Easy Investments

 How to Start

    At some point in our lives we all have aspirations to either Start a business, Invest some cash, or just look for a new job/promotion. Though starting a business or a new job may seem like a bit of a stretch for some, cutting down and investing is definitely something everyone can start immediately. Technology is growing exponentially and methods to grow your cash are easier than ever. 

I have come up with 3 Easy Investment Strategies that you can start today. Once you start saving your first chunk of change, then the addiction of investing can Kick-In.

1) Throw it in a Piggy Bank.

    Probably the most traditional and well known method is simply putting cash into a piggy bank. You can start this by using an ordinary empty soda bottle, mason jar or even empty milk carton and storing $10 - $20 a week is a great way to visualize your growing investment. You can even use multiple containers for different investment plans. Perhaps a jar for a new lawn mowwer and a jar for a new car.

The piggy bank method is an easy investment solution for any one at any age. This method does have some down sides such as ability to get lost, destroyed or stolen. By the time you have a substantial amount of cash saved I would advise to transfer your cash into a bank or into my 2nd method (below).

        

2) Hit the Stock Market.

    Investing your money into the stock market can be daunting and trying to understand how the market moves can be a steep hill to climb, but with a little bit of research it can become an excellent way to grow wealth for the short and long term.

Sites like TD Ameritrade and E-TRADE have an easy to use platform and free educational videos for beginners learning how to use the market. Because of the potential risks involved I would recommend only using a portion of your total cash willing to invest (30% - 40%). This is mostly a safe guard to ensure that if the small change you do loose your initial investment, it wont be a total loss.

For beginners I would recommend starting off with a Robot-advisor, Individual stocks (Apple, Microsoft), or ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds). These are the simplest to understand and institutions such as Charles Swab and E-Trade make the process that much easier.

3) Own Business / Side Hustle.

    Now I am not saying to have the vision of becoming the new Jeff Bezos even thought that would be nice, but its definitely worth investing time in creating a side hustle that can turn in an extra $100 - $200 a month.

You can turn a particular skill set you have such as Writing, Web Development or even Knitting into a small side hustle aside from your day job. Sites like Fiverr are a great way to market your skills and obtain clients for small jobs and you can charge whatever price you like. Heck, you can even start a side hustle by purchasing some chocolates and going door by door (Not for everyone).

There are countless approaches when creating a side hustle and not to forget the perks. Flexibility, Creating your own environment, Pursuing a passion, and being your own boss are just a handful of positives.  Starting off can be rough almost all of the time, but grit and determination can lift you to have a successful and life fulfilling business.

Do you agree? Have a more efficent way to create a savings plan? Let me know in the comments below.

-Jose Hernandez