How do I start investing in the stock market with limited money and knowledge?

I've always believed that dignity begins when you take responsibility for your own resources. Starting with stock market investing doesn't require wealth—it requires intention. Begin by understanding what you're actually buying: a piece of a business, a claim on future earnings. Don't rush into individual stocks if you're uncertain. Index funds and ETFs let you own pieces of many companies at once, spreading your risk. Start small—even $50 matters if it's consistent. The real work isn't picking the perfect stock; it's deciding: Why am I doing this? To retire? To build wealth? To learn? Your answer shapes everything else. Open a brokerage account, fund it with what you can genuinely afford to lose without hardship, and then do something harder than buying: sit with your investments and let compounding work. Read one good book. Ask real questions of experienced investors. The gap between knowledge and action is where most people fail, not the gap between having $100 or $10,000. Your economic dignity grows when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and start building with what's in front of you.