needs. We do not provide recommendations. You should always read the product disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions—including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers—can be found on our relevant NZ or Australian website.
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