Chloe Radley, a 34-year-old single mother from Romford, East London, has devised a plan to save nearly half a million pounds for her three-year-old daughter Sienna by the time she turns 18. Since Sienna's birth, Radley has asked friends and family to give money instead of presents for birthdays and Christmas, depositing all cash gifts into a savings account.
How the Savings Plan Works
Radley, a content creator, accumulated £9,000 from gifts and her own contributions by December 2025, which she then placed into a Junior Stocks & Shares ISA with Hargreaves Lansdown. The investment has since grown to £11,248, a 12.98% increase. She aims to deposit £9,000 annually—the maximum allowed—by supplementing gift money with her wages. If successful, she projects the pot could reach £459,000 by Sienna's 18th birthday, thanks to compound growth at an estimated 8–10% annual return.
Family Support and Early Gifts
Radley received £2,000 at her baby shower and £1,500 after Sienna's birth, all of which went into savings. Each year, birthday and Christmas money averages £1,000, and she also sells Sienna's old clothes and toys to add to the fund. When possible, she contributes £100–£300 from her monthly salary.
Investment Strategy
After learning about Junior Stocks & Shares ISAs from Martin Lewis's show and TikTok research, Radley moved the savings from a children's account to the ISA. She invested in the S&P 500 and Vanguard Global ETF. The account's value fluctuates; it recently stood at £10,947. Radley plans to continue investing gift money and hopes to reach the £9,000 annual limit each year.
Teaching Financial Literacy
As Sienna grows, Radley will maintain the no-present policy, noting that her daughter receives plenty of toys from parents. She intends to teach Sienna to save 20% of her future earnings, a habit Radley learned from her own mother. Radley hopes Sienna will use the money for a house deposit, acknowledging the rising difficulty of getting onto the property ladder.
Potential Outcomes
Radley explained: “If I am lucky enough to be able to invest the full £9,000 every year into her account, I would have deposited around £162,000 by the time she is 18. With the power of compounding and the rate of return usually being between 8-10% per year, this could mean she has £459,000 in her account by age 18.” She added, “Anything would be helpful to her though. Things are so hard for my generation, and it's going to be 10 times harder for hers.”
