Buying shares would be a straightforward experience; an easy tick on the list. I would use my extensive knowledge of the stock market and go to the FTSE100- half hour, tops.
Oh dear, my ‘extensive knowledge’ was then exhausted!
Buying shares was causing me concern I’d not felt before. Apart from a weekly lottery ticket and the odd pound on a football coupon, gambling is not my thing and this felt incredibly like gambling!
Another issue was that the shares were more pricey than anticipated. The Wolf of Wall Street sold penny shares but since the FTSE is the top 100 companies in the UK, I might have to dig a bit deeper. The prices ranged from £52 per share for Lloyds banking group plc. to £15,535 for a share in Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc. A quick search informed me that they work with steam- I’m still none the wiser.
Another issue was that I found myself wishing to only invest in companies I thought were ethical but this again highlighted my lack of knowledge. Do JD Sports buy from sweatshops? Are Coca-Cola ruining children’s health? This was a veritable minefield!
Perhaps I would look at the FTSE250.
It was seeming probable that I would be led by price and Cineworld Group plc. at £37.93 was looking favourable. Apart from the moral dilemma of inherent sexism, racism and abuse in Hollywood, I could see no reason- oh hang on, Cineworld was out!
Back to the FTSE, then.
The problem, too, was that I didn’t know what half of these companies did and after searching three or four, I’d lost the ability to care! I’m clearly not the savvy investor I’d imagined I would be.
I abandoned the FTSE (it abandoned me) and tried to think of a company that I’d like to invest in. Again, harder than I thought! In fact, I drew a complete blank!
A quick search of ethical companies revealed that Kellogg’s, the cereal company, was amongst the best in the world. Embarrassingly, I have had a near life long love affair with Kellogg’s which began as a young child after collecting many tokens for a mug and bowl. I have since added to my collection from car boot sales and other cereal packet token offers. Were it not for many breakages, I’d have an extensive Kellogg’s collection but, alas, I do not. I do, however, eat my Crunchy Nut Cornflakes from a Kellogg’s bowl with a Kellogg’s spoon each workday morning. I drink about six cups of tea a day from my beloved Kellogg’s mug too. The decision was made. I would buy shares in Kellogg’s!
Obviously, I’d bob onto the website and buy a few shares. Easy! Nope! It appeared I need to be American. I downloaded an app (Plus500), created a profile and verified it-which was no mean feat! And here I sit; the proud owner of two shares in Kellogg’s which cost $132.82 (c.£99).
I bought them at 14:35 and when the market closed at 21:00 I had made four pence.