Due to the growth of online brokerages such as Robinhood Markets as well as commission-free investing, which has been made possible by the elimination of trading fees by many brokerages in recent years, investing in stocks has become easier and more affordable.

Because of the introduction of fractional share investing, it has also become more accessible to a broader range of investors. "Instead of purchasing a whole stock, people can purchase fractions of a share through a concept known as stock slices or stocks by the slice, which is used by some brokerages. Because of this, investors with limited financial resources can invest in some of the most popular stocks on the market, such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), even if the stock is being offered at a price that some would consider prohibitively expensive.

Which is better, NBA 2K22 or Xbox One?
Microsoft is the third-largest company in the world in terms of market capitalization, with a market capitalization of more than $1.8 trillion, according to Forbes. As of this writing, its stock is trading at $301 per share, which means it costs that much to purchase a single share of the technology behemoth. Through the first day of September, the stock price had risen by approximately 35% year to date, and its value has nearly tripled in the last three years. It was possible to purchase Microsoft stock for approximately $108 per share in September of last year.

It goes without saying that Microsoft owns the video game franchise Xbox. The latest edition of NBA 2K, a game that simulates the NBA MT professional basketball league, will be released by Xbox next week, marking the company's 20th anniversary. A highly anticipated simulation of the upcoming NBA season will be released on September 10 for Xbox One. Initially available for $59.99 at GameStop and other retailers, a special 75th anniversary edition of the NBA will be available for $99.99.

NBA 2K series fans will fork over $60 or $100 on September 10 to play the latest installment of this game, which includes updates for all of the current players, including rookies, as well as updates for their teams. It is possible that those who are more interested in the game maker than the game itself will invest the funds in Microsoft instead. To do so, follow these steps:

One-hundred-percent discount on Microsoft products and services
The ability to invest virtually any dollar amount, regardless of the share price, is provided by fractional shares, also known as stock slices depending on which brokerage firm you use. As a result, if Microsoft's stock is trading at $301 per share, some investors, particularly those just starting out, may find it prohibitively expensive to purchase a few shares. It will cost more than $900 to purchase just three shares of Microsoft at that price.

However, you could invest in Microsoft by purchasing fractional shares for the same price as NBA 2K22 MT or the special edition. If you invest any dollar amount, this is referred to as dollar-based investing, and it means that whatever fraction of a share you invest in is equal to whatever dollar amount you invested. Consequently, a $60 investment into Microsoft through this method will net you approximately 20% of a single Microsoft share. One of the advantages of fractional shares is that your returns are identical to those of the entire share -- for example, if Microsoft's stock price increases by 35% this year, your fractional share will increase by the same amount.

That $60 could be put toward purchasing some stock at an even lower price, but you'll be taking a greater risk on a stock that's less established and is not a market leader or one of the most successful companies in history, such as Microsoft, with your money. Take, for example, Microsoft's consistency: over the last ten years, the company has experienced an average annual earnings increase of almost 28%.

Before you shell out $60 for the latest edition of NBA 2K, think about investing that money in fractional shares of Microsoft instead. Furthermore, if you wait a few months, the price of NBA 2K22 will drop, and you will be able to purchase it for a lower price if you buy it used, making this investment alternative an even more attractive potential win-win.