From Coffee Change to Confidence – My Quiet Way into Investing

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💬 Quiet encouragement builds strong habits.

 

I’ve always been interested in investing—
I just didn’t have the capital.
The world has changed, and now we can start with the price of a coffee.
In a previous post, I wrote about how I started investing with spare change.
That simple step made me curious about what comes next.
What began as an automatic micro-investment grew into a desire to understand where my money was going.
This post is about that next step.

I had tried stock investing in small amounts before,
but doing it without any knowledge felt like gambling.
That’s why I decided to start with something more balanced—ETF investing.

🍃 Then I discovered ETFs

ETFs aren't just one-size-fits-all.
Some are tech-focused, others center on sustainability or dividend income.

Platforms like Raiz and Spaceship offer beginner-friendly, pre-built portfolios:

• Spaceship provides themed portfolios like "Universe," "Origin," and "Earth,"
  and within the app, you can see detailed descriptions of the companies included.
  For example, which ones meet sustainability criteria, or why certain tech companies are featured.
  It’s incredibly helpful for beginners.
• Raiz offers options based on your risk profile—conservative, moderate, or aggressive.
  A conservative portfolio leans more on bonds, while an aggressive one emphasizes stocks and global ETFs.
  Raiz also includes ESG-themed portfolios for those who value sustainable investing.

On the other hand, platforms like CommSec Pocket and Pearler let you build your own ETF portfolio:

• CommSec Pocket is connected to CommBank, making it easy to use,
  and offers themed ETF options like tech, sustainable investing, and Asian markets.
• Pearler is designed for long-term investors.
  It lets you set target allocations and automates purchases—great for working mums and busy people in general.

At first, I just let the apps do the work. But the more I learned,
the more I wanted to build something that actually reflected me.

I’ve tried both Raiz and Spaceship,
and right now, I’m only using Raiz.

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ETF? Exchange... something? At first, I had no idea what it was. But then someone explained: “It’s like a basket.” A little tech. A little healthcare. A bit of clean energy.

Suddenly, it made sense.
A basket meant I didn’t have to get it perfectly right. And that night, I invested $50. Just to see.

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☕ For me, investing is like making tea

Some days I forget. Some days I steep too long.
But eventually, the warmth comes back.

When I check my portfolio, I’m not checking how rich I’ve become—
I’m seeing how far I’ve come. From anxious, to curious, to consistent.

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📊 Platforms I’ve Tried

PlatformStart FromWhat I Liked

Raiz	$5	So easy I didn’t realize I was investing
Spaceship	$5	Simple themes, helpful explanations
CommSec	$50	Felt more like a grown-up approach
Pearler	$100	Best for long-term goals & auto-investing

It wasn’t about the perfect strategy—
It was about finding what fit my real life.

 

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🌿 Investing isn’t about being brave. It’s about being steady.

Even $10 a week is a beginning.
Even reading this post is a step.

It’s not a game you win. It’s one you stay in. Quietly, gently, in your own rhythm.

As I learn, bit by bit,
investing is starting to feel less like someone else’s world
and more like something that belongs in my own.
Maybe one day, I’ll be choosing individual stocks too—
on my own terms, in my own time.

 

📎 Read in Korean – ETF로 소소하게 시작하는 감성 투자