If you’ve ever heard the saying, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago—the second best time is today,” well, investing works the same way. Sure, it would’ve been nice to buy Apple stock back when iPods were cool. But unless you’ve got a time machine, today is the next best thing.

And no, you don’t need to toss your rent money into the stock market. Take a moment to figure out what money you can afford to “live without” for now. Maybe it’s the $30 you’d normally use for impulse buys or that streaming service you forgot you subscribed to. That small stash, if invested today, could be the seed that grows into something much bigger down the line—with dividends, no less.

Waiting until you feel “ready” often just means waiting forever. Start small. Stay consistent. The market rewards time, not timing. And your future self will thank you for being just a little boring with your money today.

So go ahead—skip the time travel. Just invest now.