{"id":47628,"date":"2026-04-29T11:13:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/?p=47628"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:21:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:21:19","slug":"expat-in-germany-how-to-build-your-financial-health-no-matter-how-long-you-stay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/en\/expat-in-germany-how-to-build-your-financial-health-no-matter-how-long-you-stay\/","title":{"rendered":"Expat in Germany: How to build your financial health \u2013 no matter how long you stay"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"47628\" class=\"elementor elementor-47628\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9b945ab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9b945ab\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-205db9b\" data-id=\"205db9b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9b82b37 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9b82b37\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hey, I\u2019m Annalisa. Senior Marketing Manager here at fin:marie \u2013 and yes, I also happen to be a full-on expat living in Berlin. Like living the Berlin life in the best way \ud83c\udfa8 \ud83e\uddd8\u200d\u2640\ufe0f.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, so \u2013 quick intro before we dive in: I\u2019m 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. \u2615<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I really feel like home here\u2026 as I like the coffee culture, the creativity, the people who somehow carry entire worlds inside them\u2026 they kept me here. So yeah, here I am, and no plans to leave anytime soon.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t know where to start \u2013 and honestly, I didn\u2019t even know what questions to ask. That feeling of being perpetually one step behind? Yeah, I know it well.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if you\u2019re reading this as an expat woman in Germany \u2013 whether you just arrived or you\u2019ve been here for years and are still somehow figuring it out \u2013 hi. You\u2019re in the right place. And I promise, we\u2019re going to make this a lot less overwhelming together. \ud83d\udc9b<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>And if you\u2019re reading this as an expat woman living in Germany \u2014 whether you\u2019ve been here two years or ten \u2014 whether like me in Berlin or in Munich or in a small village in Baden W\u00fcrttemberg, I\u2019d bet some of them sound familiar.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve had these exact conversations with women in our <\/span><b>fin:marie Espresso Coaching<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sessions (more on that in a sec). And <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">every single time<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, before we get into the big stuff \u2014 apartments, pensions, investing \u2014 we have to start at the same place.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We just have different \u2018worries\u2019 as we are not at home, or \u2013 let\u2019s say \u2013 a certain feeling of insecurity: That we\u2019re always a bit more unsure\u00a0 \u2013 or wanting to stay flexible \u2013 than our German friend \u201cAnna\u201d \u2013 who\u2019s probably gonna stay in her home country \u2013 about our future. (I think you know what I am talking about, right \u263a\ufe0f)<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This might sometimes lead us to sideline the topic of finance and investment \u2013 there\u2019s always something else knocking at the door, right?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mean\u2026 we have to think nonstop about how to make a living in a foreign country, not even talking about learning our \u2018Deutsch\u2019 to be able to say our \u2018Einen Cappuccino mit Hafermilch, bitte\u2019, \u2018Den D\u00f6ner ohne Zwiebeln, bitte\u2019 oder \u2018Danke, mit Karte, bitte.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5799afa elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5799afa\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-074311b\" data-id=\"074311b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-386b94f elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"386b94f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/fy0gLJtIkZj8I\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" style=\"\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed lazyload\" allowFullScreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/tanisha-fy0gLJtIkZj8I\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-afae98d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"afae98d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-988ad6d\" data-id=\"988ad6d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ddeb2c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ddeb2c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, yeah \u2013\u00a0 I understand that there are not that many moments where you wanna worry about money. But that\u2019s exactly it \u2013 you don\u2019t want to worry about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why we can get to this topic now and I\u2019ll give you tips that help you get started wherever you are and, most importantly \u2013 in a community of expat women who are in similar situations, but most importantly \u2013 who started exactly where you might be right now.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>So here we are. I will show you what clarity you can actually have right now. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grab a coffee. This one\u2019s worth your time. \u2615<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><b>The Expat Finance Paralysis Is Real (And You\u2019re Not Alone)<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let me introduce you to someone who\u2019s been exactly where you are right now. Maybe this sounds familiar? \ud83e\udd14<\/span><\/p><p><br \/><br \/><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, I talked to Julia, who is 34. She came to Berlin straight after her Master\u2019s degree, landed a Product Manager role at a startup in Mitte, and eventually she stayed\u2026 in Berlin, but also in that company.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 \u2013 as long as you don\u2019t have to go to a pharmacy in former East-Berlin, you don\u2019t have to even talk much in German \ud83d\ude01).<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here, in Berlin, but also all over Germany\u2019s cities, there are many like you and her. Who are willing to connect, to get inspired and\u2026 yeah, to build their life \u2013 together with like-minded people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eight years later, she\u2019s earning good money, loves her (mayyybe a tiny bit gentrified, let\u2019s face it\u2026 I know well \ud83d\ude00) neighbourhood, her doggo \u2018Phoebe\u2019, buuut also\u2026 has not much of an idea what her net worth is.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI keep meaning to sort it out,\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> she told me at our Espresso Coaching. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut every time I start, I have no clue where to begin\u2026 literally. And then I think \u2013 what happens when I make the decision to move to Lisbon in two years or to\u2026 I don\u2019t know\u2026 Bali, so\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what\u2019s even the point?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah, Julia, I got your point. I have been thinking the same. Many times. But yeah, that\u2019s the point \u2013 we\u2019ve all been there.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>And that exact thought \u2014 <\/b><b><i>\u201cI might not stay, so why bother\u201d<\/i><\/b><b> \u2014 is one of the most expensive mindsets an expat woman can have. Because time and compounding interest \ud83d\ude09 (!) \u2013 well, does NOT wait for your mind to make up your mind about your future.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But let me also say one thing, this might sound like old news, but for real, you don\u2019t need to have everything figured out to start. You just need to start.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We gonna get there \u2013 first things first\u2026<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><b>Step One: Get Real About About Your Money Situation<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>What\u2019s actually in your accounts right now?<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll ask you what I ask every woman I work with: If I called you right now and asked, \u2018<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s your net worth?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What are your monthly expenses?\u2019 \u2014 Could you even answer? Or would you get a lil\u2019 nervous maybe and say, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018uh, let me check my apps\u2019?<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t get me wrong, no judgment. That\u2019s really not my intention here (and never actually \ud83d\ude0b)\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>But, let me tell you one important thing: clarity is everything, especially when we talk money.\u00a0<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>And this is literally Step One in the fin:marie Academy\u2019s Week 2: getting a full inventory of your money management system \u2013 we call it smart budgeting. Good budgeting doesn\u2019t start with spreadsheets. It starts with just knowing where you stand.<\/b><b> \u200b\u200b<\/b><b>Being in a new country with a new life setup is THE classic of a checkpoint \u2013 if not this, what is it?<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It might feel tedious to gather all the data \u2013 that\u2019s not \u2018sexy\u2019 at all \u2013 got it.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But here\u2019s what we\u2019ve seen over and over: once we women actually sit down and write it all out \u2014 income, expenses, assets (which are already there ideally \ud83d\udc4f), debts (no biggie if you have some \u2013 you just have to KNOW them with every cent) \u2014 they feel more in control.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And surprise, surprise \u2013 Not stressed. Yeah \u2013 In control. It\u2019s like finally cleaning out that drawer that\u2019s been bugging you for months. (You know the one with all the plastic bags you collect for sustainability reasons, \u2018Backpapiers\u2019, bottle opener, pins, paper straws, and \u201cHaushaltsgummis\u201d from DM.)<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><b>Getting Into The Budgeting Game: Your First \u201cTo-Do\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/h3><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Download your bank statements from the last 3\u20136 months<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List all income sources (salary, freelance, side income, dividends)<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List all monthly expenses \u2014 fixed AND variable<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can use our <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fin:marie Smartsheet (LINK)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 it does the heavy lifting for you<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask yourself honestly: where does money \u201cjust disappear\u201d every month?<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This isn\u2019t about being a monk \u2013 we can live spirituality in different ways \ud83c\udf3f.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>No, it\u2019s about knowing what you\u2019re working with, so you can make smart budgeting decisions.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We Have A New Bestie: The 60-10-30 Rule<\/span><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now we get a bit closer to numbers\u2026 no worries. You don\u2019t need to search for your calculator for now. I just want to give you sort of a little guidance at first\u00a0 \u2013 a simple formula that actually works.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve got your overview, the next question is: am I spending too much in certain areas? Here\u2019s the rule of thumb we use in the Academy and with our coaching clients: the 60-10-30 formula.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">60% \u2192 Lifestyle (rent, groceries, gym, subscriptions, leisure \u2013 all of it)<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10% \u2192 Insurance (health, disability, private liability \u2013 the non-negotiables)<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30% \u2192 Savings & Investments (your future self, nest egg, goals)<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ok let\u2019s break it down a bit. I don\u2019t want to just throw percentages and numbers at you, without any explanation \u2013 like you have seen in some financial coaching, maybe.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, 60 % is definitely not too much in your lifestyle section. Let\u2019s also remember: Especially if you\u2019re starting out somewhere new, you might want to give yourself an\u201dexploration budget\u201d to try out new things in your new home. \ud83d\ude0e\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another thing\u2026 now, that 30% only fully works <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you have no debts and already have an emergency buffer<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And if not? The 30% goes toward building that first. And this \u2018buffer\u2019 I am talking about should be a minimum of 3 months of your salary, ok?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yeah\u2026 still, keep in mind that we are talking about employed people. \u261d\ufe0f<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For freelancers, it\u2019s like this: aim for 6. Super important (!) \u2013 not more, though \u2014 because inflation quietly eats at least 2% of your savings every year if it\u2019s just sitting in your account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><br \/><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything above your buffer should be <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">working<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for you, not just sitting there (like your forgotten clothes-pile-chair you gonna tidy up over the weekend \ud83d\ude2c)<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-66c79f7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"66c79f7\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cf24e7e\" data-id=\"cf24e7e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac98571 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"ac98571\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/FwWVttJn9LyPC\" width=\"360\" height=\"480\" style=\"\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed lazyload\" allowFullScreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/fire-george-burn-FwWVttJn9LyPC\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6c3898e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6c3898e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0f9231a\" data-id=\"0f9231a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6f49291 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6f49291\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><b>The Insurance Gap Nobody Talks About<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Might be obvious, but there\u2019s one more thing that has to be on our radar as expat women \u2013 just a notch above what our German friends have to think about. Some things which seem super \u2018normal\u2019 for locals, we just have to keep in our minds\u2026 or learn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Here are the three policies every woman living in Germany needs<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I know, yes, I know. Insurance is not exactly the topic you want to bring up at an aperitivo. But \u2013 don\u2019t run \ud83d\ude00 \u2013 please.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are <\/span><b>three mandatory insurances<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that every person living in Germany should have. Full stop:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Health insurance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 yes, once you are employed, you have it automatically, and also, yes, it\u2019s legally required, but worth checking your configuration. Private supplement for hospital treatments \/ serious illnesses? Worth looking into. Promise. \ud83e\udd1e<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Disability insurance (Berufsunf\u00e4higkeitsversicherung)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 \ud83d\ude00 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\u00a0 \u2013 but sometimes life has other plans, you might have an accident on one of your ski-trips or whatever, and then you\u2019re gonna be happy about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Private liability insurance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 if you accidentally damage someone\u2019s phone, car, or cause an injury, this protects your assets. It\u2019s affordable and absolutely essential. And let\u2019s be honest, when was the last time you acted a tiny bit clumsy \ud83d\ude05?<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What I want to tell you with this: before you invest a single euro, <\/span><b>protect what you\u2019re building<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Think of it as the foundation \u2013 because even the most beautiful house collapses without one.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><b>Define Your Goals before you make financial decisions<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Geraldine\u2019s story<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because I want you to know you\u2019re really not alone in this \u2013 here\u2019s someone you might recognise yourself in.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 \u2013 Deutsches Auto and Stuttgart\u2026 of course \ud83d\ude98)<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 \u2013 I mean it\u2019s not an easy decision, like \u201cAm I gonna buy that winter jacket or not\u2026\u201d,\u00a0 right?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She was like:<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ll 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\u2026?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah, sometimes our mind is spinning \u2013 round and round, that\u2019s super understandable. Classic. It\u2019s 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 \u2018figure out our life\u2019 \u2026 women sometimes even more than men \u2013 that\u2019s why as an expat woman we sometimes have a lot of overwhelming thoughts in our mind \u2013 by default.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you see yourself in this situation \u2013 and no, you don\u2019t have to deal with your worries all alone.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Academy, we use a goal-prioritisation framework \u2013 and trust me, the order matters more than you think. Here\u2019s a little sneak peek:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It starts with <\/span><b>protecting what you already have<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 think insurances, the right ones, the non-negotiables.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>And then, before you even think about investing: your nest egg.\u00a0<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u27a1\ufe0f That emergency buffer that means life can throw something at you and you don\u2019t have to panic. For most people, that\u2019s 3\u20136 months of salary \u2013 and yes, there\u2019s a reason for that exact number.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What comes after that? Retirement, real estate, sabbaticals, early retirement \u2013 the fun stuff. But in the right order. \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re just honest to yourself: Isn\u2019t 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\u2019s going on on my account \u2013 and that\u2019s not gonna be a disaster?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The full framework \u2013 including how to calculate exactly how much you need and by when \u2013 is something we go through step by step in the <\/span><b>fin:marie Academy (LINK)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Because this is one of those things where having someone walk you through it makes all the difference.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><b>Fix Your Money: Get Your Account Structure Right<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know how everything just feels a little more manageable when there\u2019s some structure to it? Like, your head is clearer, you actually know what you\u2019re working towards \u2013 and somehow things just fall into place a little easier? Yeah, money works exactly the same way. And that\u2019s where your account setup comes in \u2013 think of it as giving every euro a job, so you don\u2019t have to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>There is this 3am test<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a question from the Academy that I love: if I woke you up at 3 am and asked, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHow much will you spend next month?\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-465458e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"465458e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c98e5f1\" data-id=\"c98e5f1\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fea8913 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"fea8913\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/embed\/l41JORTPro2S8OLYc\" width=\"480\" height=\"384\" style=\"\" frameBorder=\"0\" class=\"giphy-embed lazyload\" allowFullScreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><p><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/youngertv-tv-land-tvland-l41JORTPro2S8OLYc\">via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d7d2ed9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d7d2ed9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c3dc136\" data-id=\"c3dc136\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa915a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aa915a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 so\u2026 could you answer \ud83d\ude0b?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If not, you may need an account structure (have a look into <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/n26.com\/de-de\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">N26<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for example). And it\u2019s way simpler than it sounds:<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Main account<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 all income comes in, all fixed costs go out (rent, insurance, subscriptions)<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Consumer account<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 a standing order for variable spending (groceries, leisure, coffee \u2615). You set a monthly budget. Stick to it.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Buffer account<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 your emergency fund, 3\u20136 months salary. Don\u2019t touch it.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Savings\/investment account<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2192 everything above the buffer goes here and works for you<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a month, you just sit down \u2014 maybe at this nice caf\u00e9 with those amazing cinnamon buns you like \u2014 and you check in.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s actually going on: Has something shifted? New subscription crept in? Tax refund landed?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Then\u2026 You pay yourself first.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Savings go out before you even see the money. This is the habit that changes everything.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><b>What About Debts? (Yes, We\u2019re Going There)<\/b><\/h3><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 \u2013 really \u2013 there is a difference between debts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, in the Academy, we distinguish between <\/span><b>good debt and bad debt, like what actually gives you a benefit in the long run\u2026 and what is, let\u2019s say, a tiny bit unnecessary. \ud83e\udd72<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A student loan? <\/span><b>Good debt.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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 \u201cgood\u201d debt \u2013 you\u2019re building an asset that (ideally) appreciates and pays for itself.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A car loan on a brand new SUV? <\/span><b>Bad debt.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A car depreciates the moment you drive it off the lot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not an asset. It\u2019s consumption.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still: You might decide that you do it anyway because it makes you happy. But\u2026 just be aware that this is \u201cunnecessary but so much fun\u201d and not: investment.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is the thing \u2013 the goal is simple: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eliminate bad debt, keep and leverage good debt wisely<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. And build assets that grow in value \u2014 or generate passive income \u2014 over time.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h2><b>You Don\u2019t Have to Figure Your Finances Out Alone<\/b><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is maybe my favourite part of what we\u2019ve built at fin:marie. Because <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">knowing<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is one thing. Actually <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doing<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it \u2014 while working full-time, navigating German bureaucracy in your second language, and wondering if you should stay or go \u2014 is something else entirely.<\/span><\/p><p><b>That\u2019s why the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/en\/product\/investment-academy\/\"><b>fin:marie Academy<\/b><\/a><b> isn\u2019t just videos and worksheets. It\u2019s a community of expat women like us who are in the same boat and want to learn from each other.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83d\udca1\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can start any time \u2013 and every 2 weeks we meet online to share real-life experiences. What worked, what didn\u2019t, what was terrifying and turned out fine.<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83d\udd11\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A safe space where you can ask anything \u2013 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83d\udc9b\u00a0 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feel free to s<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hare your real life situation. Not the Instagram version. The actual numbers, the actual fears, the actual goals. That\u2019s where the real progress happens.<\/span><\/i><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You remember Julia from Berlin? She came back two months after our first session. She\u2019d set up her account structure and budgeting vs. her dreams, calculated her pension gap, and started a savings plan. She still doesn\u2019t know if she\u2019ll stay in Germany forever. But she knows exactly what she has, what she needs, and what she\u2019s building \u2014 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wherever<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> life takes her.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, and then I sit down with my colleagues, and it may sound cheesy\u2026 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\u2026 yes, each other \ud83d\udcaa.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is exactly why <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/en\/product\/investment-academy\/\"><b>fin:marie built the Academy<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We don\u2019t want every woman out there trying to figure out finance in isolation \u2013 each doing her own thing, alone, from scratch.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>We don\u2019t have to adopt the often very male way of thinking when it comes to money \u2013 you know, elbows out, every woman for herself, don\u2019t let anyone in on the secret.<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nope. That\u2019s not it. It\u2019s about all of us getting a piece of the pie \u2013 and actually showing each other how to get it and finally eat and enjoy it. Because there\u2019s enough for everyone. There really is. The only question is: does everyone get a fair shot at it? We think yes. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re here for. \ud83d\udc9b<\/span><\/p><h2><b>What We Covered \u2013 Quick Recap<\/b><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2717 Don\u2019t skip the basics because you\u2019re \u2018not sure if you\u2019ll stay\u2019<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2717 Don\u2019t wait until you\u2019ve \u2018figured out\u2019 your big goals to start tracking your money<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2717 Don\u2019t let a car fool you into thinking it\u2019s an asset \ud83d\ude02<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2717 Don\u2019t save more than 3\u20136 months in a buffer account \u2013 inflation eats the rest \ud83d\udcb8<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Do:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83c\udf89 Get clear on where you are today<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83c\udf89 Set up your structure<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83c\udf89 Define your goals<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\ud83c\udf89 Connect with your peers and get started\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, but honestly \u2013 I am SO here for whatever you\u2019re 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\u2019t let anyone tell you otherwise. \ud83c\udfcb\ufe0f\u200d\u2640\ufe0f<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But you know what makes the whole adventure even better? Not having to stress about money in the middle of it. Like \u2013 imagine knowing your budget is handled. One less thing on your plate. That\u2019s the dream, right?<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><b>Okay, so \u2013 if you\u2019ve made it this far, I feel like you\u2019re ready, to go the next step.\u2615<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don\u2019t know where to start: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/en\/product\/investment-academy\/\"><b>The fin:marie Investment Academy<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just launched as a special \u201cfor Female Expats\u201d version in English \u2013 and it was built for exactly this. For you, for me, for every expat woman who\u2019s been meaning to \u2018sort out her finances\u2019 for like\u2026 a while now. No judgment, we\u2019ve all been there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 8 weeks, you\u2019ll go from \u2018ugh, I really should do something about my money\u2019 to \u2018okay, wait, I actually know exactly where I stand and where I\u2019m going.\u2019 And trust me \u2013 that feeling? Absolutely worth it.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we are happy if you are in, but also no pressure at all \u2013 this is exactly what we are not into. \ud83d\ude04<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4fe78f91 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4fe78f91\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3881ff17\" data-id=\"3881ff17\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-688e9d69 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"688e9d69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Irgendwann is maybe today. And today is a great day to start.<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d041e52 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1d041e52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/finmarie.com\/en\/product\/investment-academy\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">I want to join the Academy<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hey, I\u2019m Annalisa. Senior Marketing Manager here at fin:marie \u2013 and yes, I also happen to be a full-on expat living in Berlin. Like living the Berlin life in the best way \ud83c\udfa8 \ud83e\uddd8\u200d\u2640\ufe0f. \u00a0 Okay, so \u2013 quick intro before we dive in: I\u2019m originally from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, I moved to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":47640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[184],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-mindset-budgeting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Expat in Germany: How to build your financial health \u2013 no matter how long you stay - finmarie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"So if you&#039;re reading this as an expat woman in Germany: You&#039;re in the right place. 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