Welcome to our new money section! You may already know Refinery29’s Money Diaries… this is our own version of it! We’ve put together a few questions to understand what women are doing with their money. Let’s break the taboo and talk more about finances!

It’s short, snappy, fun and anonymous.

Solicitor. 34 years old. Single. London

Financial goals:

Short term (1-5 years): Saving for trips to Mexico and China

Medium term (5-10 years): Paying down my mortgage so I have at least 30% equity

Long term (10 years +): Having enough for retirement and additional funds so I can support family members

Best buy ever: My loan to cover the fees for the Legal Practice Course - my increased earning power has more than paid for the course

Worst buy ever: Mindless shopping for ballet pumps- I have purchased shoes and then found I have a similar pair in my wardrobe

Things you spend the most money on: Mortgage, food and travel

Salary / Income: £60,000

Net worth (what you own vs what you owe, or your assets minus your debts): £70k (£30k equity, £15k cash and shares worth £15k) plus a DC pension (“defined contribution”)

Any side hustles: No, but it is something I want to work on in 2019

Savings: 35% of my salary goes into a stocks and shares ISA, 5% into cash savings and 10% on mortgage overpayments

Home: Yes, but I want to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible

Debt: £250k mortgage. No credit card debt and the student loan is paid off

Investing: A stocks and shares ISA via an online platform which contains a mix of ETFs plus my workplace pension

Pension: Yes, through work. I have transferred previous pensions so I have one pot

Insurances: Home contents, building and travel insurance. My employer offers good death in service benefits so life insurance is not necessary at the moment

What is money for you? A tool that can easily lose value if it is not used

What is financial independence for you? The ability to take risks whilst retaining the ability to cover essential expenses

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