Hey, I’m Annalisa. Senior Marketing Manager here at fin:marie – and yes, I also happen to be a full-on expat living in Berlin. Like living the Berlin life in the best way 🎨 🧘♀️.
Okay, so – quick intro before we dive in: I’m originally from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, I moved to Berlin nearly eight years ago with no savings, no job lined up, and one room in a shared flat. So I basically started from scratch. And honestly? I have to say that room felt like enough at this moment. ☕
I really feel like home here… as I like the coffee culture, the creativity, the people who somehow carry entire worlds inside them… they kept me here. So yeah, here I am, and no plans to leave anytime soon.
Of course, there is also this other side: what I was a lot less prepared for, though, was everything else. The German system: Like, especially the bureaucracy. The rules around money that nobody really explains to you. For years, I didn’t know where to start – and honestly, I didn’t even know what questions to ask. That feeling of being perpetually one step behind? Yeah, I know it well.
So if you’re reading this as an expat woman in Germany – whether you just arrived or you’ve been here for years and are still somehow figuring it out – hi. You’re in the right place. And I promise, we’re going to make this a lot less overwhelming together. 💛
And if you’re reading this as an expat woman living in Germany — whether you’ve been here two years or ten — whether like me in Berlin or in Munich or in a small village in Baden Württemberg, I’d bet some of them sound familiar.
I’ve had these exact conversations with women in our fin:marie Espresso Coaching sessions (more on that in a sec). And every single time, before we get into the big stuff — apartments, pensions, investing — we have to start at the same place.
We just have different ‘worries’ as we are not at home, or – let’s say – a certain feeling of insecurity: That we’re always a bit more unsure – or wanting to stay flexible – than our German friend “Anna” – who’s probably gonna stay in her home country – about our future. (I think you know what I am talking about, right ☺️)
This might sometimes lead us to sideline the topic of finance and investment – there’s always something else knocking at the door, right?
I mean… we have to think nonstop about how to make a living in a foreign country, not even talking about learning our ‘Deutsch’ to be able to say our ‘Einen Cappuccino mit Hafermilch, bitte’, ‘Den Döner ohne Zwiebeln, bitte’ oder ‘Danke, mit Karte, bitte.’
Well, yeah – I understand that there are not that many moments where you wanna worry about money. But that’s exactly it – you don’t want to worry about it.
This is why we can get to this topic now and I’ll give you tips that help you get started wherever you are and, most importantly – in a community of expat women who are in similar situations, but most importantly – who started exactly where you might be right now.
So here we are. I will show you what clarity you can actually have right now. Grab a coffee. This one’s worth your time. ☕
The Expat Finance Paralysis Is Real (And You’re Not Alone)
Let me introduce you to someone who’s been exactly where you are right now. Maybe this sounds familiar? 🤔
Recently, I talked to Julia, who is 34. She came to Berlin straight after her Master’s degree, landed a Product Manager role at a startup in Mitte, and eventually she stayed… in Berlin, but also in that company.
Why? Simply, because she has a good time there. She grew in her position and made many friends both inside and outside her company. (yeah, Berlin is a super Eldorado for internationals – as long as you don’t have to go to a pharmacy in former East-Berlin, you don’t have to even talk much in German 😁).
Here, in Berlin, but also all over Germany’s cities, there are many like you and her. Who are willing to connect, to get inspired and… yeah, to build their life – together with like-minded people.
Eight years later, she’s earning good money, loves her (mayyybe a tiny bit gentrified, let’s face it… I know well 😀) neighbourhood, her doggo ‘Phoebe’, buuut also… has not much of an idea what her net worth is.
“I keep meaning to sort it out,” she told me at our Espresso Coaching. “But every time I start, I have no clue where to begin… literally. And then I think – what happens when I make the decision to move to Lisbon in two years or to… I don’t know… Bali, so
what’s even the point?”
Yeah, Julia, I got your point. I have been thinking the same. Many times. But yeah, that’s the point – we’ve all been there.
And that exact thought — “I might not stay, so why bother” — is one of the most expensive mindsets an expat woman can have. Because time and compounding interest 😉 (!) – well, does NOT wait for your mind to make up your mind about your future.
But let me also say one thing, this might sound like old news, but for real, you don’t need to have everything figured out to start. You just need to start.
We gonna get there – first things first…
Step One: Get Real About About Your Money Situation
What’s actually in your accounts right now?
I’ll ask you what I ask every woman I work with: If I called you right now and asked, ‘What’s your net worth? What are your monthly expenses?’ — Could you even answer? Or would you get a lil’ nervous maybe and say, ‘uh, let me check my apps’?
Don’t get me wrong, no judgment. That’s really not my intention here (and never actually 😋)
But, let me tell you one important thing: clarity is everything, especially when we talk money.
And this is literally Step One in the fin:marie Academy’s Week 2: getting a full inventory of your money management system – we call it smart budgeting. Good budgeting doesn’t start with spreadsheets. It starts with just knowing where you stand. Being in a new country with a new life setup is THE classic of a checkpoint – if not this, what is it?
It might feel tedious to gather all the data – that’s not ‘sexy’ at all – got it.
But here’s what we’ve seen over and over: once we women actually sit down and write it all out — income, expenses, assets (which are already there ideally 👏), debts (no biggie if you have some – you just have to KNOW them with every cent) — they feel more in control.
And surprise, surprise – Not stressed. Yeah – In control. It’s like finally cleaning out that drawer that’s been bugging you for months. (You know the one with all the plastic bags you collect for sustainability reasons, ‘Backpapiers’, bottle opener, pins, paper straws, and “Haushaltsgummis” from DM.)
Getting Into The Budgeting Game: Your First “To-Do”
- Download your bank statements from the last 3–6 months
- List all income sources (salary, freelance, side income, dividends)
- List all monthly expenses — fixed AND variable
- You can use our fin:marie Smartsheet (LINK) — it does the heavy lifting for you
- Ask yourself honestly: where does money “just disappear” every month?
This isn’t about being a monk – we can live spirituality in different ways 🌿.
No, it’s about knowing what you’re working with, so you can make smart budgeting decisions.
We Have A New Bestie: The 60-10-30 Rule
Now we get a bit closer to numbers… no worries. You don’t need to search for your calculator for now. I just want to give you sort of a little guidance at first – a simple formula that actually works.
Once you’ve got your overview, the next question is: am I spending too much in certain areas? Here’s the rule of thumb we use in the Academy and with our coaching clients: the 60-10-30 formula.
60% → Lifestyle (rent, groceries, gym, subscriptions, leisure – all of it)
10% → Insurance (health, disability, private liability – the non-negotiables)
30% → Savings & Investments (your future self, nest egg, goals)
Ok let’s break it down a bit. I don’t want to just throw percentages and numbers at you, without any explanation – like you have seen in some financial coaching, maybe.
For example, 60 % is definitely not too much in your lifestyle section. Let’s also remember: Especially if you’re starting out somewhere new, you might want to give yourself an”exploration budget” to try out new things in your new home. 😎
Another thing… now, that 30% only fully works if you have no debts and already have an emergency buffer. And if not? The 30% goes toward building that first. And this ‘buffer’ I am talking about should be a minimum of 3 months of your salary, ok?
And yeah… still, keep in mind that we are talking about employed people. ☝️
For freelancers, it’s like this: aim for 6. Super important (!) – not more, though — because inflation quietly eats at least 2% of your savings every year if it’s just sitting in your account.
Everything above your buffer should be working for you, not just sitting there (like your forgotten clothes-pile-chair you gonna tidy up over the weekend 😬)
The Insurance Gap Nobody Talks About
Might be obvious, but there’s one more thing that has to be on our radar as expat women – just a notch above what our German friends have to think about. Some things which seem super ‘normal’ for locals, we just have to keep in our minds… or learn.
Here are the three policies every woman living in Germany needs
I know, yes, I know. Insurance is not exactly the topic you want to bring up at an aperitivo. But – don’t run 😀 – please.
There are three mandatory insurances that every person living in Germany should have. Full stop:
- Health insurance – yes, once you are employed, you have it automatically, and also, yes, it’s legally required, but worth checking your configuration. Private supplement for hospital treatments / serious illnesses? Worth looking into. Promise. 🤞
- Disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung) – 😀 best German word ever, no? But seriously, if you can no longer work due to illness or accident, the insurance gives you a fraction of what you earned before. That gap can be enormous. This insurance covers it. And yes your not a granny – but sometimes life has other plans, you might have an accident on one of your ski-trips or whatever, and then you’re gonna be happy about it.
- Private liability insurance – if you accidentally damage someone’s phone, car, or cause an injury, this protects your assets. It’s affordable and absolutely essential. And let’s be honest, when was the last time you acted a tiny bit clumsy 😅?
What I want to tell you with this: before you invest a single euro, protect what you’re building. Think of it as the foundation – because even the most beautiful house collapses without one.
Define Your Goals before you make financial decisions
Geraldine’s story
Because I want you to know you’re really not alone in this – here’s someone you might recognise yourself in.
In one of my Espresso-Coachings at fin:marie I met Geraldine, 41, moved from Lyon to Stuttgart five years ago for a software engineering role in the automotive industry. (Yeah, now you are nodding as I probably – Deutsches Auto and Stuttgart… of course 🚘)
She earns well, and yeah, she also has some savings, and has been going back and forth for two years about whether to buy an apartment. And I totally got her – I mean it’s not an easy decision, like “Am I gonna buy that winter jacket or not…”, right?
She was like: “I’m not sure if I’ll stay here, god knows. But renting feels like throwing my money away every month. But yeah, what if I want to move? And then the property prices go up more…?”
Yeah, sometimes our mind is spinning – round and round, that’s super understandable. Classic. It’s decisions about our future and once we have a certain age, society also puts a bit of pressure on us, maybe as we need to ‘figure out our life’ … women sometimes even more than men – that’s why as an expat woman we sometimes have a lot of overwhelming thoughts in our mind – by default.
Maybe you see yourself in this situation – and no, you don’t have to deal with your worries all alone.
In the Academy, we use a goal-prioritisation framework – and trust me, the order matters more than you think. Here’s a little sneak peek:
It starts with protecting what you already have – think insurances, the right ones, the non-negotiables.
And then, before you even think about investing: your nest egg.
➡️ That emergency buffer that means life can throw something at you and you don’t have to panic. For most people, that’s 3–6 months of salary – and yes, there’s a reason for that exact number.
What comes after that? Retirement, real estate, sabbaticals, early retirement – the fun stuff. But in the right order. 😉
If you’re just honest to yourself: Isn’t it anyhow easier and more comfy to chill in a hammock in Sri Lanka by the shore when you know: When I come back home, I know exactly what’s going on on my account – and that’s not gonna be a disaster?
The full framework – including how to calculate exactly how much you need and by when – is something we go through step by step in the fin:marie Academy (LINK). Because this is one of those things where having someone walk you through it makes all the difference.
Fix Your Money: Get Your Account Structure Right
You know how everything just feels a little more manageable when there’s some structure to it? Like, your head is clearer, you actually know what you’re working towards – and somehow things just fall into place a little easier? Yeah, money works exactly the same way. And that’s where your account setup comes in – think of it as giving every euro a job, so you don’t have to.
There is this 3am test
It’s a question from the Academy that I love: if I woke you up at 3 am and asked, “How much will you spend next month?”
— so… could you answer 😋?
If not, you may need an account structure (have a look into N26 for example). And it’s way simpler than it sounds:
- Main account → all income comes in, all fixed costs go out (rent, insurance, subscriptions)
- Consumer account → a standing order for variable spending (groceries, leisure, coffee ☕). You set a monthly budget. Stick to it.
- Buffer account → your emergency fund, 3–6 months salary. Don’t touch it.
- Savings/investment account → everything above the buffer goes here and works for you
Once a month, you just sit down — maybe at this nice café with those amazing cinnamon buns you like — and you check in.
What’s actually going on: Has something shifted? New subscription crept in? Tax refund landed?
Then… You pay yourself first.
Savings go out before you even see the money. This is the habit that changes everything.
What About Debts? (Yes, We’re Going There)
Look, not all debt is bad. Maybe you are already a bit more easy going with this topic, but also if not, I can tell you – really – there is a difference between debts.
So, in the Academy, we distinguish between good debt and bad debt, like what actually gives you a benefit in the long run… and what is, let’s say, a tiny bit unnecessary. 🥲
A student loan? Good debt. You invested in yourself and got a better income potential. A real estate loan to buy a property that generates rental income? This (with certain thresholds) could also be considered a “good” debt – you’re building an asset that (ideally) appreciates and pays for itself.
A car loan on a brand new SUV? Bad debt. A car depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot.
It’s not an asset. It’s consumption.
Still: You might decide that you do it anyway because it makes you happy. But… just be aware that this is “unnecessary but so much fun” and not: investment.
Here is the thing – the goal is simple: eliminate bad debt, keep and leverage good debt wisely. And build assets that grow in value — or generate passive income — over time.
You Don’t Have to Figure Your Finances Out Alone
This is maybe my favourite part of what we’ve built at fin:marie. Because knowing is one thing. Actually doing it — while working full-time, navigating German bureaucracy in your second language, and wondering if you should stay or go — is something else entirely.
That’s why the fin:marie Academy isn’t just videos and worksheets. It’s a community of expat women like us who are in the same boat and want to learn from each other.
💡 You can start any time – and every 2 weeks we meet online to share real-life experiences. What worked, what didn’t, what was terrifying and turned out fine.
🔑 A safe space where you can ask anything – to our financial experts, and to women who are in exactly the same situation as you. No judgment. And no, there are no stupid questions. For real.
💛 Feel free to share your real life situation. Not the Instagram version. The actual numbers, the actual fears, the actual goals. That’s where the real progress happens.
You remember Julia from Berlin? She came back two months after our first session. She’d set up her account structure and budgeting vs. her dreams, calculated her pension gap, and started a savings plan. She still doesn’t know if she’ll stay in Germany forever. But she knows exactly what she has, what she needs, and what she’s building — wherever life takes her.
Yes, and then I sit down with my colleagues, and it may sound cheesy… but that makes me happy and gives me somewhat the feeling of a common strength and hope, that we women can make a change if we help ourselves and… yes, each other 💪.
This is exactly why fin:marie built the Academy. We don’t want every woman out there trying to figure out finance in isolation – each doing her own thing, alone, from scratch.
We don’t have to adopt the often very male way of thinking when it comes to money – you know, elbows out, every woman for herself, don’t let anyone in on the secret.
Nope. That’s not it. It’s about all of us getting a piece of the pie – and actually showing each other how to get it and finally eat and enjoy it. Because there’s enough for everyone. There really is. The only question is: does everyone get a fair shot at it? We think yes. And that’s what we’re here for. 💛
What We Covered – Quick Recap
✗ Don’t skip the basics because you’re ‘not sure if you’ll stay’
✗ Don’t wait until you’ve ‘figured out’ your big goals to start tracking your money
✗ Don’t let a car fool you into thinking it’s an asset 😂
✗ Don’t save more than 3–6 months in a buffer account – inflation eats the rest 💸
Do:
🎉 Get clear on where you are today
🎉 Set up your structure
🎉 Define your goals
🎉 Connect with your peers and get started
Okay, but honestly – I am SO here for whatever you’re planning. Like, can we just take a second to appreciate how bold we are? We literally just picked up and moved to a whole new country. A foreign one. That takes guts, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 🏋️♀️
But you know what makes the whole adventure even better? Not having to stress about money in the middle of it. Like – imagine knowing your budget is handled. One less thing on your plate. That’s the dream, right?
Okay, so – if you’ve made it this far, I feel like you’re ready, to go the next step.☕
If you don’t know where to start: The fin:marie Investment Academy just launched as a special “for Female Expats” version in English – and it was built for exactly this. For you, for me, for every expat woman who’s been meaning to ‘sort out her finances’ for like… a while now. No judgment, we’ve all been there.
In 8 weeks, you’ll go from ‘ugh, I really should do something about my money’ to ‘okay, wait, I actually know exactly where I stand and where I’m going.’ And trust me – that feeling? Absolutely worth it.
So we are happy if you are in, but also no pressure at all – this is exactly what we are not into. 😄
Irgendwann is maybe today. And today is a great day to start.
