Feel Like A Loser? Your Micro Money Adds Up

It’s easy to go online, see people making millions of dollars, and then feel like a loser. When this happens, take a step back and put your own activities into perspective.

Even if you aren’t making much, here’s how far your money will go:

• $50/month — this is buying a small, non-essential but useful life upgrade. I like traveling and recently used my Kindle royalty money to buy a Le Creuset pour over coffee maker that I can take anywhere. You could also save up for a few months and use your use your side income for a new laptop. Or, invest the whole $600 into the S&P 500 and grow your balance to $3,362.65 over the next 20 years. You could also treat your friends/family to lunch.
• $100/month — According to research, the average woman spends $545 per year on clothes. While the average man spends $326. At this point, you have enough side money to cover bigger purchases like your annual wardrobe. Putting your $100 per month into the S&P 500 for a full year would also net you $6,725.29 over the next 20 years. Or, you could use that money to take a small vacation.
• $500/month — This is enough to cover rent in much of the world. You could live in the beautiful Brazilian beach resort city of Balneario Camboriu, “on the house.” Investing this money into the S&P 500 for a year would also compound to $33,626.46 over the next two decades. Your $6,000 in annual side money is also enough to buy an entry-level Rolex.
• $1,000/month — If you have a job and are making a thousand dollars per month on the side, you’re going to get rich. I’m not kidding. Throw this money, plus another $1,000 from your main income, into the S&P 500 every month for 20 years and you end up with $1,227,842.87.

I always recommend having a job as your main source of income, while building other revenue streams on the side. This way, you don’t have to solely rely on your side hustles for grocery money or rent.

Instead, you can use your extra income for quality of life improvements.

And even at $50 — $100 a month, these add up fast.

Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only. It is not financial advice, always do your own research.