If you’re working full-time and earning decent money, chances are you have asked yourself this question at least once:

“I’m making good money… so why don’t I feel financially ahead?” OR “I have this cash sitting and do not know where to invest”

You’re not alone. Many people on solid household incomes still feel stuck when it comes to investing. Not because they don’t earn enough—but because they’re not sure where their money should actually go. The other bit is trust. Who do you start to trust? I’ve had one too many people suggest “Get Rich Quick” schemes and I can tell you if its too good to be true, it mostly isn’t (atleast when it comes to money).

I had written a blog several years ago when I was in India that was a result of a similar question I got from others around me – where do I invest? At that time I was early in my career however with about 10-12 years of investing I had learnt my share of lessons – good and bad. I had trusted advisors and friends when it came to investing without being able to do my own analysis. Hence I blamed them for a while. However you’ve heard the term – “Investment is subject to market risk, please read the offer document carefully before investing”. There is always a degree of risk attached to every investment. I suggest if you haven’t read the earlier blog, go ahead and read it. My grammar and vocabulary may have improved a little however the content is the most important thing.

The Common Money Dilemma

For most of us, the money flow looks something like this: salary comes in, tax goes out, mortgage or rent gets paid, bills are covered, and whatever’s left either sits in a savings account or gets poured into something familiar—usually property.

Property has worked well for many Australians, but it’s not always the magic solution. It’s expensive to get into, hard to sell quickly, and often means putting most of your money into one single asset.

Others turn to gold or commodities, especially when markets feel shaky. While these can protect value, they don’t really grow your wealth over time.

And then there’s super. Why oh why do we have super?! While I agree its a safety net, I also think solely relying on this will not work. Especially when economies take a dive, recessions on the rise, daily commodities getting expensive, and with age our needs grow. So the answer is – we need our investments to beat inflation.

“Isn’t Super Enough?”

Lets spend sometime to talk about super because I have had some level of debate on this subject with a lot of people. Many believe that as long as they’re putting money into super, they’re doing the right thing. And to be fair—super is powerful. It’s tax-effective, automatic, and designed to grow over decades.

But here’s the catch: you can’t touch it until later in life.

If your goal is more freedom before retirement—like working less, changing careers, or having options—super alone won’t get you there. That’s where investing outside super becomes important.

Investing While You Work (Without Overthinking It)

You don’t need to be a finance expert or stare at stock charts all day to invest well. In fact, some of the best investment tools are also the simplest.

ETFs and Index Funds

ETFs (exchange-traded funds) are one of the easiest ways to start investing. Instead of picking individual companies, you’re buying a small piece of hundreds of businesses at once.

For everyday Australians, ETFs are great because:

• They’re low-cost
• They spread your risk
• You can invest small amounts regularly
• They don’t need constant attention

You can invest in Australian shares, global markets, or a mix of both. Set it up, keep adding money over time, and let compounding do the heavy lifting. Here “compounding” is the golden word – remember it as I will preach some philosophy on this subject later in the post .

What About Individual Shares?

Buying shares in specific companies can be exciting—and it can work—but it’s best treated as a side dish, not the main meal. Stock market investment can be an exhaustive exercise where you are reading the P&L and balance sheet of companies OR simply gambling based on a hunch or a tip. You might get lucky or maybe not. If you enjoy learning about businesses, you can allocate a small portion of your money to individual stocks. Just don’t rely on them to do all the work.

Looking Beyond Shares

Commercial Property

Commercial property doesn’t get talked about as much as residential, but it can offer higher income and longer leases. You don’t need to buy a building yourself—there are listed funds that give you exposure without the hassle.

Other Investments

Things like infrastructure funds, bonds, and even some commodities can help balance your portfolio. Think of them as stabilisers rather than growth engines.

Split the Money

After you have paid off all your daily living expenses, the savings you are left with should be split in the following fashion. Again this is based off my experience and research I have done. This is not personal advice and every household circumstance is different. It is important to understand the reasoning behind the allocation and adjust what makes sense to you.

• Cash / Safely Buffer – 20 to 30%
• Investment – 70 to 80%
  • ETF / Index funds – 50 to 60%
  • Super – 10 to 20%
  • Investment Property (Residential/Commercial) – 10 to 15%
  • Individual shares – 5 to 10%
  • Alternatives (Commodities / Bonds / FD / Infra funds) – 5 to 10%

The Big Picture

Investing while you work isn’t about finding the perfect investment. It’s about starting, staying consistent, and spreading your money across different areas.

A simple approach looks like this:

• Use your income to invest regularly
• Build a core with ETFs or index funds
• Add other investments slowly over time
• Don’t rely only on super
• Think long term, not short-term wins

Financial freedom doesn’t happen overnight. But when you invest while your income is strong, you’re giving your future self real choices.

And that’s what investing is really about—not getting rich quick, but building a life with options.