But we do truly live in a golden era where anyone anywhere could make small investments and possibly make money off of it. Even though investing on oneself, one’s education, skills, health etc., would still be the best investment for the long run, most of us are looking to make investments that could actually make us money right now. So, here are ten ways you could invest money while also maintaining a full-time job.

1. Peer-to-peer lending

This is possibly the easiest investment you could make. Peer-to-peer lending involves you lending some money to a peer in hopes of making a profit out of the interest in the returns. Now of course this peer has to be someone you know or trust, so that alone reduces the pool of potentials. In a way, this method could be deemed as risky as it is simple. However, if you abide to the golden rule of lending anything including money, “Don’t lend something you can’t afford to lose”, the risk is definitely worth the simplicity and potential profit.

2. Investment in precious metals

Precious metals are a very controversial investment. Some deem them the best investment one could make, others deem them the worst. Truth is, they could be a little bit of both. The fluctuation in their prices aren’t as predictable as other things since they’re mostly dependent on the rise and fall of the dollar. However on the plus side, if a small investment is what you wish to make, the potential profit usually balances out the potential risk. Besides, precious metals like gold and silver are among the last remaining material investments one can physically hold on to.

3. Trading forex

Forex or the foreign exchange market is the world’s largest financial market. Everyday trillions of dollars are exchanged through forex and that is vital to the economy. Businesses, governments and investors use forex. Businesses use them to facilitate foreign trade, governments to implement policies and investors study the market and predict the rise and fall of the exchange rates and capitalize on this. For as little as 25$ you could get started on foreign currency trading. The basic idea is that you buy a certain amount of a foreign currency and sell it at a higher price when its valuation is higher than what you originally paid.

4. Trading options

Options trading is a process that lets you control a stock or an asset without actually owning it, letting you capitalize on its price chances. An options contract allows you the right to buy the shares owned by another person for a certain price known as the strike price before a certain date in exchange for a certain premium. If the value of the share rises, then you can buy the shares for a price cheaper than the market price and then sell it at the market price to make an overall profit. If instead the value of the share falls, then you may decline from buying the stocks but you lose the premium you initially paid. Options trading can make a great investment if you understand the market.

5. Trading futures

Futures trading involves investing in a volatile market and capitalizing on the fluctuations while providing stability to the businesses you have contracted with. With the pay of a full a time job, you can possibly afford to contract with small local businesses. If the market prices drop and the businesses can manufacture cheaper, then you get the profits. However, if the market prices rise and the manufacturing becomes more expensive, then you lose money. Once again, like options trading, if you are well educated about the market then futures trading make great investments.

6. Investment on real estate

Real estate prices continually rise and fall. And like precious metals, they are assets you can physically hold on to. If your pay can’t afford to invest in real estate around you, there are options around the world. Many countries allow foreigners to invest in their real estate and if you’ve assessed the risks well enough, they may potentially prove to be a great investment. This is specially true for developing countries where a cheap real estate can be worth a lot more within just a few years. Once again, this requires great research.

7. Crowdfund investments

This could possibly be the best option for someone with a full time job. In crowdfund investment you are only require to invest a small portion of the required amount, and your future returns depend on the amount you have initially invested. This gives you the option to invest on big businesses that could potentially make a lot of profit. Furthermore, since you’re only investing a relatively small amount you could invest in a number of businesses and expect at least some of those to make you a profit.

8. Buying stocks from established corporations

Stocks of established corporations are usually a safe bet. Let’s say you are willing to invest a thousand dollars a month from your salary. You could buy 20 stocks worth 50 dollars each. Since big corporations are constantly at work to try and increase their profits, stock prices are sooner than later bound to increase too. You could then sale some or all of the stocks you own to make a profit. For an established corporation, worst case scenario may be the drop in stock prices by 5 or 10 dollars, because they don’t usually go below that. You’ll only be losing a $100 or $200 of your initial investment.

9. Being a silent partner in small businesses

Small businesses don’t usually require a lot of money to operate. The $1000 you agreed to invest in stocks in the previous point could very well help run a small business somewhere else. Furthermore like real estate, you are not restricted to invest in businesses near you. In a developing nation, the $1000 could mean a lot and could help establish a number of businesses that could in time grow to be profitable. Becoming a silent partner means you don’t have to worry about the operations of the business. But once again, you need to be sharp on your assessment of the business and the person running it before you invest.

10. Buying penny stocks

Penny stocks are common stocks that are valued at less than a dollar. Investing in penny stocks is therefore considered highly speculative. They seldom make a good investment so unless you’ve run out of options, you should stay away from them. However since they are already so cheap, there is no other place for their prices to go but up. If you buy a lot of them (since they are all so cheap), at least some of them are bound to make you some profit. At least, these are the general assumptions surrounding investment in penny stocks. Featured photo credit: Investing Money via upload.wikimedia.org