I work full time and want to learn trading without spending money. I have watched some free YouTube videos, but finding good quality content is challenging.
Most resources are pricey, and I can only study after work or on weekends. How did you learn with a limited budget and time?
My biggest mistake? Jumping between learning materials instead of sticking with one approach.
I burned through three demo accounts switching strategies after every bad trade. Finally committed to candlestick patterns and practiced them for months.
That consistency helped me more than any expensive course.
Pocket Option’s free education section covers the basics. Stick to one time frame when you’re starting out. You can backtest on mobile during weekends or while commuting.
Demo account plus 30 minutes weekends worked for me starting out.
YouTube’s got tons of good free content if you know what to look for. Skip the get-rich-quick garbage and find channels that actually teach chart reading and risk management basics. Demo accounts are your friend - practice during lunch or before work. Even 20 minutes a day makes a difference.
Hit up your local library for trading books. Start with price action and support/resistance - they work in any market. Keep a trading journal from the start, even for demo trades. Costs nothing but you’ll learn more than from most paid courses.
Free resources that actually work:
• BabyPips school - solid beginner course
• TradingView’s education section
• Investopedia articles
• Economic calendars for news events
Grab demo accounts from different platforms. I’d study 30 minutes each morning before work. Pick one strategy and stick with it until you’re profitable.
Pick one simple pattern and stick with it - don’t jump around. Support and resistance levels are free money if you know how to read them. I spend 15 minutes before bed checking what happened at key levels. Risk management beats fancy indicators every time. Demo trade the same setup for 100+ trades before you change anything. Most free stuff throws too much at you when you just need to nail the basics first.
Weekend backtesting on Pocket Option helped me most when time was tight.
Trading forums taught me everything when courses were too expensive. I’d spend nights digging through old threads about setups and strategies.
Paper trading during lunch breaks changed everything for me. Then I lost $200 on my first real trade - thought I had support levels figured out from just watching videos.
That practice account showed me I knew nothing about risk management.
Trading apps are perfect for practicing during commutes or lunch breaks. Most have educational content built right in.
Stick to one simple strategy like moving averages and use it for weeks before trying anything new. Making mistakes on demo accounts is better than losing real cash.
If time is tight, weekend chart reviews are more effective than daily studying.