🟪 I bought a holiday house in Sicily (cash! no loans! and no, it’s not a 1€ ruin)

🇫🇷 Esther Moisy-Kirschbaum, 35, trend forecaster and writer of Oblique Forecasting

I discovered Esther Moisy-Kirschbaum the way I discover most people I want to be friends with: through a newsletter where she explains why and how she bought a secondary house in Sicily, by herself and in cash (and no, it’s not one of these 1€ houses).

It was issue 9 of her excellent newsletter Oblique Forecasting and I just remember being impressed by:

• How she broke down the financial logic behind buying a home in Sicily over one in Paris + her strong points demystifying the pressure to buy.

• The way she made this bold decision sounds both intuitive and well thought-out.

• And her overall badassery badasserie (because 🇫🇷).

Since then, I’ve been following the renovations of her Casa MK on Instagram + loving Esther’s writing, discovering concepts and trends, and admiring the hell out of her branding on Substack :

I’m so excited to introduce her to you today and to get to know her better myself.

Just FYI, I already have a follow-up question I’m hoping she’ll answer in the comments:

Esther, When is the Sicily Substack writers’ retreat?

NAME: Esther Moisy-Kirschbaum

AGE: 35

FROM: I grew up in France, lived abroad for all of my twenties (Istanbul, London, Berlin, Vilnius and Dubai) and currently live in Paris.

ASTRO: I'm a Virgo sun & moon, Scorpio rising. Notable: I have a stellium in Virgo and another one in Capricorn which apparently says something about my relationship with money.

LOVES: On a micro level: I crave movement every day (walking, Pilates, swimming). On a macro level: I find joy in travelling.

MISSION(S): As a child, my dream job was "inventor" and I serve that mission by focusing on innovation and feeding my intuition for things to come.

JOB(S)/PROJECT(S): My 9 to 5: I'm the Head of Content of Magma, a newsletter diving into upcoming business trends. My 5 to 9: I also write a newsletter in my spare time called Oblique Forecasting. The ideas I tap into for both end up forming a virtuous circle instead of being in competition with each other.

SURPRISE(S): I studied fashion design which usually comes as a surprise given what I currently do, and I still make myself clothes from time to time. Which I enjoy as a non-monetised, non-publicised hobby.

🟣 Which types of purchases do you tend to buy impulsively?

🔘 Clothing

🔘 Shoes / Accessories

🔘 Takeout / Food deliveries

🔘 Groceries

✅ Beauty / wellness products and services

🔘 Electronics and gadgets

🔘 Home decor

🔘 Subscriptions (apps, streaming services, memberships)

🔘 Others…

🟣 What is one positive thing about your money behavior? 

I arguably have amassed A LOT of clothes and accessories but I'm not an impulse buyer at all and thus rarely regret my purchases. With my fashion background I also value quality fabrics and cuts which means I prefer buying out of season or secondhand designer pieces over trends and I keep things for a long time.

🟣 Which one of your money habits do you suspect annoys your partner/family/friends?

I tend to be more of an ant rather than a grasshopper (is The Grasshopper and the Ant known outside of France?). Although I'd never rub it in someone's face, I've noticed that those more on the grasshopper end of the spectrum see my saving and planning behaviour as something that highlights their own insecurities. I try to be the voice of reason if anyone asks for advice (not unprompted) but some people perceive it as being judgemental.

🟣 On a scale of 1 to 10, how wealthy do you feel today? (1 not at all - 10 very)

6

🟣 On a scale of 1 to 10, how emotionally rich do you feel today? (1 not at all - 10 very)

7

🟣 How do you feel about talking with others about how much you make, navigating raises, or the stress of job negotiations?

🔘 Open: “I’m comfortable talking about this openly with anyone.”

✅ Selective: “I’d discuss this, but only with certain people.”

🔘 Taboo: “This topic is off-limits—I’m not comfortable talking about it with anyone.”

🟣 Do you ever catch yourself saying things like, 'Investing is just for smart people,' 'Math was never my thing, so finance isn’t for me,' or 'I’m just not good with numbers, so why even try'?

🔘 Yes

🔘 Occasionally

🔘 Not often

✅ No

🟣 Are you more envious of:

(A) someone who is similar to you in most respects but is a bit wealthier (say 50% wealthier) or

(B) more envious of Bill Gates?

A for sure! With all my moves across countries and industries I sometimes feel a bit left out and like I haven't always played my cards right. Seeing someone who can afford a ton of lavish holidays or with a much bigger apartment does make me feel envious.

🟣 How would you feel sharing with others about debt, unpaid bills, or living paycheck to paycheck?

🔘 Open: “I’m comfortable talking about this openly with anyone.”

✅ Selective: “I’d discuss this, but only with certain people.”

🔘 Taboo: “This topic is off-limits—I’m not comfortable talking about it with anyone.”

🟣 Does your spending style resemble your parents, or did you rebel?

Interestingly, my siblings and I all have different relationships to money despite having the same two parents. I can identify two reasons: my (much older) siblings grew up with a version of our parents making less money, and we all went into different lines of work. Our parents worked almost their whole career in the public sector, giving them a huge amount of financial stability, but they're very risk-averse. I've inherited their knack for saving but I've also started investing at a much younger age, with a more diversified and dynamic portfolio.

🟣 Do you pass the compulsive buying test?

You can take the test here.

I scored 2.2 on the compulsive buying test! I already knew that about myself. I prefer shopping online because it allows me to sleep on a purchase decision rather than having to decide on the spot. On the other hand, I do spend time comparing and internally moodboarding, which doesn't feel super productive.

🟣 What are a couple of common sayings or proverbs about money in the country/ies you're from?

"Les bons comptes font les bons amis" (good accounting makes for good friends). "Friends" is used loosely here to include one's family and partner too. One of my exes was super stingy, another one was a spendthrift. It's sometimes hard to address early on but mismatched spending or saving styles and generosity can become a huge elephant in the room.

🟣 If your bank account could talk, what would it reveal is your greatest extravagance?

Aside from the holiday house I bought (cash! without loans!) in November of last year [you can follow the renovs here on Instagram] my biggest ever purchase was a Lady Dior bag in 2019. I had saved towards it and bought it in Paris while still being a UAE resident, meaning I got VAT back, but it was still around 2,000€. It does elicit some mixed feelings: on the one hand, it's a beautiful piece I know I'll keep for ever, and it represents an achievement. On the other, there are places where I know it'll stand out as showy so I don't use it that often. In a way, that's a good lesson because it decreased my want for other luxury purchases as I'd rather not be precious with my things. I'd rather use my money on trips or renovating my house instead!

Esther and her Lady Dior bag

🟣 If you could magically double your income but had to work twice as hard, would you do it?

I would, if only for a limited amount of time until I reach certain goals! There have been times when I've taken on freelance work on top of my regular job, which was taxing physically and mentally, but the outcome was always worth it to me.

💜 Thank you for sharing with us, Esther

And well done you for reading all the way through. Learning about other people’s personal money stories helps make money conversations a regular, comfortable part of your life. It’s not just a window into someone else’s world. It also holds up a mirror to your own. You might recognize parts of yourself, challenge long-held beliefs, or feel less alone.

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See you in two weeks, or sooner on Notes.

Pauline 💜