Aussie FIRE | Financial Independence Retire Early 64. The mindset that made Tash start investing at just 18
6 snips
Mar 6, 2026 Natasha Etschmann (Tash Invests), an Australian creator who began investing at 18 and builds wealth via ETFs and property. She talks about growing up with money conversations, buying her first ETF at 18 and a property at 22. Short stories cover trade-offs in her 20s, evolving share vs property allocation, dealing with online negativity, and why freedom and optionality drive her choices.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Growing Up With Money Talk Sparked Early Investing
- Natasha grew up with parents who openly discussed money, which normalised finances and sparked curiosity from age 10 when her dad explained shares with a tomato sauce bottle analogy.
- Her parents even put kids' savings into the mortgage offset and split interest, giving hands-on exposure that motivated saving and investing early.
First ETF At 18 Fueled By Family Guidance
- Natasha bought her first ETF at 18 after her dad suggested an S&P 500 fund and helped set up the platform, starting a decade-long investing habit.
- Early saving cycles were trip-driven: plan a trip, work and save, go travel, repeat, which kept saving enjoyable rather than punitive.
Wealth Built For Optionality Not Doing Nothing
- Natasha's goal is optionality not traditional early retirement; she wants freedom to choose activities rather than to do nothing.
- That freedom-focused mindset shaped saving and work choices: never be forced to hate your job to pay bills.