9 Women Dish on The Best Investments They Ever Made 

When you hear the word “investments,” you think stocks, right? I know I do… But investments can be so much more than just transferring X% of your salary into your 401(k) every month. 

In fact, an investment is “an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result,” according to Merriam Webster. This means that you can pour your resources into anything, really, and expect some kind of return on it. Whether that’s teaching your kids how to do their own laundry (no matter long it takes) to open up an extra hour in your week, or doing some day trading, you’re investing. 

And investing is certainly a popular pastime among the women in our HerMoney Facebook Group, so I asked them this: What’s the best investment you ever made? 

Alexandra S. says she’s thankful she invests in her “sanity,” by buying gadgets to ease her time in the kitchen. She purchased an instant pot, a Kitchen Aid mixer and grinder, and a Roomba, all of which she loves. 

As the weather grows colder, Emma K. is feeling thankful she spent a little extra on her super-durable and super-warm winter coat. “It’s decreased my commuting stress,” she says. 

Emily A. is happy to have spent the money to send her daughter to a private Catholic high school. “Her high school experience gave her the confidence, drive, and skills to beat the odds stacked against her,” she says, something she isn’t sure her daughter would have gotten from a public high school. Her daughter is now on course to attend law school after she finishes undergrad with minimal debt. 

Nancy A. is also glad she invested in education — her own. 

Similarly, Andrea R. thanks her past self for “aggressively funding 529 accounts as soon as our kids were born and then giving them a “budget” for college.”

Andrea R. is also glad she chose “dividend reinvestment for holdings in companies like JNJ and DIS years ago.” 

Lisa K. and Elise S. are both feeling good about investing in a 401(k) — and fully funding it — when they had the chance. Because of this, Elise S. is looking forward to retiring early. 

Whoever told Elaine D. and Nancy A. to hold tight in their investments got it right. Both women are thrilled that even during stock market dips, they turned their heads and didn’t touch the money. In fact, Elaine D. had just opened a Roth IRA around 2008. Though it hurt at the time, she said, she is really seeing those dollars she invested pay off now. 

Renee W. made a more emotional investment that she calls “life changing” — a partner who is on the same page. 

I, too, have some investments I stand by. Yes, aside from opening a Roth IRA immediately after starting my first job, I have to say that my Dyson tower fan tops the list. Though the price tag is high, it saves me money every month off my electricity bill, since I opt for the fan over the AC plenty of nights. Also, my giant YETI water bottle comes with me wherever I go, and the blue light treatment on my Warby Parker glasses are keeping me headache-free during a year when it seems all I’ve done (no, seriously) is stare at my computer screen. 

Some other favorite investments mentioned by the ladies in our group? A Berkey water filter, a Vitamix blender, an air fryer toaster oven, and making the switch to a MacBook from a Windows laptop. 

Want to join the conversation? We’d love to have you join the group and get started chatting with us!

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