Buying shares has never really sounded all that appealing to me, but then you tick over into adulthood and you start having the same conversations with friends.

A braai usually involves property talk (we’re doomed), traffic (terrible), and something about lower back pain (it’s coming for us all). Thank goodness Bitcoin has fallen off the radar, because that was pretty insufferable for a while.

Something else that regularly pops up is how we’re all trying to make our money work for us in the long run, whether that’s via a retirement annuity or a few solid investments and buying shares.

Until recently, the buying shares chat seemed far-fetched, but now platforms like EasyEquities are making investments in the world’s biggest companies as simple as a few taps on an app.

The increased interest in, and opportunities for, investment has meant that events like the first #JSESheInvests event at the Joburg Stock Exchange can now take place, focusing on how more and more women are taking the next step towards financial freedom.

One of the speakers at the event on August 4 was Carly Barnes, otherwise known as the EasyEquities Goddess. She spoke about how the past two years have changed her perspective on a number of topics, and made her rethink what she spends her money on.

Yes, that included shoes. Here are some of the lessons she shared in a recent blog post:

Life is about balance, and a girl needs the spoils too. If you look at what a pair of Louis Vuitton black stilettos will cost you, and what value they keep over 10 years versus what the same amount of money would be worth in Louis Vuitton shares over the same period of time, it might help you be smarter about how you steer your spend decisions. The R11 600 you would have spent on shoes, is now worth around R85 000 in shares.

Risk. It’s not our thing – for a lot of people, but our data says even more so for women. I’m not saying that being conscious of risk is a bad thing, but there are ways to manage risk without letting it hold you back from slaying the markets. For a start, there are these amazing things called Exchange Traded Funds that help you diversify your risk.

Women know all about diversification. I don’t know any woman with just one pair of shoes. We need the winter boots, a pair of strappy sandals, a few trusted pairs of pumps for all the running around we do, sneakers for the fitness and brogues for work. Imagine being able to invest in all of those things which give you different benefits at different times, in one go. That’s kind of what investing in an ETF is like; it lowers your risk by giving you exposure to lots of different companies that you invest in as one thing.

We have spoken about ETFs before, and they really are a fantastic way to dip your toes into the investment waters. The risk is more easily managed, and you can get started with as little as R50.

Back to Carly, because she knows what she’s talking about.

I’ve never been to Barneys, but I dream of it. A megastore full of designer heels – delish. Luckily I am in the Barneys of shares right now. We have more access today than what we ever did. We can invest in a locally listed luxury goods company like Richemont, which has brands like Chloe and Cartier under its umbrella, for as little as R50 – and still reap all the benefits it offers in terms of company growth. Do yourself a favour and take a look at how Richemont’s share has performed over the last few years.

Spoiler alert – it’s done well:

Carly’s almost done:

And if you’re looking to play it slightly safer, you can invest in an ETF that contains Richemont – like the Satrix Indi and the CoreShares Top 50.  Or you can set your sights even further and invest in companies like Nike, or Under Armour which are listed in the US but available to invest in with whatever amount you have, on EasyEquities.

EasyEquities allows you to buy local shares, dabble in some of the world’s biggest companies, and hedge your bets with things like ETFs and Baskets.

Oh, by the way, they’ve made a basket that Carly and her team are very proud of:

As a woman, you take charge and make bold decisions in your career, home, family, lifestyle and much more. Extend that journey to your investment decisions too.

Find it difficult to choose which investments to look at? Well, we here at EasyEquities had a look at the best investment options and have created this basket of shares and ETFs to kick start your investment journey. Emperor Asset Management was kind enough to assist with the creation of this Balanced investment basket.

You can take out any of the shares or ETFs in this basket, and tailor your share purchases exactly to your needs.

I guess that’s the joy of what the platform offers. Whether you’re an old pro, and you like the simplicity of having the investment options at your fingertips, or whether you’re a newbie, and you want guidance on your first steps towards financial freedom – EasyEquities is the one-stop shop.

You go ahead and buy whatever you want with your money, but it never hurts to tuck a little away for a rainy day.