Becks a Digital Marketing Executive talks changing your goals and saving in a new city. 

Lovely to meet you Becks. Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself?

Of course. I joined Octopus in January this year. I’m originally from the West Midlands but I recently moved to London – just two months ago actually. I wanted to try something completely different. You know, start my career in something new, see some different scenery and just get involved in the city life really.

It’s obviously been a pretty weird year, but what’s been the best thing about it for you?

I’ve saved so much money whilst being at home! And I’ve also been on my own house buying journey, I’ve lost a lot of weight, I’ve done a lot of new things which have actually made this year really positive.

That’s amazing – if you had to give this chapter of your life a name, what would it be?

Hmm… I think “Start Something New”. Moving to London is something I’ve always wanted to do, but there have been different things in my life that have sort of held me back from taking that next step. Now, I feel like I’ve ticked off my next milestone.

It sounds like a lot has changed for you over the last year!

Yes, lots of things! My goal used to be to buy a house in the Midlands, get on the housing ladder and settle down a bit. But I realised it wasn’t something I really wanted to do, it was more something I felt I should do because everyone else was doing it and my parents thought it was a smart move. But I didn’t feel ready to settle down – I wanted to travel and do new things.

How did you break away from that way of thinking? 

Well, the whole last year in itself was so different that it wasn’t that hard for my thinking to be different too. I just go for what I want more now. Life is so short – you should just get out there and do the things you want to!

Wow, so tell us a bit about your experience with coaching?

I’d never heard of financial coaching before Octopus MoneyCoach. I got involved with it through work at just the right time. It was when I started searching for places to rent in London and was realising just how expensive it was actually going to be. Especially when compared to the West Midlands! So I needed to get in the right frame of mind and get my head into everything. You know – how much can I save and how much can I spend, to make this move worthwhile.

What was the biggest surprise for you when you started the programme?

How you can see your whole future almost! Based on what your salary is now and how much retirement/pensions you can save and all that sort of stuff. It’s so interesting and I didn’t think my coach would go into as much detail as they did. It gives you so much peace of mind to know what you have and it’s really interesting to see how much you potentially could have. 

What’s your dynamic with your coach like?

From the very first time we spoke to each other I felt completely at ease. She’s so kind and calm. I also immediately felt comfortable talking to her about finances, even the details of my spending, or my goals, or what I want. She made it clear that I could book in a meeting with her regularly. I like to be really on top of my finances and I’ve loved seeing what percentage of my money I’m actually saving. 

Are there any specific goals you’re working towards at the moment?

I want to eventually get the house that I was initially saving for in the Midlands. I’ve sort of set myself a plan that in about five years I’ll buy the house and hopefully it will be even better than what I was originally going to get! I also just want to be financially comfortable – go on holiday and all those things without worrying. I prioritise my wellbeing – for me it’s important to be able to go on holiday and treat myself to nice luxuries!

Who would you recommend Octopus MoneyCoach too?

I’ve actually already recommended it to quite a lot of my friends. Everyone’s got their goals for what they want to be and how they want to live. Everyone wants to feel secure. It would also be really useful for someone like my dad, someone in the later stages of their life looking at pensions etc. Really, it’s useful for anyone! If you’ve got certain goals or just want to be smarter with your money. 

Finally, what financial advice would you give to your younger self?

Start saving when you’re younger. Even when you’re at uni, just watch what you spend a bit more. Learning how to save is such a useful skill to have. 

We provide dedicated financial coaching to help you achieve all your goals and improve your overall wellbeing. Want to find out more? Book your first session here https://octopusmoney.com/for-individuals