How would you make money with $500?

[OrLevitate]

In a pretty short time, and legally.

Who can come up with the highest ROI?

 

[Pyropyro]

In a pretty short time, and legally.

Who can come up with the highest ROI?

Define short. Months, weeks, years?

I think buy and sell would be the swiftest but you will still need networking, expertise and probably even a license to trade. All of which will take time.

 

[OrLevitate]

Weeks preferably, a month or two is alright I guess.

Id like to say low risk too, but if such a business plan already existed...

 

[Pyropyro]

Weeks preferably, a month or two is alright I guess.

Id like to say low risk too, but if such a business plan already existed...

That's actually possible if you already have a respected business set up or is quite well known in a certain field. If you're starting from scratch well... let's just say you'll have a lot of catching up to do.

 

[The Gopher]

I would win the lottery, 4-50 million dollar ROI.

 

[redbaron]

$500 on red. 50/50 chance to double your money instantly.

 

[Cognisant]

A scam of some sort, buy some honey, repackage it in glass jars with custom printed labels that say it's 30% royal jelly, sell it at markets for twice/thrice the price.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Highest ROI: Lottery, roi around 100000%, investment safety 0% (you are not going to win, or you could as well get hit by a car, which is statistically more likely)
Low ROI: Bonds, roi around 3-4%(Mind the inflation yearly average of 3%, which leaves you with 1% roi), investment safety 99%

Buy a good health insurance: Roi around ?%, safety ?%
Get badly hurt, but in a way that allows full recovery, so that you can save your insurance money on something else. Or insure something material: It's legal as long as it results from your carelessness, start living in the slums or with insane people and give them long blades, gasoline tanks, etc. .

In a few months you are not likely to triple your money unless you have a great strategy (I assume it's impossible in your case, but there are historical examples of this), unless you gamble or attempt to trick people.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Buy an i5u laptop with 8gb of ram and sell my skilled data analysis labor.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

In a pretty short time, and legally.

Who can come up with the highest ROI?

Well, there go all the ideas that started forming when I read the title.

Fuck the law. Selling drugs is easy as hell, and no one in this shitty California college town is going to bust you for weed.

Buy in bulk (should be roughly $10/gram) and only sell to friends and anyone they happen to have with them in person at the time in order to limit exposure as a "dealer." If you sell for even $15/gram you'd still get up to $750 in probably a week or so. Stoners go through so much weed you'd think they're setting it on fire oh wait...

 

[Pyropyro]

Buy an i5u laptop with 8gb of ram and sell my skilled data analysis labor.

If you give me something like that then I'll simply play games all day

 

[crippli]

Buy and sell
-Become knowledgeable about the product. Technical, variations in demand etc. Then you are set up to invest. This is time consuming. So it should be something advanced, that is of interest, more then the money you will make. You can either be first on good deals, or haggle the prices on what have not been sold. Then prepare the product so it becomes more attractive. Sell in a professional manner.

-Now you have 750$. Repeat. Now you have 1100$. Repeat, repeat, repeat and repeat. Now you have close to 4000$.

-Tax free, at least where I live.
-No physical work except a few trips to the post office, but some work on the computer.
-Really good deals can be far away. So it's best to have around 5-10000$. Invest in a package, split up and sell one and one component. A few hours work, and profit is usually about 2000$.
-Risk 1%.
-Stick to small stuff that can be cheaply transported across the country, so there is access to the whole marked.

 

[doncarlzone]

$500 on red. 50/50 chance to double your money instantly.

47.37% chance

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

-Now you have 750$. Repeat. Now you have 1100$. Repeat, repeat, repeat and repeat. Now you have close to 4000$.

Not in a few months. Riskless trades have a 20% profit margin, from what I have seen/experienced.

-Tax free, at least where I live.

Usually, you need to pay for advertisements, SEO, auction services (which have their own fees)
There are taxes too, especially if you sell commercial amounts. Depends on where he lives.

-Really good deals can be far away. So it's best to have around 5-10000$. Invest in a package, split up and sell one and one component. A few hours work, and profit is usually about 2000$.

How did you get that figure? I can say for 5000$ of profit monthly there would have to be around 50000$*5(20% profit margin)=250k$ of goods advertised and waiting to be sold.

-Risk 1%.

Varies, can be huge. Sometimes the goods need to wait for months to get a profitable deal.

-Stick to small stuff that can be cheaply transported across the country, so there is access to the whole marked.

I'd say the general selling strategy could work, but not within this limited time, unless he'd somehow get street trade or distribution worked out and the profit would be much lower.

I'm really interested how did you get this information, maybe you would care to share the explanation? What market (electronics, luxury), where would you get the wholesale deals, etc.?

 

[crippli]

1.Not in a few months. Riskless trades have a 20% profit margin, from what I have seen/experienced.

2.Usually, you need to pay for advertisements, SEO, auction services (which have their own fees)
There are taxes too, especially if you sell commercial amounts. Depends on where he lives.

3.How did you get that figure? I can say for 5000$ of profit monthly there would have to be around 50000$*5(20% profit margin)=250k$ of goods advertised and waiting to be sold.

4.Varies, can be huge. Sometimes the goods need to wait for months to get a profitable deal.

5.I'd say the general selling strategy could work, but not within this limited time, unless he'd somehow get street trade or distribution worked out and the profit would be much lower.

I'm really interested how did you get this information, maybe you would care to share the explanation? What market (electronics, luxury), where would you get the wholesale deals, etc.?

1. Not on used stuff.Profit can be from 0 - 100%(gift)
2. True and not true. The largest advertisement services are free here. I would not recommend auction. Set the right price, and do not deviate. Wait for the upswing on the market. There is a roof around 10 000$ profit here, but defined as work and recreation. If it is work, then taxes shall be payed.
3. Not sure how you calculated that. I said 2000$ profit from a 5-10000$ investment. There is no monthly profit. There can be 4000$ profit one month. And go 5 months until the next good deal.Unless one is satisfied with small deals, with a 100-400$ profit on each deal with an investment on 1000$.
4. The risk is minimal, if one have done the homework. So that one does not get scammed.
5. Depends. Being pressed for time is always a bad thing for a dealer. It should always be the other way around.But I don't think I would have any problem giving back at 1000$ if I had a month to do it. It would be slow, since I could only do one swap at a time. But those are the rules of the game.

Canon dslr equipment. It is an interesting marked, especially the used market. to bad it is limited. it feels good to buy a camera for 1150$ and sell it for 2900$. Something I did not so long ago. But the standard deal is buy a 50mm L 1.2 lens for 1000$ and sell it for 1500$. I normally don't bother doing the swap if the profit will be less. Also at this point i have had almost every Canon dslr product there is, except the most expensive lenses(haven't taken the chance), so the interest isn't quite what it used to be. And not particularly interested in the money. That is more something I feel I deserve to test their equipment. So been doing other stuff. But in store I have equipment for $7500 that I plan to make available for customers. As I have had it for about 5 months. I paid 5000$. That is a nice 2500$ profit for having a lot of fun and making art that hopefully will be sold for millions when I grow old.

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Okay, I was expecting specialised or used equipment. I deal (new) canon dslr eq and cameras + a whole bunch of other stuff, computing/photography/electronics, in a larger business. Certainly as you've said there is a limited profit as the market is small. Also many issues with marketing (EOS 100d/60d is less popular than 1100d, because people intuitively choose the higher number)

So your advice is sound as an investment for many months and the profit ceiling is quite low, but it seems there is less competition. The philosophy is also quite different as yours is recreational/used eq and there is less pressure on selling immediately to keep the money flowing.

 

[crippli]

Also many issues with marketing (EOS 100d/60d is less popular than 1100d, because people intuitively choose the higher number)

Ew. I try to avoid such customers... There is a lot of psycology in this marked.

So you are like me then, only a professional .

As you said, the clue is the low competition, and the passion with buyers. And the best, everyone is always happy, since I sell a bit under the regular used price. And far under your price. It could have been interesting to do this commercial. Only on other stuff, and I think more luxury stuff. Maybe something very different. There is a lot of people who like to spend all their money. I think it would be good to spend that on me. Only they apparently need to get something in return .

But there was my tip, and now it got specified. I think the philosophy and technique could be used on most anything. I can't think of an easier way to make money with low risk, small capital, legal and high profit. I think a lot of very rich people today started up this way. Only they transitioned naturally into larger markets and expanded. Where I have got stuck on the marked making 1000$ into 1500$. like a child that likes to play where the water is shallow, warm and safe. Perhaps it is time to do RB's advice. Put everything on red...

 

[TheManBeyond]

contrabando?

 

[Cherry Cola]

47.37% chance

:O How come?

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

:O How come?

Not super knowledgeable of roulette but, if I remember correctly, there are a few spaces on the wheel where no one wins money.

 

[Jennywocky]

:O How come?

If he's betting on red, it's not 50/50 because roulette has one (French) or two (US) house slots in addition to all the red and black.

Since we're talking either 37 (france) or 38 slots (US) on the wheel:

Chance of red (French): 18/37 = 48.65%
Chance of red (US): 18/38 = 47.37%

Obviously he's talking about a US wheel.

 

[doncarlzone]

:O How come?

38 numbers, two of which are 0 and green, thus nor white or black to ensure the casinos a profit. In Europe I believe single-zero roulette is more common in which case there is only one 0 and thus a slightly better chance of winning.

EDIT:

Thanks Jenny

 

[Cherry Cola]

Thx!

 

[Helvete]

Be skilled at something.

 

[Absurdity]

This only works for people in CA, AZ, NM, and TX, but:

1. Drive to Tijuana or nearest Mexican border town.
2. Purchase $500 USD worth of glass-bottle Mexican Coca-Cola (less than USD $1 per bottle).
3. Drive back to the states and set up a stand in a busy park in a yuppie part of town on a sunny weekend.
4. Sell "authentic" glass-bottle coke flavored with cane sugar instead of corn syrup (oOoOo) for $3 or whatever.

Alternatively, you could just order the Mexican Coca-Cola, which could save you money if the cost of shipping is less than gas, but that entails less adventure.

If you're a real snake you could just buy some glass coke bottles, rinse them out, and then fill them with regular American coke and then try as pass them off as the "real thing."

 

[AquaTron]

What would also work well is buying a large case of bottled water, and selling it at a dollar or 2 somewhere outside.

What I would do with $500 is buy a cheap car someone really needs to sell badly (say they are moving or are out of money). Looking on local craigslist you find deals like this. Buy when the time is right and they're desperate. If there's any money left over from the purchase I would use that to fix any broken parts. Then wash, vacuum, clean, wax, polish. Make it look as nice as possible before you sell for profit. Repeat that with gradually more expensive cars. If you become skilled at diagnosing and fixing common problems you can make a quick profit from flipping cars.

My first car was a really old Ford truck. Bought it for $1000, put $400 into it and was offered $4000 for it from a friend.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

If you have a family member that's still in gradeschool, you can invest in a candy business.

$500 could buy a nice camera/webcam for an online exhibition service.

Desktop computers can be assembled for $350-500. Any extra funds can go towards advertising.

Basic neighborhood paint jobs.

Certifications to enter an industry.

There are so many other ways if you already have a skill and just need funds for the resources and marketing.

 

[Missfortune]

why dont you just spend it all on hookers?

you could be reproductive instead of productive with it. re=again, so you could trick yourself into thinking you've been productive.

 

[Emerson]

Buy books.

Knowledge may not be quite the RoI you're looking for, but it is the ultimate RoI you'll receive from $500.

I won't dissuade you from attempting to turn your $500 into something greater, but if you were already knowledgeable in the areas that would potentially make your $500 into something greater, then you wouldn't be asking for advice on how to do so in a public forum.

What you'll benefit from most, in my sincere opinion, is investing your $500 into books that will teach you how to turn your next $500 into something more.

"A pencil and a paper to an illiterate means nothing, but to a writer--it means everything."
- Something I made up to prove a point.

If you become knowledgeable in, let's say, finance or business, then you will make way more money over time than if you were to perhaps make $2000 off of your current $500 investment. While that statement is not certain, it is probably an accurate thing to say. The problem with money and interest, especially compound interest, is that it takes time. Years and years of time. Making money doesn't happen in a week, a month, or a year even. It's a process that takes a very long time.

It's not something that you probably want to hear, nor is it warranted advice, but I thought I may as well let it be said.

Though let me tell you a little something that may either brighten up your future or darken it severely:

If you invest your current principal of $500 and make a few thousand, that may be all that you make because you will likely not have the knowledge to translate that few thousand into, say, hundreds of thousands or millions. If you had that knowledge already, then you wouldn't be asking for advice, as I previously stated.

However, if you invest your current principal of $500 and learn about business or finance and master either to a certain degree, then your financial future is delightfully uncertain. Your next $500 that you come across could turn into thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, or perhaps billions if you truly mastered your craft; though, sadly to say, it is unlikely you'll be so inclined to do so-- don't take offense, most people just don't want to read financial statements all day.

If you are more knowledgeable, your $500 in twenty years, with a monthly investment of an extra $500 (might be hard or easy to come by depending on your financial circumstances) and an average investors interest rate of 10% a year (via the S&P and the DOW), would be $347k.

You start with $500, add $6k a year, and you have over a third of a million in twenty years. Of course, that's with the extra $500 of knowledge you bought. In reality, knowledge is cheap. In fact, it can be free most of the time-- it's called a library or googling "title name-- free online to read."

That kind of money comes by someone who is just average and only does well for twenty years. Forty years from now? 2.6 Million. Yeah, you're still just an average joe investor, but you made 2.6 million off of your $500 initial principal. It's not impossible, nor hard to do, but it takes a hell of a lot of time.

Oh yeah, if you're an above average investor (I'd say you'd have to have a great business sense, but we're INTP, right? Intuition, Perception. Can I assume we're better than average at having an eye for noticing specific trends in business once acclimated?) then you can expect your net worth to be in the high millions.

Of course, time is the key factor here. I mean, there's also dedication, persistence, the right mental framework, lots of time spent thinking of the future, being in the right circumstances, etc. Also, only 1%, even amongst INTPs (unfortunately, not all are special just because of a determined set of characteristics), will ever be financially well off statistically speaking. Actually, less than that because the 1% so frequently coveted by America is actually a few points off of 1%. No need to get anal about it though, I guess.

Anyways, that's my .2 centerinos. If you give a shit, great; otherwise, perhaps it will serve useful to some other fellow(s).

Good luck, either way.

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

This only works for people in CA, AZ, NM, and TX, but:

1. Drive to Tijuana or nearest Mexican border town.
2. Purchase $500 USD worth of glass-bottle Mexican Coca-Cola (less than USD $1 per bottle).
3. Drive back to the states and set up a stand in a busy park in a yuppie part of town on a sunny weekend.
4. Sell "authentic" glass-bottle coke flavored with cane sugar instead of corn syrup (oOoOo) for $3 or whatever.

Alternatively, you could just order the Mexican Coca-Cola, which could save you money if the cost of shipping is less than gas, but that entails less adventure.

If you're a real snake you could just buy some glass coke bottles, rinse them out, and then fill them with regular American coke and then try as pass them off as the "real thing."

This is actually a really sweet plan. People go apeshit for cane-sugar coke.

 

[Nick]

Just be a scummy, pretend to be homeless (you gotta play the part!).

Go to a major city, dress in rags and have a shopping cart, befriend local homeless people with cigs/alcohol, learn their ways...blend in... then start begging in a way that the local homeless people don't feel threatened and would want to shank your ass.

This could be accomplished all in less than a week, literally no investment needed and you'll net 100% profit.

 

[Pizzabeak]

Get hella weed then sell it

 

[Cheeseumpuffs]

Get hella weed then sell it

Ah, you must be from NorCal

 

[Pizzabeak]

Where else could one get hella weed from? Colorado? Hawaii? Dun think so..

 

[Reluctantly]

You could sell insurance. It should be illegal, but it's not.

You might be able to make some money as a Taxi Driver, depending on where you're at and your rates.

Edit: You could also buy Melkor as a slave and force him to make money by working for you. I think it's called minimum wage.

 

[iHeartCats]

I would put my precious sweat on it and then sell it for 35000$.
No1 can res1st dis.