- Melbourne, Australia
- Digital Marketer
- Personal Finance Enthusiast
- Grandma stuck in 20-something body
- Corgi Connoisseur
Who am I? A digital marketing manager with a passion for finance
Hi, I’m Ruba aka The Money Marketer!
I believe that there is a real lack of financial education in our system. In fact, 85% of Aussie women under 35 don’t understand fundamental investment concepts*.
I’d love to use this blog as a tool to encourage financial discussions as well as sharing my stories and experience. Let’s learn together!
I currently work as a digital marketing manager in Sydney, recently making the move from Melbourne. Although I did a minor in finance at uni, I am in no way a professional and my advice is to be a guide to stimulate discussion rather than actionable steps for your financial health.
My Money Journey
My journey towards financial freedom started six years ago. It was at my first “big girl” corporate job that I realised I wanted to take back control of my time. Full-time work meant I lived to work, rather than the other way around. I knew I couldn’t do this for another 40 years. Looking for alternatives, I stumbled across the FIRE movement.
What is FIRE?
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. This movement is about taking a different approach that allows you to retire much earlier than traditional methods. You can read more about it here.
Achieving FIRE
There are many different types of FIRE and early retirement, and I have already reached one of them – Coast FIRE.
Coast FIRE meant that I had invested enough money early on that I no longer have to invest additional money to achieve FIRE. Essentially, if I never invested another dollar, I would still be able to retire in my late 40s. This allows me the freedom to focus on enjoying life. Essentially, I’m coasting! However, I still consistently invest a percentage of my income.
Some other great money milestones I achieved was saving $50,000 at 20 and reaching a total net worth of $100,000 at 22. I’m on track to completely exit the workforce by 36. Will I actually retire that early? Not sure! However, I want to give myself the freedom to work less hours, focus on family or even start a business.
What am I up to now?
While I am proud of the milestones I achieved at a young age, I am also exhausted.
I’ve made a low income most of my life so to achieve those goals, it took sacrifice. I worked full-time during the day while studying my university degree (also full-time!) at night. There was a period of time where I didn’t have a break in 2.5 years. I also was very careful with my spending, operating on a tight budget and investing most of my income. As you can imagine, that lifestyle isn’t sustainable.
These days, I take a more relaxed approach to my finances. I still meticulously budget, invest consistently and buy everything second hand, however it’s toned down. I spend more money on experiences, have upgraded my lifestyle and put my health and time over money. It’s a great balance.
On this blog, I openly share all the tips and strategies I used to get me to where I am – keep on reading to learn more!
Ruba Khan
Contact
If you have any questions, or would like to know me more please feel free to contact me on themoneymarketerblog@gmail.com
*EY Sweeney, Australian Financial Attitudes and Behaviour Tracker (Wave 5), March 2017