Simon's Money Story

Sit down with Simon and hear about how investing from an early age shaped his money story, especially when it comes to understanding value. 

What experience have shaped your money story ?

When I was growing up my parents used to invest in a few shares and they were really open about talking to me about them, why they liked them, and what they were trying to achieve with them.  That really fostered something inside me, I remember when I was young I saved and saved and saved, to try and have my first shares. I did not spend a dime through that period and I was really proud when I managed to get them. Over a little bit of time I owned some small amounts of a handful of companies but what I really learned from that was a couple of important pieces. One small steps, but don't be afraid to start. The second one was that you will win and you will lose a few, but my parents were really good at encouraging me to continue.

How would you describe your relationship with money ?

I think over time it can be a little tense, you know, it's one of those constants in our life and we all have, I guess, a bit of a love-hate relationship with it through time. Where I am today I think I probably have a better appreciation of what the goals are and how to achieve those, I think really how to make money work best.

What advice have you received that shaped your money story ?

“Don't put all your eggs in one basket.” That was something like father taught me when I was young and the value of diversification that's something I've tried to follow my whole life.

Are there any financial goals that you’ve been proud to achieve?

Saving for our first house for my wife and I was a really big achievement. Getting a deposit takes a lot of time and it felt far away for a big part of it. But we chipped away at it and when we achieve that it was a really special moment. But there are smaller things such as, paying off their credit card every month. That's a discipline that my wife really instilled in me and it's something I'm really pleased that she did. It means that we got extra money that we can then put towards our other goals. I think you know the importance of having small goals as well as big ones is really important.

What advice you would give your younger self about investing?

Make sure you start when you can and don't be worried about those small steps that you have to take. We all have to make a beginning and I think just really understand what you want to achieve from it. Work out your limitations and really make sure you stay focused on your goals.

What financial goals are you working towards now ?

 I've had some financial goals which I've been quite long term, some of them are around the family and things that we want to achieve.  But actually at the moment it's a really interesting phase with inflation, and the cost of living which is really impacting everyone. For me the main focus is on my goals at the moment, and making sure that I don't get distracted from the big picture, that I keep those front of mind when I'm making investment decisions.