Most people think of investing as something you do with big sums of money — $10,000, $20,000, or more.
But the truth is, you don't need to be rich to get started.
Thanks to modern micro-investing apps and ASX exchange-traded funds (ETFs), even a few dollars a day can snowball into meaningful wealth over time.
Start small, stay consistent
The hardest part of investing is often just getting started. But with micro-investing platforms and low-cost brokerage, you can put as little as $5 into ASX shares or ETFs. By setting up an automatic weekly or monthly contribution, you will hardly even notice the money leaving your account — yet the impact over years and decades can be transformative.
For example, $50 a week at a 10% average annual return (not guaranteed, but in line with long-term sharemarket averages) compounds to approximately $160,000 in 20 years. Double that to $100 a week and you're looking at nearly $315,000.
Choose simple, diversified investments
To keep things easy, many beginners choose ETFs. Funds like the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF (ASX: VAS) provide instant exposure to the ASX 200, while the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) gives access to the world's largest stocks like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).
For those interested in megatrends, the Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX: RBTZ) or Betashares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND) add growth potential by focusing on future-facing industries and fast-growing economies.
Reinvest dividends
One of the simplest yet most effective complementary strategies is to reinvest dividends rather than taking them as cash.
This way, you're constantly buying more units, which then generate their own dividends. Over time, this compounding effect creates an accelerating snowball of wealth. And then eventually, once your portfolio grows substantially, you can take the dividends out as a source of passive income.
Think long term
The real secret to turning spare change into serious wealth isn't a hot stock tip or lucky timing — it is patience.
By starting early, staying consistent, and resisting the urge to sell when markets wobble, you give compounding the time it needs to do the heavy lifting.
Foolish takeaway
Don't underestimate the power of small beginnings.
Even a few dollars a day, invested wisely on the ASX, can grow into life-changing wealth over time. The trick is to start now, stay disciplined, and let the compounding magic work in your favour.
