How much money did you start trading with, and what would you start with now?

Almost every new trader asks how much they need to open a live account. The honest answer depends less on a broker's minimum deposit and more on how much you could lose without it affecting your life.

Things worth sharing in your reply:

• the amount you started with and your account currency
• how much you risked per trade at the start, in money and as a percentage
• whether you'd start with more, less or the same amount knowing what you know now

One point to keep in mind while reading the answers: with a small account, sensible risk per trade means very small positions. On a $500 account, 1% is $5, which on EUR/USD is a 50-pip stop at 0.01 lots. Check that your broker offers micro lots before funding anything; the lot sizes guide explains the arithmetic.

Please don't post amounts you "made in a week". This thread is about starting sensibly.