Have you ever wondered how to invest little money and generate profits? It may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it’s possible to see impressive returns on even a modest investment.
Let’s throw away the stereotype that investing is only for wealthy businessmen in suits with briefcases full of bills. Investing is now accessible to everyone, regardless of your level of expertise or the amount of capital you have.
The reality is that you don’t need a fortune to start investing. With a little bit of know-how and the right strategy, you can start with just a few bucks and generate significant profits over time. The key isn’t about how much money you have, but rather how well you manage it and invest it.
So, let’s dive in and discover how to make each penny count and invest little money but smartly.
Changing your mindset
If you are reading this, it’s likely that you want to invest a small amount of money and make quick profits. While it may sound tempting, it’s important to understand that making money through investments is a gradual process that takes time. Investing is more like a marathon than a sprint.
It’s crucial to have the right mindset when investing. Keep in consideration that the benefits of your investment will be reaped in the long run.
Warren Buffett, one of the greatest investors of all time and one of the richest individuals in the United States, was asked once: “Your investment thesis is so simple. You’re the second richest guy in the world, and it’s so simple. Why doesn’t everyone just copy you?”.
Buffett answered: “Because nobody wants to get rich slowly.”
This comes to show the importance of your mindset when it comes to investing. So, before discussing how to invest a small amount of money and make a profit, it’s important to understand that investing is a long-term strategy and not a get-rich-quick scheme.
What to invest in with little money
Now that we have established a proper perspective about your investments, let’s explore what investing little money and generating profits looks like in practice.
If you do some research, you’ll discover that there are numerous accessible ways to start investing gradually. One of the most effective ways to do this is through fractional shares in the stock market.
Fractional shares
Fractional shares are portions of a stock divided into several shares. They allow you to invest small sums of money and generate returns. If you don’t have enough capital to buy full shares (which can amount to several hundreds of dollars), fractional shares are the best choice.
You can invest as little as $5 or $10 and start receiving all the benefits of a common shareholder proportionally.
Understanding how fractional shares work will allow you to put your money into different investment vehicles, no matter how small your capital is. You can invest in ETFs, growth stocks, or index funds, but one of the best alternatives to invest little money and generate profits is fractional shares of dividend stocks.
Dividend stocks
Dividend stocks are those issued by companies that regularly reward shareholders with dividend payments. If you invest in such a company, you’ll receive dividends either monthly, quarterly, or annually.
For instance, The Motley Fool recently published an article on Nasdaq stating that in 2021, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s holding company, earned roughly $3.8 billion in dividend payments alone.
While these may be overwhelming figures for individual investors, this case highlights the fact that investing periodically in dividend stocks could pay off big-time in the long run.
Other investment options
- Low-cost index funds: These are a pooled investment vehicle that tracks stock market indices like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones. They enable you to invest in a wide range of assets with a single investment.
- Peer-to-peer lending: You can lend small amounts of money to individuals or companies in exchange for interest. Although this approach involves a higher risk, it can provide attractive returns if done properly.
- REITs: Real Estate Investment Trusts are entities that own and manage real estate assets. They help small investors to earn returns from income-generating properties, without actually having to purchase them.
Make your investments grow
Once you have taken the first step towards investing and started generating profits, it is crucial to understand how to use those profits to further make your investments grow. The most powerful tool at your disposal to achieve this is compound interest.
Surprisingly, many people don’t understand the concept of compounding. Actually, research by George Washington University found that only 33% of Americans know how it works.
Compounding means earning interest on the interest you’ve already earned. This allows your investments to generate profits on top of profits, increasing your capital over time. To achieve this with the investments we’ve been discussing, you need to regularly reinvest the dividends you earn each period.
When it comes to investing with little money, you must understand that every penny counts. The beauty of compound interest is that you don’t need large sums of money to start benefiting from it.
Compound interest in action
Imagine you decide to invest $100 in a stock that pays $5 in dividends each year. At the end of the first year, your investment will have grown by 5%, meaning you will have $105.
For the second year, that $105 becomes your new initial investment. This means that for the new year, the 5% growth you obtain will be calculated over the 105, rather than the 100. Therefore, at the end of the second year, your investment will have grown a little more than before and you will have $110.25.
Although the difference may seem unimportant in the first few years, repeating this process at the end of each period will eventually lead to substantial dividend payments. The keys to making this strategy work are consistency and patience.
Instead of simply spending your dividends on something trivial, you’re allowing that extra money to generate more and more profits. Yes, it can be tempting to cash out your earnings, especially when you need an immediate financial boost. However, resisting that temptation and maintaining a long-term focus can result in greater rewards in the future.
Remember that significant investment growth doesn’t happen overnight, but rather accumulates gradually over time. By being consistent in your compounding approach and patiently waiting for results, you can build a solid path toward greater financial stability and long-term prosperity.
Do NOT diversify your investments
You’ve heard the saying: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. And maybe you’ve heard that the same principle applies to investments. Well, that may not always be the right choice.
Diversifying means spreading your money among different assets, such as several stocks from different companies and sectors. If you look for practical investing tips, you’ll probably find that it is a commonly recommended strategy to reduce the risk of losing all your money.
Yes, diversifying your investments would be a wise move once you have a significant amount of capital on the line. However, if you are just starting out, it can be a better strategy to focus all your available funds on one single investment.
Millionaire sales expert Grant Cardone likes to think this way. He says that it is a lot more difficult to increase your financial wealth by diversifying your investments. Instead, he recommends finding one or two investments you understand completely and going all in with those.
So, when thinking of how to invest little money and generate profits, consider focusing all your funds on one single place. Remember, this strategy can potentially boost your financial wealth, but it requires a deep understanding of the investment you choose to trust your money with, so make sure to conduct thorough research before anything.
The bottom line
In summary, one of the most effective ways to invest little money and generate profits can be achieved through a simple three-step process. Firstly, it’s important to comprehend what fractional shares are. Secondly, invest in fractional shares of dividend stocks. And lastly, to maximize your investment returns, continuously add the dividends received to your initial investment capital.
You can easily go through that process with FlexInvest. It lets you choose among hundreds of stocks of the most important companies in the world to invest with fractional shares starting at just $5. It also helps you collect your dividends and reinvest them to compound your investments and increase your profits over time.
Make sure to look through the rest of our articles to find more information that will prepare you to succeed in your investing journey from the very beginning.