If you’d told me I’d invest in shares, I would’ve laughed

Member Stories are real before-and-after money stories from women in our community.

From avoiding money altogether to the moment it finally clicks, and the wins that followed - from first investments to feeling in control again.

Come here when you need a confidence boost, and a reminder of what’s possible.

The starting point

Before all of this, I would’ve said my relationship with money was… fine? As long as I didn’t have to look too closely.

I’ve always been more of a live-for-today person. Not reckless, just more interested in enjoying life now than planning everything perfectly for later.

My husband is the saver in our house and the one who thinks ahead and wants to talk about pensions, savings, all of that.

I’ll be honest, I let him take the lead - not because I don’t care, but because money talk makes me feel a bit out of my depth. Feels like I should know more than I do.

At the same time, I really like knowing I have my own money and my own security.

The turning point

When my mum passed away, I inherited some money and that changed things.

It didn’t feel like “extra cash”. It felt like something I needed to handle properly, because it came from her life and her work. I remember seeing it sitting in my bank account and thinking: what am I gonna do with this. I wanted it to mean something beyond just being spent.

When my mum passed away, I inherited some money and that changed things.

The problem was, I didn’t really know where to start. I’ve of course heard about investing, but it felt like something for other people.

If someone had told me a few months earlier that I’d be investing in the stock market, I would’ve laughed.

The first step

It actually started quite casually. I saw an ad for Female Invest back in October and ended up following along on Instagram.

For a long time I was more just… watching. But there was one post I remember really clearly. It said something like: if your money is just sitting in a bank account, it can actually lose value over time because of inflation.

And that really hit me - I immediately thought about my mum and how she saved, and how careful she was. It made me look at my own situation differently and think, okay, I can’t just leave this and hope it works out.

But I still didn’t start right away. I was absorbing it, but I was still nervous.

The real push came when there was a free webinar. I joined and for the first time I felt like, right… it’s time.

The wins

Started investing! Obviously is the biggest win for me.

I finished the Female Invest course and then went on to invest in the stock market (that still sounds weird to say about myself).

My first investment was in a global ETF and I still remember the first time I invested, my heart was going like I was about to do something illegal.

I was sat there staring at the screen, double-checking everything. And then I pressed “buy”… and I remember nothing dramatic happened.

Afterwards I felt this mix of relief and disbelief, like: have I just become one of those people who invests in shares? But also proud of myself, for taking the plunge and doing it after so many years.

And then I pressed “buy”… and I remember nothing dramatic happened

The journey

The hardest part was taking that first step, committing to learning something new and taking action.

But once I started learning, I was so engaged! And what surprised me most is that the more I learned, the less scary it became.

Investing stopped feeling like this mysterious club I wasn’t invited to. It started feeling like a skill I was starting to learn.

And one thing that really helped me a long the way was repeating this to myself: “I’m learning, but I’m not committing to anything.”

Investing stopped feeling like this mysterious club I wasn’t invited to

Where are you now?

The biggest change isn’t really about the money itself, it’s how I feel.

I feel calmer. More grown-up, honestly. Like I’m taking ownership of my finances, finally after all these years.

I can also feel a shift in my mindset - like I’m thinking differently. I’m asking myself what I want my money to do for me, what kind of future I want, and how I keep building on this without getting overwhelmed again.

I’m asking myself what I want my money to do for me

And I still wouldn’t call myself “a numbers person”. I just know more now, and that’s made me braver than I thought I could be.

Other women reading this should know

If you’re at the beginning and you feel like money and investing is for other people, I get it. I really do. But you don’t have to go from zero to expert.

For me, it helped to start with the courses and learn bit by bit every week.

Also I found massive support in the community - I looked at what other women asked and the answers but also reading the posts in the “celebrate your wins” group for motivation and seeing that other women had done it. That’s also why I wanted to share my story here.

And finally, it helped giving myself permission to learn without pressure, without feeling like I had to make a decision immediately. You’re allowed to take it one step at a time.

Because honestly, if you’d told me a few months ago I’d be investing in shares, I would’ve laughed. And now I’m doing it.

So you can you too!

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