Let’s be real—when you’re living paycheck to paycheck or dealing with student loans, investing can feel completely out of reach. That’s exactly how I felt. I thought investing was for people who wore suits, read financial news over espresso, and had thousands to drop into the stock market.
Spoiler alert: it’s not.
I started my investing journey with just $10 a week, and it completely changed how I viewed money, building wealth, and my financial future. If you’re wondering how to invest in stocks with little money, this article is for you.
I’m going to walk you through exactly what I did, the tools I used, and the lessons I learned—mistakes included.
Why I Thought I Couldn’t Invest (At First)
Before I started, I had all the usual doubts:
- I don’t have enough money.
- What if I lose it all?
- I should wait until I can invest more.
- The problem? I kept waiting. And while I waited, my money just sat there—not growing, not working for me.
Then I heard someone say:
- Start small. Start now. Let time do the heavy lifting.
- That’s when I realized I didn’t need $1,000 or even $100. I just needed to begin.
The Power of $10 a Week
It doesn’t sound like much. That’s a couple of coffees or one fast-food run. But here’s what $10 a week can do:
- That’s $520 a year.
- If you invest that consistently over 10 years at an average 8% return, you’ll have around $7,800.
- Do that for 30 years? You’re looking at over $50,000—from just $10 a week.
- And that doesn’t include what you might add once your income grows or expenses shrink.
- Tiny habits, over time, lead to massive results.
Step 1 – Picking the Right App
When I decided to finally invest, I needed an app that:
Allowed fractional shares (so I could invest in expensive stocks like Apple or Tesla without buying a whole share)
Had no trading fees
Made things easy for beginners
I landed on M1 Finance, but other great options include:
- Fidelity – Offers fractional shares and retirement accounts.
- Robinhood – Super simple, though best for taxable investing.
- Public – Has a social vibe and great for discovering stocks.
- Acorns – Rounds up your purchases and invests spare change automatically.
For me, M1 Finance stood out because I could build a “pie” of stocks and ETFs and automate my $10 deposits. More on that in a second.
Next Article To Read: How I Overcame the Fear of Losing Money in Trading