After an illness, Esther (58) turned her passion into her profession: she became a DJ. She is pushing hard – and not just musically. In terms of finances, this rhythmic woman has it good, too. You can read about her work as a DJ and her financial choices here.
- DJ Your mother
- Married and three adult children ages 21, 22 and 25
- WIA benefit
Fear of success
‘In 2013, I ended up in a wheelchair. It was not until 2018 that I felt I was part of the land of the living again. I had WIA benefits, which I still have now, but I wanted to do something! Back in the 80s I was a DJ and that was a great time. The best work is that which doesn’t feel like work. I’ve been at Black Cross and was there during Solar Weekend. I’m allowed to work alongside my WIA benefit, I checked. But it’s hard to ask for money for something you see purely as your passion. I have been working for three years now and am only now considering increasing my hourly rate. I appeared to be afraid of success, I learned the other day. That’s something I’m working on now. Ultimately, more money only comes in when you feel you deserve it.’
Looking Back
‘I was not taught from home how to handle money. I used to have a little month left at the end of my money, as it is so nicely put. But it bothered me, because I didn’t want money to negatively affect my life. I now know how to budget better and no longer spend money haphazardly. But it was an eye opener, mind you, that money is such a big part of your life. It determines to some extent what you can and cannot do. Looking back, I would have liked to get serious about my money much sooner, but even at 50, you’re not too late!
Blut
‘I now try to maximize the gap between my income and expenses. I do this through peer to peer lending at Peerberry, among other things, and I have invested in building a house in Spain. I also have an investment account with ASN and I invest for my retirement with Brand New Day. I think the books I’ve read have taught me the most about money. For example, a long time ago Puck recommended Blut by Dorothée Loorbach, that book kicked off my financial journey. But I also got a lot out of Think and Grow Rich and Rich Dad, Poor Dad. The biggest lesson I took from that is that your thoughts are not always the truth. You can want to make a lot of money, but if you don’t have the self-confidence to ask for a raise, for example, or to increase your hourly rate, that money is not going to come.’
