财富：你收到的最好的财务建议是什么

What is one of the best personal finance advice you have ever received?Matthew Outerbridge, Teacher (2016-present)Originally Answered: What's the best personal finance tip you've ever received?When I was younger, I was really interested in investing in silver and gold bullion. Like obsessed.I bought a bunch of silver coins (like $1000 worth) and planned on holding them for a long time. I liked the feel of them in my hands, and I imagined myself taking them to the exchange years later, and getting much more than I paid for them.300–400% ROI. No sweat. Right?The problem is I bought them at the height of the silver boom in March of 2011. I got swept up in the hype. Everyone was going crazy for silver.I held onto the coins until a year later when I lost my job (through no fault of my own) and was in desperate need of cash.I hung my head in shame as I trudged on over to a store that paid cash for silver bullion. An old bearded man was working there. He was curious, as he watched a teenager come in with a heaping pile of silver coins and lay them on the table.And this is where I heard the greatest financial tip I have ever received.He said: “what are you doing with those?”I told him my story, and mentioned that I had to sell the coins for a loss.“Don’t invest in dead things.”I was curious. What did he mean?“These coins are lifeless. They don’t produce anything, or work for you. They’re dead. They are the worst investment you could make.”I wasn’t ready for this information. I had already decided that metals were the best investment possible.“Do you know Dollarama?” He said (this was in Canada).“Of course!” I replied.“Now that’s a good investment! Excellent company.”I thought he was going senile. How could a boring dollar store be a better way to make money than precious metals? After all, they were so nice to look at.Well, time has been the friend of Dollarama, and the enemy of silver.If I had taken that $1,000 and put it into Dollarama stock, I would now have $6,000. Even more, if you include the dividends.If I had kept the silver, I would now have a whopping $475.Since I needed the money, I couldn’t do either. It’s also very important to be able to commit your invested dollars for the long haul.So, the best advice I have ever received about finance and investing is:“Don’t invest in dead things. Invest in companies that work hard for you.”