To live in a world where anything and everything is monetized isn't an easy job. Financial independence is crucial for a person to live happily and freely. Under such circumstances, earning money isn't enough to have a good financial status quo. Actively investing the money we earn into some assets or plans is similarly important. If you have already cultivated the knack of investing, then nothing like it. Here's how you can start investing in your 20s and 30s so no one can shame you for your shopping spree next time:
1)Explore the world of compound interest by investing early
When you are in your 20s, you might find the idea of investing pretty useless. With all the time in your hand, your outlook of spending more than investing isn't illogical either.
However, pause for a while and get something in your head. If you aren't saving your money, you are basically losing your money. Investing your money is a way of paying your future self. Compound interest is one of the best ways you can do that. The earlier you start, the stronger compound interest becomes, as those earnings continue to build.
For example, $10,000 invested today at a return of 8% would add up to a little over $100,000 after 30 years. $10,000 invested at the same 8% return for only 10 years, though, results with a balance of less than $22k. It's the same $10k investment in each scenario, but in one you simply let that money continue to grow for a longer period of time.
2)However, is investing mindlessly enough for you to secure your future?
While investing a portion of your money isn't a bad idea and will help you grow a lot, investing in schemes whilst being mindless about the rest of your money will not help you either. There are countless people in their 20s who are bridled with student debts, education loans, or other expenses which require urgent notice. Not paying them off can end up being fatally disadvantageous.
Hence, it is advisable to look at the money expenditure properly. Tracking the influx of money, maintaining a record of the money you are spending each month to the money you are investing will help you have better financial health.
3)Have you considered buying some assets for yourself?
At a time when uncertainty is everywhere, buying assets is cruical. There are direct and immediate perks you get from the money you invest. Thus when you are in your 20's or 30s, consider buying yourself a house. Some people who can do so, don't bother because they don't have a family yet and simply don't need the extra space. Instead of continuing to pay down a landlord's mortgage, though, what if you bought the house and then rented out some extra rooms to pay the mortgage? Not only might you be able to live rent free, and if you're smart invest that savings, but the appreciation on the house can help set you up for future success as well. However, when you are doing that, don't forget to get yourself homeowners insurance for your home. It takes care of a variety of perils that dawn upon the house at various points of time. Perils like vandalism, fire, theft, etc. are all covered in its blanket policy.
4)Invest, but wisely
As has been established, investing has a lot of benefits. And using just that, thousands of investment plans can be pushed onto you, and you can be easily duped. Mutual funds, bitcoin, and so on, are all subject to market risk but something else isn't: investing in yourself.
Reading books, and improving yourself means you're going to be prepared for the future, wherever that might take you. Never stop learning – this is one thing that has been proven over and over again when it comes to separating the successful, from the unsucessful. Hence, if your job needs you to go back to college and get a course done, don't hesitate. If your startup is needing more money than you expected, find a way to acquire that. If you need to brush up your culinary skills before taking up a cooking job, go and get admitted to a culinary school. Just never stop learning – it will bring with it opportunities, as well as just more enjoyment in life.
Above all, make sure you're leading a happy life, if your mind reeks of anxiety and havoc, don't hesitate to consult a therapist. A bit of investment on your mental health today can do you wonders tomorrow.
Lastly, create yourself an emergency fund. An amount of money which you will not touch no matter what – most experts say this should equal around 6-12 months of expenses. Not only will this emergency savings provide you peace of mind, but also put you in a position to jump on opportunities that might present themselves. You don't want to be in a position where you can't jump on with an exciting startup because you might miss a paycheck – that could be the difference between you becoming rich, and just being another worker stuck for life.
There are so many different ways you can invest your money. Read about it. Talk to people who have done it before. Search up on the internet about the ways and means of doing it. Remember investing makes you richer. The value of money decreases every passing day. If you are letting your hard-earned money lie around simply because you are fearful of investment, you are losing a lot of money just by inaction. Get smarter and enjoy your life!