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Making money while saving the planet is a serious win-win scenario. Whether your budget is straight-up Rockefeller, or just a couple pennies above the Poor Little Match Girl, you've got options for green investing.
- Invest in a green entrepreneur. Find someone who's making or doing something totally eco-awesome on a small scale in your community, and ask them if you can get in on the action by staking them some cash in return for a share of their future success. The smaller the business, the more impact your money will have.
- If you've got a head for commerce, you might even want to invest in your own green business. Use your savings as start-up capital for the eco-friendly product line you've been dreaming of starting. This doesn't have to cost a lot, especially if you start small and bootstrap your way up to a bigger share of the market.
- Invest in green building. Become a benevolent real estate magnate by buying run-down properties, greenovating them into gorgeous eco-residences, and selling at a profit. You need some pretty serious capital to make this happen, but if you do it right, the financial rewards can be intense, like the California beach house on World's Greenest Homes that skyrocketed to millions of dollars in value, thanks in large part to the owner's eco-smart building choices.
- Buy green stocks. Seek out an eco-smart company, (like one that manufactures wind turbines or sustainable housewares), and pony up for some stock options that you can really get excited about. You don't have to sell your family home to play the market, either. With some research, luck, and attention, you can start to see a profit after just one or two smart trades. However, there is definitely some risk involved, so don't invest anything you can't afford to lose.
- Invest in a green mutual fund. Mutual funds are a bit more slow-and-steady than straight-up buying stocks, which makes them a pretty good choice for people who are willing to give up the chance of getting-rich-quick in favor of having a more secure, less vulnerable investment. The pooled resources of a fund allow for everyone to enjoy the benefits of a diverse portfolio without having to lay out a ton of cash.
- If you can't afford to fund a business, buy property, or purchase stocks on your own, consider getting together a conglomerate of friends, neighbors, and other like-minded investors who can all pitch in together on environmentally sustainable ventures. Making eco-friendly money is that much sweeter, and that much more attainable, when you've got some allies by your side.
This post was inspired by World's Greenest Homes.
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