Hands up who else is glued to their TV at 9pm every night at the moment? Admitting this is very ‘un-personal finance I know, spending so much time on something so unproductive… But Love Island is not only fun, it can teach us a thing or two about personal finance…

Naturally, I’ve rounded up some of these personal finance lessons into a blog post, which hopefully we can all benefit from.

The Love Island money lessons I’ll cover in this post are:

1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
2. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
3. Be genuine
4. Don’t try and keep up with the Joneses
5. Move away from 100% your type on paper

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

‘I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket’, is one of the most common phrases on Love Island.

While this behaviour can seem a bit ‘muggy’ on the show, in reality it’s good advice. Every season, someone gets let down by sticky to a partner too early on, whose head eventually gets turned.

When investing, not putting all your eggs in one basket is crucial. Diversification is so important. Investing in just one asset – or one specific type of asset – can be dangerous. If that one asset performs badly, or the company goes bust, you could risk losing all your money.

Instead, it’s best to invest in a range of assets. Global index funds can be a good way to do this relatively easily.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is

There’s an unwritten rule that whenever things are going too well on Love Island, something bad is about to happen, or at least the producers are going to stir things up.

If anything seems too good to be true, it is. This is true with your finances.

If a deal, or an investment opportunity or a ‘business opportunity’ seems like it’s too good to be true, run. 

You may end up far worse off than you were before if you try one of these opportunities. Stick to the basics and avoid anything shiny and exciting.

Finances is a long game.

Be genuine

Don’t impersonate others or try to present yourself in a way that’s different to who you are. On Love Island, these characters always get found out eventually.

The same is true in real life. Don’t post online in a way that isn’t true to yourself.

Selling courses about how to make £1000s when you have £50 in your bank account is not ok – it is also very ingenuine and you will get found out.

Of course, this is an extreme example, but there’s lots of people out there doing this on a lower level. In the end you will get found out.

The people who are most successful are the ones that are honest and open about who they are.

Don’t try and keep up with the Joneses

This leads on from the previous point.

Don’t try and keep up with everyone else. Often on reality TV all the contestants are trying to impress on another. This leads to them moving further away from who they were originally and spending a lot of time and effort on being someone they’re not.

In real life, this has an impact on your finances. Constantly spending to try and keep up with your friends or people on social media will put a significant dent in your budget.

You may even end up in debt if you keep this up.

Instead, find joy in things within your price range. It’s very possible to be happy without the latest designer outfit or car!

Move away from 100% your type on paper

The person who you’re most physically attracted to is not always the one you’ll end up with. How many times have we seen this happen on Love Island (and in real life)?

With your finances sometimes you have to move away from your comfort zone to be successful. Maybe it’s applying for the job you really want but might not be fully qualified for, maybe it’s starting a side hustle, or maybe it finally breaking your credit card habit.

Whatever it is, breaking out of your comfort zone could lead to great things.

Don’t forget to follow me on social media @Katie20Percent to keep up to date with all my latest posts.

Did you know I offer freelance writing services and personal finance workshops and talks for schools, workplaces and organisations? I also regularly feature in the media. Get in touch via kroyalsfreelance@gmail.com or reach out on Twitter @Katie20Percent if you’d like to find out more.

If you found this post about the personal finance lessons we can learn from Love Island fun, please like it and share it on social media or with your friends. Do you like Love Island? Do you think there are money lessons we can learn from the show? Comment your thoughts below, I’d love to hear them!