The recession is no excuse not to seek answers regarding where to invest money. Since the economy is down, it has nowhere else to go but up, hopefully sooner than later. But while waiting for the economy to go up, you should start looking at the places and ways to invest your money.

Yes, even if it is just $20 stashed in a tin cookie jar. You never know if your $20 today will grow to become $20,000 in a few years’ time unless and until you try. With that being said, here are the places to invest your money in depending on its amount.

Don’t underestimate the power of your $20 to start an impressive investment portfolio. You can start by looking into Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRP) and Direct Stock Purchase Plans (DSP), both of which allow for direct purchase of shares of stocks from the issuing company and/or their authorized agents. This way, you avoid the commissions of stockbrokers.

You might be wondering where to invest money in these DRP and DSP vehicles. Well, you have literally more than a thousand companies to look into. Most of these companies allow for investments for as little as $20 deducted from your salary or through direct payments. Think of it as building your investment portfolio on an installment basis but without the additional charges.

Now, if you have a few hundred bucks squirreled away, you can set your sights on an index fund. Basically, you will have the same results as when you invested in the stock market although with one convenient difference – you will not go through the hassles of choosing individual stocks.

Go for the stock market index of the three most reliable stock exchanges just to be on the safe side, which means that you can gain a 10 percent return on investment on a yearly basis. These stock indexes are the Dow Jones Industrial Index, the NASDAQ Composite Index and the S&P 500.

You may also look into a discount brokerage account if you want to try your hands in the stock market in a more direct way. Just make sure that you have acquired the self-education necessary to make it in stocks investing lest your $500 goes down the drain.

If you have more spare money than $500, diversify into your retirement fund. Just continue to add to your IRA until such time that it is sufficient for your retirement. Plus, you still have your shares of stocks and index funds waiting for you.

The answers to your question of where to invest money vary from savings accounts to shares of stocks to retirement funds. So start saving every dime that comes your way until you save $20 to start your investment portfolio.