In this column, we interview other women about their journey to financial independence. What did they run into, what won them over to investing and what tips do they have for you? This time, read about Céline van Baaren‘s journey. Céline is 33 years old, married, with a 1.5-year-old child and the second on the way. She is employed by Randstad, as an e-commerce specialist and has a sidehustle, Coffee Scanners.
- 33 years
- Cohabiting
- 2 children
- Employed
- Successful side hustle
Sidehustle
‘I started my sidehustle Coffee scanners in 2018, together with my husband and my brother-in-law. We’re all coffee fans, really love specialty coffee beans from niche brands, but couldn’t find good accessories anywhere in the Netherlands, like coffee storage cans that keep your beans good longer. So we decided to market it ourselves. That took a lot of time at the beginning, working evenings and weekends, that idea. But now I only deal with marketing and maintaining the website, which doesn’t take up much of my time. Coffee Scanners generates passive income, you could say.
Master classes
‘So I was not unfamiliar with money before I became a member at Elfin. Like so many others, I wanted to get a better grip on my money, but I wasn’t really working on it structurally. To motivate myself, I was looking for women who were working on the same thing, but I didn’t find them among my friends. With Elfin I did. We inspire each other and bring each other new insights. Some basic things I already know, but with the master classes I get the depth I’m looking for. I recently benefited greatly from the master class on salary negotiation, which I immediately put into practice. Also interesting was the master class on how to arrange a contract with your partner when you buy a house, for example.
Financially free
‘That’s also one of the reasons I’m concerned with money: I want to be financially free. I don’t want to be stuck in a situation I don’t want to be in. I’ve seen plenty of examples where people are forced to stay together after their relationship ends, or they do move out, but usually the woman loses out in more ways than one. I want to be able to make the choices I want to make, whether that’s quitting my job, doing the shopping or going on a world trip. Elfin helps me take those steps and see money as a means to achieve your dreams.’
‘By now I also know that money is also anything but boring. OK, the information is sometimes tough, but when you learn the ways you can increase your money, then it becomes really fun. And it’s also not difficult at all, something I thought at first, too. I recently expanded my investment portfolio further by investing with my husband. I also hope to invest in real estate someday.’
Budgeting
‘We save 12% of our income, of which about 5% goes to investments. We have a very good financial infrastructure, my husband and I, and that gives a lot of security. But actually I dream of having my ownn start a business. But yes, that includes financial uncertainty. I know I will be fine, financially, with my buffer I can go up to six months ahead, but in terms of mindset I still find it exciting. I have benefited a lot from the community and now know: everything in small steps. It is quite possible for me to work on my business and remain employed at the same time. That makes the step less big.
Do you also want to start working step by step on your personal financial plan? You do that with help from Elfin! Fill out some questions here and get instant free access to your to-do’s for becoming financially independent like Celine.
