your future self deserves to be rich
FC Issue #41: anti-ageing for your bank account
Happy Sunday.
Lately I’ve been thinking about how our culture of instant gratification has quietly created the attitude that “my future self will just figure it out.”
Here’s why investing is actually one of the biggest forms of self-love.
Because “future you” is still you.
In this issue
• Why future you deserves financial security
• The investing mistake I made at 18
• Why starting early matters (but isn’t everything)
• Five different paths to the same wealth goal
• What a “work-optional” life could actually look like
In our late teens and early 20s, we often feel immortal. The idea of a fine line or joint pain feels like a faraway land. We often forget that everything we do now sets up the framework for our 30s, 40s, and later in life.
Of course things change. We pivot. But if you are reading this and you’re between the ages of 18–25, this matters more.
I remember the film The Substance perfectly encapsulating this idea that what we do now, the habits we build, affect our older self. We just sometimes don’t see the effects for decades.
In this body horror film, the protagonist gets this injectable drug (reminiscent of current over-the-counter Ozempic) which brings youth back to a faded TV star. The trade-off is she must follow almost a Cinderella-like routine of switching bodies at certain times, or else “the spell wears off.” But because it is more sinister than Cinderella, it causes permanent damage in real time to the older body.
Although the film touches more on beauty as a concept and ageing, I thought it applied nicely to finance (said no one ever haha).
When people say, “Why are you investing so much now? Live a little. What if you don’t make it to 40?”
To start, 40 is still young in my eyes. Just like in that film, I could either think like the protagonist and believe life is for being glamorous when you’re young, and that my older self can live like a depressed hermit, or I can think that my older self is going to be just as beautiful and glamorous.
Gone are the days when women are supposed to “expire.” Of course, I know I’m writing this in my 20s, but I see so many successful, beautiful women in their 40s and I refuse to see that as old. And therefore the 40-year-old version of me still deserves wealth and optionality (plus, the time will fly by anyway!)
Statistically I will likely live to that age. If it is almost inevitably going to happen anyway, why not plan for it?
We study for a law degree for years before ever becoming a solicitor.
We train for marathons months before race day.
We save deposits for homes we might not buy for five or ten years.
We spend years building careers before reaching senior roles.
Investing financially is simply another version of the same idea.
Conversely, many of our everyday habits quietly pass the bill to the person we will become.
By swiping a credit card or using buy now, pay later without a clear plan to pay it off in time, we are essentially saying to our future self, “This is on you.”
It is an easy trap to fall into. These systems are designed that way. Most checkout pages now default to instalments, encouraging us to spread the cost without really thinking about the total. Add to that the fact that we carry a shopping centre in our pockets. Every time we unlock our phone to send a text, we are also one tap away from the “new in” section.
The result is that restraint can start to feel strange. Being thoughtful with money, or even using the dreaded word frugal, begins to look almost countercultural. In a culture built on instant access and constant upgrades, choosing to pause, plan, or wait can easily be mistaken for deprivation.
But this isn’t just about overspending or buying nothing. This is about smart planning around time horizon.
The mistake I made when I first started investing
One of my mistakes when I first got into investing was treating it like a side hustle or a get-rich-quick scheme.
When I first learned about stocks at 18, I was completely in the dark. I learned from the boys at university, so obviously it wasn’t the best influence because they were all talking about hyped stocks rather than long-term investing.
Looking back, it makes perfect sense. At 18, you’re not really thinking about the 40-year-old version of yourself. You’re thinking about the next week.
That seemed so much more alluring. The idea that you could get a quick return and it could actually make a meaningful difference in your life now.
But the truth is it rarely works out like that.
What I realised later on is that the real advantage in investing comes from thinking long term. Consistently investing in boring things like index funds doesn’t feel exciting in the moment, but it quietly compounds over decades.
If you can reach that realisation earlier, even at 25 or 30, your future self will thank you. Because the moment you start thinking in decades instead of months, you immediately get ahead of most people who are chasing quick wins.
The people who build wealth are the ones quietly playing the long game.
What do you have to sacrifice in order to get there
So we often think we have to give up all fun and frivolity to reach work optionality, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
The best part about Frugal Chic is that it isn’t about buying nothing, it’s about buying cleverly.
Cutting out what doesn’t serve you and redirecting those funds into what fills your cup.
For example:
Cutting out:
A flattering polyester top that cost £10 in a sale but then pilled after one wash
That extra streaming subscription you totally forgot about
PMS spending, angrily scouring the new-in section at Reformation, walking out with a £200 jacket you won’t wear
Obligatory brunch “catch-ups” with that friend you’re not 100% sure about
Unconsciously buying a sugary cinnamon roll every day with your coffee that you low-key find too sweet anyway
Splurging on:
The course that will take your earning potential from £30k to £40k
That social event with your ride-or-die friends
Healthy food that energises you
That trip of a lifetime you’ll always remember
Books that expand your thinking and inspire you
The point isn’t deprivation. It’s discernment.
When you start paying attention to where your money actually goes, you realise that many of the things draining your bank account aren’t the things that genuinely improve your life. They are habits, impulses, or quiet social expectations.
Frugal Chic is simply about redirecting those resources with intention.
How to balance future planning with being present
If you want to set your future self up for wealth without feeling like you are depriving your current self, it’s all about intentional management and time horizon.
Money behaves very differently depending on when you start. The earlier you start, the quicker it accelerates.
The below is theoretical. Past performance does not indicate future performance. Capital is at risk. This is not financial advice.
Scenario 1
You start at 18 with small amounts, say £50 a month.
Because you started early, time does most of the heavy lifting. Decades of compounding turn small, consistent contributions into a large portfolio. The key advantage is simply starting early.
Scenario 2
You start at 25 once your income stabilises.
Instead of £50, you invest around £200 a month. You missed a few early compounding years, but higher contributions help close the gap while you still benefit from long-term growth.
Scenario 3
You start at 30 after focusing on career progression.
Now you invest £500 a month. With less time for compounding, the strategy relies more on higher contributions and consistency.
Scenario 4
You start at 40 after major life expenses like housing or family.
At this stage you might invest £1,000 or more per month. There is far less time for compound growth, so the plan depends heavily on income and larger contributions.
Scenario 5
You do not have spare money yet.
If your income is tight or you are dealing with debt or high living costs, the priority is building financial capacity first. That might mean increasing income, reducing structural expenses, clearing high-interest debt, and building a small emergency buffer.
The most important thing is not to feel discouraged. Although investing can feel like it is only for rich people, you do need to be financially stable and have money to invest, but the maths tells us that this doesn’t have to be as much as you think it does, especially if you are starting young.
A work-optional future
But what are we actually working towards?
What are we saving and investing for?
Without a clear goal, it can feel like it’s just for a rainy day or simply “the sensible thing to do.” To me, that is not a strong enough reason. That is not what builds a six-figure portfolio.
What builds a six-figure portfolio is drive. The desire to reach work optionality. The desire to have more freedom.
Let’s be honest. The people who want to live a lavish lifestyle aren’t usually the ones aggressively investing.
You have to understand the basic principle of buying back your time.
So let’s paint a picture.
Picture this.
You wake up in a room that feels light and uncluttered. The sheets are soft, quality linen you saved up for, knowing they’d last for years.
You brew coffee at home, not because you can’t afford Starbucks, but because you enjoy the ritual. You’ve perfected it. The right grind, the right temperature, the exact amount of milk.
You head out in second-hand jeans that fit perfectly, a cashmere jumper you invested in three years ago, and loafers that will last a decade because you’ve already had them resoled once.
You carry yourself differently because you know you’re not dressing for Instagram. You’re dressing for you. These pieces tell a story. They’re not just clothes. They’re choices.
You work, not for survival but for growth. You invest. You write. You create. You’re building leverage slowly.
Dinner isn’t another Deliveroo order. It’s a nutritious meal made with whole foods, cooked simply, with a glass of wine if you fancy it, maybe shared with someone you love. The ingredients cost less than takeaway would have, but the experience feels infinitely richer.
This is not deprivation.
This is wealth hidden in plain sight.
This is the future I’m working towards. Slow, no obligation, pure optionality. Working for myself, working on things that I’m passionate about, having the time to live a healthy, safe, and balanced lifestyle.
To me, that is real wealth.
And I’m hoping I can set my 40-year-old self up for it.
I also don’t mean to exclude anyone by age by writing this. You might be reading this in your 40s. The same principles still apply. You just shift the decades.
We all have regrets, including myself. There are things I could have done better to optimise where I am now. I could have got here quicker or had higher returns.
But it’s best not to dwell on the past and instead focus on what we can do moving forward.
That’s why investing in yourself and your future is just as important as the retinol eye cream or the LED mask.
In the same way we safeguard our skin, we should safeguard our finances.
Because when you approach money this way, you’re saying to your future self:
You are just as important and worthy of love and abundance as my current self.
That’s all this week,
