In an economic sense, an investment is the purchase of goods that are not consumed today but are used in the future to create wealth.

- Investopedia.

To invest is to allocate money (or sometimes another resource, such as time) in the expectation of some benefit in the future. In finance, the expected future benefit from investment is called a return (to investment).

Commonly about investment is you put in less than you realize. A seed in a fruit grows to become a tree with many branches, each having many fruits, each fruit containing many seeds. That's exponential, Isn't it?
It's however important to invest wisely and with a hopefully target. No farmer will sacrifice his corn to the soil if none had ever germinated. Investment is not a choice but a must to have a better tomorrow. So the dilemma between loosing present goods and bearing the pain of unplanned future becomes something worth contemplating about.

Investment may mean taking a risk, even farming may not yield. But information is the key to minimizing the risk in investment. Never put down a corn if you have never known the soil.