Is investing $50 a month worth it? (2024)

Is investing $50 a month worth it?

Investing only $50 a month adds up

With a good interest rate, say around 7% a year, your $50 a month turns into a lot more than just the $24,000 you put in. By the end of 40 years, you could end up with over $120,000. This shows how saving a little bit regularly can really grow into a big amount over the years.

This chart shows you how, over a period of 30 years, investing $50 every week could grow your portfolio to more than $1 million. Chart by author. Assuming a 15% annual growth rate (on average), a $50 per-week investment could grow to a value of more than $1.5 million after 30 years.

Your monthly income plays a defining role in how much you invest each month. To make things simpler, experts recommend investing around 20% of your monthly income, at the very least.

If you set aside $50 a month for one year, you'll have $600 saved. That's better than $0. As you continue to contribute more money, your account balance will grow. By keeping your extra cash in a high-yield savings account, you can earn interest while your money sits in the bank.

How much should you be investing? Some experts recommend at least 15% of your income. Setting clear investment goals can help you determine if you're investing the right amount.

If you're still investing $100 per month, you'd have a total of around $518,000 after 35 years, compared to $325,000 in that time period with a 10% return. There are never any guarantees in the stock market, but with the right strategy, a little cash can go a long way.

Let's start with the obvious: If you're not contributing any money to retirement, even $50 per month will make a substantial difference. That monthly contribution could add up to nearly $24,600 after 20 years, $56,700 after 30 years, and $119,800 after 40 years. That's still not enough to retire on, but it's a start.

How much should a 25 year old have saved?

By age 25, you should aim to have an emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses, and start regularly contributing to retirement savings to take advantage of compound interest over time, even if it's just small amounts.

Invest in Dividend Stocks

A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.

Generally, experts recommend investing around 10-20% of your income. But the more realistic answer might be whatever amount you can afford. If you're wondering, “how much should I be investing this year?”, the answer is to invest whatever amount you can afford!

If you're age 25 and have 40 years to save until retirement, depositing $100 a month into a savings account earning the current average U.S. interest rate of 0.42% APY would get you to just $52,367 in retirement savings — not great.

Investing $500 a month could make you a millionaire in 30 or 40 years. You don't need to be a financial expert, but understanding how to build a balanced portfolio will go a long way.

The big payoffs start to come after a few decades

If you invest $50 every week, that's the equivalent of setting aside $2,600 per year. And if you do that over the course of 30 years, then you will have contributed $78,000. But the real power is in the compounding, and the continued growth of your portfolio each year.

Investing $100 per month, with an average return rate of 10%, will yield $200,000 after 30 years. Due to compound interest, your investment will yield $535,000 after 40 years. These numbers can grow exponentially with an extra $100. If you make a monthly investment of $200, your 30-year yield will be close to $400,000.

Investing can change your life for the better. But many people mistakenly think that unless they have thousands of dollars lying around, there's no good place to put their money. The good news is that's simply not the case. You can start investing with $100 or even less.

“Even small, consistent investments like $10 can lead to significant growth in the long run, thanks to the magic of compound interest,” said Baruch Silvermann, financial expert and CEO of The Smart Investor.

How much should 30 year old invest?

If you put off investing in your 20s due to paying off student loans or the fits and starts of establishing your career, your 30s are when you need to start putting money away. You're still young enough to reap the rewards of compound interest, but old enough to be investing 10% to 15% of your income.

How much to put toward savings versus investing depends on your current needs and your future goals. If you're unable to cover three to six months' worth of expenses with savings, it's best to prioritize that before beginning to invest for long-term goals like retirement.

Assuming a 15% annual growth rate (on average), a $50 per-week investment could grow to a value of more than $1.5 million after 30 years.

A solid emergency fund can save the day when you must cover an unexpected cost. If you don't yet have an emergency fund, it's never too late to start building one. By contributing $200 each month, your fund will add up throughout the year -- $2,400 is a solid amount of cash.

You plan to invest $100 per month for five years and expect a 6% return. In this case, you would contribute $6,000 over your investment timeline. At the end of the term, your portfolio would be worth $6,949. With that, your portfolio would earn around $950 in returns during your five years of contributions.