Nelly London is 32, single, and was “meant to be engaged by now.”
In February, she confirmed she’d split from her boyfriend of eight years – an unexpected, heartbreaking change that saw her moving into a new home alone. So instead of waiting for someone else to make it happen, she went to an auction and bought herself a £1,000 diamond ring.
She documented this on TikTok, and the video has half a million views for a reason.
“Every time I see this ring, I’m going to be reminded that I can do really hard and scary things. I don’t need anyone else to do or buy or commit anything to me – because I can do it all myself.”
Hell yes, Nelly.
What this is really about
Most of us have had something we’ve wanted to buy just for us that we keep talking ourselves out of. Maybe we feel like it’s too much, or we’re being too self-indulgent.
Women are conditioned to wait for the right time, the right partner, until the kids are older, the mortgage is smaller, the timing is better.
Your money is yours, right now. You get to decide what it goes towards. That’s what financial independence actually looks like.
So what’s our take?
Spending £1,000 on yourself can feel wildly indulgent, or it can feel completely intentional. The difference is whether you planned for it, or if not, whether you can afford it.
Nelly didn’t mention a sinking fund (we hope she had one). But the principle applies: if something big and meaningful is on the horizon – a trip, a piece of jewellery, a treat-yourself moment – you can plan for it in advance. That way, when the moment comes, you’re not reaching for a credit card or draining savings you needed elsewhere.
A sinking fund is money you set aside each month for a specific future expense. Want to spend £1,000 on something meaningful in 12 months? That’s £83 a month. Set it aside, let it build, spend it guilt-free when the time is right.
That’s the Financielle way – plan for the things you want, then enjoy them without the guilt.
And if you do like a little bit of impulsive spending – you can still put it in the budget!
Create your very own sinking funds
You can create your very own sinking funds in the Financielle app for free. Personalise, organise and save your way to buy the things you want. No splitting it into 3, no relying on credit cards. Just save now, buy later.
What Nelly did is exactly the energy we’re here for.
You don’t need a partner, a milestone, or anyone’s permission to spend your money intentionally. You need a plan.
Have you ever treated yourself to something like this? If you’ve got the money for it, we think Nelly would approve!
Money stories for you 💅🏽
