Hi everyone! I have been lurking on and off on this forum for a few years now and learned a lot from it.
I wanted to share my story so far and maybe get some opinions and inputs.
I’m going to turn 29 in a couple months, I have a bachelor’s degree in software engineering and currently work as an automation engineer in canton Neuchâtel.
I got my degree in 2021, found my first “real” job in April 2022 as a software developer for a company in JU. The salary was CHF 75’400/year (gross). I was still living with my father then so my expenses were low. I opened a 3a with postfinance (which was my bank then) and started to learn about finance. My plan was to work full-time for 5 years, putting as much money aside as I could (goal was saving 30k/year).
My reasoning was:
- this job is relatively low pressure (I get assigned tasks, I code them, done. No responsibilities outside of this. 2 days of home-office, 37h30/week). I can manage a relatively balanced life with that
- I wanted to build a portfolio generating enough growth by itself for me to contribute less into it from my work income and therefore work fewer stressful hours. I assumed a 4% average yearly growth, it means 6k per year that will add itself to my portfolio without doing anything
I moved out of my father’s place in October 2022 to live on my own. In January 2023 I got a raise to CHF 77’805/year (+185 CHF/month gross). However I started to hate working there, the tasks were poorly defined and had me run after Product Owners and clients all the time, had to conduct bunch of analysis on them, often leading to meetings resulting in abandoning the tasks because it just didn’t make any sense implementing them (and then get assigned the same exact task 3 months later like everyone forgot). The work environment started weighing on me as well: “jokes” all the time (sexist, racist, whatever-phobic…), comments behind people’s backs, bullying, etc. Those were there from the start, I had reported them to HR and my manager at the end of my first three months, but they dismissed those as jokes and assured me that our blind coworker didn’t see those things as bullying (yep he cannot see it when people are taking pictures of him to share on snapchat, he’s blind. It’s not because he doesn’t know that it’s okay). I ended up quitting the company at the end of 2023, feeling very tired (my manager even told me on my last day that they had a bet that I wouldn’t have the balls to actually quit (?)). I then did 4 months of civilian service to be done with my national service. I was working alone most of the time, it was great to recover a bit mentally. Then I was unemployed for a month and a half before starting in a company in my town in May 2024. I started a psychotherapy at the same time, I had been looking for a psych for about a year.
The company is much smaller than the previous one, I’m the only person with a software engineering background there. I’m currently responsible for all the new developments, and eventually everything related to software (once we can update the older machines with my new software). It’s more responsibilities, but it’s also more rewarding and I can choose (to a point) where things are going and how. I get along with my colleagues. I don’t enjoy all aspects of the job, the main one I dislike is that automation technologies feel like they are 15 years behind other programming languages, which is something frustrating and sometimes worrying if I go back to a “regular” software engineering job in the future… The starting salary was CHF 86’775/year (gross). However I quickly noticed that the second pillar contribution was much better at the previous company (~6k more yearly). I’m still not quite sure of what to do with this information.
They gave me a CHF 100/month raise at the end of 2024 (same for all employees). I argued that it was a joke that didn’t even cover inflation for my rent, and ended up getting 200 (so CHF 89’375/year).
Now I’ve looked up the studies from SwissEngineering and HES-SO alongside Salarium and such, and I think that with what I do there my salary should be more around 105k.
I was diagnosed autistic last year during my psychotherapy. I had suspected it for a long time for a lot of reasons. The psych told me that given all that I could go and claim invalidity insurance to have more accommodations, protected jobs, or some allowance. I don’t really want to. The process is too much and I’m lucky enough to be otherwise healthy and skilled, I should be able to find jobs that fit on my own, even if it might take a bit more effort than for the average person. I already learned how to enforce clear boundaries between work and private life so that work BS doesn’t follow me at home too much.
But let’s get back to my finances (everything in CHF):
| Year | Retirement | Investments | NW |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 30’000 |
| 2022 | 14’000 | 3’300 | 67’800 |
| 2023 | 33’800 | 57’900 | 110’600 |
| 2024 | 47’800 | 91’900 | 154’400 |
| Today | 58’400 | 109’700 | 189’100 |
Retirement is both 2nd and 3rd pillars, I do not count the 1st one. 3rd pillar is invested in world on finpension. I contribute the maximum every year since 2022.
Investments is almost exclusively VT on IBKR.
NW is the sum + cash and rent deposit. No debt of any kind.
My goal was to build a 150k portfolio in 5 years. I’m a bit more than 3.5 years in, so I’m on track. If we count the 3rd pillar which is also invested in something similar to VT, I’ll be there by the end of the year (unless something outside my power happens heh).
I was thinking about talking to my manager to reduce my hours to 90 or 80% to have shorter work days. Not now as I feel it’s a bit early (plus I’m full throttle on a project for a delivery in a couple months, which is exciting), but next year. On the other hand there’s also that I think this job should pay way more (105k instead of 90k), and I’m unsure how to approach this.
Should I ask for a raise and then later next year ask to lower my hours? Should I bring up both topics together, essentially asking to be paid the same for less hours? Should I bring up lowering my hours only when they hit me with the “we don’t have more money to give you”?
Here are my average monthly expenses for the year / and the budget I planned at the end of last year:
| Category | Actual spending | Planned spending |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (incl. electricity) | 1’142 | 1’140 |
| Health | 441 | 450 |
| Taxes | 1086 | 1100 |
| Groceries | 302 | 320 |
| Transport | 103 | 80 |
| Phone & Internet | 53 | 55 |
| Clothing | 30 | 50 |
| Liability insurance, fees and other mandatory expenses | 35 | 10 |
| Hobbies | 321 | 300 |
| Going out | 76 | 100 |
| Gifts | 25 | 30 |
| Holidays | 16 | 50 |
| Subscriptions | 14 | 15 |
| Total | 3’643 | 3’700 |
| Savings & investments | 3’750 | 3’000 |
Projected monthly income: 6’700
Actual monthly income: 7’393
I’ve been slowly selling a collection of trading cards over the last couple years. This year I sold one for a few thousands, which is mostly why my actual monthly income is ~700.- higher than what I expected. The other reasons are dividends (I don’t plan for them but still count them as income, maybe it’s dumb), and I inherited some money from a grandparent.
I’m happy with how much I saved and invested the past few years. I’ll keep investing, it’s kind of a part of my budget now. However I’ve been feeling like the money allocated for my hobbies and leisure is getting very thin, especially when I go on dates as I try to find a partner. I think I’ll soon be ready to shift my investment strategy towards a more “easy going” one.
Thanks for reading me, any advice/input/question is welcome 
