Not all of us can invest millions of dollars in fancy real estate or start ups, but there are still some investments that even the average Joe can afford. These investments are usually very accessible and have the potential for very high returns. If you’re looking to start building your investment portfolio, here are a few investments that cost less than $50.
1. Domain Names
The first investment that costs less than $50 is domain names, which can be obtained for as little as $10 each. Domain names are bought and registered for a year, meaning you pay a certain amount of money to own it for a year. If you choose to keep it for longer, you pay the initial fee again to extend its registration period, but if you sell it before a year transpires, you’ll never have to pay another dime. The beauty of domain name investing is that it is accessible to anyone with a computer, internet access, and a small amount of money.
image credit: merfam
Domain names have made many people very rich in the dot com boom in the 1990’s. The market has since become more saturated, but there are still opportunities for small time investors. The domain name, GeorgeBushLibrary.com, expired and was purchased for $10 by Illuminati Karate and was later sold for $35,000. That’s an astounding 349,900% return on investment! Domains can be purchased through sites like Register.com, GoDaddy.com, and Domain.com (full disclosure: manhelper.com has no affiliation to Register.com, GoDaddy.com or Domain.com).
2. Art
Investing in art isn’t easy, but it certainly is possible. If you are quick to identify trends and have access to emerging artists, your chances of making successful investments in art aren’t bad. For an example of an emerging artist in the modern day, consider the British Graffiti artist Banksy.
image credit: Leeks
If you were able to obtain a piece made by Banksy before his rise to notoriety, you would be able to sell it for a very handsome profit. Although Banksy is merely a graffiti artist, his work has sold for well over $100,000.
3. Sports Cards
Sports cards can easily be worth many times their weight in gold and can cost just pennies. If you were to buy a Mickey Mantle baseball card in 1952 and keep it in good condition until today, you’d be a very wealthy man. Opportunities to buy cards for legendary players is getting harder, but sports stars are still emerging and their corresponding cards can hold a lot of value in the future. This type of investing can be particularly interesting to people who are natural sports lovers.
image credit: jaaron
4. Stocks
You can buy a share of stock for as little as a dollar, and many times even less, making stocks a very viable investing option. All you need to get started is a little bit of money and an online stock broker account. If you’re looking to start investing in the stock market, you really don’t need a lot of money to start out with. In fact, starting small is probably the best way to learn the ropes without losing your shirt.
image credit: katrinakatrina
If you’re looking for examples of companies that have made their early investors very wealthy, take a look at the charts for Microsoft, Exxon, Apple, and Nike. All of these companies display a massive growth in value over time. Sure there are ups and down, but a very obvious upward trend is present. If you’re able to research companies early on and invest wisely, the rewards can be great.
5. Microfinance
By being involved in microfinance, you can invest your money to improve the lives of others by providing basic financial services. And unlike just giving your money to charity, you’ll get your money back with interest. Although the financial returns of microfinance are small, the social effects are great. Microfinance can help poor people in other countries start businesses and help create better lives for their families while improving the local economy. To learn more and become involved in microfinance, visit Kiva.org.
image credit: ~MVI~