You guys know why I stopped investing in the stock market. I didn’t just pull out of the stock market to hold my money in a basic savings account. I wasn’t just afraid of the risk that came with owning stocks. I actually had bigger goals for my savings. Today I wanted to share what I feel are better options for your money that don’t involve investing in the stock market.
What are four better options for your savings than investing in the stock market?
Unique experiences.
There’s so much to see in this world that it’s a shame to not even try to see some of it. After looking for more options for what to do after college I decided that I really wanted to take some time to travel the world for a bit. While I didn’t get to see the whole world (is it even possible?), I got to travel about a dozen times over the past few years.
You can save all the money that you want and prepare for the future. The problem is that from reading blog posts, talking with older friends, and everyone I speak with, I find that everyone regrets not travelling enough. While I wasn’t sure about what to do after college, I did know that I didn’t want to turn 30 and regret not seeing what this world had to offer.
Real estate.
The reason that I support real estate is that you actually own something. The decision to buy or rent a home in your 20s is a big one. This is why I decided to put a lot of time and research into my decision. I ended up deciding to buy a condo that I could live in for a year or so. I lived in the place for a year and then I rented the unit out so that I can travel more.
I must note that when I mention real estate I’m not referring to your primary residence. I’m referring to becoming a landlord through purchasing a rental property.
Education.
We all know that knowledge is power. The more you know the more that options that you have open to you. I’m also not referring to the traditional form of education. While I did get my college degree, I also took advantage of other educational opportunities. I took an online course, got my license in Personal Training, read many books, attended a conference, and took advantage of any chance I had to meet anyone in my field.
I fully believe that the best option for your money is to invest in yourself. Albert Einstein said it best when he said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
P2P Lending.
I must admit that this is a new form of investing that I’m slowly starting to look into. I haven’t really covered this much around here yet. This form of investing is rapidly expanding and I plan on covering it in greater detail in the near future. For now you can check out the home page of Prosper for more details.
These were all options that I found to be much more beneficial to me than than investing in the stock market. The great news once again is that you don’t have to stick with just one option for your money. You can spread your money out between all of these options to see what works for you.
