I Thought Investing Had Nothing to Do with Me
If I could tell my past self, “In a few years, you’ll be seriously investing in solar power and real estate,” he’d probably laugh and walk away. That’s how distant investing felt back then—like a different universe.
Stocks? FX? That was for rich people or math geniuses. The idea that I would ever step into that world never even crossed my mind.
My First Step Was… Credit Card Point Investing
And yet, the very first investment I ever made was—somehow—credit card reward points.
“Leaving free points unused feels wasteful, right?”
That was literally the entire logic behind it.
To be honest, I didn’t have the courage to open a real stock trading screen.
But points? Losing those wouldn’t hurt my wallet.
As I watched the numbers slowly go up and down, I caught myself thinking,
“Wait… this actually feels like investing.”
Watching Small Numbers Move Slowly Becomes Addictive
Sometimes the points increased. Sometimes they dropped a little.
Staring at those tiny fluctuations slowly awakened something dangerous: desire.
“What if I did this with real money?”
…And just like that, I opened that door.
The one everyone opens at least once, despite knowing better.
And Before I Knew It, I Was Trading FX
That’s how I ended up touching FX (foreign exchange margin trading).
At the time, I mainly traded USD/JPY in a range-bound market.
I’d gain a little and feel proud. Lose a little and feel sad.
“I think I’m starting to get this.”
That completely unfounded confidence was both the most fun phase—and, in hindsight, the most dangerous one.
My Investment History, Looking Back as a Timeline
| Year | Event | What I Thought at the Time |
|---|---|---|
| About 10 years ago | Started investing credit card points | “If it’s free, losing it doesn’t hurt!” |
| About 7–8 years ago | Official FX debut | Small wins and losses in USD/JPY ranges |
| About 6 years ago | Blown up by economic indicators | “Wait… it moves THIS much?!” |
| About 8 years ago | Started solar power investments and insurance products | Shifted focus toward “stable income” |
| About 3 years ago | Became interested in real estate | Dreaming of old-house renovations and vacation rentals |
| Now | Expanded to NISA, iDeCo, stocks, bonds, and reselling | Sprinting full-speed toward FIRE |
Looking Back, It Was All About the Courage to Start Small
When I look back, my investment journey was nothing more than a pile of very small steps.
Without that first point investment,
I probably never would’ve touched FX, solar power, or real estate.
If you don’t try, nothing begins.
In that sense, credit card points—
the lowest-risk investment imaginable—were the perfect entrance for me.
Related Articles (Updated Regularly)
- What Is FX, Anyway? A Simple Explanation
- The Time I Got Destroyed During a USD/JPY Economic Announcement
- How I Fell into Another Trap with High-Interest Currencies (Part 1)
- What Is Averaging Down? A Strategy That’s Either a Weapon—or a Landmine
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