Want a free share of stock? Join me on Robinhood

Since I turned 40 in 2015, I've been thinking about retirement and investing and basically trying to get my money in order like an adult. That includes everything from not taking non-paying and low-paying writing gigs to ramping up my erotica writing consulting service and soon-to-launch Teachable online writing classes.

The other component of getting my finances in order the way I imagine everyone else did in their twenties is investing in the stock market. I also have retirement savings but I want to both supplement that and make sure I'm maximizing every opportunity for savings. To that end, I joined the Robinhood app so I can quickly, easily and cheaply buy stocks, especially in small amounts to start out. If you join Robinhood via my link, you'll get a free share of a random stock of their choice, and so will I. So far, I've gotten six free shares, which make up over half my very small portfolio: three shares of Sprint, two shares of Groupon and one share of Zynga. Yes, you get those totally free, I assume because Robinhood wants people to start using the app to see how simple it is.

I'm a complete novice when it comes to investing but I'm studying as much as I can and researching the companies I care about and use, like Stitchfix (that link is also an affiliate link). On the Stitchfix front, I recommend listening to this NPR podcast interview with CEO and founder Katrina Lake. All my favorite clothes of the last year have come from Stitchfix, and I've discovered fashion brands I now adore, like Leota. I'll be blogging more about my favorite Stitchfix looks soon.

So I'm not going to give you any advice because there are umpteen financial advice blogs and websites out there. Good luck playing the market if you do try Robinhood!