Home Australia I was a destitute single mum on Centrelink and couldn’t even afford to buy nappies. Here’s how I turned $5 into $17,000 in shares and a property empire

I was a destitute single mum on Centrelink and couldn’t even afford to buy nappies. Here’s how I turned $5 into $17,000 in shares and a property empire

by Elijah
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Young mum Courtney Lorking (pictured) bought her first home in 2019 and started investing in mid-2021. Now she has $17,000 in stocks and three properties across Australia

A young single mother had hit ‘rock bottom’ when she took just $5 and turned it into a $17,000 stock portfolio and three investment properties.

Courtney Lorking from the New South Wales Central Coast relied on Centrelink to survive after the birth of her daughter, Jordyn, in 2019.

So poor she couldn’t afford nappies, Mrs Lorking scrambled to make ends meet, working as a personal trainer and even a mechanic – before falling into a full-time job in marketing.

The young mother then began teaching herself about investing and began a journey where she bought her first home in 2019 and started her stock portfolio by investing just $5 in the stock market.

Young mum Courtney Lorking (pictured) bought her first home in 2019 and started investing in mid-2021. Now she has $17,000 in stocks and three properties across Australia

Young mum Courtney Lorking (pictured) bought her first home in 2019 and started investing in mid-2021. Now she has $17,000 in stocks and three properties across Australia

It wasn't long ago that Courtney was at 'rock bottom' trying to make ends meet and working multiple jobs. Courtney said she 'didn't have time to worry' and 'just had to act' to build a better life

It wasn't long ago that Courtney was at 'rock bottom' trying to make ends meet and working multiple jobs. Courtney said she 'didn't have time to worry' and 'just had to act' to build a better life

It wasn’t long ago that Courtney was at ‘rock bottom’ trying to make ends meet and working multiple jobs. Courtney said she ‘didn’t have time to worry’ and ‘just had to act’ to build a better life

Over the past two years, she has invested $14,000 and her portfolio is currently worth $16,988.

Her share portfolio consists of a number of company shares, such as major banks and supermarkets.

When Courtney was younger, she assumed that a minimum of $10,000 was required to start investing, but after doing her own research, reading books and listening to podcasts, she quickly learned that this was not the case – by signing up say New Zealand stock platform Sharesies.

‘I signed up and it was so easy to use and wasn’t scary. I started investing small amounts and gradually became more confident,” Courtney told FEMAIL.

‘Investing makes me feel like I’m really building a financial future and working towards something. It’s so empowering.’

Now she is also the proud founder of her own marketing agency, which she launched four months ago. She invests a minimum of $100 per week.

Today, Courtney's portfolio consists of a number of corporate stocks, such as major banks and supermarkets. Now she invests a minimum of $100 a week in stocks

Today, Courtney's portfolio consists of a number of corporate stocks, such as major banks and supermarkets. Now she invests a minimum of $100 a week in stocks

Today, Courtney’s portfolio consists of a number of corporate stocks, such as major banks and supermarkets. Now she invests a minimum of $100 a week in stocks

Looking back on 2019, Courtney said she ‘didn’t have time to worry’ and ‘just had to act’.

‘I tried everything to make a quick buck. I trotted and worked. I prioritized learning about investing and building my portfolio,” she said.

‘Sometimes I couldn’t even afford nappies. It was a really tough time and I never want to go back to that point.’

Now instead of saving money, she invests it and researches companies that align with her morals before she buys.

“I know now that if I didn’t experience that first game, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I’m thankful for that,” Courtney said. Four months ago, she opened her own marketing agency

She has also dabbled in property, although when she was younger she believed a home was ‘where you lived, not an investment’.

In 2019, she bought her first three-bedroom property on the Central Coast for $530,000 and now lives there with her daughter.

Two years later, she bought another property in Melbourne for $530,000 with the help of a buyer’s agent, which is still under construction.

Last year she secured her third property for $480,000 in Perth, which is also under construction.

“I know now that if I didn’t experience that first game, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I’m thankful for that,” Courtney said.

As for advice to others, Courtney suggested “starting small and making it a priority,” along with “working on an investment mindset” and “setting up automatic transfers.”

As for advice to others, Courtney suggested “starting small and making it a priority,” along with “working on an investment mindset” and “setting up automatic transfers.”

Sharesie founder Brooke Roberts told FEMAIL the brand started with a mission to ‘make investing more accessible to everyone’.

Since 2017, more than 600,000 investors have joined the platform, collectively investing over $2.3 billion.

New data collected by Sharesies reveals that 64 percent of its investors are women and Gen Z is its ‘fastest growing generation’ of users.

“Since launching, I’ve seen a steady increase in conversations about money and investing,” Ms Roberts said.

“I especially love hearing stories of women openly chatting about their portfolios and trading notes on their investment strategies. That used to be unheard of, so it’s so exciting to see women empowering each other.’

Ms Roberts said that before starting, it is ideal to understand the two main ways of investing – buying specific company shares or ETFs (exchange-traded funds) – and then choosing what is right for you based on personal financial goals.

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