This is where the fun begins. Watch the prices. Share prices will vary depending on consumer confidence, company results, mergers etc, and there are a number of websites that give you information as these events take place. If prices start to fall you might want to sell to minimise your losses. When share values rise, the trick is to decide when to sell and grab the profit and when to wait for more.

Share savers
If you don't want to get involved in buying shares directly, you might want to consider joining a Sharesave scheme. Sharesave schemes were introduced by the government in 1980 to encourage wider share ownership and give employees a stake in their own companies. Sharesave accounts are offered by more than 1,300 companies. Employees get the chance to buy shares in their company after saving up to £250 a month for three, five or seven years. The share price is fixed when the scheme is set up, but companies can give employees a discount too. Savings are deducted from your salary and placed in a special bank or building society account where the money will earn a tax-free bonus. At the end of the set period, savers can either buy shares at the preferential rate, or simply take the cash. Usually the shares represent a significant saving.

Invest with care
If you've got some spare money and have few debts, changing your savings strategy and investing in shares could be a sensible move. But just remember: buying and selling shares is a gamble. Invest within your limits and it can be an entertaining way of making money - or throwing it away.

Share advice:
Fool
FT
Share Pages

Online share portfolio manager:
III
Share Centre