I started chatting with Laure, a reader of the blog since 2021.
At that time, she wrote to me:
I’m a real beginner who has never invested in the stock market (mental block, substantial expenses in recent months due to a move). Would this program be aimed solely at short—to medium-term investment, or would it also cover long-term investment, such as the third pillar?
Today, she has taken control of her 3a pillars AND has begun to invest CHF 20,000 in the stock market.
Then, as our discussions progressed, I learned that she was also a very frugal person who lives on a budget of CHF 30,000/year in Geneva!
I won’t tell you more to avoid spoiling you, but I couldn’t resist interviewing her on the blog!
Thank you in advance, Laure, for sharing your inspiring story with us!
Why I got started with the FIRE movement
I can’t say there was a single trigger for my frugality. Rather, it was a combination of education and luck that steered me in this direction.
From the age of 16-17, I started working at odd jobs. My parents and grandparents always advised me to save what I earned, and they opened a bank account for me. I grew up in a supportive middle-class family: I was never asked to contribute to rent or health insurance until I had a real salary. On the other hand, I was responsible for certain expenses, such as my mobile subscription (as simple as possible) and my personal activities (travel, sport, going out).
I was always taught to keep a budget, to track my expenses and to work for the experience rather than for the salary. This has given me a vision where money is important, but not central.
When I left the family cocoon, I was extremely lucky: an inexpensive apartment in downtown Geneva, with a balcony. Even in times of inflation (COVID, war in Ukraine), my rent and utilities remained stable AND much cheaper than what my friends were paying.
For health insurance, a major expense in Switzerland, I opted for the maximum deductible and the lowest premium. I’m lucky enough to be in good health, which I maintain through sport and a simple diet (thanks to Aldi and Lidl). As for extras (clothes, trips, outings), I have friends abroad with whom I can stay, and I’m not a fashionista, so I buy during sales… which last all year round nowadays thanks to online stores!
Then, a realization pushed me on the road to financial independence: the debates on pensions, in Switzerland and in France. I don’t have any French roots or any particular attachment to this country, but the question of pensions is of great concern to me. I have no confidence in the OASI/AVS/AHV, and I think that my generation will retire at 67-68. But I have two physical jobs. I can’t see myself doing them at that age. I also see my colleagues who are teachers or exhausted educators, but unable to take early retirement due to a lack of means. I don’t want to put up with that.
A frugal childhood and a healthy relationship with money
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been careful with my spending. I quickly learned to manage my first pocket money.
My family weren’t spendthrifts, and our priorities were health and travel, which opens up the mind. In fact, for me, travel is one of the best ways of spending money to discover a new culture, or to visit family abroad.
Thanks to my grandparents, I got into the habit of writing down “what’s coming in and what’s going out” at a very early age. This small gesture had a huge impact: I soon had a clear vision and awareness of my personal finances. To this day, I find it one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received.
Proactive worrier, alternating between sports and projects
So my name is Laure, I’m just over 30, and I’ve lived in Geneva all my life. I have two jobs: one as a civil servant, the other in the sports world. I love my city, its international character, its activities and its airport.
As my job suggests, I’m passionate about sport, but also about cooking. I love going for walks in the mountains or the countryside, even though I’m more of a city girl at heart.
I didn’t go into university with much conviction. I was an academic, but with no real vision of the future. I didn’t project myself much.
We often talk about it with my friends. We think that our generation was raised by a generation that saw the University as a Holy Grail in terms of social and salary recognition, but times have changed. Today, none of my friends is 100% satisfied with their work and, above all, with their studies.
Character-wise, I’m an anxious person. I think a lot about life’s choices and about the future in general. The climate of the last few years has been hard to cope with, so I don’t read the news in order to preserve myself. But I’m also dynamic: I’m often told that I’m proactive, that I initiate projects, that I mobilize. I like movement, challenges, and ideas.
Overcoming my fears and taking action
As I read more about the FIRE movement, I came to understand that investing was one of the keys to achieving financial freedom. However, the 2008 crisis left its mark: as a teenager at the time, I saw my parents under constant stress. This instilled in me an anxiety about investing in general. I have a primary fear of losing money on the stock market..
In 2020-2021, in the middle of COVID, I discovered MP’s blog. I read a lot (I need to understand everything before acting), but panic prevailed: what if I made the same mistake as my parents in 2008? So I didn’t dare. Too afraid of doing the wrong thing, of losing out on the stock market. What’s more, my two jobs don’t expose me much to digital tools, so investing online seemed impossible.
It was also difficult for me to project myself at the time. I was just starting out in “adult life”. And I had a lot of unanticipated expenses, despite the fact that I had a far-sighted side that looked into things as much as possible. And that’s without mentioning the unstable climate during the pandemic. It took me several years to reflect, observe and… watch my savings swell. Three elements finally tipped the balance:
- The growth of my savings — which had been dormant with no return
- Meeting my partner, who was already invested in the stock market and ready to support me
- A benevolent environment, with friends who were present, attentive, and without taboos (and who understood and supported my choices)
So I opted for MP’s personalized program (to learn how to invest in the Swiss stock market) to have maximum psychological support, and a follow-up that listens to my anxieties. I know it’s quite an investment, but it was particularly important for me to have this kind of support, knowing my anxious personality.
At the same time, I immediately spoke to my friends, who supported me in their own way (some following the same path as me and others encouraging me, but watching from a distance as they themselves have their own barriers with their money).
Breaking the money taboo has considerably reduced my anxiety and helped me a lot with my mental blocks.
Thanks to this double net (relatives + program), I followed each step, then clicked on “Buy” at Interactive Brokers without trembling or any doubt, reassured by my safety cushion and the FI simulation tool MP is developing with Patrik.
Today, I continue to apply my anti-stress strategies: checking my portfolio only once a month, ignoring anxiety-provoking news, staying almost absent from social networks, and surrounding myself with a small, caring circle.
Verdict: by following each step of the program to the tee, I was able to buy my first ETF with Marc’s help… and that of my partner!
My first results: 20,000 Swiss francs invested in less than a year
Today, I can say I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I started investing in August 2024, and have already invested around CHF 20,000 in the stock market (in April 2025). My 3rd pillar is well funded, thanks to my annual payments and the transfer of my old UBS account to VIAC. I even plan to make additional purchases next year. My goal is to continue to save and invest aggressively over the next few years.
I love learning new things, like investing in the stock market or real estate, but also my partner's language
My life today: between discipline and freedom
My life remains challenging despite the psychological progress I’ve made. I’m still anxious by nature, and the vagaries of life and the market always make me jump when I get too close to them. At the moment, I’ve realized that when the market goes down, it’s the “Sale” period… I try to buy 1x/month, putting down a sum that varies according to my monthly savings.
For me, regularity will make the difference in several years’ time.
From an investment point of view, we’re also thinking about buying a property to rent out. So I’m studying MP’s course on real estate investing in Switzerland. I know it’s going to be a long job, and I’m wondering and stressing about it when I see the prices in Geneva and the surrounding area, but I’m trying not to get discouraged.
As far as frugality is concerned, I try to stay within my budget, which means I don’t spend a lot unless I really need to. For example, this summer my partner and I are going to Canada to see some friends, and this will be the first time I won’t be able to stay at my friends’ home. But I’m not worried about these expenses, despite the high inflation in North America. I know that you have to enjoy life and that this month will be a little more expensive and less consequential in terms of salary, but that’s part of life.
My monthly budget
For my budget, I use a spreadsheet called “The Line”, a Canadian brand that I discovered thanks to a Youtuber who makes videos about finances.
I’ve broken down my expenses into four main areas:
- Bills
- Everyday expenses
- Investments (not totaled as an expense, but as an investment, but I note it in the document anyway)
- Savings
I allocate a budget that can vary from month to month for each category. Here’s a rough breakdown of my expenses for one month.
Monthly bills:
- Rent: 200.- (rent shared with my boyfriend, who earns very well, so he pays most of it, even though the rent is really low for the Geneva market)
- Health insurance: 460.- with the highest deductible at Helsana (I’m in good health at the moment, so that’s enough for me)
- Mobile phone subscription: 20.- (with Wingo, unlimited calls in Switzerland, really good value for money)
- Serafe: my partner covers this expense
- Annual total = 680 x 12 = CHF 8'160
Everyday expenses (amount per month):
- Shopping: 240.-
- Restaurant: 120.-
- Drinks: 10.-
- Coffee: 10.-
- Electricity: 0.- (my partner covers this expense)
- Clothes: 20.- (I haven’t bought any clothes yet this year, and it’s early July)
- Self-care (sports and/or hairdresser): 120.-
- Household: 50.-
- Leisure: 30.-
- Professional development: 0.- (I’m lucky that my employer invests a lot in my education)
- Health: 120.-
- Gifts: 80.- (I always anticipate birthday and Christmas presents)
- Transport: 0.- (my employer pays for my public transport pass)
- Annual total = 800 x 12 = CHF 9'600
Monthly investments
- 3rd Pillar VIAC: 605.-
- Interactive Brokers: 1'000.-
- Annual total = 1'605 x 12 = CHF 19'260
Monthly savings for my projects
- Travel: 800.-/month (I got a nice salary increase, so I’ll try to stick to it since it’s something I love and care about)
- Annual total = 800 x 12 = CHF 9'600
Excluding investments, here’s what it looks like in terms of total expenses:
- Total monthly budget: CHF 2,280
- Total annual budget: CHF 27'360
Final word
Discussions about money in Switzerland really need to be normalized. It allows us to see each other’s financial trajectories, to give each other guidance and support, and thus to overcome psychological blockages over time.
Notes from MP
Financial education
Like Laure, I’m so grateful to have been lucky enough to have had my parents educate me about money. The simple act of writing down all my savings in a savings notebook (what a memory!), not spending everything you earn, let alone living beyond your means. Learning that money doesn’t just fall from the sky…
That’s also one of the reasons why I write this blog: to share this knowledge with people who weren’t as lucky to have it via their parents.
Stock market investing: go for it!
Rereading Laure’s story about her fears and doubts about investing in the stock market brought back so many memories…
I remember the first time I came across Mr. Money Mustache’s (MMM) blog and getting a huge shot of inspiration. But it quickly wore off when I realized that everything he said was made for the US… Which online broker to choose, which ETFs to invest in in Switzerland, etc…
Then I read another MMM article about investing being the key to becoming FIRE. And then another blog post.
Months went by. Until one weekend, I motivated myself to finally get into the stock market! Well, with the wrong broker and the wrong ETFs, but hey, at least I made some progress! And today, I’m not far from having invested 1 million Swiss francs!
So: don’t wait, just go for it! Because the information is out there, it’s your own psychology that you have to deal with. And I agree with Laure that it’s important to know how to surround yourself with people so that you don’t feel alone during stressful moments (opening an account, buying your first ETF, when the stock market goes down, etc.).
By the way, if you want to test the broker I use without risk, I’ve got two “Challenges” (free) for you:
This is the online broker I personally use for all my wealth invested in the stock market, based in the US.
This is the best Swiss-based broker I recommend, if this is important to you.
It’s good to talk about budgeting and frugality again!
I missed talking about budget intentionality.
If that’s ever your case too, let me know via the comments or by replying to any of the newsletters, and I’ll try to plan more articles like this in the coming months.
Oh, and before I forget… let’s talk about the “Yes…But”…
YES, she’s frugal on paper… BUT in real life, it’s her partner who helps with that, and the good fortune to have found low rent in Geneva!
Dear Mr. YesBut: you’re absolutely right that her living circumstances contribute to her frugality. You should also know that Laure is well aware of this; she told me: “I’m well aware that not every Swiss person will be able to afford a rent as low as mine, with the quality of accommodation I have. I realize that I’m in a minority in Geneva, and that luck played a huge part in this.”
And above all, on the other hand: even if you add a Serafe for two (= 335.- per year divided by 2 = 167.50), and half the electricity (= 180.- per year = 90.- for Laure), and half her rent (= 1'500.- per month divided by 2 = 750.-), then her annual budget of CHF 34'217.50 is still very (very) correct.
For the curious: her apartment is a 4-room (75m2) with balcony at CHF 1,500 in Geneva! Bravo to her for finding such a gem. 👏
So rather than making excuses, take a look at some of her spending habits that could inspire you to be more frugal in your life.
And you, what do you take away from Laure’s story? What inspired you?
