Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
You’re Already an Investor! Let Me Prove It.
Ruby Layram
12th Nov 2025
Be honest, when you hear the word investor, what pops into your head?
A suited-up City trader shouting into a headset? Someone glued to stock charts, buying and selling shares all day?
But in reality, if you think investing is just for the wealthy, the financial geniuses, or the lucky few who somehow “get it”… think again. Because chances are, you’re already an investor.
Seriously. Let me prove it.
Your Home Counts
If you own a house, you’ve made one of the biggest and most common investments there is. Property isn’t just somewhere to live, it’s an asset that grows (and sometimes dips) in value over time.
Every mortgage payment builds your ownership stake in that property, that’s equity. You’re literally investing in a chunk of bricks and mortar that could be worth more in the future.
Your Pension Also Counts
Think about that workplace pension that quietly ticks along in the background. You might not check it often, but every time money goes in, from you, your employer, and the government’s tax relief, it’s being invested on your behalf.
Your pension fund managers are buying shares, bonds, and other assets for you. They’re growing your money so it’s worth more when you retire. You might not see the day-to-day ups and downs, but make no mistake, that’s investing.
Read next: How to read your pension statement
Your Savings Count (yes, really)
Even if your money’s in a savings account, that’s still a financial decision that involves managing risk and return. You’ve chosen somewhere to store and grow your money, just in a very low-risk, low-reward way.
If you’ve ever moved money to chase a better rate, you’ve made a classic investor move: you’ve compared potential returns and taken action to make your money work harder.
Your Stuff Can Count Too
Some people hold investments in more unusual forms, think vintage wine, art, watches, classic cars, or even collectibles like Pokémon cards.
If you’ve ever held onto something because you thought, “This might be worth more one day,” congratulations, that’s an investor’s mindset.
See? You’re already doing it
Investing isn’t some mysterious world reserved for “finance people.” It’s just putting your money somewhere with the goal of getting more back later.
You don’t need fancy jargon, insider knowledge, or a huge lump sum. What you need is awareness, confidence, and small, steady steps.
So if you’ve ever thought “Investing isn’t for me”, well, it already is. You’re just ready for the next step.
How to Dip Your Toe Into Investing (without losing sleep)
Okay, so now you’re on board with the idea that you’re already investing in some way, what next?
How do you start investing a little more intentionally, without risking your savings or spending your evenings glued to the markets?
Here’s how to ease into it calmly and confidently.
1. Keep your emergency fund
Before you do anything else, make sure you’ve got an emergency buffer.
Think 3 to 6 months’ worth of expenses in an easy-access savings account. That’s your safety net, so if your boiler breaks or your car gives up, you won’t need to sell investments or go into debt.
Once that’s in place, then you can start thinking about investing extra money for the long term.
2. Start small
You don’t need thousands to begin.
Many investment platforms let you start with as little as £25 or £50 a month. That’s the beauty of regular investing. You drip-feed small amounts over time, which helps smooth out market ups and downs.
It’s a bit like a gym membership for your finances; small, consistent effort builds big results.
3. Stick with what’s simple
You don’t need to pick individual shares or try to “beat the market.”
Look for index funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track a broad range of companies, like the FTSE 100 or global markets. These are low-cost, diversified, and designed for long-term growth.
If your pension fund offers an investment in “global equities” or “balanced growth,” that’s essentially the same idea — spreading risk across lots of companies instead of putting all your eggs in one basket.
4. Think long term
Investing isn’t about quick wins, it’s about patience.
Markets go up and down all the time, but history shows they’ve always grown over the long run.
A simple mindset shift helps: Don’t think of investing as gambling or guessing. Think of it as owning tiny pieces of real businesses that make products, create jobs, and generate profit. Over time, that growth becomes your growth.
5. Stay curious
Once you’ve got started, keep learning, but don’t get overwhelmed.
There are loads of great beginner-friendly resources online (including right here on MoneyMagpie) that break things down in plain English. The more you understand, the more confident you’ll feel about letting your money do its thing.
The Bottom Line
If you take one thing away from this, make it this:
You already are an investor, whether it’s your home, your pension, or even your savings account.
You don’t have to be rich, clever, or fearless to take the next step. You just have to be interested in making your money work harder.
Start small, stay consistent, and don’t panic when the markets wobble. Over time, those tiny steps can lead to a seriously big difference.
Because the best kind of investor?
It’s not the loudest one or the flashiest one. It’s the one who quietly gets started, and keeps going.
Read next: Bargain hunters make the best investors! Here’s why.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
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