We all want to grow our finances but most of us only dream about investing “one day”. The idea of investing money can seem like such a grown-up concept that other people do.
You may think that you’re not sophisticated enough or didn’t come from the right background.
The fear of possibly losing your hard-earned money may have you paralyzed.
Then there’s the overabundance of choices. Most people think of the stock market when the word “invest” comes up but there are as many ways to invest as there are people.
Stocks and bonds.
Real estate.
Businesses.
These are all kinds of investments. There are plenty of categories and countless variations under each category.
In real estate, you can choose to invest in commercial or residential property. If you decide to rent out residential properties then you have plenty of choices. You can focus on single family homes or multiple unit buildings or you can have a tenant in your attic or…
You get the point.
Investing is a big topic but you know you should probably get involved.
With so many options available, the most important question is:
Where should i start?
The answer is simple. Invest in yourself. Use your hard-earned cash to improve yourself and the way you do what you do. Self-improvement always pays dividends and gives the best return on your money. Investing time and money into yourself should be the first step you take towards financial freedom. There are several reasons for that.
You’ll need extra money to invest
The money that you would use for traditional investing has to come from somewhere. You can’t invest if you’re struggling to pay for necessities. The easiest way to get that seed money is to ramp up your income and increase your funds.
Best-selling author and success expert Brian Tracy asserts that your most valuable financial asset is your earning ability. It’s possible to lose your home, your car and all your assets through no fault of your own. You can lose everything but as long as you have your ability to work you can start over from scratch. It’s crucial that you increase your earning power and become highly sought after.
It’s great to work harder and try harder at work but that’s not enough.
Get better at what you already do and gain more valuable skills that you don’t have yet. You’ll see more zeros in your paycheck sooner rather than later.
You’re able to see a return on your money faster
It can take a long time to get back your original capital in a regular investment such as mutual funds or real estate. These may require you to put in big money upfront and receive small payments back over years, if not decades.
On the other hand, you can spend a few hundred dollars to acquire new marketable skills and find a new job that pays you thousands of dollars more than your old one in less than a year. That’s serious bang for your buck.
Gives you a stronger sense of control
Sometimes your ROI (return on investment) isn’t in the form of money. Your best investments may bring you intangible rewards. It’s hard to calculate the worth of benefits such as increased confidence, physical comfort or the most priceless of them all, peace of mind.
There isn’t much you can do as an individual to influence the stock market. It’s a relatively passive investment, it’s affected by the actions of millions of other people that you don’t even know. Real estate can be affected by natural disasters, tax law changes and crime rates.
Investing in developing your own abilities gives you more control over your life by giving you more options and boosts your self-confidence. It’s easier to quit your job when you know that you have highly marketable transferable skills. It’s easier to move to a more desirable location when you know that you have abilities that are valued everywhere.
Self-investment is the investment that benefits the most people
Putting money into strong traditional investments such as the stock market or real estate will improve your financial situation. It will enhance the lifestyle of you and your family but not necessarily beyond your immediate inner circle. That’s still good but we can all do better.
Improving your work will benefit your company and your family financially.
Improving your health will help you live longer to see your children grow.
Improving your life and lifestyle will inspire others to do the same.
Spending money on making these improvements will make for a bigger bank account and an overall better you. I read something once that’s good to remember and it goes something like this:
A better you makes a better parent. Better parents make better kids. Better kids make better schools. Better schools make better communities. And better communities make a better nation.
So, if you’re thinking about the best way to get started in investing, invest in yourself first. Then you can go get yourself some passive income-producing assets. Decide what area you need to improve first and getting started right away.