At 21, Annemiek (now 23) was already involved with money. At an event about money, she was the youngest, she budgets like it’s her passion and she just bought an apartment with her husband. Things are going for Annemiek financially, but she wants to keep going! Where to go, you can read here.
- 23 years
- Nurse
- Involved with Elfin since 2022
- Curious
Learned young…
‘When I was 21, I went to an event for women who wanted to make more money in different ways. I was the youngest, so it was way out of my comfort zone. But I always enjoy trying new things. If I don’t like it, I just quit again, right? Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. I got to know a lot of women and talked to someone who was having an Elfin’s lunch. That’s where I went. From then on the ball started rolling. I’m in an Elfin whatsapp group where we ask each other questions and give tips. The other day someone shared that there were garage boxes for sale, whether anyone was interested. People often ask if anyone has experience with a particular topic. It’s very approachable.
Look Ahead
‘I am by nature very curious and eager to learn. Once I’m familiar with something, I think “it’s very standard what I do, what else is there?”. While being busy with money and investing is of course not at all standard. For example, a friend had quite a bit of trouble with his finances at first, which made me great at helping him with that. Then I also saw people around me who lived at home or on their own but still couldn’t make ends meet. Partly because I read the book “The Psychology of Money,” I know: being wealthy is more important than being rich. Because the money you have now flies right over the top and never becomes more, but when you invest and build your wealth you also secure yourself money in the future. Right now I am investing in ETFs, investing in crowdfunding and I still have some loose shares. I don’t need a big house or a vacation to Dubai, I just want to be able to do what I want without money hindering me. Maybe I want to keep working as a nurse, maybe I want to start my own business. That I have the choice in that, that’s what financial freedom is all about for me.
Budgeting
‘I have an Excel file where I keep track of everything. I bought an apartment with my husband a while back and I have a steady job, so I know what my steady income and expenses are. My bills are divided into many pots. On the day my salary is deposited, everything goes into those pots. Savings account, mortgage, groceries, gasoline… Some expenses are deducted on fixed days, it then goes automatically from the jar to my current account. Super convenient! I find it very interesting to be involved with budgeting. I have already helped family members. Some I call monthly about the state of affairs. It had been haunting me for some time: don’t I want to do something with this? I have now applied for my STAP budget and may start training as an independent budget coach. If I were to set up a business, Elfin would come in handy again. Not only for myself, but also if I want to acquire clients! The fact that with Elfin you not only gain knowledge but also build a solid network is a top combination.’
Would you also like to start working step by step on your personal plan? You do that with help from Elfin! Fill out some questions here and get instant free access to your to-do’s to work on your financial independence just like Annemiek.
