There are so many ways you can invest. You may want to invest in yourself, for example, by buying online courses to learn. Or, you can invest in investment markets.
Investing in Yourself:
Online Courses
There are many online courses platforms you can find on the internet. These platforms teach many different subjects from traditional subjects like math to skill-based subjects like programming to technique-based subjects like business strategies. And the best thing, some of these online course platforms have courses completely free or free to audit.To start finding a subject you want to learn more about, check out platforms like Coursera, edX, Udemy, and more! Happy learning!
Health and Wellness
Being healthy is extremely important. It can reduce risk of having certain diseases and make your heart stronger. Another benefit is that being physically fit can help you improve your mood and mental health. Exercise is also a good way to relax and let loose. Best thing is, keeping fit can be completely free!
Start a Side Hustle
Do you have a lot of spare time and little to no cash? Well, then you should start a side hustle. Side hustles are like a side job, and can be a good way to turn a hobby of yours into a lucrative profit. You don’t need a lot of money to start a side hustle, just a good idea or strategy. And, side hustles don’t have age limits, you can start at any age. Some side hustles can include starting an Ebay business, or creating a lawn mowing service. Ideas and inspirations are everywhere. Have fun hustling!
Investing in Investment Markets:
Investing in investment markets is different to investing in your own earning potential. There are different types of investment markets. The most common ones include the stock market, bond market, forex market, and physical assets.
Stock markets like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and NASDAQ involve trading equities, or stock. There are many ways to earn money from stocks, but the two common ways are through capital gains and dividends. Capital gains can happen in many ways, for example, an investor buys a company’s stock at a low price then later sells it to another investor at a much higher price. The first investor gains a capital gain as he earned more money than he invested. The second way, earning dividends, happens when some companies distribute their profits to shareholders. If you choose to invest in stocks, the rewards can be higher as there is higher risk.
The bond market is where companies, financial institutions, and the government issue debt instruments to obtain more capital. Generally speaking, the types of financial instruments issued include bills, bonds, notes, and certificates of deposit (CD). They can also have lower risk than investing in a more volatile and unpredictable market like stocks.
The forex market trades foreign currency exchange, or just foreign exchange. It deals with selling a currency and buying another, hoping the currency just bought will go up in value compared to the currency sold. Because the market is small, it is considered mid-high risk to invest.
If stocks, bonds, and forex aren’t your thing, you can also invest in physical assets. The most common physical assets include raising livestock and real estate. Typically, investing in real estate is popular because the risks aren’t considered as high risk like other markets like stock and forex. And, even if you can’t sell physical assets, you can still use it for your own purposes.
All in all, there are many ways to invest, whether in yourself or a financial market. The point of investing is to gain profit. Not all investments are monetary, though most are. Good luck investing!
Written by Allie Chang