An investment doesn’t have to always be stocks and bonds.
The startup seems to be the wave of the future and with all the talk of the Facebook IPO and tech bubble, people have to be more savvy about making money on the side. The greatest feeling in the world is to be able to dictate how your day goes and meet the people you want to meet and be the expert in the subject that you always wanted to master.
I really think the first thing that you should do - and this what I did too - is to invest in yourself to be able to make some money on the side. A freelance web designer is the first that came to my mind when I was looking for some side income that would compensate me pretty well for the time that I put in. But there are a lot of other skills that are in demand like violin tutors and college application counselors, etc.
I guess some passion for what you are doing is important to keep you from getting so bored that you will quit. Loss of focus is the main reason why most people fail to get anything started in the first place.
