[ARCHIVE ANSWER]

Investing in commodities through ETFs and stocks that should provide nice steady
returns would be ones that follow a commodity index (i.e. agriculture, metals, energy, or
combinations of them) or commodity stocks.
Just remember to spread your bets around because it lowers your risk dramatically. A lot
of them sell for less than a dollar, so you can start out very small, and you can open a
trading account for about $500. There is always the possibility that as more and more
people and foreign countries lose faith in the U.S. dollar, precious metals will become
more popular and rise in prices
Also, if you live in an appropriate area, buying livestock might also be an option. An
expensive horse or bull can raise a ton of money in “stud” fees. The IRS might want the
paperwork, but they rarely want to see the photographic proof.