We often hear about the importance of investing money to grow our wealth. While investing in the stock market and creating passive income streams are essential to increasing our net worth, they overlook one thing – ourselves.
An equal part of wealth creation is finding ways to invest in yourself. Self-investment is a terrific way to not only improve yourself, but it also helps increase wealth.
Best Ways to Invest in Yourself Right Now
There are countless ways to expand your skillset. Selecting an option or two comes down to your desired goal.
If you’re searching for a reliable way to improve yourself or grow your income, here are nine legitimate options.
1. Learn A New Topic
There are numerous resources on topics on the internet. If you want to learn something new, you can find just about anything online.
From beekeeping to online marketing, there is always a new skill or topic you can learn. You may have resources locally to learn these skills, but those may not be available due to the current pandemic.
That makes looking for online opportunities more justifiable.
One of the easiest and most affordable ways to learn a new skill is through Udemy. Udemy offers over 100,000 online courses.
Industry leaders and experts who have put years into their craft teach many of the courses. So, no matter what you choose to learn, you’re in good hands.
Here are just a few courses you can find on Udemy:
- The Complete 2020 Web Development Bootcamp
- Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced
- The Ukulele Academy: Play Music Today
- Social Media Marketing Mastery
As you can see, there are courses available covering everything from new business skills to picking up a new hobby.
2. Start A Side Hustle
I love having extra money in my pocket, and I bet you do too. A side hustle is a terrific way to earn more money and even grow your skills.
You can use your 9-to-5 or business to pay for your bills and needs, and use your side hustle money to pay off debt, save, or invest in the stock market.
While there are countless online and offline side hustle opportunities that you can try, one of the most accessible side hustles to start with is delivering food.
This allows you to limit human interaction, and you get paid good money. The on-demand delivery space is booming thanks to the pandemic, which means there are ample ways to make money.
Food delivery driver gigs can be a terrific side hustle, especially when you count tips. DoorDash is our favorite platform to deliver meals, and they require minimal skills to start delivering meals.
Read our guide on the best delivery jobs to find other opportunities.
3. Get Fit (For Free)
I remember gaining 70 pounds with my one and only child. After having her, I was stuck in a workout rut and couldn’t seem to shed the pounds.
At the same time I also decided to start a business and bring my husband home to be a stay-at-home dad full-time. So not only was I unmotivated, but I was busy.
That’s when I turned to HealthyWage. HealthyWage is a website that pays you to lose weight by betting on yourself.
You pay some money into a pot and specify the amount of weight you want to lose by the end of the challenge. If you’re successful, you win your money back, plus money from people who didn’t keep their end of the bargain.
It may seem scammy, but it works. HealthyWage has done numerous studies to back up their method; when you invest in yourself and bet on your weight loss, you’re more likely to do it.
Even if you don’t choose HealthyWage, there are dozens of free fitness apps available to get you in shape. There are also nutrition apps like MyFitnessPal that can help you get your nutrition and healthy eating on the right path.
Read our review of HealthyWage to learn more.
4. Read
Reading is a favorite pastime of mine. It’s enjoyable, and spurs creativity, and it’s also a terrific way to better yourself.
A topic like personal finance is a perfect example of that. You can read a book like Total Money Makeover and learn the importance of killing debt.
This simple act can significantly change the course of your financial life. The Latte Factor and The Power of Habit are also fantastic examples of books that provide similar avenues for self-investment.
If you’re looking for a frugal tip, check out your library for new-to-you books. You can often find affordable books online, but why pay if your local library has a copy of a book you want to read?
5. Pay Off Debt
If you have debt, now is the time to make a plan to attack it. Paying off debt is one of the best ways to invest in yourself and your future.
High-interest debt enslaves, preventing many from reaching financial and life goals. Imagine what you could do with the money that you’ll have after paying off debt.
If you have a lot of high interest debt, you want to reduce the rate so that more of your money goes toward the principal. This lets you pay off the debt faster and save money in the process.
SoFi is a terrific company to help you accomplish that. They have no required fees and allow you to slash your rates, enabling you to focus your efforts on paying off debt.
If you don’t have high-interest debt, or only have one debt, you can still pay it off faster. Try adding extra money to your payments or paying more than once a month if you can.
6. Start Budgeting
Improving your finances is one of the best ways to invest in yourself. Budgeting is an essential part of starting that journey.
You may believe that a budget restricts or doesn’t allow you to enjoy life, but this is a myth. When done wisely, having a budget frees you to make choices that fit your lifestyle best.
Creating a budget may seem overwhelming, but it’s only as difficult as you make it. Again, you must personalize it.
If you need assistance in making a budget, Tiller is a helpful resource to use. The service connects with your bank account and puts all of your information into a Google Sheet.
This lets you see everything in one place so you can make informed decisions about how to manage your money more effectively.
Tiller isn’t the only budgeting app you can use. YNAB, EveryDollar, Mint, and Quicken are also great apps to try, depending on how you like to see your cash flow.
Read our guide on apps like YNAB to learn more about available options to manage your money.
7. Meditate
Meditating is an excellent way to lower stress, improve focus, and learn self-love. It is also simple to do and a free way to invest in your own well-being.
Meditating does take practice. As someone who’s naturally antsy, I have a hard time sitting still and focusing on my breathing. However, since trying meditation a year ago, I’ve gotten better.
I can now sit and meditate for 15 minutes at a time. It may not sound like much, but I could barely sit still for a minute with no distraction.
To begin, you can download an app like Calm or Headspace. Or, you can just close your eyes and focus on breathing in and out.
The key to meditation is to regularly let go of all the stress, thoughts, and to-dos that you have in your mind. If you’re looking for more guidance, you can learn how to meditate here.
8. Network
As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” While the saying is frustrating at times, it’s absolutely true.
If you feel your current network is stale or you simply enjoy meeting new people, networking is an essential part of personal growth.
You can network both in-person or online. You can find local opportunities through Facebook or MeetUp. If you use LinkedIn, the site is an excellent way to connect with other professionals in your niche.
Make it a goal to connect with one new person a week or month. Don’t just make it about yourself, either. Seek to genuinely connect with and help people.
This habit does take time, but it will reap you far greater rewards versus making these relationships transactional.
9. Get Outside
Fresh air and sun do the body good. If you aren’t the biggest nature lover, Sunshine gives you Vitamin D, so at the very least, do it for your health. What other investment matters more?
There are many activities that you can do outside to make yourself feel happy or healthy. Swimming, camping, swinging in a hammock, and group sports like soccer or frisbee are great ways to get out and have fun.
Summary
One of the top benefits of investing in yourself is growth. Whether you’re finding a new habit or learning a new skill, doing so allows you to grow and better know yourself.
Not only can this help you grow your wealth, but it will also improve your enjoyment of life. No one should remain stagnant. There’s so much to learn, do, and experience; these nine ways are just the tip of the iceberg.
What are some of your favorite benefits of investing in yourself? What is one new skill you want to learn this year? How often do you actively try and meet someone new?
*Earning more on certain types of orders (ex. alcohol): Earn more per order as compared to restaurant orders. Actual earnings may differ and depend on factors like number of deliveries you accept and complete, time of day, location, and any costs. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an order until the time you drop it off) over a 90 day period and includes compensation from tips, peak pay, and other incentives.
*Get paid instantly (DasherDirect): Subject to approval
*Cash out daily (Fast Pay): Fees apply
*Start Dashing today: Subject to background check and availability
*Dash anytime: Subject to availability
*Personal Loan Disclaimer: Fixed rates from 8.99% APR to 25.81% APR reflect the 0.25% autopay interest rate discount and a 0.25% direct deposit interest rate discount. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 05/19/23 and are subject to change without notice. Not all applicants qualify for the lowest rate. See Personal Loan eligibility details. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, and a variety of other factors. See APR examples and terms.
Loan amounts range from $5,000– $100,000. The APR is the cost of credit as a yearly rate and reflects both your interest rate and an origination fee of 0%-6%, which will be deducted from any loan proceeds you receive.
Autopay: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
Direct Deposit Discount: To be eligible to potentially receive an additional (0.25%) interest rate reduction for setting up direct deposit with a SoFi Checking and Savings account offered by SoFi Bank, N.A. or eligible cash management account offered by SoFi Securities, LLC (“Direct Deposit Account”), you must have an open Direct Deposit Account within 30 days of the funding of your Loan. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have enabled payroll direct deposits of at least $1,000/month to a Direct Deposit Account in accordance with SoFi’s reasonable procedures and requirements to be determined at SoFi’s sole discretion. This discount will be lost during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off direct deposits to your Direct Deposit Account. You are not required to enroll in direct deposits to receive a Loan.
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