When you think of investments, perhaps you think of big wigs wrapped in ticker tape shouting down the phone to buy, to sell, or to hold, often all within 5 seconds of each other (commonly seen in movies). For a lot of people, that sort of investing feels a long way off. Many young professionals simply don’t have the capital to put down and invest big in the most significant companies worldwide. Or perhaps investing seems foreign and scary and more than you get reasonably do. However, these reasons don’t mean you that can’t invest at all, and it’s worth considering potential investments now, and how you can get to the point where you can invest. Let’s explore a few ways to dip your toe into the water and start small!

The Cookie Jar

The cookie jar approach seems juvenile, but investment and saving money are more closely related than you might expect, even if it seems an oxymoron. You can start small, putting $5 – $10 away a week depending on what you can afford, and while it doesn’t seem like a lot, it soon adds up, and you could have as much as $500 by the end of the year. I have friends that contribute put away $25 each paycheck and then every few months put it into the stock market (index funds to be exact).

This ‘extra’ money gives you something to invest, and even if it’s still not as significant as other investment demands, it’s still something. With smart choices, it may work out better than you expect.

Let Tech Do the Hard Work

It can be a challenge to keep track of the markets, though, which means you could miss crucial shifts either for or against your benefit. However, you don’t need to focus all of your attention on these investments. Instead, you can set up an app to do it for you. 

Technology, by its nature, is supposed to make life easier for us, so using bots to offer advice or news services to bring you articles on companies or industries you’re interested in is easy, often free and helpful. The process is easy, and the more you use it, the more confident you’ll become with investments. Even if you don’t have money to invest, start doing research and learning more and more about investments you’re interested in.

A Retirement Plan

Whether your retirement plan involves moving to live in the South of France or design a new residential construction for you to rent out or enjoy yourself away from the hustle and bustle of the city, thinking about it now can’t hurt. One way or another we’re all going to need to retire; either because we want to stop working or because we can’t physically work anymore.

You’ve got years ahead of you, so it’s fine to change your mind if you feel the need to, as life can so often be unpredictable. But getting to grips with thinking about your future and your life after work will allow you to put the right measures in place. 

So, start saving and investing now, while you’ve got time. Your money will start to grow and compound (meaning the growth is reinvested so your money grows even more moving forward). Start off small, ideally with an index fund, and as you get more comfortable and knowledgeable, feel free to branch out into different types of investments.

Watching your investments grow

Investing can be a tricky course to navigate, but if you want to maximize your earnings, even when you’re not making as much as you’d like, you can set yourself up for a decent lifestyle once everything balances out. Smart investments can help you save for a house, pay off student loans, or treat yourself once in a while!

Investing is a great and attainable way for folks both rich and poor to build wealth! Start small, learn what you can and slowly but surely start investing!

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