Having recognised the stress and mess accumulated from working in one of the world’s busiest cities for years, Adriana Lica decided to take on a minimalist lifestyle at the end of 2019. We sat down with Adriana to talk about her decision to live simply and her investing journey. Read on to learn about how to be more with less.  

 

Tell us about yourself.

 

I’m a Toronto-raised Moldavian, and I’ve been working across a number of industries in APAC for the past 11 years. Before working as the Director of Growth at Hula, a buy-now-pay-later platform, I was the Head of Product Marketing at HSBC for 4 years where I launched PayMe. 

 

I love to explore new things in my downtime in Hong Kong; whether that’s going to new restaurants or doing a new hike trail or going to an art gallery. 

 

(Shared by Adraina Lica (@adrianalica) on Instagram)

 

What was your first relationship with money?

 

I got a student scholarship when I was living in Romania with my grandparents at 10 – that’s when I first became aware of savings. They just sent me cash every week, but I didn’t know what to do with the money; I was just too young to understand what to do with it. My grandparents weren’t of much help either so the money was just sitting there.

 

When did you actually start noticing your relationship with money has changed?

 

Savings and investing truly became something I know I have to do for myself when I was 14. I told myself that I have to start making my own money if I want to visit my grandparents in Romania and Ukraine after moving to Toronto with my family. 

 

How did you learn about investing?

 

Money wasn’t really a concept for me until high school – that’s when I started learning about savings and investing out of my own curiosity. The investment knowledge back in Moldova is pretty basic and my parents didn’t teach me how to manage my money when I was a kid. 

 

So moving to Canada made me realise there’s a level of wealth you can achieve. The amount of wealth in this city (Hong Kong) actually wowed me: I remember seeing on the news the most expensive apartment ever sold was over 400 million.

 

(Shared by Adraina Lica (@adrianalica) on Instagram)

 

How do you save and how do you invest?

 

For me, investing means that I guarantee myself a certain lifestyle that I want in the far future. It’s a means to an end and for me, that end is having a certain lifestyle.

 

I invest 80% of my wealth – the money I don’t touch and won’t touch for the next 10-15 years – into long-term strategies. I play around with the other 20% on something short-term like stock trading. I love to try out new things in the market, but I obviously do my research before investing.

 

How has your social circle influenced your investment decisions?

 

If there’s something new in the market, I hear it from my friends in Beijing who are working for crypto exchanges. They are the one who influenced me to get crypto. For other investments, I generally just rely on my own research.

 

Could you share with us your thoughts on your investment journey?

 

I find it challenging – there’s no playbook nor an app that can take you from zero to a professional day trader. It actually took me a while to learn how to trade. Frankly, I still find it tough to find the right information before I make an investment decision. So I think there’s a lot to be improved in the wealth management space.

 

(Shared by Adraina Lica (@adrianalica) on Instagram)

 

Why did you decide to go for a minimalist lifestyle?

 

After working in Asia for the past decade, I realised I wasn’t sure where I wanted to be working next. I was looking around my apartment one day and was overwhelmed by the amount of things I found at home. On top of that, everything happening in Hong Kong fuelled that negative feeling inside of me.

 

I needed to change and the only way was to remove the clutter from my life – both physically and mentally. In practical terms, I got rid of all my furniture, 80% of my clothes, and essentially just compressed my life into a luggage. I feel more free after – there’s absolutely nothing stopping me if I want to just pick up my luggage and go. 

 

Once I’m free from the desire to buy, I started spending money on experiences that will enrich my life. I invest in experiences that I’ll remember for years to come, experiences that will be beautiful memories – a pair of new jeans isn’t going to be a beautiful memory.

 

What’s your money goal?

 

My main investment goal is to have a house in Italy where I’d be painting in a villa when I retire. Another goal is to invest to give back to the society, whether it’s investing in a school project or running a grant programme for kids who want to study abroad. 

 

I’ve always wanted to start up a school or education program back in my home town – I’d love to see more Moldavians out there in the world doing what I do. There’s no Moldavian community around me, no matter where I go; so I would love to create more opportunities for kids from Moldova.
 

 

 

 

 

About us

AQUMON is a Hong Kong based award-winning financial technology company. Our mission is to leverage smart technology to make next-generation investment services affordable, transparent and accessible to both institutional clients and the general public. Through its proprietary algorithms and scalable, technical infrastructure, AQUMON’s automated platform empowers anyone to invest and maximise their returns. AQUMON has partnered with more than 100 financial institutions in Hong Kong and beyond, including AIA, CMB Wing Lung Bank, ChinaAMC, and Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, affiliate of BOC International Holdings Limited, Zheng He Capital Management and Cyberport are among AQUMON's investors. 

 

The brand is held under Magnum Research Limited and is licensed with Type 1, 4 and 9 under the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong. AQUMON is also licensed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).

 

Disclaimer

Viewers should note that the views and opinions expressed in this material do not necessarily represent those of Magnum Research Group and its founders and employees. Magnum Research Group does not provide any representation or warranty, whether express or implied in the material, in relation to the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the information contained herein nor is it intended to be a complete statement or summary of the financial markets or developments referred to in this material. This material is presented solely for informational and educational purposes and has not been prepared with regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific recipient. Viewers should not construe the contents of this material as legal, tax, accounting, regulatory or other specialist of technical advice or services or investment advice or a personal recommendation. It should not be regarded by viewers as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgement. Viewers should always seek expert advice to aid decision on whether or not to use the product presented in the marketing material. This material does not constitute a solicitation, offer, or invitation to any person to invest in the intellectual property products of Magnum Research Group, nor does it constitute a solicitation, offer, or invitation to any person who resides in the jurisdiction where the local securities law prohibits such offer. Investment involves risk. The value of investments and its returns may go up and down and cannot be guaranteed. Investors may not be able to recover the original investment amount. Changes in exchange rates may also result in an increase or decrease in the value of investments. Any investment performance information presented is for demonstration purposes only and is no indication of future returns. Any opinions expressed in this material may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by other business areas or groups of Magnum Research Limited and has not been updated. Neither Magnum Research Limited nor any of its founders, directors, officers, employees or agents accepts any liability for any loss or damage arising out of the use of all or any part of this material or reliance upon any information contained herein.