Gentleman Outlaw

💸 Make Your Own Machine Part 3: How to Buy a Stock (Without Screwing It Up)

So you’ve got your shiny new brokerage account (hopefully through Robinhood, because hey, free stock).

Now comes the moment of truth:

“How do I actually buy a stock without accidentally spending my rent money?”

Let’s walk through it.

🛒 Step 1: Fund Your Account

Before you buy anything, you need to deposit money into your brokerage account.

In Robinhood, just:

  1. Tap the little person icon in the bottom right
  2. Hit “Transfers”
  3. Link your bank and move money over

💡 Pro Tip: Start small. You’re not trying to YOLO your life savings into penny stocks. Even $25 is enough to get your feet wet.

🔍 Step 2: Search for the Stock

In the app, use the search bar and type in something like:

RUM (that’s Rumble, the company I use for my covered call strategy)

You’ll see the company page pop up with a chart, price, stats — ignore most of that for now. We’re keeping it simple.

🧾 Step 3: Pick Your Order Type

When you tap “Buy,” Robinhood will ask you how you want to buy.

Here’s the difference:

🟢 Market Order (Default)

  • Buys at the current price, instantly
  • Fast, simple
  • Might fill a few cents higher or lower depending on market movement

🔵 Limit Order

  • You choose the max price you’re willing to pay
  • Only buys if the stock hits that price
  • Good if you want more control or if the price is jumping around

For beginners: Use Market Order unless you’re specifically trying to time an entry. It’s fine. You’re not day trading — you’re building.

🛍️ Step 4: Choose How Many Shares

Stocks are sold by the share.

  • If RUM is trading at $7.50 and you want 1 share, that’ll cost you $7.50.
  • Want 10 shares? $75.
  • Robinhood also lets you buy fractional shares, so you could just invest $5 if that’s all you’ve got.

Pick your number. Confirm the trade. Boom — you now own part of a real company.

🔐 Step 5: Chill. You’re an Owner Now.

Congrats. You’re officially an investor.

You don’t need to stare at the app all day. You don’t need to panic when it moves up or down. You’re not here to trade — you’re here to build.

And soon, you’ll learn how to make money from your stock every week by renting it out. Yep. That’s where the FIRE Engine gets fired up.

🧠 Bottom Line

Buying a stock is as simple as transferring money, tapping a few buttons, and not freaking out.

You’re not trying to predict the future. You’re building ownership, one share at a time.

👉 Up Next: [Post 4: What Is a Covered Call? (Plain English Edition)]
Already stacking RUM like I am? See my real-time covered call updates here.