Despite my underachievement in school, I was fortunate to gain admission to Coventry University. I initially pursued a degree in economics but later transitioned to business marketing, ultimately graduating with a first-class degree. After a nine-month job search, I secured a position in Wavemaker's graduate program.
Within the program, I faced a crucial decision: opting for a fun role that lacked hard skills or choosing a less enjoyable path that would impart technical skills in data, engineering, and coding. Recognizing the long-term value of technical skills, I selected the latter. From the outset, I was highly motivated by financial goals, outlining a plan to save £1,000 (approximately $1,250) per month for five years to amass a house deposit. With strategic career moves, I aimed to achieve this goal and secure a house deposit by the age of 26.
Whenever I work at a company, I ask myself: Am I learning? If I am, I'll continue to work there. But if I'm no longer learning, I must question whether I'm getting paid enough. If I'm not, then it's time to leave. Eventually, I began to feel stagnant in my graduate as an analytics executive. After two years in the role, I applied for other jobs.
I soon landed a job at Snapchat as a data analyst in July 2021. While the job was fun, I knew my salary wasn't enough to reach my financial goals. Banks will loan you 4 ½ times your salary. To afford the kind of house I wanted, I needed to earn at least £80,000 a year.
My experience at Wavemaker and Snapchat meant Big Tech companies were approaching me. This helped me eventually land my current job as a data analyst, which put my income in the top 1% in the UK if you included my stock options.
Throughout this period, I was still living with my mum, saving as much money as possible to put down a deposit.
I paid her £300 a month for rent and always ate whatever she cooked, so my general costs were way lower than now. I was happy to live a few years at home to prevent spending a lot of money on rent.
With my new role, I started looking for houses to buy
I wanted to stay near my mom in London to see her whenever she needed me. I also prioritized buying a newly built apartment, so I didn't have to spend money on home improvements and fixing issues.
With these two key factors in mind, I found a £450,000 apartment in Central London that I loved. I could afford a more expensive property on my current salary, but I wanted to purchase something I could still pay off if I was ever laid off.
I have monthly mortgage payments of £1,400 after putting down a deposit of £50,000, alongside a £270 monthly service charge for security.
I spend £470 a month to pay off my car. This was a bit of a treat. I grew up really poor. I worked in JD Sports for £7 an hour while at university and remember my mum not wanting me to have friends over because she couldn't feed another mouth. I wanted to reward myself for my hard work, and a £35,000 Mercedes-Benz was that reward.
Other than that, I try to be frugal. My phone is only £15 a month, and my internet is £35. My friend is a barber who cuts my hair for £15. I still shop at cheaper stores such as Asda and Aldi; I'm not going to expensive grocery stores such as Waitrose or Marks & Spencer. I spend about £10 every four days at the shop. I don't eat luxurious things; I just need pasta and mince.
My investments were my biggest outgoing expenses, but now I'm focusing on saving
In the past, my biggest outgoing expenses were investments — mostly going into stocks. Now I'm trying to save over half my earnings. I want my money to be liquid because I want to invest in businesses to generate more money.
Purchasing my apartment was also an investment. When I move out, I'll look to sell or rent the property.
I spent more money on high-end furniture as it'll help me sell or rent the property in the future. A nice sofa and big TV mean I can brand it a high-end property. Once I begin to consider having a family, I'll look to move out. There's no deadline.