How investing a third of my salary every month is making me rich (and free!)

MyMoney Online, The Personal Finance series with Warren Ingram

How investing a third of my salary every month is making me rich (and free!)

2 July 2015 8:15 PM

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Also read the following related article:

* I earn 5 times less than Julia, but still manage to invest a third of my income. Here's how...

Regular listeners of Bruce Whitfield’s The Money Show will be familiar with Julia, the young savings superhero.

Although Julia earns about R1 million per year she drives a very modest Toyota Etios.

She invests a third of her income and, already a multimillionaire, is well on her way to achieving lifelong financial freedom.

As her salary increased Julia saved and invested more. She could afford to, but refrained from moving into a big house or buying a fancy car. She avoided the trap of meeting her improved income with increased expenditure.

“What sets Julia apart from most middleclass South Africans,” says Galileo Capital Financial Advisor Warren Ingram, “is that she doesn’t feel the need to buy a new car every three years and she’s happy to rent a very modest house.”

Listen to the audio (scroll down) for Whitfield’s latest interview of Julia who talks about her growing nest egg.

I’m still driving the Etios. My husband is now driving my old Corsa Lite.
— Julia

2008 was a very scary time for me, but I continued to invest. In hindsight; I should’ve invested even more back then.
— Julia

I had a lot of different investments. Now, I’m trying to consolidate a bit.
— Julia

I’ve invested about R2.6 million. Investing a third of my income has become a habit. I am now worth R3.7 million.
— Julia

I’m seven months pregnant! I also bought a house; a black-hole for money! I’m opening a tax-free savings account for the little one which I’ll use for education. I’m cutting down on travelling. I’m going to try and continue investing a third of my income.
— Julia