Why you don’t feel ready to invest (and how to start anyway) / 67
A lot of people assume the hardest part of investing is understanding the stock market.
But in reality, the hardest part for most people is simply getting started.
Last fall, we surveyed our listeners and learned that many of you struggle to invest. Not because you’re incapable. Not because you’re bad with money. But maybe because you keep waiting to feel ready.
The problem is, waiting to feel ready can easily keep you stuck.
In this episode, we explore what might be behind the “I don’t feel ready” feelings.
Sometimes it reflects real financial constraints. Sometimes it’s a mix of fear, perfectionism, confusing advice, and the sense that investing is best left to someone else — someone who knows more, earns more, or has everything figured out.
Our hope with this conversation? If you can dig a little deeper to find out what’s really stalling your progress, maybe you can separate fact from fiction… and start to take action.
Episode timestamps
[00:00] Why so many people say they’re “not ready to invest” — even when they technically know how
[03:00] Feeling like you don’t have enough money because other financial goals are taking priority
[04:00] When inconsistent income makes investing feel unrealistic or impossible
[06:00] Why traditional finance advice can feel like it wasn’t made for you
[08:00] How fear and stock market crash stories shape the way we think about investing
[10:00] The “I need to learn more first” trap that keeps people stuck in research mode
[13:00] The procrastination mindset: “I still have time to figure this out”
[15:00] Signs you might actually be ready to invest (even if you don’t feel like it)
[18:00] The one thing that actually helps people feel ready to invest
[20:00] Our workshop for anyone who wants a little guidance getting started
6 reasons you don’t feel ready to invest
When someone says they’re not ready to invest, it usually doesn’t come down to one single reason. It’s often a mix of practical concerns and underlying beliefs about money.
Here are a few of the biggest ones we see.
1. You don’t think you have enough money
One of the most common reasons people say they’re not ready to invest is simply feeling like there isn’t enough money to go around.
Maybe you’re saving for a house, a wedding, or a new car. Maybe you’re focused on building your emergency fund. When those goals feel more immediate, it can seem like investing has to wait.
There’s also the very real feeling that every dollar you earn is already going toward expenses. Housing, food, transportation costs add up quickly, and sometimes there truly isn’t room in the budget yet.
But something we talked about in the episode is that sometimes this belief can stick around long after your financial reality has changed. If you went through a period where money was extremely tight, it’s easy for your brain to hold onto that feeling even after there’s a little more breathing room. If there are occasional months where you do have extra money — even a small amount — that could be a sign you’re closer to being ready than you think.
2. Your income is inconsistent
Another common barrier is the idea that investing has to be perfectly consistent.
You hear advice about setting up automatic monthly contributions and investing the same amount every month like clockwork. That works great if your income is predictable.
But not everyone’s finances look like that.
If your income fluctuates — maybe you freelance, run a business, or are navigating a big life change — you might assume investing isn’t realistic unless you can commit to a specific amount every month.
In reality, investing can be flexible. Some months you may contribute more, some months less, and sometimes you may skip a month entirely. (Cassidy’s been doing this lately!)
That doesn’t mean investing isn’t worth it.
3. You feel like financial advice wasn’t made for you
A lot of traditional investing content can feel impersonal at best or intimidating at worst.
If the only financial advice you’ve found feels like it’s written for someone with an MBA — or even someone with a very specific career, lifestyle, or personality — it can make the whole topic feel distant.
And if the investing information doesn’t feel relatable, it’s much easier to just… not engage.
This is one of the reasons we started The Finance Girlies in the first place. Finance should feel approachable and relevant to real life, not like something reserved for a narrow group of people.
4. You think investing is risky
Some people’s first memories of the stock market involve hearing about the 2008 financial crisis or stories about people “losing everything.”
Plus, modern headlines about day trading, cryptocurrency, and dramatic market swings make it easy to assume investing is inherently dangerous.
If the only examples you’ve seen involve high-risk behavior, it makes sense that investing would feel intimidating.
And even if you logically understand that long-term investing works differently, those early impressions can stick around.
5. You think you need more information
This one is especially common for people who like to feel fully prepared before they start something new. (Umm, hi! 👋)
Investing can easily become a research rabbit hole. There are endless books, podcasts, articles, and Finfluencer videos to binge, and you can always learn *one more thing*
At a certain point, this stops being “research” and turns into avoidance. Not intentionally — it just feels safer to keep learning than to make the first move.
6. You think you have plenty of time
Retirement might feel abstract and far away, especially earlier in your career.
Even if you know investing is important, it might not feel urgent in the same way your monthly expenses do. So it ends up in the category of “I’ll get to that when I have time” which is code for “I have a million other things that I’m prioritizing first.”
Signs you might actually be ready to invest
All those reasons you don’t feel ready to invest? They’re 100% valid. But feeling ready and being ready aren’t necessarily the same thing. We know plenty of girlies who think they aren’t ready, but they’re actually in a position where investing could make sense.
Here are a few signs we might be talking about you 👀.
You’re curious about investing
If investing pops into your mind occasionally, if you’ve Googled questions about it, or if you’re listening to podcasts or reading articles about it, that interest means something.
It usually means you’re already starting to think about your long-term financial future — and you might be ready to invest.
You don’t spend every dollar, every month
You don’t need to have a lot of money to invest. You don’t even need extra money every single month.
But if there are occasional months where you have money left over after covering your expenses, that could be enough to start.
Despite your perfectionist tendencies, investing doesn’t have to be totally consistent to count.
You don’t have high-interest debt
If you’re carrying high-interest debt (generally around 8% or higher), focusing on paying that off first is usually the better financial move.
But if you don’t have that kind of debt, or you’ve already paid it off, investing may be the next logical step in building long-term financial security.
You want more freedom in the future
Do you want to work for the rest of your life?
You may not have a clear picture of retirement yet, but you probably know you don’t want to have to work forever just to support yourself.
Maybe you want the option to change careers someday, travel more, or reduce your workload later in life. Investing can help create those possibilities.
How to actually feel ready
All that said, here’s the slightly frustrating truth: Most people don’t “feel ready” before they start investing.
A lot of the time, the confidence comes after you begin.
The biggest difference between people who invest and people who don’t is often just the willingness to start imperfectly. You don’t have to get everything right immediately, and most decisions aren’t irreversible.
But we’re here to break the news: You might not feel ready until you just start.
If you don’t want to go it alone…
If investing has been sitting in the back of your mind for a while and you’d like a little help taking that first step, we’ve got just the thing.
Our live workshop Investing Before You’re Ready is designed for people who know investing matters but keep waiting to feel more confident, informed, or qualified first.
During the 60-minute session, we’ll walk through:
Your options when it comes to investment accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s, and HSAs)
How to decide whether a retirement account or brokerage account makes sense for you
The simple investing strategies we personally use
How to make your first real contribution — even if it’s small
Why you’re probably more prepared to start than you think
The goal isn’t to turn you into a stock market expert. It’s to help you go from “I should start investing someday” to knowing exactly what your next step is.
You can learn more and sign up here.
TL;DR
Many people delay investing because they don’t feel ready, but that feeling often comes from deeper beliefs about money — not their reality.
Common barriers to getting started investing include feeling like you don’t have enough money, having inconsistent income, or believing you need to learn more first.
Traditional finance advice and financial news can make investing seem more complicated or risky than it actually is.
Signs you might be ready include curiosity, having some extra money, not having high-interest debt, and wanting more freedom in the future.
Most people don’t feel fully ready before they begin — confidence usually develops after the first step.
Resources
💰 Sign up for the Investing Before You’re Ready workshop
This content is for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial, tax, or legal advice.
