101 Ways to Invest Money
According to www.vss2000.com, the term “investing” is defined as: The use of money for the purpose of making more money, to gain income or increase capital, or both. Anytime we spend money in hopes of earning more money in the future, we are making an investment, regardless of its source. Here’s 101 investing ideas that can make you money, too. 1. Buy stocks and Hold them for the long run. It’s important to remember that when you buy stock, you’re buying a company as well. 2. Invest in Mutual Funds and Minimize management fees. Funds with high management fees and load charges do nothing but hurt your overall annual returns most of the time. Compare the best brokerage firms and find the best funds that suit your investing styles. 3. Trade ETFs like mutual funds, not stocks. ETFs serve as a great alternative for investors who wish to invest in a mutual fund matching security. Many ETFs track global indices and markets, making it easier for the small guy to invest on limited funds. 4. Stash cash in a bond for the future. Purchase a bond and hold it until its maturity date, the day you can cash in the bond’s full profit value. If you like buying stuff online (and who doesn’t), you can earn savings bonds while you shop online. 5. Buy Commodities when you can predict future market shortages. Investors who predicted the recent wheat shortages, and the high rising costs of gold made a lot of money. 6. Trade Foreign Exchanges (Forex Trading). There’s money to be made in the forex market, but beware of the potential pitfalls that take literally days to unfold. Currencies prices do not behave like stocks or mutual funds. 7. Trade Stock Options. Stock option trading allows you to purchase shares of a firm at a reduced rate, although stock options usually expire within three months of purchase. This is reserved for experienced short-term investors. 8. Choose the Best Bank CD Rate for certificate of deposits. CDs are low-risk investments in banks, which in turn pay you interest on your money investment. HSBC offers high CD interest rates, along with Bank of America and WaMu. 9. Collect High Value Sports Cards. You probably traded them as a kid, and even used the cardboard to transform your bike into a child-size motorcycle. Let’s just hope you didn’t sacrifice a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle RC for your first Harley. In its worst condition possible (Graded PSA 1), the Bronx Bomber’s first year card sold for $3,700 in December. You can purchase sports cards at your local hobby shop, mall, or drug store. 10. Amass a Winning Stamp Collection. Stamp collecting is another cool way to relive your childhood and make some money at the same time. eBay has a ton of stamp related items on its page, and buyers can pick up some vintage stamp collections really cheap. Remember the alleged $11,000 stamp that surfaced on a letter….That could have been your stamp. 11. Collect Vintage Books. Preserving timeless classics from Faulkner, Wright, or Twain in your bookcase will send the big spenders heading to your doorstep. And you don’t have to spend a lot. Garage Sales, Estate Sales, and Yard sales are great places for finding undervalued vintage texts.
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12. Cash In on Popular Toys. Every year, there’s a new hype or buzz about the year’s most sought after toy. Kids across the country sent their parents into the hellish gauntlet we all know as shopping malls to search for toys and gifts. Here’s how you beat the masses: buy highly collectible toys in the beginning of the year, say around February, then flip them on eBay for huge profits. I missed out on $2,500 because I was too lazy to wait thirty minutes in line for a Sony PS3. They sold for $600 on their release date, and were selling for $3,000 on eBay the very next day. 13. Start Clipping those coupons. Buy a coupon holder and subscribe to local and national coupon agencies and/or distributors to find the best coupons. Your local paper will most likely provide coupon inserts as well. My favorite coupon source, ValPak, offers hundreds of dollars in savings for no charge. 14. Watch Antiques Roadshow and Shop for Antiques. Antique collecting can be tricky, especially for the uninformed buyer who has no idea of a true antique piece. Before you start buying, invest your time and money to become an educated buyer. Antiques Roadshow has tons of useful information, and by viewing the pieces on TV, you’ll be able to spot out counterfeit antiques with greater accuracy. 15. Buy a Single Family Home. It’s probably the most important (and expensive) decision you’ll ever make in your life. Make home ownership one of your top priorities and consult with an honest, trustworthy lender and real estate agent when you wish to start shopping for homes. 16. Rent out an apartment, house, or condominium. Renting to others is a great investment to pursue as long as you can manage the weight of purchasing another property. Once you own the land, your tenants help you to pay the mortgage while you retain all of the property’s equity and value. 17. Purchase REIT Stocks and Funds. Real Estate Investment Trusts sells like stocks on any major stock exchange, expect REIT’s invest directly in real estate through mortgages and/or properties. The current sellers market for home buying will temporarily depress REITs, but expect them to rally strong in the next 5 to 10 years as corporate building and construction continues to soar. 18. Buy Vacant Lots and Revive Them. Vacant lots are a huge income opportunity, if you pick up the property for cheap and develop it into a profitable income business. Vacant lots have turned into homes, mini-marts, salons, stores, etc. Contact the owner of the plot, submit an offer, buy the plot, then began to monetize your investment. 19. Purchase Mortgage-Backed Securities. MBS are bonds that earn cash flow from a pool of mortgages. Investors are paid monthly out the principal and interest from the pool of mortgages, also know as a mortgage pass-through. Instead of having to purchase real estate, investors can buy an undivided portion of an MBS and receive the paid out principals and interest as earnings. 20. Invest in a Real Estate Development Company. Local development companies make big bucks when they land building contracts. Since many of these developers are private equity firms, we cannot buy stock in these companies over a market exchange. Contact local developers and express your interest in their business. Often these firms need investors, so they may reciprocate sooner than you think. 21. Loan money on Prosper.com 22. Loan money to a friend. 23. Sell snacks out of your office or dorm room at lower prices than the vending machines. 24. Buy an ad in the newspaper to promote your service or product. 25. Buy products from wholesalers, and flip them on Yahoo! auctions.
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26. Start a blog, buy reliable hosting, and post ads on your site. 27. Hire workers, and pay them to shovel snow or rake leaves around the neighborhood. 28. Trade corn futures. 29. Buy a municipal bond. 30. Buy wireless internet for your apartment and charge next door residents to use it. 31. Buy stocks over the OTC market, then hold them. 32. Get a raise by investing your time in an expressive extracurricular project. 33. Purchase a pinball machine and strategically place it in a high traffic arcade. 34. Earn money from a wash machine and/or dryer if your apartment building lacks one. 35. Save your loose change and deposit it in a bank instead of spending it. 36. Buy a cloth and soap, and host a car wash. 37. Work overtime, then save 100% of your overtime earnings. 38. Equip your computer with a reliable virus scan to fend off viruses and hardware damage. 39. Skip your coffee break once a week, and deposit the money in your savings account. 40. Buy water filters, instead of drinking bottled water. 41. Drink tea whenever you get the chance. It’s cheaper than coffee. 42. Buy a personal finance tracker line MSN Money Deluxe or Quicken. 43. Invest in mutual funds whose manager is well known and revered. 44. Invest 25 cents of every dollar you spend. 45. Trade oil futures. 46. Trade Wheat futures. 47. Invest in high quality health care to protect your well being. 48. Rent out your home to weekend travelers. 49. Plant a garden, and grow your own vegetables. 50. Make sure your employer participates in 401k matching plans. 51. Buy Foreign ADRs (American Depository Receipts). 52. Buy a ticket, and visit the local museum. You’ll learn something new and interesting. 53. Sell stocks short. 54. Buy stock options through your brokerage account. 55. Invest in a college education. 56. Invest in a graduate degree. 57. Invest in a doctoral degree. 58. Take a writing course, and further develop your prose. 59. Sponsor a local sports team, and display your company logo on the team uniform. 60. Hire a SEO (search engine optimization) expert to improve your site’s search engine rankings. 61. Start a business out of your home office. 62. Open a Roth IRA to prepare for your retirement. 63. Invest every dollar you don’t earn from your day job in your investment account. 64. Get a notary license to stamp documents. 65. Get a top secret clearance to view secure government documents. Your employer will be very impressed at your clearance. 66. Apply for a real estate license, and become a real estate agent. 67. Sell arts & crafts at flea markets on the weekends. 68. Buy arts & crafts from flea markets, and get them appraised. 69. Borrow money from credit cards, then deposit the balance in a high yielding savings account. Pay the credit balance in full each month, and keep the difference. 70. Buy an abandoned home, fix it up, then sell it for profit. 71. Ride your bike on the weekends, then take the money you save on gas and buy small cap stocks. 72. If you left college early, go back and finish up your degree. 73. Read countless books on investing and money management. 74. Hire a professional money manager to control your assets. 75. Start an import-export business. 76. Take a referee/sports official’s course, and referee soccer and basketball games on the weekends. 77. Buy stock market index funds.
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78. Buy a pair of hair clippers, and charge $12 for a haircut. 79. Ladies, buy a set of female hair utensils, and charge a hair styling fee. 80. Renovate your home to increase its resale value. 81. Start a trust fund for your children. 82. Build upon your greatest passion, and start a foundation or fund. 83. Buy foreclosed homes, and resell them to willing buyers. 84. Purchase a commercial building, and rent the space out to businesses. 85. Raise chickens on a farm, and harvest the eggs. 86. Sponsor a high school student’s college education. They will thank you graciously after graduation. 87. Be munificent. Donate to public foundations and non-profit organizations. Those who give receive the most in return. 88. Contribute articles to major news sources. They may offer you a job. 89. Manage a colleague’s finances for a small fee. 90. Invest in nanotechnology. 91. Design t-shirts and gifts at Cafepress, then sell them for profits. 92. Invest in water. 93. Invest in corn futures. 94. Sign up for the Fidelity Investments Visa Rewards card to earn 1.5% cash back. Fidelity deposits the money directly into your investment account. 95. Sign up for the ShareBuilder Platinum Rewards Card to earn 1% cash back into your investment account. 96. Max out your 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions annually. 97. Write down a list of reasons why you deserve a raise, then present them to your boss. 98. Invest in a marriage. 99. Invest in long lasting friendship. 100. Buy whatever Warren Buffett invests in. 101. Invest in your financial independence by reviewing this list and creating your own! Many of these examples are great ways to make money as well. Investing and saving money go hand in hand; The more money you save, the more cash you are able to invest. I’ve found the easiest way to generate money for investment purposes is to eliminate silly expenses. We can look at our monthly expenses, and ask ourselves for next month, “What do I need? and What do I want?” Draw two columns, and categorize your purchases as “Wants” or “Needs.” Next, circle a few items from your want list, and refrain from purchasing these items for one month. You’ll save the cost of the items, which can go directly into your investment account. A good investment returns more value than you put in. The time you spend on your investments correlates with the overall performance of that investment. Aside from markets which we can only monitor, your decisions and time management greatly impact future investment opportunities. Look for alternatives investment ideas other than public markets and exchanges in your everyday life, and you’ll discover novel ways to invest your money, time, and effort. All the best, Tarik
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