Name: Diandra or Dee
Social bio: YouTube: ‘Finance Dee’; Instagram ‘Finance_Dee’; Twitter: ‘FinanceDee’
Blog: www.financedee.com
🤝 A bit about you
I am a 30-year-old born (and semi-bred) Londoner. I am a wife and about to become a first time mum. And I am proud to be a woman who advocates for other women to take control of their finances.
👨💻 What made you want to share your financial journey to wellness?
Honestly, I didn’t want to become financially comfortable/free and have those around me in financial turmoil. I thought if I share what I am doing online (cancelling debt, consciously spending, aka budgeting, and consistently investing) others would feel inspired to do the same. Of course, it became much bigger than my family and friends, but I can honestly say there’s been a change in many of those around me in how they handle their finances. It’s awesome!
🕵️♀️ At Shares, we love to talk about side hustles. By day, you’re a Research Consultant, but by night you’re a YouTuber and Blogger! How do you manage doing both?
It’s definitely a juggling act that requires a willingness to put in extra time in the evenings and weekends. Being a consultant can be a quite demanding job, so some weeks I am unable to focus on ‘Finance Dee’ things as much as I want. But when things are slower or I have a free weekend, I try to batch prepare content so I have something for those busier times.
Oh, and to-do lists and the Notes app. I live by them, I swear by them! If I have an idea, I write it down before I forget. If I randomly remember a task I need to do, I add it to my do list immediately so it doesn’t escape me.
🥅 On your blog, you talk about how important goal setting is within personal finances. But what are some of your finance goals?
This is a great question!
I have 1-year, 5-year and 10+ year goals. Over the next year, the goal is to survive maternity leave lol. My pay will drastically decrease, but I have budgeted for the year ahead taking this into consideration. Over the next 5 years, I would like to achieve a net worth of £500k. This is within reach, but will take a bit of dedication. Over the next 10+ years, the goal is to be financially independent (FI) enough that my investments cover my expenses.
I will still want to work, but basically I hope I can work part-time just to cover my leisurely activities. I have a great video (if I do say so myself) explaining my plan to reach FI in detail on my YouTube channel linked here. Check it out if interested!
📊 Which assets do you find the most interesting to invest in and why?
I cannot say ‘interesting’ per se, but the assets I am most happy to invest in are ETFs/index tracker funds. I love the idea of following the market which has already decided which companies belong within the index. For instance, the S&P500 only includes the top 500 companies in the US. It does all the hard/guessing work for me without even trying. 🙂
🆕 What tips do you have for a beginner investor?
Understand the principles behind investing. This is so crucially important!
You can do this by reading books on long-term investing and wealth building. Two of my favourites are ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki and the ‘Simple Path to Wealth’ by JL Collins. I also found podcasts and YouTube videos useful in just getting used to the lingo and concepts.
Google, as always, is your friend!
🏃♀️ Outside of investing and personal finance, what do you like to do?
I am a BIG fan of travelling. I have been fortunate to visit just under 40 countries to-date, and I hope to see lots more! I also quite enjoy home interior design, so I am quite obsessed with making my home a haven. And I love to spend time with my husband, family and friends – playing games, laughing, eating and drinking. That’s my happy place!
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