Isabelle Daza opened up about her financial journey and how she managed to buy her first apartment while still in her 20s.
In an interview with Nicole Andersson on the Solo Flight Podcast, Isabelle recounted how disciplined savings from her early modeling days paved the way for her significant investment.
"I started working when I was quite young. I think 18, I did my first ad with Bench [by] Ben Chan that's why I named my first apartment after him," she shared.
She credited her mother, former beauty queen and actress Gloria Diaz, for instilling strong financial values from a young age. Isabelle explained: "My mom was really, really adamant that I don't spend that money. And so, I would do a few commercials left and right, but I didn't change my lifestyle."
Instead of indulging in luxuries, Isabelle maintained a modest approach. "I didn't change the way I spent money. So, I would take maybe 80 percent or 90 percent of my earnings and just put it aside," she recalled.
The actress further recounted how her mother taught her about careful spending through a memorable moment involving an iPod Video.
"There was one [time] when the iPod Video came in and I was like, 'Mom please I just want to buy this iPod Video,' and she was like, 'It's too expensive. Like you're not gonna spend on this one thing.' And I finally made a deal with her I said like, 'Okay look, if I do one or three commercials then I can buy.' She said, 'That's the only thing you can buy this year,'" she recounted.
Reflecting on her experiences, Isabelle emphasized: "My mom played a huge role in teaching me the value of money."
She added that starting work at a young age helped her understood the value of money early on.
These financial lessons ultimately allowed Isabelle to make her first significant investment. "I was able to buy my first flat when I was in my 20s. And I did borrow a little bit of money for that, but I was able to pay it back," she relayed.