Skip to content
  • Blog
  • Categories
    • Health & Fitness
    • Personal Development
    • Finances
  • Archive
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Categories
    • Health & Fitness
    • Personal Development
    • Finances
  • Living like Leila
  • Archive
  • Shop
Finances

How to Invest Your First $100

November 18, 2018January 12, 2019 Leila Leave a comment

Interested in starting to invest but think you need thousands of dollars to do so? That's not true! Come read about several ways to begin investing with just $100 at LivinglikeLeila.com!

These days, $100 isn’t worth much. However, $100 can be the start of A LOT of money for you.

If you can begin to look at money with a positive mindset and believe in your potential, you can stretch those dollars far.

Below I share with you a few ideas on how to begin investing. Some of this may not be new information to you, but have you actually applied these things and stuck with it?

The key to success is PATIENCE. You can’t expect to get rich overnight, but if you start somewhere and continue to persevere and be consistent, I guarantee you you will start to see results.

Invest in Yourself

I put this one first for a reason because I think investing in yourself is one of the best things you can do. Investing $100 in yourself and your knowledge can lead to millions of dollars in the long run.

Now there are multiple ways to invest in yourself. You can eat good foods, you can join a gym and workout regularly (my gym membership is $25/month so $100=4 months), you can see a therapist, etc. However, for the purpose of this post I want to talk about what you can do to gain knowledge in order to see a large return from your investment.

So how can you invest in yourself?

1. Books

There are millions of personal development/business books to choose from. Books are written by some amazing people who have achieved some great things. There are entrepreneurs and millionaires writing about their experiences, knowledge, and advice, all available at your fingertips.

If you’re not reading regularly, you’re missing out and you need to start immediately.

You can definitely buy 6-10+ books with $100, these are the ones I recommend:

You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero: This is my favorite book. It’s all about realizing your true potential, taking action, and learning to love yourself. I think this book is an important stepping stone into inspiring you to go after whatever it is you want. If you have any limiting beliefs, this is definitely for you.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill: A classic. Think and Grow Rich is a book you should read a few times in your life. It’s pretty incredible that a man in the 1930s knew how powerful the human mind is. He shares practical steps to begin manifesting your dreams.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki: This book changed my future endeavors! It’s all about having assets rather than liabilities, and he explains why the rich get richer and why the middle class will always struggle. I love the way the story is told and it’s hard to put down. Rich Dad Poor Dad will definitely convince you to want to start investing your money wisely.

Unfu*k Yourself by Gary Bishop: Most of us often think negative thoughts about our success and life in general, this book is here to snap you out of that. He uses a great writing voice that is encouraging and impactful.

Other books worth reading:

The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason

2. Courses

There are a plethora of courses online these days, you’re sure to find one (or more) under $100 that suits you. With websites like Udemy, you could easily enroll in multiple courses that interest you. Learn about coding, marketing, photography, etc.

Or if you want to do a little bit more research, Google courses you may be interested in and find the best price.

Keep in mind that learning is one thing, but actually applying the knowledge gained is key.

And if you don’t even have $100 yet, YOUTUBE, GOOGLE, and PINTEREST are your best friends. Learn, learn, learn. Millions and millions of people create videos, articles, workbooks, and ebooks for FREE. There is really no excuse to become a master of something and start gaining knowledge to later profit from.

Invest in Stocks

A lot of people think you need thousands of dollars to start buying stocks, but that’s not true at all. You can buy several shares of stocks with $100. With $100 worth of shares, you can’t expect to profit thousands, but what if you continued to put in $100 each month?

Stocks typically work best if you invest long-term. The stock market will go up and down all the time. Some people invest in the right companies and can profit a ton within days or weeks, but that doesn’t usually happen…especially if you’re not buying many shares.

You can use traditional trading platforms such as TD Ameritrade, however there is a trading fee. Luckily, with apps like Robinhood you can start trading stocks for FREE while you learn how everything works. If you use my link to sign up you get a free stock!

If you don’t feel confident trading yourself, the app Acorns may be better for you. You can invest your $100, but also set it up to round up all of your purchases to the nearest $1. They do the investing for you and this app is a great way to save without even thinking about it. And if you use my link you get a free $5!

The important thing is to start somewhere and to grow your portfolio. However, remember that stocks are risky! If you are not willing to lose that $100, it may be best to invest it in another way.

Open a Roth IRA

If you don’t need immediate access to your money, consider investing in a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is a retirement account that has several advantages depending on your situation. Your money is invested into mutual funds and in general you can expect a 7-8% compounding interest rate. It’s a great investment for young individuals with lower incomes.

What I love about the Roth IRA is you can contribute whenever you want to, it’s not required for you to add money every month/year. You can only contribute $5,500 a year, but if you start with $100, then contribute $5,500 every year until you’re 65, you’ll have over $1.1 million!!

Open a “high-yield” savings account or CD

Now if you’re not feeling risky at all, put your $100 in a “high-yield” savings account. I put high-yield in quotes because these savings accounts aren’t very high, but you could make a couple hundred to a few thousand extra every year depending on how much you save.

Chances are you have a savings account with a traditional bank (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc.). If so, you’re probably earning interest on your savings at a rate of about 0.06% or less. However, if you open a savings account with an online bank (Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Synchrony, Capital One, Ally, etc.), then you can expect to earn at and interest rate of 1.80-2.05%. Obviously the interest rate isn’t that high, but it’s a safe place to hold your cash and much better than a measly 0.06%.

Online banks have a higher interest rate because they don’t have branches, ATMs, or a high numbers of employees. Always do your research and be sure to find one that doesn’t charge fees, is FDIC insured, and doesn’t have a minimum balance requirement. I use Marcus by Goldman Sachs, which at the time of this article has an interest rate of 2.05%.

These online banks also have CD accounts you can open with an even higher interest rate, however, you usually don’t have immediate access to your money so keep that in mind.

Invest in a business

Obviously you can’t open a corner store with $100, but you could definitely buy a few things to start an online business.

For example,

Start a blog:

Hosting: ~$8 a month (I use GoDaddy)
Domain name: ~$15 a year (I use GoDaddy)
Theme: $0 – $50 (You can use free wordpress themes or buy from other sites)
Pinterest account: FREE
Canva account: FREE
Stock photos: FREE (Unsplash, Pexels)

Start a YouTube channel:

Camera: $0 (You probably have a smartphone right??)
Laptop: $0 (because you probably already have one with free editing software, if not upload raw footage!)
Lighting: $0 – $50 (not necessary, just film in natural lighting but here is a soft box for a great price)

Open an Etsy shop:

Etsy account: FREE
Backdrops for photos: $0 – $20 (use a wall/bed/table, otherwise do a simple diy)
Supplies: $10+ (obviously it depends, but you could make jewelry, paint on canvas, make candles, etc.)
Shipping materials: $5+ (the dollar store has great options)

Flip Items

With $100 you could probably make $500+. Go to your local Goodwill, garage sales, or flea markets and buy a few items to flip.

This may require a bit of research. While you are shopping, do a quick search on your phone to see what’s trending or what items are worth. For example, at GoodWill you could probably find some Adidas, Lululemon, Nike, etc. for a few bucks. However, you could post those on eBay or Poshmark for a lot more!

If you have more time to spare, you could even buy furniture to repaint/repair and profit even more!

____________________________

From most of these investments you will profit $100 back and more, therefore you can invest your earnings again to grow even more. Eventually you can profit $1000+, then $10,000+, and so on.

Everyone starts somewhere, and I hope that this post inspired you to do just that. It’s possible for you to become wealthy, you just have to believe, start, and commit.

What would you do with $100??

Post navigation

October 2018 Debt and Spending Analysis
November 2018 Debt and Spending Analysis

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hey, There!

Hey, There!

Leila, Owner

Welcome to my blog! I’m passionate about inspiring others to reach their full potential by overcoming their own excuses.

Click here to learn more about my blog!

livinglikeleila

I've been vegan for 5 years as of yesterday. It's I've been vegan for 5 years as of yesterday.  It's still the best decision of my life.  I've gained the most strength and look my best as a vegan.  It's also worth mentioning I was vegetarian for 13 years before going vegan, which is why I had to bust out a double bi in photo 3 lol  So yes, I do get enough protein despite not eating animals 😏  As a vegan I've also learned to cook better, eat more types of foods, and have discovered amazing restaurants, recipes, and vegan alternatives all without harming animals.  I never want to push veganism on anyone, but I encourage everyone to explore this lifestyle.  Personally, having an animal suffer for my food, clothes, and products just isn't worth it. Being a perfect vegan isn't necessary, but even small changes can make a large difference.  My sister (@loka1089) made this shirt for me for Christmas by the way!!  #vegan #bekindtoeverykind #veganfortheanimals #veganweightlifting #vegangains #strongvegan #veganwoman #vegananniversary #GoVegan #veganbodybuilding #anythingyoucaneaticaneatvegan #LivinglikeLeila
Happy March!  An update on my February goals:
▪️Pay off my car ✅✅✅🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️🙆‍♀️  ▪️Jump rope for at least 2 minutes daily ✅ (Well, I missed ONE day but otherwise I enjoyed this challenge a lot)  ▪️Start 'Phase 2' of my training program ✅ (it's more intense than I expected but my strength and body are improving!)  ▪️Finish reading 2-4 books ❌ (I finished 0. I stopped reading a fiction book because it was boring. I've been taking my time reading The Brain That Changes Itself because it requires focus lol)  ▪️Stick to my usual habits better ❌ (Feb was tough for me honestly. Sometimes I have bouts of intense fatigue and lack of motivation which I believe is associated with PMDD. Idk honestly)  March is usually a pretty transformative month for me, so here are my goals:  ▪️Put at least $600 to student loan savings
▪️Make over $1K online
▪️Finish The Brain That Changes Itself
▪️5 minutes of abs daily (new challenge!)
▪️Walk 10K steps daily again
▪️Stick to my habits/routine (for real this time!! I'm feeling better 😊)  #NewMonth #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #blogger #youtuber #goals #february #habits #march #personaldevelopment #strong2021 #fitness #vegan #fitnessgoals #health #healthy #LivinglikeLeila #DebtOverIt
I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the l I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the love and kind words on my previous post ❤🥺  It amazes me that I have this growing community of support and I'm so grateful for it.  I know paying off a car and paying off debt isn't a big thing for everyone, but it's a huge part of my life and I genuinely appreciate that everyone is proud of me and celebrating with me!!  I do hope my progress and my openness on my finances encourages more people to look into theirs and improve it. Improving my finances has made a HUGE difference in my life.  No, money may not buy happiness. But when shit is in order you have less stress, more clarity, and more faith in what's to come👌  These blue light glasses are from @tijneyewear 👓 (gifted)  #thankyou #financialindependence #finance #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #DebtOverIt #blogger #financialcoach #debtcoach #personaldevelopment #neverstopimproving #LivinglikeLeila
I paid off my car today 🙂 27 months EARLY!!! T I paid off my car today 🙂 27 months EARLY!!!  This car should have cost me about $22K, but it ended up being about $30K!!! I'll break down why that is in a future video.  But for the first time in my adult life I am paying $0 in interest right now 😭  I started my debt free journey in June 2018 with $82,200 of debt... I'm now down to ONLY my student loans of $36,200. Which are in forbearance and at 0% interest right now.  This is like a little preview of the debt free life 🥺  Not to mention, my minimum car payment was $382.55 and if I invested that monthly, it would grow to over $200,000 in 20 years.  You may be able to afford that car payment, but it comes with a HUGE sacrifice.  My debt free journey has changed my life and I'm so, so excited for my financial future. 🙏💰  #cardebtfree #finances #debtoverit #cardebt #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #money #finance #studentloandebt #financialfreedom #financialindependence #firemovement #financialindependenceretireearly #TransferTuesday
'Living like Leila' will always be my first born b 'Living like Leila' will always be my first born baby business, but as my personal finance business has significantly grown I've realized I just want LLL to encompass Me.  If you haven't noticed, I am VERY multi-passionate. I love fitness, finance, personal development, veganism, plants, books, food, planning, habits, business. I literally lose sleep at night because I CONSTANTLY have ideas lol  So I know this IG and my LLL YouTube covers everything under the sun, but that's exactly what I want it to be. It's just a digital journal of my life and even though it can be a lot, it's just a reflection of my life and the things I value.  This has allowed me to put less pressure on myself for the content I create, and I truly just enjoy it all as a hobby now.  So I understand that some of my content may not resonate with everyone, but I appreciate ya'll being here 😊❤  And as a side note, if you decide to start an online business...niche down to ONE topic. It will go a lot further, at least from my experience 👀  #multipassionate #livinglikeleila #vegan #personaldevelopment #books #debtfreecommunity #finance #debtfreejourney #business #onlinebusiness #habits #fitness #life
Post-filming, pre-workout selfie ✌ hence the mes Post-filming, pre-workout selfie ✌ hence the mess.  My January finance update and February budget will be up Friday 😊  Also these are the best leggings ever from @ptulaactive  #ptulafamily #ptulaactive #ptula #youtuber #health #fitness #vegan #fit #igfitness #blogger #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #debtoverit #budget #finance #livinglikeleila
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Affiliate Disclosure

This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through that link I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Thank you for your support.

For more information please read my full disclosure policy.

  • Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Contact Me
© 2021 | Designed by Little Theme Shop