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the_glassman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:09 PM

Hypothetically speaking, what's the best best short term and long term investments do do with $20,000 laying around.

nredman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:11 PM

lotto tickets

the_glassman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by nredman

lotto tickets

What's the chance of winning one one of those things?
1 in 120,526,770???

RAILhead · Jul 17, 2005, 08:18 PM

Max out retirement Roth IRAs.
Invest a boat load into boat loads of Index funds (for long term).
If you don't already have 3-6 months of lving expenses saved for emergencies (like if/when you lose a job or have to stop working), set that aside into a fairly liquid account.
Invest more into Index funds.

nonhuman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:23 PM

Give it to me. I guarantee a return, or your money back.

nredman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by the_glassman

What's the chance of winning one one of those things?
1 in 120,526,770???

no good? okay...go to a casino and blow half of it and use the rest for hookers.

the_glassman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:46 PM

Originally Posted by nredman

no good? okay...go to a casino and blow half of it and use the rest for hookers.

Sounds like a plan to me. I would have to go to Nevada though because they have the legal prostitution there!

What about opening or starting a franchise? Subway, Jiffylube, etc...
Investing in real estate?
Education?
Starting a Alpaca farm?

lavar78 · Jul 17, 2005, 08:55 PM

Go back in time and invest it all in GOOG.

nonhuman · Jul 17, 2005, 08:55 PM

Originally Posted by the_glassman

Sounds like a plan to me. I would have to go to Nevada though because they have the legal prostitution there!

What about opening or starting a franchise? Subway, Jiffylube, etc...
Investing in real estate?
Education?
Starting a Alpaca farm?

Who said anything about legal prostitution?

SVass · Jul 17, 2005, 09:08 PM

If you are a muslim or an arab, deposit in a swiss bank account. If you are non-"white" or Catholic or Jewish, buy gold and bury it. If you are a WASP with money and under 35, go on a spree as suggested as you won't have very long to enjoy it. "THEY" are coming. sam

ender2002 · Jul 17, 2005, 09:09 PM

real estate

nonhuman · Jul 17, 2005, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by SVass

If you are a muslim or an arab, deposit in a swiss bank account. If you are non-"white" or Catholic or Jewish, buy gold and bury it. If you are a WASP with money and under 35, go on a spree as suggested as you won't have very long to enjoy it. "THEY" are coming. sam

white != WASP...

Mithras · Jul 17, 2005, 09:21 PM

well first of course pay off any credit card or other high-interest debt.
then max out IRAs as maury said.
then, if you're up to it, do like ender said: use it as a down payment for a house or condo, get a mortgage, and (if you live in a place with a market that isn't in such a bubble that the sale/rent ratio isn't out of whack), rent it out to cover the mortgage.

i've worked this out on spreadsheets, and for almost all circumstances and medium-range time periods, the leverage afforded by the favorable lending rates you can get for real estate make it by far the best way to multiply your money.

but this only works if you're willing to work, i.e. get the unit looking nice, do the research for a well-priced and likable place, find good tenants, etc.

my mother-in-law has been doing this with her very modest (< $60,000 in today's dollars) income for the past thirty years, and she now owns 15 houses in four states, worth probably > $6 million dollars, generating good income as the mortgages start to get paid off.

if you're not up for all the work of real estate, then put it in an index fund. very very hard to beat the market.

ManOfSteal · Jul 17, 2005, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by the_glassman

Hypothetically speaking, what's the best best short term and long term investments do do with $20,000 laying around.

Hmmm...

el chupacabra · Jul 17, 2005, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by the_glassman

What about opening or starting a franchise? Subway, Jiffylube, etc...
Investing in real estate?
Education?
Starting a Alpaca farm?

20,000 isn't much for most that kind of stuff, maybe an education; learn Chinese after all they're going to take over the world, you might as well be ahead of the game. or do what mithras said.

You could afford some land (10 acres?) out in the middle of cowtown and maybe put a pond and some trees on it... And some fish and salamanders. But leave a little place for a meadow. And A little garden of wild flowers for the butterflys. A bird box. And a tree-cabin with board walk paths from one tree hut to the next, and mabe some slip lines like in Costa Rica. That would be cool.

the_glassman · Jul 17, 2005, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

20,000 isn't much for most that kind of stuff, maybe an education; learn Chinese after all they're going to take over the world, you might as well be ahead of the game. or do what mithras said.

You could afford some land (10 acres?) out in the middle of cowtown and maybe put a pond and some trees on it... And some fish and salamanders. But leave a little place for a meadow. And A little garden of wild flowers for the butterflys. A bird box. And a tree-cabin with board walk paths from one tree hut to the next, and mabe some slip lines like in Costa Rica. That would be cool.

I was thinking more along the lines of an Earthship™ or Earthshelter that uses Passive Solar Heating and is off the Grid.

Already got the land for that.

budster101 · Jul 18, 2005, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by SVass

If you are a muslim or an arab, deposit in a swiss bank account.

If you are non-"white" or Catholic or Jewish, buy gold and bury it.

If you are a WASP with money and under 35, go on a spree as suggested as you won't have very long to enjoy it. "THEY" are coming. sam

You. "R". Not. Funny.

loki74 · Jul 18, 2005, 12:12 AM

basically anything with low low liquidity so that I could get a way better rate on it. but dont foreget--"diversify, diversify, diversify..."

off topic:
...who the hell uses that term, "WASP" anyway?

budster101 · Jul 18, 2005, 12:15 AM

Usually Bigots.

Obi Wan's Ghost · Jul 18, 2005, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by budster101

Usually Bigots.

That is right. Nowdays we say redneck and whiteboy.

JoshuaZ · Jul 18, 2005, 12:38 AM

Long term mutual funds, bonds, and a nice new G5.

suvsr4terrorists · Jul 18, 2005, 10:31 AM

Blow it all on a car like V12.

budster101 · Jul 18, 2005, 10:34 AM

Buy a Dunkn' Donuts' franchise and only accept Ca$h, no credit or debit cards... because they're evil.

macaddict0001 · Jul 19, 2005, 02:16 AM

You could put it on the down payment on a house and then rent the house out and then use the money for the monthly payments on the mortgage/line of credit.

turtle777 · Jul 19, 2005, 06:14 AM

Start 2,000 $ 10 threads like Hugi

-t

B Gallagher · Jul 19, 2005, 07:31 AM

pay two people to get your website's URL tattooed onto their forhead.

oh, wait...

Sealobo · Jul 19, 2005, 09:58 AM

Short term i don't know.

Long term: buy funds that invest in either China or India.

budster101 · Jul 19, 2005, 10:01 AM

I can invest it in my future for you.

d0ubled0wn · Jul 19, 2005, 12:07 PM

There are many South African princes who could use your monetary assistance in leaving their country, and in doing so you'll be richly rewarded to the tune of millions. Very good ROI.

SVass · Jul 19, 2005, 01:05 PM

For the young, WASP is an acronym for White Anglo Saxon Protestant and is a reference to those who used to think that they owned and ran the United States of America. (The laws, businesses, and schools supported their agenda.)
If you are young, single, and on your first job you should have six months expenses saved and own no more furniture than can be carried in your car. This helps develop the proper attitude towards your employer. Saving gold or other easily transportable wealth would allow one to leave the country if necessary. (Vietnamese fled communists, some Iraqis fled from the invaders, Jews fled from European murderers, "draft dodgers" from both our Civil and Vietnam Wars, etc.) If you have "faith" in your fellow man, then buy only hard property that can be taxed or seized. Also trust your employer to provide your health insurance and old age pension. sam

iLikebeer · Jul 19, 2005, 01:19 PM

How are your morals?
Best?!
Coke or a meth lab, or fund a good heist.

doucy2 · Jul 19, 2005, 01:21 PM

buy $20,000 in apples stock

Hugi · Jul 19, 2005, 01:41 PM

Buy Silicon Graphics. You might even have some change left for beer.

rozwado1 · Jul 19, 2005, 10:28 PM

Use the $20,000 to put down on a fixer-upper in a growing real estate market. Get an interest-only loan and fix it up within 2 months or so and put it back on the market. If you're somewhat handy and intelligent, this is the easiest way to make a quick $10-15k for doing very little. Think granite and new windows.

budster101 · Jul 19, 2005, 10:34 PM

Oh, and that crack in teh basement wall is nothing so fix it up and put a pool table in... it will sell quicker.

zerostar · Jul 20, 2005, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by rozwado1

Use the $20,000 to put down on a fixer-upper in a growing real estate market. Get an interest-only loan and fix it up within 2 months or so and put it back on the market. If you're somewhat handy and intelligent, this is the easiest way to make a quick $10-15k for doing very little. Think granite and new windows.

They are pulling $60-70K PROFIT on fix-and-dump houses in this area. (On a $170K house)

jcadam · Jul 20, 2005, 01:41 PM

I say blow it all on cocaine and high-class escorts.

Sally Fields · Sep 5, 2012, 10:48 AM

Okay, say I gave you $20.000...what would you do with it?