Beauty counter worker reveals how she saved £100,000 at the age of 26 on a £20,000 salary – thanks to 3 ‘unhinged’ habits

A woman who has saved more than £100,000 has revealed the three methods she used to reach her goal.

Hannah Bevington, 26, from Warwickshire, started saving when she was a teenager while earning £20,000 a year working on a beauty counter. 

She now works in marketing as a social media manager, and regularly shares advice on being financially savvy to her 30,000 followers on social media (@hannahbevington) – including the ‘unhinged’ tips that helped her build her nest egg.

Hannah explained: ‘The £100,000 is fully invested in the stock market, so it isn’t just sitting in my bank account. 

‘I started by investing the first £4,000 I had saved from my beauty retail job between the ages of 17 and 20, and in March 2021 I invested it into the stock market. As I lived at home until I was 24, I saved around 80 per cent of my wage.

‘With both my contributions and stock market returns, my portfolio now sits at £100,000, and my goal is to grow this to £125,000 by the end of 2026 – providing the stock market plays ball.

‘It’s all about being frugal with your spending and keeping your outgoings as low as possible.

‘Of course, it’s worth mentioning that I don’t have kids and didn’t have a mortgage to pay, which is why I was able to save and invest £1,000 per month. 

‘I worked in a sales role and invested all of my earned commission into the stock market, so some months I was able to invest £3,000.

‘This March will mark five years since I started investing, so it’s definitely a long-term game, not a quick fix.’

‘My goal was always to maximise my ability to save and invest while still enjoying the things I loved,’ Hannah said.

In a clip, which has racked up 102,000 views and over 7,000 likes, she revealed her saving methods.

BUY TWO OF EVERYTHING

When it comes to clothes shopping, Hannah will buy two of every item with the intention of selling one online.

Hannah said: ‘Whenever there was a sale [like an end-of-season sale], if there was a top I liked and it was 50 per cent off, I would buy that top.

‘But I’ll also buy a second one just for the purpose of selling it on Vinted. 

‘I would [list it] on Vinted and then I would sell it for close to the retail price, because if you think [about it], a couple weeks later the sale was no longer on, so people were back to buying full price.

‘So I would usually discount it by like 10 or 15 percent and then I would basically make money on it.’

She added: ‘Then that would also pay for the top that I just bought. So girl maths – it was free.’

NEVER PAY FULL PRICE

Hannah’s next piece of advice is to avoid purchasing an item at full price – no matter how much you want it. 

She explained: ‘The second thing is that I would never let myself pay full price for items. 

‘You’ll see it now, but Zara constantly has sales. There is really no need to pay full price for something.

‘Back in the day when I didn’t have a lot of money I would never ever pay full price for clothes.

‘And the reason I would do this is because I always had the intention, in the future, of selling the item on Vinted.

‘Ultimately, I got this product at a massive discount, so it meant that when I came to resell it, I was selling it for probably more than what I paid for it.

‘Which was mad because you’re wearing a product but then also making profit, which probably isn’t a good thing.’

SPENDING POTS

Hannah said: ‘The third unhinged, frugal thing that I did was that I used to have a pot of money in my Starling bank account. It was called ‘Vinted’.

‘And basically [anything] I would sell on Vinted, I would put into this money pot, and this was my spending pot for clothes.

‘And I would not allow myself to buy any new clothes unless it was from this pot. So I almost had to sell my wardrobe in order to buy more clothes.

‘It was more just because I couldn’t afford to keep buying clothes all the time, but I was addicted to online shopping.

‘And it was like a little game, because I [had to ask myself] if I could afford [items]. [If not], I needed to sell a few more things to get [it].’

Hannah claims she still sticks by some of these tips to help her save, including selling on Vinted.

She added: ‘If items aren’t being worn, it feels like a waste when I could sell them and use the money to buy better quality pieces that last longer.  

‘I’ve moved away from fast fashion, trendy items, and now use this approach to gradually upgrade my wardrobe with more timeless pieces.

‘While my approach has evolved, selling on Vinted and focusing on quality purchases remains part of how I manage my money.’

Hannah’s desire to start her savings journey came from growing up with lots of anxiety around money.

She said: ‘My parents had to stretch their salaries to live in the more affluent area we did because they wanted a better life for both my brother and me.

‘This meant money was tight growing up. Seeing their experience made me realise I wanted to avoid the same stress.

‘From the age of 17, I started being very frugal and keeping my expenses extremely low.’

Even while working on a beauty counter earning on a below average salary, she would still put up to £300 a month aside.

And by the time she was 19, Hannah had over £4,000 saved.

She said: ‘I became really motivated by the sense of financial security that saving gave me.

‘And I loved knowing I had a solid foundation even at a young age.

‘Over time, my priorities shifted, and when I turned 21, I invested the £4,000 I had saved into my Lifetime ISA.

‘This is just my personal approach and not financial advice.

‘I’ve continued to add to it almost every tax year, and in my experience, it has grown significantly over time.’

Hannah hopes the money saved – and her attitudes – will help to give her flexibility in the future.

She added: ‘My goal is to have the freedom to reduce hours or semi-retire one day if I want, without feeling financially restricted.

‘Of course, I may also use some of it for life events, like a house deposit or wedding, but the main focus is on creating financial security and flexibility for myself.

Hannah’s top tip for saving? Use strict rules. She said: ‘Review your expenses regularly. I track my spending over a few months to understand where my money is going.

‘I personally use a version of the 50/30/20 rule for my monthly income after tax, National Insurance, and pension contributions.

‘Around 50 per cent  goes to needs like rent, bills, and food, 30 per cent to wants like treats or holidays, and 20 per cent into savings.

‘It helps me stay aware and in control of my finances.’

She added: ‘Keep your expenses as low as possible.

‘Avoid getting trapped in high-interest debt, like car finance, as it can easily pile up.

‘In my own experience, living at home for longer allowed me to save a large portion of my income in my early 20s.

‘Pay yourself first – I set up direct debits to automatically move money into my savings or investment accounts.

‘Even small amounts consistently saved can grow over time.

‘For me, this has been one of the most effective ways to maintain financial security and steadily grow my savings.

‘It’s about understanding my money, keeping consistent with saving, and finding a system that works for my lifestyle.

‘Everyone’s journey is different, and this is simply what has worked for me personally.

‘I’ve learned that even small habits, like selling items I no longer use, tracking my spending, and consistently saving, can make a big difference over time.’