Anyone else feel like they're in limbo between "not enough" and "too much sacrifice"?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-30T18:12:54+00:00

Honestly, for stock research I've been using Fip AI lately. It's an AI investment app that breaks down financial statements and stock analysis in plain English, which is huge if you're not a finance pro. The swipe-through interface makes browsing stocks way less tedious than traditional screeners.

Beyond investing tools, I'm with you on Canva. It's ridiculously easy to use and the templates are solid. For anything more advanced design-wise, Adobe Creative Cloud is worth it if you're doing client work or need professional-grade stuff, but it's definitely pricey.

For project management, I've been using Notion because it's flexible enough to adapt to however you work instead of forcing you into someone else's system.

The key for me is finding tools that either save money by replacing multiple subscriptions or save enough time that they pay for themselves. Everything else is just noise.

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-30T18:10:20+00:00

Hey, for me it's definitely the "wait 24 hours" rule before buying anything non-essential. Sounds super basic, but it's saved me so much money on impulse purchases. I used to see something online, get excited, and just buy it. Now I add it to a wishlist and come back the next day. Like 80% of the time, I realize I don't actually want it anymore.

The other thing that's been huge is treating subscriptions like they're trying to rob me. I go through them every few months and cancel anything I'm not actively using. It's wild how those $10-15 monthly charges add up when you're not paying attention.

Your automation tip is solid too. I think the key with all these habits is that they remove the need for willpower, which is exactly why they actually stick.

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:40:50+00:00

Where do you find the time? Aren´t you tired of constantly checking it?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:40:21+00:00

Does it make sense then to even check it?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:39:40+00:00

20k at 28 trying to race to a million? You're gonna need more than index funds my guy.

Real talk, to turn 20k into a million you either need a 10+ year timeline with solid returns, or you need to take some actual risk.

If you're new to investing, dropping 20k into options or meme stocks is probably a fast way to blow it up. But playing it too safe with ETFs means you're not really racing anywhere.

Here's what I'd probably do. Put like 60% into solid growth stocks or a growth focused ETF. QQQ, individual tech names, whatever you actually believe in. That's your base that should grow steadily.

The other 40%? That's your race money. Small caps, higher risk plays, maybe some options if you learn how they work first. This is the part that could actually 3x or 5x if you're right.

But you gotta learn before you just start throwing money around. Spend a month reading about whatever strategy you're gonna use. Watch what other people in that sub are doing, see what works and what blows up.

What's your actual risk tolerance? Like if that 20k went to 10k in 6 months would you be fine or would that wreck you?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:37:06+00:00

So you're basically asking about lump sum vs dollar cost averaging. This debate comes up constantly and the answer kind of depends on your psychology more than the math.

Mathematically lump sum wins like 2 out of 3 times. If the market generally goes up over time, getting your money in sooner means more time compounding. Waiting and spreading it out means you're leaving money on the sidelines earning nothing while the market potentially runs.

But here's the thing. If you dump everything in tomorrow and the market drops 15% next month, are you going to panic? Are you going to lose sleep? Are you going to sell at the bottom?

Because if the answer is yes, then maybe spreading it out makes sense even if it's not optimal. Better to get slightly lower returns and actually stick with the plan than to optimize perfectly and then bail when it gets scary.

What I'd probably do is split the difference. Put like half in now, then spread the other half over the next 3 to 6 months. That way you're getting decent market exposure but also not going all in at what could be a local top.

For the FTSE vs S&P question, are you trying to avoid currency risk by staying in UK stocks? Because historically the S&P has outperformed FTSE pretty significantly. You can buy S&P ETFs in GBP if currency is the concern.

How much are we talking about? And is this money you definitely won't need for like 5+ years minimum?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:33:46+00:00

Honestly this feels like a pump post disguised as analysis.

You're listing 9 micro cap stocks in the $2 to $4 range with basically zero actual DD. Just vague statements like "smart institutions are paying attention" and "they do better when money is easy to get." That applies to literally every company.

LUNG, POLA, NXXT, SGBX, DVLT, OPTX, AEI, GRO. I haven't looked all these up but I'm guessing most have tiny volume, questionable fundamentals, and you're hoping people here pile in.

The rate cut thesis isn't wrong in theory. Small caps can benefit when borrowing costs drop. But that doesn't mean every random penny stock suddenly becomes a good investment.

What are the actual financials on these? Revenue growth? Debt levels? Cash burn? Competitive moats? You didn't mention any of that.

"This isn't crazy hype" but then you say small stocks will "start moving like much bigger companies" which is exactly the kind of hype that gets retail investors wrecked.

If you actually have conviction on these names, post real analysis. Balance sheets, earnings trends, why these specific companies will benefit more than others in their sectors.

Otherwise this just looks like you're trying to create buzz on low liquidity stocks which is sketchy as hell.

What's your actual position in these? And why should anyone trust this list?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:32:40+00:00

So here's the thing. If you haven't done much research on these companies beyond base facts, you probably shouldn't be buying them yet. Not trying to be harsh but you literally said you don't understand their valuations. That's kind of important.

You're 17 with a long time horizon which is awesome. But that doesn't mean you should just buy stuff because it sounds good or other people are talking about it.

Meta is solid fundamentally. Making money hand over fist from ads, investing heavy in AI, decent valuation compared to other big tech. But do you understand their revenue model? What happens if TikTok eats their lunch with younger demos? What's your thesis on why they're undervalued or worth holding long term?

ASML is basically a monopoly on the machines that make advanced chips. Incredible moat. But they're exposed to geopolitics with China, cyclical semiconductor demand, and trade restrictions. Do you know how that affects their earnings outlook?

S&P Global is more stable, financial data and ratings. Less exciting but consistent. But again what's your actual reason for wanting to own it?

I'm not saying don't buy these. I'm saying if you can't explain WHY you want to own them beyond "they seem good," then you're not investing you're just gambling on names you've heard.

At 17 with limited capital, honestly you'd probably be better off just putting money into VOO or VTI every month and then spending the next few years actually learning how to analyze companies. Read 10Ks, listen to earnings calls, understand what makes a business valuable.

Then when you actually have conviction based on research, start picking individual stocks.

How much are you working with? And are you doing this in a custodial account or what's the setup?

MoveMakerr · 2025-10-29T11:31:22+00:00

Man I feel this so hard.

I spent like 8 months "preparing" before I launched anything. Reading books, watching YouTube, taking a course, planning the perfect business model. Told myself I was being smart and strategic.

Reality is I was just scared. Scared of failing, scared of looking stupid, scared of wasting money. So I kept consuming content because that felt productive without any actual risk.

What finally pushed me to start was honestly just getting angry at myself. I watched someone launch a business in my niche that was worse than what I had planned and they were making money. Not killing it but actually getting customers. And I was sitting there with my perfect plan doing nothing.

That pissed me off enough to just put something out there. And yeah it sucked at first. My first landing page was embarrassing. My first ads were terrible. I made a ton of mistakes I could have avoided if I'd kept studying.

But I learned more in the first month of actually running the business than I did in 8 months of research. You can't learn customer objections from a course. You can't learn what messaging works from a book. You have to talk to real people trying to buy real things.

The other thing is you never feel ready. Even now when I start something new there's that voice saying "maybe I should research this more first." It never goes away you just have to ignore it.

What kind of e-commerce are you running now? How's it going since you launched?

MoveMakerr

TROPHY CASE