I Invested $100/Month For 1 Year: Here Are The REAL Results (No BS)
Have you ever felt like the stock market was a VIP club that you weren't invited to?
I used to think that way too. I thought that unless I had a spare $10,000 lying around, there was no point in "investing." I figured I’d just spend that extra $100 on a nice dinner or a new pair of shoes because, hey, what’s a hundred bucks going to do in the grand scheme of things?
I was dead wrong.
Twelve months ago, I decided to run an experiment for my community at Dishku Investing. I committed to investing exactly $100 per month into the US stock market. No more, no less. No "timing the market." No "hot tips" from TikTok. Just boring, consistent automation.
Today, I’m pulling back the curtain. I’m showing you my actual brokerage screenshots, my losses, my gains, and the "Holy Sh*t" math that proves why you need to start doing this—even if you think $100 is "nothing."
The Setup: How I Invested My First $100
In the US, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to brokerage platforms. You have Fidelity, Vanguard, and Charles Schwab. For this experiment, I chose a Fidelity Roth IRA.
Why a Roth IRA?
If you are an "everyday person" in the USA, the Roth IRA is your best friend. Why? Because you invest "after-tax" money, meaning every penny of profit you make inside that account is 100% tax-free when you withdraw it at retirement.
The Asset: VOO (S&P 500 Index Fund)
I didn't buy Tesla, Apple, or some random AI startup. I bought VOO. This is an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500.
When you buy one share of VOO, you are technically buying a tiny piece of the 500 largest companies in America. You are betting on the American economy as a whole. It’s the ultimate "set it and forget it" strategy.
Month-by-Month: The Emotional Rollercoaster
Most "finance gurus" only show you the green upwards-pointing arrows. They skip the part where you feel like an idiot for "losing" money. Here is the reality of my 12-month journey.
Months 1–3: The "Is This Even Working?" Phase
I put in $300 total. By the end of Month 3, my account balance was $292.14.
I was literally "down" nearly 8 dollars. Most beginners quit here. They think, "I could have bought four Starbucks lattes with that $8!" But this is where you have to shift your mindset. I wasn't losing money; I was buying shares at a discount.
Months 4–8: The Dip and The Doubt
Right around Month 7, the US market took a hit due to inflation fears. My $700 investment dropped to $660. This is the danger zone. This is when your friends tell you the "market is crashing" and you should "get out while you can."
I didn't listen. My Auto-Invest feature triggered on the 1st of the month just like always. I bought more VOO while it was "on sale."
Months 9–12: The Recovery
By Month 10, the market didn't just recover; it soared. Because I had stayed consistent during the "scary" months, I had more shares to catch the upward wave.
The Big Reveal: My 1-Year Results
After 12 months of $100 deposits, here is the breakdown:
| Metric | Result |
| Total Cash Invested | $1,200.00 |
| Total Account Value | $1,314.42 |
| Total Profit | +$114.42 |
| Percentage Return | ~9.5% |
The Brutal Honesty: $114 isn't going to buy me a private jet. It barely covers a grocery run in 2026.
But look at the Percentage. A 9.5% return is incredible. If I had $100,000 in that account, I would have made $9,500 for doing absolutely zero work. The $100/month wasn't about the $114; it was about building the infrastructure of wealth.
The "Holy Sh*t" Math: Why $100 is Actually a Fortune
If you are disappointed by $114, you are thinking too small. Investing is a game of decades, not months. Let’s look at what happens if I keep this $100/month habit going for the long haul, assuming a standard 10% average annual return (the historical average of the S&P 500).
1. The 10-Year Mark
Total Invested: $12,000
Account Value: $20,484
Your money has nearly doubled.
2. The 20-Year Mark
Total Invested: $24,000
Account Value: $75,936
You now have over $50,000 in pure profit. Your money is working harder than you are.
3. The 30-Year Mark (The Retirement Goal)
Total Invested: $36,000
Account Value: $226,048
You turned the price of a used Honda into a quarter-million dollars.
Now, imagine if you bumped that to $300 or $500 a month once your salary increased? You are looking at a multi-million dollar retirement. All starting from that "measly" $100.
3 Mistakes I Made (So You Don't Have To)
Checking My Balance Daily: In the beginning, I checked the app every morning. It caused unnecessary stress. Now, I check once a quarter.
Waiting for a "Crash" to Start: I almost waited until Month 3 to start because I thought a crash was coming. If I had waited, I would have missed out on the recovery gains. Time in the market beats timing the market.
Not Increasing My Contribution Sooner: Once I realized how easy it was to live without that $100, I wished I had pushed it to $150 or $200 earlier.
How YOU Can Start Today (In 5 Minutes)
You don't need a financial advisor. You don't need a suit. You just need a phone.
Open an Account: Go to Fidelity or Vanguard. Open a Roth IRA (if you want tax-free growth) or a Brokerage Account (if you want to withdraw the money before age 59.5).
Link Your Bank: Connect your checking account.
Set Up Auto-Invest: This is the most important step. Set a recurring transfer for $100 (or even $25!) on the day you get paid.
Buy an Index Fund: Search for the ticker symbol VOO or VTI. Set it to "Auto-Buy."
Delete the App (Optional): Okay, don't delete it, but stop looking at it! Let compound interest do its thing.
Final Thoughts: The Cost of Waiting
The biggest enemy of wealth isn't the stock market—it’s procrastination.
Every year you wait to start that $100/month habit, you are potentially losing $20,000 to $50,000 in future gains. You don't need to be rich to start investing; you need to start investing to be rich.
At Dishku Investing, we believe in the power of the "Everyday Investor." You don't need a million dollars to change your life. You just need $100 and the courage to start.
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