Lewys Aron, also known as The Frugal Student, is a 23-year-old dividend growth and value investor from Wales, UK. Currently studying Welsh at Swansea University, he has a keen interest in finance and investing. Unlike many students who leave university swamped with debt, Lewys plans to graduate with over £15,000 invested in dividend-paying stocks.

Lewys is one of the few Welsh dividend bloggers, demonstrating that investing in the UK can start from as little as £25 a month. He shows that you don’t need a lot of money to begin building wealth through smart investments.

These days, it may seem like all millennials are trying to keep up with the latest trends, whether it’s through expensive gadgets, designer clothes, or flashy cars. If everyone at university has a £1,000 MacBook, it feels like you need one too. Expensive brands, high-end cars, and luxury items appear to be the norm, creating a cycle of constant spending.

Five years ago, Lewys found himself in a similar situation, spending his entire paycheck—and more—on things like designer clothes and costly gadgets. He mistakenly believed that owning these things would make him happy and successful. However, the result was unplanned overdraft fees and a sense of unfulfillment. Despite always chasing the next trendy item, he wasn’t any happier.

This was the first realization: living like a “typical millennial” led to financial distress and didn’t bring him joy. His disposable income dwindled as he spent more on salary sacrifice schemes and financed items. Even small pleasures like Costa coffee and dining out became routine and unenjoyable.

Determined to change his life, Lewys decided to give up on keeping up with trends. He realized that these material possessions didn’t make him happy. By focusing on what truly mattered, he found happiness and financial freedom, free from the pressure to conform.

When Lewys first walked into university three and a half years ago, he saw many students just like his old self, chasing expensive cars and designer clothes, often financed through 0% interest schemes and student overdrafts. His second realization was that these students were dressing up and striving for material goods mainly to look good, forgetting that looking good doesn’t equate to feeling good. The attractive 0% interest overdrafts had to be paid back eventually, leading to financial struggles later.

In just five years, Lewys went from incurring overdraft fees to investing £13,000 in the stock market. Many people wrongly assumed he had help or received handouts, but he earned every penny by working hard and spending smart. He managed to balance 30 hours a week of work with his studies, unlike many of his peers who splurged on holidays and luxury items.

His third realization was that working hard wasn’t enough; smart spending was crucial. Instead of following the crowd, he planned his journey to financial independence. Here’s his plan:

1. Invest Spare Capital in Dividend Growth Stocks: Lewys invests his extra money in high-quality dividend growth stocks, which provide income as a reward for ownership. These often offer better yields than bank accounts and grow their payouts over time. His blog aims to help students and low-income individuals in the UK invest in the stock market. He also offers a list of his Top 100 Blogs for Dividend Growth Investors.

2. Diversify Income: Lewys diversifies his income through dividend payments and various part-time jobs like translation and freelance writing. He encourages others to use platforms like Fiverr to monetize their skills.

3. Become a Minimalist: For him, minimalism is less about saving money and more about devoting time to earning income in meaningful ways. With fewer possessions to maintain, he has more time for translation, freelance writing, and self-education.

4. Help Others: Lewys writes his blog not for additional income but to help millennials break free from the pressure to keep up with trends. By helping others understand dividend growth investing and minimalism, he builds a network of like-minded individuals who enrich his financial independence journey.

Lewys hopes his story inspires others to let go of keeping up with appearances and focus on achieving financial and mental independence. He invites readers to explore his other articles and share their thoughts.

Lewys