Investing in yourself as a woman looks completely different than it did in the past. In the last 100 years, the world has seen remarkable changes for women, especially when it comes to financial empowerment.
Whether they are single or in a relationship, women are better equipped to handle their finances thanks to changes in accessibility and shared knowledge. Women are increasingly gaining control over their finances and making significant strides in wealth building.
If you want to learn how to invest in yourself as a woman, financial freedom is the place to start. What area of your life do your finances NOT impact? Exactly. From an emergency fund and
“forget you” money, to retiring early or homeownership, building your wealth is the top way to ensure you have a say in what your life looks like.
If you want to upgrade your life and invest in yourself as a woman, here are some great places to start!
10 Ways to Invest in Yourself as a Woman
1. Learn to invest
This is so important we have a free class just so everyone has the opportunity to learn. Picture this: no more traditional investing advice, no need to panic over complicated stock market jargon (which has been a way to gatekeep financial literacy for decades, by the way), and definitely no screaming suits on Wall Street. In case no one has told you, investing is not the Wolf of Wall Street. So don’t let those crazy stigmas deter you.
Personally? I invest in my sweatpants while I chill at home. Sometimes, I even invest from the top of a mountain I just hiked in between taking pictures of the sunrise. The point? However you need investing to best fit into your life, you can do it that way.
I made the term “lazy investing” because for so long investing has been seen as this crazy, abstract, complicated process. And that holds so many people back from feeling like they get to build wealth. But not you. You can learn to invest the lazy way, and you can build wealth on autopilot.
2. Set up a brokerage account
Raise your hand if you have a favorite brokerage account! If you want to invest, opening a brokerage account is the name of the game.
To get started, do your research and find a brokerage that aligns with your goals and offers the services you need. While brokerages like Robinhood offer a user-friendly platform, I prefer traditional brokerages like Vanguard and Fidelity. We’ll share all about why we think a traditional brokerage account is the way to go in this live investing class.
Vanguard and Fidelity offer low-cost index funds and a wide range of investment choices. In short, they have something for everyone, no matter your risk preference.
Once you’ve selected a brokerage, you’ll need some essential documents like your ID and Social Security number to complete your account setup.
That’s it! Setting up a brokerage account is simple and painless. But remember, just because you have an account, doesn’t mean that you are investing. The next step is to buy stocks, and in order to do that, you will need to know how much you plan to spend on your investments.
3. Know your investing budget
The quickest way to figure out how much you can invest each month is to know how much you are earning and how much you are spending each month. It’s pretty simple: subtract what you spend from what you earn and, violá! You have your number. Now, of course, you might not want to invest every single cent you have left over. You might also want to set some aside for savings, or for future purchases, like a home or a trip you plan to take. There have some examples of other savings bucket and sinking fund categories here.
Another thing to consider when you are deciding your investing budget is your financial goals. For example, if you know when you want to retire, you can enter your information into this calculator to see if your investment budget aligns with your goals. I typically enter in a 6% rate for “Estimated Interest Rate” to allow for inflation and variation in the stock market.
There is an additional resource library for you in this free guide here.
4. Diversify your portfolio
Let me be clear: you don’t have to have an answer to this to begin investing. If this is holding you up from investing? Leave it to the side for now. It’s way more important to get your money in the stock market so compound interest can do its thing.
Once you have your footing, knowing how you want to diversify your investing portfolio can help you build wealth while staying within your risk preference comfort zone. A great place to start is with a 3-fund portfolio.
5. Get your employer match
If you are wanting to invest in yourself, then you need to know that others are wanting to invest in you, too. No, I’m serious! There is a good chance your job is offering you FREE money. If your workplace offers a 401(k) or similar retirement plan with a match contribution, consider it an opportunity not to be missed.
By contributing to your retirement account and getting your employer to match those contributions, you’re doubling your investment without any extra effort. It’s a powerful step towards securing your future and building wealth effortlessly. So, whether you’re just starting your career or have been in the workforce for a while, make sure you take advantage of this benefit.
If you have any questions about your employee benefits? HR is a great place to direct those questions.
6. Make new friends
One of the best ways to invest in yourself as a woman is to make new friends. Of course, you can keep your old friends too! But making new friends and expanding your network is a great way to widen your horizons and opportunities. For example, approximately 85% of job placements come through networking.
Expanding your network can open doors to new opportunities. Whether it’s a mentor, book club buddy, or a potential future client or boss, growing your circle of connections is maybe one of the most fun ways to invest in yourself as a woman.
Making new friends can also grow your self-confidence. Being part of a supportive community can empower you to take smart risks, share valuable insights, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Invest in yourself by going to networking events, joining online communities, or even starting a local meetup group. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who inspire you or have similar financial aspirations. The relationships you build today may lead to exciting collaborations and financial growth in the future. Investing in your network is just as crucial as investing in stocks or real estate. It’s an investment in yourself and your limitless potential for success.
7. Update your LinkedIn
Let’s be honest. Most people only think about their LinkedIn profile when it comes time to look for a new job. And, I get it. We want our social media platforms to be entertaining, not make us think even more about our day jobs. But what if by investing a little bit of time into your LinkedIn you could have doors open for you? Doors you didn’t even know were a possibility?
Personal branding is sweeping the nation, and not just for aesthetic creators. Influence is the way of the future and even major business moguls have decided to start making personal branding the forefront of their efforts. Personal branding is about how you present to the world. It can open opportunities for influence and income that you might not have ever known existed otherwise.
Yes, I think you can develop a personal brand by using social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, but for most people, one of the best tools is actually LinkedIn. So update that experience and start to share some of your thoughts. Be a pal and post your friends’ accomplishments or job hunt updates. The options are endless, but with just a few minutes of effort every week, you can have a flourishing LinkedIn presence.
8. Establish your expertise
Once you have updated your LinkedIn, might I suggest using it to develop your reputation as an expert? Whether it’s from your new group of connections or your future LinkedIn DM, a great way to establish your expertise in your field is through having publications and experiences that demonstrate your ability to speak on the subject matter.
Think about it. Of all your favorite podcasts, how many of them are hosted by actual doctors or other “official” experts? The odds are it’s pretty slim. In fact, that’s kind of the whole trick of social media. By giving people a platform to speak, the masses have been given the opportunity to be presented as experts. And I am all for it! Why? Because you can use this to your advantage.
Now, of course, we should all be honest in our attempts to share knowledge. I’m not saying that you should pretend to be an expert in something that you have no experience in. But I also would venture that most people undermine their own experience. So think about it– what is something you have done every day or every week for the last 5 years? What is something your friends commonly ask for your help with?
Find your talking points and then pitch them to a small blog or podcast. It doesn’t take a media team to get placement. All it takes is some willingness to put yourself out there. You might not get an immediate yes, but odds are, there is someone out there looking to publish an expert just like you!
9. Take notes
It’s hard to know where you are if you can’t remember where you started. I recommend taking notes along the way that journal your progress over time. Similarly, you can write out your goals for each day, week, month, and/or year to help you stay focused and on track.
There are a ton of different ways people prefer to track their progress, but one of the easiest ways to keep yourself accountable is to jot them down in the notes app on your phone. Make a file titled “[YEAR] GOALS”. List your goals, the steps needed to complete them, and where you are at in the process.
I know there is probably already a lot on your plate and investing in yourself as a woman can sometimes feel overwhelming. By breaking down your goals into bite-sized actionable steps, it can feel a lot simpler to integrate them into your life and therefore it’s more realistic they will actually get accomplished.
10. Build resilience (by give yourself grace)
Lastly, one of the best ways you can invest in yourself as a woman is to give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned. Allowing yourself time to rest is vital for your long-term success, health, and happiness.
We live in a fast-paced world where we often feel the pressure to constantly hustle and grind. But it’s okay to take a break, breathe, and recharge. Giving yourself grace means being kind to yourself, acknowledging that you’re doing your best, and accepting that setbacks are a natural part of any journey.
Allow yourself guilt-free moments of relaxation. Treat yourself with the compassion and understanding that you’d offer to a friend. Taking care of yourself holistically will only make you stronger, more focused, and better equipped to tackle any challenges that come your way.
Final Thoughts
Investing in yourself doesn’t have to be costly or take a bunch of your time. True investments make a lasting impact on your life– we are looking for long-term progress and achievement! These are some easy steps to take to invest in yourself as a woman that will continue to transform your life, even after you check them off your to-do list.
For your finances, remember, it’s not about the hustle, the complicated strategies, or the pressure to conform. It’s about embracing the lazy way– the easy, automated, and effective approach that leads to financial success.
If you want to invest in yourself today, choose just one of these steps and do what you can today. Maybe you can open a brokerage account, or make sure you are getting your employer match. Maybe you can update your LinkedIn profile picture and write a little post about what you’ve learned so far this year. Maybe you want to have a journal session with your goals and a game plan.
And if you need the confidence to take the jump, to value yourself like you do your friends? Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2018 I still believed I was bad with money. In fact, my whole life I thought that was the case. I thought that I was terminally bad with money and that it would never ever get better.
Until one day?
I got tired of that narrative.
It’s been a winding journey to get here, but in just a handful of years I have increased my net worth by over $300k, I now live across the country from my home in my favorite city, and I am slowly seeing so many dreams I had come to fruition.
It took one day of showing up for myself and the knowledge that “dumber people than me have done this before”.
You are worth the investment. Where are you going to start?
And if you want more resources for your finances? Download this free guide.
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