Dead money, living money 

One of the biggest mistakes I see women make with money is this: they work incredibly hard to build it, then leave too much of it stuck in cash. 

I understand why. 

When you’ve worked hard for your money, sacrificed for it, worried about it, and maybe had periods in life where there wasn’t much spare, your instinct is to protect it. To keep it safe. To not make a wrong move. 

That is completely understandable. 

But money that is overprotected can become money that underperforms. 

The seed tin problem

Think of it like a packet of seeds. 

You can plant them in the garden, where they’ll face wind, rain, cold snaps and the odd battering. Or you can leave them in the tin on the shelf, where they are perfectly safe. 

The tin looks sensible. Responsible, even. 

Nothing happens to the seeds in the tin. They stay exactly as they are. 

But that’s the issue. Nothing happens. 

Five years later, the seeds in the ground may have grown into something strong and useful. The seeds in the tin are still just seeds. 

And that’s how a lot of women treat their money. 

They keep it in cash because cash feels safe. It doesn’t move around much. It doesn’t look alarming. It doesn’t give them sleepless nights in the same way investing can. 

But cash has a problem. It quietly loses ground. 

The real risk most people ignore 

Most people think risk means their money going down in value. 

That is a risk, of course. 

But it’s not the only one, and it’s not always the biggest one. 

There is another risk that gets far less attention: your money failing to keeping up with real life. 

If your money is sitting in cash while the cost of living keeps rising, you may feel like you’re being sensible, but in reality your spending power is being chipped away. Quietly. Consistently. Year after year. 

So when I look at someone’s finances, I’m not just asking, “Is this money protected?” 

I’m asking, “Will this money still do the job you need it to do in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time?” 

Because that is what matters. 

Money is not there to be admired. It is there to support your life. 

Dead money: when safety becomes costly

Some money is, bluntly, dead money. 

Cash is the obvious example. It holds its number, but that number often buys less as the years go on. On paper it can look intact. In real life it is likely slowly shrinking. 

That’s what makes it so deceptive. 

Dead money often feels safe because it looks stable. But stable is not the same as effective. 

If your money is not growing, and inflation is doing its thing in the background, then your money may be standing still while your future gets more expensive. 

Living money: giving your wealth a job

Living money is different. It is money invested in productive things. Usually that means owning shares in real businesses. Businesses run by real people, selling real products and services, solving real problems, and trying to grow. 

When you own part of those businesses, your money has the opportunity to grow with them. 

That doesn’t mean it moves in a straight line. It won’t. 

There will be dips. Bad headlines. Nervy periods. Times when it feels easier to give up and run back to cash. 

But over the long term, this is where your money has the best chance of keeping pace with inflation and growing into something more useful. 

That is the point. 

• Not to chase excitement.
• Not to gamble.
• Not to be reckless. 

To give your money a fighting chance of doing what it needs to do. 

Why so many women stay with the tin 

Because emotionally, the tin is comforting. 

You can open it, look inside, and see that everything is still there. That feels reassuring. 

Investing is harder emotionally because it asks you to tolerate movement. It asks you not to panic every time markets wobble. It asks you to think long term in a world that constantly pushes you to react short term. 

That is not easy. 

And let’s be honest, many women haven’t been taught to feel confident about investing. They’ve been taught to be careful, responsible, sensible, not to get things wrong. 

So they do what feels prudent. They hold back. 

But being too careful can cost you dearly. 

Sometimes the safest-looking option is the one doing the most damage over time. 

What I want women to understand about cash and investing

I’m not saying every pound should be invested. 

• You still need cash reserves.
• You still need emergency money.
• You still need the right balance for your goals, timescale and attitude to risk. 

But I am saying this: if too much of your money is sitting on the sidelines for too long, it may not be protecting you at all. 

It may be holding you back. 

Your money needs a job. 

Some of it needs to keep you secure today. Some of it needs to grow for tomorrow. The key is knowing the difference — and not confusing “this feels safe” with “this is helping me build the future I want.”

The tin will always feel safer. 

But the garden is where growth happens. 

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