Hey friend,
Three years ago, I invested about £5,000 into my ISA for the year. That felt like a stretch at the time 😅.
Then in 2024, I managed to max out my £20,000 ISA allowance, but I split it between a Cash ISA (£10k) and a Stocks & Shares ISA (£10k).
And now? I just made the last payment to complete my £20k allowance, and it ALL went into my Stocks & Shares ISA 🥳
That’s a 4x increase in just two years 🤯. And I need to tell you something important: my salary didn’t quadruple, neither did I suddenly become rich (I wish 😅). What changed was my strategy and how I thought about my money.
Today, I’m breaking down exactly how I went from £5K to £20K, the mindset shifts that made it possible, and why this matters.
This email is for educational purposes only and not financial or investment advice. Investments can go down as well as up. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial adviser.
📈 The Journey: From £5K to £20K
Let me show you exactly how this progression happened.
2023: £5,000: I started small, like really small. For the first half of the year, I was investing £50-£100 per month when I could. Then I’d do some lump sums between £200-£500, but I wasn’t consistent. Some months I’d invest, some months I wouldn’t. I ended the year having put in around £5,000 total, but there was no real strategy behind it.
2024: £20,000 (split between Cash ISA and S&S ISA): This was the year I first maxed out my ISA allowance, but I kept about £10,000 in a Cash ISA as part of my emergency fund and put £10,000 into my Stocks & Shares ISA.
2025: £20,000 (all into Stocks & Shares ISA): This is the first time I put the full £20,000 into my Stocks & Shares ISA.
I’ve been investing since 2023 (though my very first investment was actually in December 2022). So why did it take until now to go all-in on a Stocks & Shares ISA?
The answer is simple: confidence and strategy.
🧠 The Mindset Shifts That Changed Everything
Going from £5K to £20K wasn’t just about having more money. It was about thinking differently about my finances. Here are the big shifts:
1. I stopped treating investing as “leftover money”: In 2023, I’d invest whatever was left at the end of the month. Sometimes that was £400, sometimes £100, sometimes nothing.
In 2024, I flipped it: I paid myself first. My contributions to my ISA became as non-negotiable as my rent.
2. I redirected “extra” income intentionally: Before, bonuses or freelance income would just float into my current account and eventually get spent on random things.
Now, I had a plan: any extra income beyond my salary went straight to my ISA before I could even think about spending it.
3. I became more confident in my investing knowledge: In 2023, I was investing, but I didn’t really understand what I was doing. I was just putting money into “some funds” that people recommended.
By 2024, I understood my portfolio, my strategy, and why I was choosing specific investments. That confidence made it easier to commit larger amounts because I knew exactly where my money was going and why.
4. I developed an actual strategy (instead of investing for the sake of it): Early on, I was investing because “that’s what you’re supposed to do”, which is fine at the start. But I didn’t have a plan.
Now, I have a clear strategy: index funds for growth, dividend stocks for income, and diversification across markets. I’m not just throwing money at investments randomly.
Every pound has a purpose.
📊 How I Actually Did It
Now, for the practical part. Here’s exactly how I structured my contributions to hit £20K:
Monthly contributions: I set up a standing order of £600/month (£7,200 for the year) → This was automatic, which meant no decisions to make, no temptation to skip months, just consistent investing.
One-off deposits: I added an extra £12,800 throughout the year → This came from side hustles, freelance projects, and a small bonus from work.
Here’s the interesting part: I actually started 2025 with the goal of investing £10,000. I worked backwards and figured £600/month was comfortable, and I’d try to make up the remaining £2,800 with extra income as it came in.
But I ended up having more extra income than expected throughout the year. I wasn’t planning to max out my ISA allowance, but when I saw I could actually do it, I decided to go for it.
The lesson? Set a realistic goal, but stay flexible enough to go bigger if the opportunity presents itself.
💷 Why This Should Matter to You (Even If You Can’t Do £20K)
You don’t need to max out your ISA to win at investing. But here’s why my journey from £5K to £20K should matter to you:
1. The progression is replicable I didn’t go from £0 to £20K overnight. It was £5K → £10K → £20K. Small increases compound over time.
If you’re currently investing £2K/year, could you get to £4K this year? If you’re at £0, could you start with £50/month (£600/year)?
Remember, it’s progress, not perfection.
2. The strategy works at ANY level
Automate your monthly contributions (whether it’s £50 or £500)
Direct “extra” money intentionally (tax refund, bonus, side hustle income)
Review and adjust as your income grows
3. Tax-free growth compounds: Every pound you put in an ISA is shielded from tax forever. That matters whether you’re investing £1,000 or £20,000.
If you invest £5,000/year at 7% average returns for 20 years, you’d have around £204,000. In an ISA, you keep all of it. Outside an ISA, you’d potentially owe thousands in capital gains tax when you sell.
🎓 Want to learn how to make the most of your ISA?
If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines thinking about investing, or you want to understand how to actually use your ISA allowance effectively, I’ve got something for you.
I’m hosting a FREE Live Investing Masterclass on Saturday the 17th of January, where I’ll walk you through:
✅ How ISAs work and why they’re powerful
✅ How to start investing with whatever amount you have
✅ My exact framework for building a portfolio
✅ The biggest mistakes to avoid as a beginner
Spaces are limited, so grab your spot while you can → Reserve my spot for the FREE Masterclass
The compound effect of consistent investing over decades is what builds real wealth, not one perfect year.
XOXO,
Chidera 💰
P.S. If this was helpful, forward it to someone who needs to hear it. And if you want to learn how to build your own investment strategy, don’t forget to sign up for my free masterclass. Let’s make your money work harder for you!
This is a great revelation. Thanks for your insights as always. I'm really looking forward to the masterclass.