You have the funds. You’re ready to go. Here’s how to build a million-pound investment portfolio on a £500 monthly budget.
Building wealth through investing might seem daunting and confusing at first.
But it does not have to be so hard.
The first important step is to start investing early and make it an on-going commitment.
Never falter.
The earlier you get started, the more time your money has to grow.
And most of all – “compound.”
This is when money makes money.
And the money that money makes, makes money.
Put another way, compounding interest, is interest on interest.
You can see the power of that from the following example
In 1790, Boston and Philadelphia were gifted $2000.
It was given by Benjamin Franklin. One of the Founding Fathers of the USA.
Some of that money wasn’t usable for 100 years.
The rest for a further 100 years.
When 1990 came around – the rest of the $2000 was worth a staggering $6.5 million!
It’s true and is a perfect example of the money that money makes, making more money.
You can try it for yourself here with this Compounding Calculator.
The results are mind-blowing.
And if ever you needed an incentive, there it is for all to see!
It should make you want to get started right away.
What Else?
The next vital component to wealth building is DIVERSIFICATION.
This means spreading out your investments among different asset classes.
For example:
- Stocks
- Bonds
- ETFs
- Commodities (i.e. Gold/Silver/Oil)
Among many others.
That’s because if one asset drops in value, you are not taking a huge hit on your portfolio all at once.
So, how do you actually divide the £500 monthly budget?
There are various ways.
One easy way is to simply let someone else invest that £500 a month on your behalf.
They are called fund managers.
There are dozens of fund management companies out there.
Many new investors are lured to these because they think it is the easiest way to be an investor.
Sure, it is.
But to be frank, your rates of return are not great.
Putting your money into managed investment funds every month is not going to make you £1 million.
And that’s simply because someone else is doing it for you.
Your hard-earned money is left in their hands and they just don’t devote the time necessary to grow your returns.
That is why a lot of people are frustrated by managed funds and decide to go their own way.
Self-Investing
This can mean two things actually.
1) Making investments yourself
2) Investing in your investment and trading education
The two go hand-in-hand.
And many people are now doing this.
Managed funds don’t return enough.
ISA’s don’t return enough.
Savings accounts don’t return enough.
Sure, they can help.
But these days, they do not make enough on their own to get you to that £1 million.
You need to intervene.
Take control.
And that is ultimately what it is about – being in control of your own financial well-being.
And wealth creation.
That way you have a far better chance of reaching that £1 million.
And become financially independent.
Strategies for Self-Investing
These are many.
They start with devising a financial plan for yourself and your family.
Where would you like to be in 5, 10, 15 years?
You want to make that £1 million.
So make that happen by writing that down into a plan.
You need a plan.
That’s what all successful millionaires did first- make sure they had a plan to achieve that first £1 million.
It has to be a written plan otherwise it’s a pie-in-the-sky idea.
And nothing more.
Because in that plan you can then start making your £500 a month work for you efficiently.
A good way to do this is by breaking down the ultimate goal into smaller achievable goals.
For example, let’s say your goal is to have a million pounds in 10 years.
Break this goal down into £100,000 in 5 years.
£200,000 in 8 years.
This helps make it more manageable.
Keeping track of these milestones keeps you motivated.
Helps you progress towards your ultimate goal.
Educate Yourself
You may have already dabbled with self-learning.
YouTube “How To” videos.
Free guides – Investing for Dummies, that kind of thing.
Maybe you have read a ton of books.
These all have their place.
You might get some value from them.
BUT they don’t give you the hands-on training you need to be a successful investor.
Doesn’t that involve a lot of time?
Not really.
You also get to practice what you are taught with a dummy investment account.
That is a great way to learn how to make investments
Once you have some basic knowledge, can start investing in individual stocks immediately.
Staying consistent in your investments is the next key.
This means investing regularly and sticking with it even if you don’t see immediate results.
You don’t need to be an expert; plenty of successful people have done it on a budget.
Case Studies
People from all walks of life have invested time into learning how to be an investor.
And gone to have great success.
Here are some examples:
Steve started out by investing £500 monthly into index funds when he was 25 years old.
Ten years later, he had managed to turn his investment into a million pounds.
His strategy was simple: buy low and sell high. Diversify his investments. Stay disciplined about his contributions each month.
Stuart from the North West of England turned $1 into $35k in just six months.
It’s about being in the right place, at the right time, he said.
But you have to become the right person to be in the right place, at the right time!
Debora is a young mum who managed to give up work all together.
She now earns her living as a full-time crypto trader.
Enjoying consistent profits, Debora said after learning crypto trading.
“You can give someone a fish or you can teach them how to fish. Or you can give them a fishing fleet. I now have a fishing fleet! I can catch crabs, I can catch fish, I can catch anything because I now have all these different skills and tools!”
They are a fraction of the real life people who prove it is possible to become an investor even with limited funds.
Tips For Solo Investing
One of the first challenges you may come across when investing is managing risk.
Risk management is key to making sure your investments pay off in the long run.
To minimise risk, research potential investments before committing your money.
And ensure you are diversifying your portfolio.
Get familiar with the different types of investments, as mentioned earlier:
- Stocks
- Bonds
- ETFs
- Low-cost index funds
That way you know what kind of risks each carries.
Also, stay up-to-date with market trends and track your investments.
Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and resources available to help you do this.
For instance, with many brokerages you can track your portfolio in real-time.
You can also receive notifications about the latest market trends.
Several third-party websites offer investor tutorials, financial calculators and other helpful tools.
And remember, when building a successful investment portfolio, patience and discipline are essential.
Conclusion
There is no doubt you can build a million-pound portfolio on a £500 monthly budget.
But it’s important to remember you won’t make incredible returns overnight.
So focus on taking small steps towards your long-term goals.
Rather than trying to make quick profits in the short term.
If you are interested in education and training to help you become an investor, check us out.
Investment Mastery.
Thousands of our students – including Stuart and Debora above – have learned from us.
And are now successful investors and traders.
Join IM Insider now and you too can begin your investor journey.
IM Insider gives you exclusive access to a wide range of online investment courses, videos, guides, books and exclusive community memberships!
You can subscribe here, now.
