Some women seem to have it all together financially. They have their investments nicely diversified, passive income is coming in through real estate and other investments, and an early retirement is already knocking gently at the door. How do they do that? For Lydia (35), everything runs like clockwork financially, but she too has al-times something to learn.
- Married to Mark
- Son Senna (4) and daughter Mila (3)
- Rents two properties
- Both have a sidehustle
Hustle, hustle, hustle
‘My husband and I own two homes that bring in about 2,000 euros per month. We are not affected by the new rental rules because we had already priced our homes according to the point system. I do, however, sometimes think about when investments are taxed in Box 1, leaving less. But we’ll see. Separately, we invest in stocks, ETFs and crowdfunding. There is now ten thousand euros in there and yields an average of 120 euros per month. And yes, then I also have a sidehustle. The whole package, haha. I work as a salaried real estate agent, but I also write blog articles for a number of influencers. I also put together SEO articles for a media agency, I review streaming series and check mystery shopper reports. Whether I’m busy? Quite, but it energizes me. I started my sidehustle very early on, so I don’t know other than to have ‘two’ jobs. That makes a difference, I guess.’
Distribution
‘Not only am I busy with my finances, but my husband is also quite busy. He also has a sidehustle and together we have already invested some 35,000 euros in equity and crowfunding. How do you divide all that money coming in? Our earned income and earnings from our two homes go into a fixed, joint account. Once the fixed expenses are taken off, we save and invest what remains. The money that comes in through my own business and investments is all mine, and the same goes for my husband. I get to eat out from that, or make a new investment with it. I think it’s important not to be dependent on anything or anyone. If I became a single mother tomorrow, I would manage.’
Give up dream job?
‘By now I have so much extra income that I can work less. But somewhere, I don’t dare give up that steady job yet. What if I regret giving up my dream job? There were quite a few bumps in the road at the real estate agency where I work now, because they wouldn’t give me the salary I asked for. I went something completely different for 2.5 years and finally I got a call, if I wanted to come back. And now, even with all this extra income and a packed schedule, I don’t want to work there a day less.’
Like Lydia, do you want to get serious about becoming financially strong? Get your action plan at Elfin for free. Complete 7 questions, and get started right away. Start here.
