Alternatives to investing?
Hi, I've tried to inflation-proof and grow my (tiny) savings by investing them into ETFs. Three years later, and a lot of stress and hand-wringing as the numbers swung up and down, I'm still a little ahead (not of inflation, I'm pretty sure, but of the starting amount) and I've realized the stock market is Not For Me. I just don't have the tolerance for this kind of passive risk, and am going to either have to bite the bullet (I'm losing badly right now, another week like this and I'd have broken even without considering inflation) or wait until my stuff does a little better for a while and GTFO with a lesser sting.
Even the savings accounts at the bank I get my check in I have secondary savings in make my nerves itch. I've also considered buying gold, but I really don't like the people pushing that online and also, as with any well-performing asset, the right time to get into that was however many years ago, if I buy now I'm just burning some of the money. I already did that same thing with all the ETF I ever touched and am kicking myself.
Obviously, if I can't handle stocks, I won't handle starting a business, not that I've saved enough for that.
What else can I do to inflation-proof or grow my money a bit? Ultimate goal is to have to worry about money as little as possible (ironically, I was less worried about it when I was unemployed for a long time and thought I was screwed and surely going to die on the street).
Edit: I don't knowingly entertain anything to do with AI slop.
Edit 2: Thanks for nothing. I wasn't looking for anyone to defend the hegemonic financial system to me or nag me to learn more about it and be patient with it, but for ways around it.