4 unusual ways to turn $10,000 into $100,000 in 10 years, according to financial experts

• With interest rates on savings accounts down, I was looking for new ways to make my money grow.
• Financial experts advised investing in real estate and startups, and starting a low-cost business.
• They also recommended getting a new degree or certification in a high-paying field.
• Read more stories from Personal Finance Insider.

After many years of making money mistakes, I'm finally at a place in my personal finance journey where I have cash in my savings account. This is something I'm proud of because I've spent years working to pay off debt and figure out how to curb negative spending habits.

My new obsession is figuring out what to do with my savings to get it to grow. With interest rates on high-yield savings accounts down, I've been on the hunt for other interesting and innovative ways to make money on my money.

That's what led me to ask financial advisors how they'd take $10,000 and turn it into $100,000 in just 10 years, aside from investing in the stock market. While many of them stressed the risks involved – and reminded me that no investment return is ever guaranteed – their advice was valuable for consideration. Here are their top tips for growing what's in your savings account to get a bigger payout in just 10 years.

1. Invest in real estate

Over the years, as I've been able to save more, I've started to consider the idea of investing in real estate. R.J. Weiss, a financial planner, says that if you are willing to take on debt, investing in real estate is one way to grow $10,000 to $100,000 in 10 years.

"For example, if you purchased a home for $100,000 with a 10% down payment, and in 10 years that home is worth $190,000, you'd achieve your goal," says Weiss. However, "The home will need to appreciate close to 7% per year, which is hard to do."

2. Start a business

An unusual but interesting idea that Weiss offered was one that really fascinated me as an entrepreneur. Weiss mentioned that you could take that cash and start a low-cost business of your own, or look to buy a very small business, with the potential to grow.

"Yes, there would be work involved here, so your returns will not be passive," says Weiss. "However, you also have a lot more control over the outcome. And, in the end, there's more to just hope that you hit the jackpot investing in the next hyper-growth stock. You can learn, adapt, and change course as you and your business grow, to maximize your return."

3. Get a new degree

Another unique option is to take your cash and invest in yourself. CPA Zach Reece suggests using that $10,000 to pay for a certification or degree that will allow you to get a job that exponentially increases your income.

"For example, you can use it to pay for an artificial intelligence engineering degree/certification," says Reece. "According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary for such a position nationwide is $164,769 at the time of writing."

4. Invest in startups

Perhaps you want to invest that cash but not in the stock market. Alvin Carlos, a financial planner, recommends investing in startups instead.

"Startup investing involves investing in really young, private companies in the hopes that their new product or service will make it big," says Carlos. Companies like Republic, Wefunder, SeedInvest, and StartEngine make it possible for everyday people to invest in startups.

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