120. Taloudellinen Ajattelu (Financial Thinking)
Behind the moniker “Taloudellinen Ajattelu” writes a guy dedicated to the world of personal financial management and self-improvement. He is a goal-oriented and sensible person blessed with the right kind of perseverance—which is precisely what is usually required of investors.
In his writings and interviews, he candidly and genuinely brings forth the lessons, mistakes, and successes of his own investment journey and life. His approach combines practicality with strategic insight—whether it’s about saving, investment strategies, or the psychological dimensions of financial thinking.
In an inspiring way, he reminds readers that taking control of one’s finances doesn’t require complex systems, but rather clear goals and systematic decisions. His story is an inspiring example of how patience and focus can change the direction of an entire life and create meaningful positive change. 
1. Tell us who you are in fifty words.
I am a 36-year-old man and hold a Master of Science in Engineering. I am interested in self-improvement, especially from a financial perspective. I write a personal finance blog at taloudellinenajattelu.fi, where I document my personal journey to becoming a millionaire and everything I experience and realize along the way. My goal is to be a millionaire before turning 40, and I have set up my life to make this goal possible.
2. Tell us three things few people in public know about you.
I write my blog under a pseudonym, so naturally, there are many things few people know about me. Here are a few things I opened up about when I started the blog years ago. When I finished my university studies, I was completely penniless. I was able to buy my first car for work because my father financed it with a grand. A few months down the road, I had already opened an investment portfolio and started an exciting new hobby called stock picking. Naturally, my first investments were Nokia and Nordea. The annual return of my first investment years was gruesome.
3. What interests and hobbies do you have besides investing?
I’m pretty lazy when it comes to hobbies, and I try to avoid committing to extra routines that aren’t somehow tied to my goal of becoming a millionaire. For this reason, my hobbies are things that can be done casually without feeling guilty if there’s a long break at some point. Right now, most of my time is spent on a busy job and with a 5-month-old child, and the few spare hours here and there have been spent on the PlayStation. I’ve played (Japanese) role-playing games on various consoles all my life, and that hobby is still going strong.
4. What is a regular weekday like for you?
I wake up an hour or an hour and a half before my first commitment, which is usually a work meeting, but sometimes a commute. I like to eat breakfast in peace while scrolling through X and the news. Workdays normally consist of meetings from nine to five and can easily stretch until six. After that, family life and everyday chores begin, such as cooking or shoveling snow. In the evening, depending on the situation, an hour might open up for my own hobbies, like reading a book or playing PlayStation. Then it’s time for bed.
5. What kind of investor are you?
I used to be an active stock picker, but I’ve realized I’m pretty average at it, and the time spent on stock picking has therefore been hard to justify. Now I focus more on earning more and investing patiently in funds. I use the time freed up from stock research on family life and other hobbies. I am giving up potential excess returns, but at the same time, the risk level of my investing has decreased. I don’t necessarily shun volatility, but I’ve also noticed that a relatively steady rise in investments suits me better than wild swings.
6. What does your investment history look like?
I started with stock picking in Finnish blue-chip “people’s stocks” and, naturally, bought into the talk about dividends being essential. So, I mainly invested in Finnish dividend companies. As I studied investing deeper, I realized I needed to focus even more on return on capital and long-term growth prospects. This kicked off a shift toward picking high-quality small caps. My stock picks still reflect this background and were chosen with the idea that time is the investor’s friend as the companies I own gradually grow their revenue and, consequently, their earnings. About five years ago, I decided to diversify my investment risks by starting fund savings, and now I have pretty much transitioned to being a fund investor regarding new capital allocation. I have also been hodling Bitcoin since 2018, when I looked into it more closely. Considering the timeframe, my returns from Bitcoin are very modest, but still well in the green. The best result would have come from not making any moves and simply holding the positions.
7. What does your stock and fund portfolio look like, and what are its largest holdings?
The daily figure fluctuates, but right now my portfolio is worth about 280,000 euros, of which 45% is in ETFs (USA, World, Emerging Markets, Europe) and the rest in direct stock picks. The largest stock holding is Harvia, with Qt as a close second. In addition, I entered the Sifter Fund with a weight of 50,000 euros, which focuses on quality stock picking. I got excited about this actively managed fund because they do exactly what I should be doing as a stock picker, but I simply lack the time, resources, and energy.
8. What does your stock-picking process normally look like, step by step?
Lately, I’ve mostly been doing fund investing, but generally, if I make direct picks, I want to buy companies that have plenty of runway to grow profitably and where the return on capital is high. In addition, the valuation must be at an attractive level relative to potential, and both management and the board of directors must be convincing. I review the ownership structure just enough to ensure there are no significant risks, such as state ownership. So, I don’t build any complicated Excel models or massive comparative tables of different metrics. Perhaps this is also why my returns have been mediocre; the process hasn’t been rigorous enough.
9. What does your fund selection process normally look like, step by step?
I have automated all my fund investing. A chosen sum leaves my bank account on a specific date to the investment account, from where it automatically goes into funds on a certain day of the month. For funds, I have selected broad geographical coverage, but the main focus is on the USA. I believe in the continued success of the US as an economic region, as it is home to most of the successful tech companies and its political process has demonstrated the ability to regenerate, as the recent election of Trump as president shows. Over the long term, this provides resilience to absorb changes in the world.
10. What does your wealth consist of, and how is it distributed? (e.g., apartment 30 percent, stocks 20 percent, etc.)
My net worth is divided into stock market investments, funds, an investment property, Bitcoin, my own home, a car, and a small amount of other miscellaneous assets. Around 280,000 euros is in the stock market, 50,000 euros in funds, the debt-free portion of the investment property is about 50,000 euros, around 40,000 euros in Bitcoin, 50,000 euros in my own home, 45,000 euros in the car, and other stuff around 35,000 euros. So, over half a million euros in total. A precise breakdown and the daily figure can be found on my blog, which I update regularly once a month.
11. What do you currently think of Bitcoin as an investment?
Bitcoin is a good diversifier for an investment portfolio, but the wild days are in the past. So one shouldn’t expect historical returns to repeat. In terms of risk, I do see scenarios where Bitcoin could very well go to zero or crash, but I can’t say how that risk would trigger in practice. Similarly, it’s very difficult to estimate how much upside potential there is in the price. Historically, crashes have been good opportunities to buy more. Perhaps the next crash will be another good accumulation opportunity.
12. What are your most important sources of information in investing? Mention at least five and explain your choices.
I’ve settled on a few go-to sources that I mainly follow. On X, I follow a wide range of investors and macroeconomists, and it’s an excellent source for news and analysis. On YouTube, Traders’ Club provides a great overview of the macro outlook. Inderes is an outstanding source for company-specific news and analysis, and they also host company quarterly reports, which I actively follow. Working as a CFO myself, it’s interesting to listen to how colleagues handle topics in webcasts. I also enjoy watching the dynamic between the CEO and the CFO in those broadcasts and imagining myself in the CFO’s shoes.
13. How do you control your emotions in investing and in your personal finances overall? Often, emotional reasons (e.g., FOMO) lead to major financial misjudgments.
I’m by no means immune to emotions in investing and personal finances, but I have consciously worked on managing this aspect. In investing, for example, during the bubble euphoria of 2021, I bought Tecnotree, which turned out to be an extremely poor investment. One could also argue that purchasing my Tesla was at least partially emotionally driven, and a decent car could be had for less. Additionally, we live in a house that is too big for our needs, which we fell in love with at first sight. It is very hard to completely remove emotions from the equation when dealing with money. I try to manage my spending by making an annual budget, during which I consider what I truly need and what is essential. This helps eliminate unnecessary purchases, but I still find myself buying things every year that weren’t budgeted. When it comes to investing, I’ve shifted more and more toward monthly savings, which helps significantly with emotions since the saving process is fully automated. Somewhat ironically, the less time and energy I spend thinking about money and investing, the fewer opportunities I give for emotions to interfere.
14. You have a goal of reaching a net worth of one million euros before you turn 40. Could you tell us about that?
Years ago, I decided that I wanted to be a millionaire. It sounded and felt exciting. I listened to my feelings and concluded that this is what I want. I thought it would be great to be a millionaire before turning 40 because then I’d still have time to enjoy my wealth. The timeframe also felt suitably challenging, yet long enough that I could influence the outcome through my own actions. That’s how it all started. After the beginning, I noticed that things weren’t progressing the way I wanted, and I figured that maybe by writing out my thoughts for everyone to read, I could gain clarity and get things on the right track. Writing worked better than I could have imagined. I organized my thoughts and sharpened my focus. I made better investments, and especially better moves in my career. I kept expenses in check. I gained followers and peer bloggers to discuss the goal with. The goal has changed my entire life, because reaching a million within such a tight timeframe is so demanding that your whole life has to be fine-tuned around it. The changes have been purely positive; nowadays, I wake up every morning excited and full of energy, and I enjoy life. When challenges arise in life, I now try to resolve them quickly and permanently so they don’t disrupt my positive energy.
15. You have achieved financial balance and are now able to invest regularly. How have the scarcity and carelessness with money from your student days shaped your relationship with money and investing today?
During my student years, money was really tight. Every euro spent had to be considered carefully. When transitioning into working life, this left me with an acute awareness of expenses. As my income rose, I didn’t increase my spending; instead, I invested the extra income, thinking I would buy all the extra fun things with the returns on my investments later. I still have this mentality, albeit in a slightly different form. My expenses have indeed grown significantly over the years, but instead of the absolute spending level, I monitor my savings rate, which I want to keep above 50%. Nowadays, I no longer think that I want to live off my investment returns alone, because I genuinely enjoy work life and aim to focus on continuing to enjoy it in the future. In practice, this means my job needs to be sufficiently challenging and work needs to be fun. If I can’t laugh and smile at work, sooner or later I’ll likely vote with my feet.
16. In your blog, you emphasize the importance of financial thinking. What do you consider the biggest obstacle preventing people from developing their financial mindset, and how do you believe you can influence this through your writings?
The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve reached the conclusion that the only obstacle is our habits. If you are used to doing things a certain way, changing that can be really difficult, and for some, even impossible. If you are used to spending your entire paycheck month after month, saving can feel like an impossible idea. If you’re used to saving but not investing, investing can feel like an impossible idea. If you are used to controlling spending, saving, and investing regularly, spending your entire paycheck month after month can feel like an impossible idea. I hope that through my writing, I can guide my readers to save and invest more and give them a living example that this is another way to live and operate.
17. In under two hundred words, how would you advise an employed person to start saving and managing their finances when they currently have no money left over because cash is flying left and right?
Saving and investing is not technically difficult and doesn’t require any special expertise. By far the most important thing is what happens inside your own head. If you decide that you want to save, want to invest, and want to build wealth, the actions will follow. Without that will, nothing will happen. So, decide that you want to take control of your finances and do something about it. What is that “something”? Start by mapping out your monthly expenses. Where does the money go? This information is essential to understand what trade-offs you must make to build up savings. It also reveals opportunities to cut costs without impacting your lifestyle at all. Maybe a forgotten subscription is still running? Maybe you can shop around for better insurance rates? Maybe you can choose a cheaper alternative? Expense management is key. The next most important step is increasing income without letting spending rise alongside it. All additional earnings go straight into savings. This is a painless way to boost your savings rate because you don’t have to give up anything. Just make sure not to inflate your lifestyle. At its core, the fundamentals are no more complex than that. After that, if the goal is truly to build wealth, it pays to study investing more broadly. The hours spent studying will pay for themselves many times over. Keep investing simple, because in investing, complexity doesn’t increase returns. Personally, I favor monthly saving into low-cost, broadly diversified funds.
18. How have you already enjoyed the wealth brought by investing in concrete ways?
I enjoy it every day. We live in a large stone house by a lake, and I drive a Tesla bought with cash. Neither would have been an option if we had to max out our finances with leverage. In addition, the peace of mind and the range of possibilities brought by wealth are things that are hard to put a price tag on. Quite simply, it just feels good and makes life brighter. I feel I am a kinder person to those around me as well, because I strive to project unconditional positivity. Why wouldn’t I? I am lucky, in a good position, and it costs nothing.
19. Do you have any ideas for Alokas on how to start building a concrete plan and goal toward one million euros?
First, consider how quickly you want to reach that goal. Over a longer timeframe, compound interest has more time to exert a stronger effect. Over a shorter timeframe, you’ll have to focus more heavily on expense control and income growth. Think about what you’re willing to commit to and adapt your life accordingly. If you want to become a millionaire quickly, be prepared to restructure your entire life around that goal. If you choose a longer timeframe, focus on establishing a strict routine with a monthly savings program and choose low-risk investments that still have a solid expected return. Doing the basics right with consistency and patience will take you very far.
20. What would you like to thank the Finnish investment community for?
The Finnish investment community is fantastic. Investing unites forward-looking, sharp, and ambitious citizens. This makes for an inspiring and supportive peer group for anyone dreaming of building wealth. I am a product of this community myself. When I finished my studies at university, I was broke and had no direction in life. The Finnish investment community pulled me in and set me on the path to building wealth. Thank you all for that!
Thank you so much for the answers! 
Pretty impressive results can often be achieved by working hard, and as Taloudellinen Ajattelu put it: “Doing the basics right with consistency and patience will take you very far.”
I recommend giving him a follow on X:
I recommend at least as much checking out his blog and website:
Thank you everyone, and have a great weekend!
EDIT: Well look at that, he is on the Forum too: @Taloudellinen_Ajatte