Welcome to a new instalment of Strong Money Stories!
In these posts, I interview real members of the community, as they share how they’re implementing all the stuff we talk about.
Because while I enjoy writing, what I really want is to see strong financial outcomes – actions taken, wealth built, and freedom created.
In fact, that’s why this week I had a ‘Freedom Tally’ added to the homepage.
Plus, the more varied examples we have of regular folks making financial independence happen, the less excuses people have for not joining us 
This month’s Strong Money Story is from an impressive young woman who’s off to a flying start on her FI journey – certainly ahead of where I was at her age!
Let’s get into it.
I’m Jess – a 19-year-old full time business student who also juggles full-time work across multiple roles in marketing, PR, and consulting.
I’m from regional Mount Gambier, but I’ve relocated to Adelaide to pursue my studies and career.
Growing up in a low-socioeconomic household, where debt and bills seemed to be a constant struggle, I realised at a very young age that I didn’t want to live my life “chasing money.”
At 13, I started exploring ways to save and maintain money, but it wasn’t until I was 18, when I discovered The Barefoot Investor, that I truly began my journey with my financial self-education.
That’s when I stumbled across the FIRE movement and Strong Money Australia, and the power of compound interest blew my mind.
I’ve worked since I was 14, owned my own business, and now have a share portfolio and money set aside for a house deposit. Achieved by lots of hours working (no financial support) & picking up multiple jobs/income streams.
Dave: Compound interest is also the single concept that got me massively motivated to invest – it was a complete paradigm shift in my mind.
I believe life comes in “seasons” – and this ties in nicely with the FIRE movement.
Life for me at the moment is crazy busy with fulltime work and study. However, I know this is only a “busy season”, and if everything goes to plan – it’ll be a “quieter & retired season” in 10 years or so.
I’d love to say “I have a great work life balance,” but it’s not the best – so viewing my life in terms of “seasons” has helped me (mentally) with juggling multiple things at once.
Also, a calendar is what holds my life together (kidding, sort of). But seriously, blocking time out for things that are most important to you/priorities has been helpful. I block out time to spend (uninterrupted) with family etc. Some may call it “type A” but it’s helped me prioritise what matters the most to me.
Initially, I believed FIRE was only attainable for the wealthy – the “rich individuals” who inherited fortunes or earned six-figure salaries.
I doubted that a girl from regional South Australia stood a chance. But as I learned more about FIRE, it completely reshaped my thinking and opened my eyes to the possibility of financial independence, regardless of ones background.
Dave: The breaking of old beliefs is one of the best parts about all this FI stuff. Even if people decide not to bother, I just want them to know what’s possible.
My ultimate goal is FI, but I doubt I’ll ever fully “retire.”
I thrive on having meaningful projects that give purpose to my life.
At just 19, I’m only at the beginning of this journey, but my aim is to achieve FI – or at least have the flexibility to scale back my working hours by the time I’m 35.
I’ve managed to reach a low six-figure net worth so far, with over 100k in shares. But my contributions will pause for a little bit as I’m overseas studying in Hong Kong for a little while.
Freedom means more time to do the things I love.
More hours spent at the beach, soaking up the sun. More random Mondays spent reading a good book. More opportunities to give back to my community.
Ultimately, it means more time to just *live*.
The fact that it’s mostly in my control.
If I’ve learned anything from this movement, it’s about the quote “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best time is now.”
Whether you’re earning a high or low income, every step you take can bring you closer to FI. Every effort counts.
Dave: I think this is something people forget, as hopelessness takes over. “I can’t make a big impact in the short term, so why bother?” But FI is often built on the back of hundreds of small decisions that take time to pay off.
As I work multiple casual/part time consulting jobs which accumulate to full-time hours, this can be a difficult question to answer as I don’t have a set income.
But I earn above the average Australian wage while studying, through multiple employment streams and scholarships.
My expenses are approximately 45% of my income, as I live away from my regional family home (though still in the more affordable Adelaide suburbs), allowing me to save 55%.
When I first discovered FIRE, I had my sights set on Fat FIRE.
I was drawn to the idea of shiny cars and new houses, but over time, I realised that true happiness doesn’t come from material things.
My FIRE goal has since shifted to around $1.3 million, as I’ve developed habits focused more on contentment than external validation.
ETFs. They’re relatively low-effort compared to other investment strategies, which suits my lifestyle.
In Australia, I’ve found there’s a lot of pressure to invest in the real estate market, but as Dave mentions, its not all “sunshine’s and rainbows” and you can definitely FIRE without real estate investments.
I do aim to own a fully-paid off home by the time I achieve FIRE.
While I don’t think this is essential for FIRE, personally the thought of owning a home comes with a sense of security that I value.
Dividends through my ETFs.
Coming from a low-socioeconomic background, I didn’t think FIRE was possible for people like me.
But if there’s one takeaway I’d offer, it’s this: no matter your background or current financial situation, taking steps toward FI will improve your life, whether that’s gaining better savings habits or achieving full independence.
Dave: Exactly. The worse your starting position, the more important it is to take this stuff seriously. Small savings will impact you more, as will small boosts in income. And building a chunky emergency fund or beginning to invest will make you think completely different about the world and your ability to control your life.
Seeing another young female with a “low income” achieve FIRE at 35.
I initially thought it was a MLM scam she was trying to sell, and then she directed me to the Money Smart ‘Compound Interest Calculator’ and that changed my life.
I could input reasonable numbers and see the power of compound interest – and that it could be do-able for me too…highly recommend.
I was surprised by how straightforward investing in the share market can be. It’s often portrayed as complicated and intimidating, but with the right financial education, it’s much more accessible than people think.
1. Embracing a minimalist mindset and reducing unnecessary spending.
2. Automating my investments.
3. Committing to continual financial education. Understanding how money works makes all the difference.
Growing up in a household where bills were never paid on time and money seemed to disappear faster than it came in, I learned that financial education is life changing, especially for young women.
But above all, I’ve realised that chasing happiness through material things often only leads to debt, not fulfillment.
I’d work less and enjoy life more. While the fastest route to FIRE is maximising income and savings, I feel I missed out on important memories during high school because I was always working weekends and nights.
Dave: Interesting. Jess simply wouldn’t be in the position she is today without tradeoffs. And it’s difficult because we can never go back, and our previous-self had a different set of priorities and level of wisdom as our current-self. Meaning, it’s almost inevitable we wish we’d done things differently.
Trying to “keep up with the Joneses.”
We’re bombarded with the pressure to buy trendy clothes, eat out every day, and have the latest gadgets.
I’d recommend every Australian sit down and audit their finances. Ask yourself if each purchase truly brings you joy, or if it’s just for show.
Experiment with a compound interest calculator – it’s a simple but powerful way to visualise how your money can grow over time.
It’s still one of my biggest motivators!
I don’t know how else to put it – Jess is killing it!
She’s clear on her priorities, has already learned valuable lessons, and made incredible progress so far.
I can’t wait to see where she ends up in 10 years – I’m betting the outcome will be exactly what she wants it to be.
After all, if you put your focus and dedication into something for a long enough period of time, it’s almost impossible to not end up with a fantastic result.
That snowball is rolling. All she needs to do is guide it and add to it to create an unstoppable force of life-enhancing power 
P.S. I know many of you always want more details in these interviews. But I appreciate anything these folks share (not everyone is comfortable unloading the intimate details of their finances).
It’s useful and inspiring to hear their stories, even if we can’t know all the details. Are you willing to share all the details you hope to hear from others? I think that’s a good test of whether our expectations are reasonable or not. If so, step right up and I’ll feature your story here 
Here are some resources you may find useful on your wealth building journey:
Mortgage broker: My personal broker of 10 years is More Than Mortgages. Highly rated and award winning, Deanna and her team been super helpful over the years and can assist with anything home loan related, including refinancing and debt recycling.
Sharesight: A great portfolio tracking tool for share investors, and free for up to 10 holdings. It tracks all dividends, franking credits and capital gains, which is incredibly helpful at tax time. Saves me a lot of time and headache!
My book: After 5 years and hundreds of articles and podcasts, I’ve distilled everything down into an easy to follow book. Designed as a complete roadmap to achieving financial independence and retiring early in Australia. Available in paperback, ebook, and audio.
Just so you know, if you choose to use these resources, this blog may receive a financial benefit at no extra cost to you. Thanks in advance if you do. And to be clear, I only ever recommend things I genuinely believe in.
An impressive interview with a young lady who is making amazing progress towards her goals.
This post is about our holiday in Thailand – what we did, how much it cost, and my thoughts on the lifestyle, sights and culture. I also discuss Thailand as a retirement destination.
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Good on you Jess, your story is inspiring what a bright future you have ahead of you the compound snowball will work for you. Enjoy your next adventure in Hong Kong.
Super impressive Jess . You go girl
Wish my Son who is 26 would read this but he’s too busy on Instagram watching influencers !!
Well done Jess
(From a self-funded early retiree)
What kind of influencers is he watching, out of curiosity?
As a parent to an 18 year old girl, this was very relevant. My husband and I only found out about FIRE last year. We try to talk about finances to our daughter, she said why don’t they teach this in school instead of some of the things we learn and never use in our future?
Very inspiring Jess, well done. I’ll be getting my two teens to read this article.
Awesome that you’re able to start giving the information to your daughter, that’s the best you can do really.
I think most of society still believes personal finance/investing is either too boring, too hard, or it’s not possible to change your life. Hopefully we can keep reaching more people to show them otherwise!
Go Jess! You’re amazing!!
Jess’s journey is truly inspiring! Her clarity, dedication, and persistence are setting the foundation for long-term success. With the right mindset and continuous effort, she’s bound to achieve incredible things in the future. It’s always great to see people embracing growth and pushing forward with determination.
What a fearless champion – wishing you every success
Great work Jess! As many commenters here would know there’s no shortcut to learning to be disciplined and to understanding the wealth of frugality. I was in your position too in a reginal town with a 6-fig net worth at 20 but didn’t know how to invest yet so it was all sitting in a HISA!
If I could make one recommendation, don’t underestimate the value of making unforgettable memories with loved ones. These also pay rich dividends over time. For me it was backpacking with no income for a year with my partner. Remember, you’re still in the lowest income-earning years of your life so don’t rush! There are some things you can only make the most of in your 20’s.
p.s. i’m 27 now and don’t regret forgoing maximising the numbers all the time – and my savings rate is still >50%.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jerry!
Great story – thanks, Jess and Dave!
I have a general thought about these interviews: it might be interesting and valuable to get an update on these stories a number of years down the track, to see how plans have developed, wealth has been created, the next “season” is taking shape, and so on.
What do you think, Dave? It could be as simple as setting a calendar reminder 5, 7 or 10 years after a given interview and try to reach out to the same person again?
That’s a great idea – I’ll keep that in mind!
Thanks for sharing this story Dave, I’ve just turned 20 and it can often feel like a lonely road at this age with most people putting personal finance and investing in the too hard basket – great to see other people’s stories of a similar age and stage of FIRE to me and knowing there are others out there chasing the same dreams this young!
Glad you enjoyed the story Lachie. I actually have another one from an 18 year old which I’ll be featuring later this year. So these people are out there, but there aren’t huge amounts unfortunately – totally hear you on it being hard to find likeminded people and similar aged folks doing the same thing.
Jess constantly talks about being from a low socio-economic household, so she didn’t want to have her life focus to be so much about money, yet this is actually what she has done to the detriment of her teen years. Jess was right, she went too hard too soon. Jess, if you ever see this, slow down. You’ve done amazing so early, but slow down – you’ve already said your goal is not to retire. What’s the rush? You might get to financial independence a little later, but stop giving up your life experiences to earn or make money. Save 10K instead of 20K. You’ll get there.
Dave said we invariably wish we did things differently in hindsight. Hard disagree. I had a ball during my teens and didn’t save a cent. Zero regrets here. If I could do it all again, I’d do it the same way again. In fact, I would’ve done more stuff! I’m 45 and my body is no where near as good as it was 20 years ago and I have maintained daily exercise for all of those years. Each year, my exercise becomes a little more difficult. This is called ageing. In another twenty years, I’ll remark about how strong and fit I was, like I think about twenty years ago now. I hate to think what I would be like if I hadn’t maintained my lifelong exercise habit. Only young once.
I think you misunderstand the point Jess was making on her upbringing. The difference is, she didn’t want to live her life stressed about money due to having a lack of it. Very different. The way she’s doings things now guarantees there’ll never be a lack of it, after what she’s already done/learned etc.
I understand the concern, but I don’t think we have the right to tell Jess how to live. She’s clearly a very thoughtful young woman, and perfectly capable of deciding for herself what the best path forward is. Sounds like she’s also already learned what going ‘too hard’ looks like, so it’s already on her radar.
You’ve just made my point lol. “I’d do it the same” and “I would’ve done more stuff!” is a contradiction, and shows you would do things differently, thereby agreeing with my point about hindsight
And I don’t mean financially or anything specific, I just mean in general. It would be a rare case someone would look back after 30 years and genuinely not consider they could’ve done anything better/differently – if so, they probably aren’t thinking hard enough or don’t want to self-analyse very deeply.