I Wish I’d Started with Just 10%
(2 minutes read)
Originally published on Substack
When I was in college, I worked two jobs.
On average, I made about $14 per hour, juggling 10 to 15 hours a week between classes, homework and exams, while trying to be a good daughter, roommate, and friend.
That money wasn’t extra.
It paid for textbooks. A winter jacket to survive Cambridge winters. Groceries. My phone bill. A few things for my family back home. And sometimes, it just helped me breathe.
But every now and then I wonder:
What if I’d invested just 10% of that income?
What if I invested $25 a week in the S&P 500. Or bought a little Bitcoin?
Let’s do the math:
If I’d invested around $4,000 over four years, by the time I graduated, here’s what it could’ve become:
Invested in: Value at graduation
S&P 500 (~15% annual return) ~$6000
Bitcoin (estimated 4000x return) ~$20 million 😮Yep. Bitcoin was trading for under a penny when I started college.
By the time I graduated, it had soared to over $100.
Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.
Back then, even the idea of investing felt out of reach, almost like a luxury I couldn’t afford. It seemed like something I needed more of to start—more money, more time, more knowledge. And honestly, I was barely scraping by on all three.
So if that’s you right now, I get it.
Maybe you’re working part-time, helping out your family, juggling classes, and barely getting by. Or maybe you’re in a better place financially, with a little cushion.
Enough with the “What ifs”
Clearly, I can’t rewind time (even though, I’d love to) and neither can you. So what can you do now?
Just start smarter.
You don’t have to go it alone.
With Endowe, you and your friends can build your financial future together.
On your next birthday, instead of asking for the latest cool accessory or waiting till your friends give you an Amazon gift card, ask for fractional stocks or crypto through your Endowe registry. Do it again for the holidays. Then again at all your celebrations.
You’d be building an investment portfolio, without spending a dime of your own.
Imagine graduating with $5,000 invested instead of $5,000 in stuff you’ll have to haul cross-country for your new job, or sell for $500 on Facebook Marketplace.
I didn’t have Endowe when I was a student.
But you do.
So start small. Start smarter. Be intentional.
Let the people who love you invest in the future you’re building.
With lot of love,
Your Godmother Ada
