When I was younger, my grandmother used to water down soap just to make it last a bit longer. She reused every plastic bag, saved every coin, and made frugality a way of life.
That mindset shaped me deeply.
Even when I started working, I avoided luxury items, rarely dined out, and saved as much as I could.
But… behind all that saving was a constant fear — of not having enough.
And when my dad lost his job at 50, that fear came alive.
I had just graduated from university. He was the sole breadwinner.
And suddenly, everything felt fragile.
That was the real beginning of my investing journey.
Not with confidence, but with fear.
Not with clarity, but with mistakes.
Not with guidance, but with blind trust — even handing over my savings to someone I thought I could rely on, only to lose a huge chunk of it through speculative trades.
It was painful.
But it woke me up.
I realised I couldn’t outsource my financial future anymore. I had to take ownership.
So I started learning — and unlearning.
📚 I took investing courses.
📉 Made more mistakes.
💡 Discovered ETF investing.
💸 And eventually, learned to pair it with simple options strategies that gave me consistent monthly cash flow — and peace of mind.
And today, I’m incredibly humbled to share that DollarsAndSense.sg featured my full story — the real, messy, hopeful parts of how I went from financial anxiety… to building a portfolio that gives me freedom.
If you’re not familiar, DollarsAndSense.sg is one of Singapore’s leading and most respected personal finance websites, known for its practical, trustworthy content on investing, CPF, budgeting, and financial planning. They reach a wide audience across the region, and to be featured there is something I truly don’t take for granted.
👉 You can read it here:
From Fear To Financial Freedom: How Chloe Lin Took Control Of Her Money And Life
What I hope you’ll take away from the article is this:
Investing doesn’t need to be complicated.
You don’t need to be good at math.
You don’t need a finance degree.
And you definitely don’t need to follow the hype.
You just need the right foundation, emotional discipline, and a strategy that works for you.
For me, investing isn’t just about growing money.
It’s about growing confidence.
It’s about learning to live — not just save.
And most importantly, it’s about having the freedom to choose the kind of life you want to live.
If you’ve ever doubted yourself, or told yourself “I’m not good with numbers” — I really encourage you to read this piece.
Even one insight could help shift something inside you.
Meanwhile, feel free to check out more about more free tools to get good with money!
With deep gratitude and excitement,
Chloe
The Arigato Investor 🌿
