You’d think this would be an easy question to answer — and in some ways, it is.

But it’s also a question loaded with baggage. In my experience, when ask it in person, it can sound like a challenge or even an attack on someone’s lifestyle. That’s because it’s often asked by people who haven’t yet started their investing journey.

For me, investing is about taking back control of my life.

Growing up, money wasn’t a topic of conversation in my family. I never learned about the real power money can have — not in the sense of greed or status, but in the freedom and choices it can create when used wisely.

So when a mate at university introduced me to the stock market — although there were some rocky years — I was perplexed. Perplexed that my parents had never taught me about compound interest.

Compound interest might be one of the first “complex” equations you learn in school. Yet, for some reason, the example always involved apples… APPLES! This is arguably the single most important equation you’ll ever learn — and the school system managed to strip it of any real-world meaning. Everyone’s heard of compound interest, but it’s only when you see it in action that its power truly amazes.

If I had known that $1 invested in the S&P 500 at age 20 and left untouched to compound until age 65 could grow to around $73, I would have been finding ways to invest any spare cash I could get my hands on.

Here’s another example:

If you invest $500 a month at 8.00% p.a, you’d have the following:

Years	Deposited ($)	Total ($)
5	30,000	35,200
10	60,000	86,919
15	90,000	162,913
20	120,000	274,572
25	150,000	438,636
30	180,000	679,699
35	210,000	1,033,901
40	240,000	1,554,339

This is something I wish I had known in school…

I was raised on the principle: go to school, get a degree, get a job, climb the ladder… riveting, right? Now, I’m not saying that’s a bad way to live — far from it. In fact, it’s exactly what I’m doing right now.

This is why people don’t like my response to “Why do I invest”, it is misconstrued in a way they believe I am telling them they are on the wrong path. I am the last person to tell people which direction they should walk!

I see investing as a tool. A tool I can shape to my advantage. If I can save and grow enough through investing, maybe one day I can step off life’s expected career ladder and start a new climb — one of my own choosing.

It works for me! I’ve shaped investing into my lifestyle—not without mistakes, but because of them. Each misstep has taught me something valuable, helping me refine my approach and mould my investment philosophy into a strategy that works for me.

My goal with this blog is to show you my journey whilst hopefully highlighting the simplicity and power you possess to kickstart yours!