Shelley Bosworth, a business and mindset coach, says investing in property at the age of 18 was a financial milestone. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Shelley Bosworth, a business and mindset coach, says investing in property at the age of 18 was a financial milestone. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Shelley Bosworth, a business and mindset coach, says investing in property at the age of 18 was a financial milestone. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Shelley Bosworth, a business and mindset coach, says investing in property at the age of 18 was a financial milestone. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Money & Me: ‘I always have a contingency pot for emergencies and rainy days’


Deepthi Nair
  • English
  • Arabic

Shelley Bosworth took a leap of faith after working in the corporate world for 25 years to train as a business and mindset coach.

The Briton, 48, mainly works with female entrepreneurs, supporting them to start, grow and scale their businesses. “My work involves supporting women with the strategy and the mindset to be successful,” Ms Bosworth says.

She started her own coaching business in 2020 and in 2023 moved to Dubai, where she lives in Emaar South with her husband, who works in the hospitality industry.

Ms Bosworth started working at the age of 18. She went to a grammar school in the UK, but did not go to university because her family could not afford to support her financially.

After completing her A-levels, she began her career at the luxury London department store Harrods. She spent 25 years working in retail and hospitality, working with household names such as Woolworths, Waterstones, Tesco and Starbucks.

But she knew something was missing, and a series of family struggles and bereavements prompted her to change direction and train as a coach.

Did wealth feature in your childhood? What did you learn from it?

We were not a wealthy family, but we weren't on the breadline either. We had what we needed, but we didn't have excess.

What I learnt from that is money is hard to come by. You've to work hard for it and look after it. My dad, who worked in the health industry, taught me to think about the future.

I grew up with a feeling that while we weren’t struggling, we couldn’t have everything we necessarily wanted.

How did you first earn? What did your first job pay?

We had to do chores to earn pocket money. I had two paper rounds at the age of 13. I earned about £8 ($10.40) a week for each round. When I was 14 to 15, my very first Saturday job was working on a market stall in a town in Essex where I grew up.

After my A-levels, I applied to every single retailer in the UK that had a management training scheme, and I got several offers. I started my career at Harrods in Knightsbridge.

I was on a 12-month management training scheme with them. I had high aspirations for my life at a very early age. I learnt various elements of working in a department store and earned £12,500 a year.

Shelley Bosworth says she is learning to have a better relationship with money. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Shelley Bosworth says she is learning to have a better relationship with money. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Any early financial jolts?

I took that role because I could work in a big city and at Harrods, but that wasn't a lot of money in 1986-87. I lived in Essex and travelled to London every day. I had left home because I was very independent and was renting a house with a friend.

It was a shock to the system, paying the rent and bills, travelling to London and the lifestyle that came with it. I realised there was not enough money at the end of the month. I got into a bit of a mess with a credit card in the first year. I learnt budgeting very early on.

How do you grow your wealth?

I have my business, so a huge amount of effort goes into growing it. Over the last 25 years, with the businesses I've worked with, I built some good pension pots for the future.

I am a bit of a saver, so I like to have a buffer. [My husband and I] always have a contingency pot for emergencies and rainy days. Thankfully they don't come that often. I pay attention to our monthly income and outgoings, and we save regularly. We’ve also done a bit of work on investment portfolios for the future.

Are you a spender or a saver?

A bit of both. I like to spend money but need to know there's a certain amount of money in the background all the time. We both work very hard in our careers to be financially secure. We think about investments for the future but also have a “life is for living” philosophy.

Have you been wise with money?

Not always. As I've become older, I've got wiser in a number of ways, money being one of them. The experiences I've had [have brought] the realisation that life is precious and it's for living now, but equally thinking about what lies ahead.

I believe in always maintaining a balance between having the money to do the things you want to do and preparing for the future.

What has been your best investment?

Investing in property. We don’t have a portfolio of properties, but I made sure I got into the property market at quite an early age in the UK, which enabled me to move up the ladder without taking on more debt.

I bought my first property when I was 18 and over the years, I sold it and bought another one, and so forth. I don't have multiple properties, but by buying at that early stage, I've been able to move with the market. We've worked hard over the years on reducing our mortgage so that what we have is an asset rather than a debt.

Also, the work we've done with financial advisers on our investment portfolio for the future.

Any cherished purchases?

It would be my first designer handbag, which I still have. My husband bought it for me, that’s why it is cherished. However, material things aren’t very important for me. Instead, I believe money is for experiences, living and to make life a little bit easier.

How do you feel about money?

I love money because I love what it enables me to be able to do. But it's taken me a long time to be able to say that. I've had to work hard on my view of money.

Money is a great tool. [But] it has too much power over people, and I don't want it to have that power over me, so I'm learning to have a better relationship with money.

Money is just a tool, so let go of the power it has over you
Shelley Bosworth,
business and mindset coach

Any financial advice for your younger self?

Money is just a tool, so let go of the power it has over you. Stop looking at what everybody else is or isn't doing with money. Instead, focus on what you want to or don't want to do with money. I wish I'd learnt that in my twenties, not my forties.

Any key financial milestones?

Buying my first property, hitting six figures, both as a salary during my corporate career and income from a business owner perspective, are milestones I’m proud of.

What luxuries are important to you?

Holidays and travel are important to my husband and me. Also, good food. Being able to go to lovely restaurants, enjoy good food and not worry about what that costs is an important luxury.

What are your financial goals?

The overarching goal is to achieve financial freedom and be in a place where I don't worry about money. I'd love to be in a position where I'm working because I want to, rather than because we need to. I want to be in a position where we get to do all the travelling we want to, go to all the places and do all the things we want to.

My biggest regret in life would be to get to the end and think “I wish I'd”, so my financial goals are to mitigate those regrets.

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

How Beautiful this world is!
While you're here
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20card%3Cbr%3EMiddleweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERobert%20Whittaker%20defeated%20Ikram%20Aliskerov%20via%20knockout%20(Round%201)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHeavyweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAlexander%20Volkov%20def%20Sergei%20Pavlovich%20via%20unanimous%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EKelvin%20Gastelum%20def%20Daniel%20Rodriguez%20via%20unanimous%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMiddleweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EShara%20Magomedov%20def%20Antonio%20Trocoli%20via%20knockout%20(Round%203)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELight%20heavyweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EVolkan%20Oezdemir%20def%20Johnny%20Walker%20via%20knockout%20(Round%201)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPreliminary%20Card%0D%3Cbr%3ELightweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ENasrat%20Haqparast%20def%20Jared%20Gordon%20via%20split%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EFelipe%20Lima%20def%20Muhammad%20Naimov%20via%20submission%20(Round%203)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERinat%20Fakhretdinov%20defeats%20Nicolas%20Dalby%20via%20split%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuin%20Gafurov%20def%20Kang%20Kyung-ho%20via%20unanimous%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELight%20heavyweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMagomed%20Gadzhiyasulov%20def%20Brendson%20Ribeiro%20via%20majority%20decision%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBantamweight%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChang%20Ho%20Lee%20def%20Xiao%20Long%20via%20split%20decision%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès. 
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.

How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Abaya trends

The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Updated: October 25, 2024, 6:02 PM