When you think about investing money, chances are a few general concepts come to mind. You probably think about investing in the stock market. You might think about investing in a savings account for yourself. You may even think that putting money into the gold or silver exchange might be positive. But there are alternative ways of investing money, too.
For a few examples – you could buy jewelry, you could purchase time for yourself, you could invest money in volunteer efforts, or you can even individually loan your money or time to a specific company. Each of these is a form of investment and has a financial relationship to your activities and desires, either directly or indirectly.
Jewelry
When you see high-end jewelry, especially if it is classically designed, then you see an investment. Plus, you can wear it. So it’s a symbol along with a commitment to putting money into an object of design, desire, and longevity. Investing in jewelry means that you have to take care of it, and you have to protect it, but it will keep it’s worth for a particularly long time, and also serves as a status symbol.
Time for Yourself
One of the more interesting ways to invest money is by spending it on yourself in a way that gives you more time. In other words, if you’re struggling with how much time it takes you to clean your house, then it makes sense to invest in yourself by hiring a housecleaner. The money that you spend on someone else more than comes back as a return on investment, because not only does your house look clean, but you also have time to enjoy your life more. Purchasing services that you don’t like doing is a great way to invest in a higher standard of living.
Volunteer Efforts
Money can also be invested in volunteer activities. Either anonymously or as a known donor, you can spend your money in local community efforts, causes that you believe in around your own country, or even on institutions that do good things all around the world. Though you don’t get a monetary return on this type of deal, the fact that you are contributing to society as a whole means that it has a high value.
Individually To a Company
If you want, you can invest individually in a company that you believe in as well. You don’t have to be a random member of the stock market to put your money into things that you approve of or appreciate. You can personally go to the owner of a small company, for example, and tell them that you want to contribute. There are ways that you can put your money into an investment structure that is outside the typical norms, as long as the arrangement is understood by all parties.