18 year old looking for small investment options

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I am an 18 year old currently looking for investment options. I currently work at a resturant/bar and get paid under the table. I do not drive and i am not asking the typical "how do i make money" question, i just need to be pointed in some sort of direction from someone who has experience. I have a few ideas for products that would involve plastic molding but im not sure how to get started. Should i first look into patenting my idea? Or should i get some manufactured and test the product out? I also dont know how to go about getting my idea manufactured.

As far as skills go i am pretty good at technology related things for somebody my age. I have repaired computers on the side since the age of 14 and i currently take a javascript program on khanacademy. However, outside of local repairs and selling a few domains for $1000 total i really havent figured out how to capitalize on my skill. At my age and with my current job i have plenty of time on my hands to learn as much as i want and i am looking to take advantage of that without spending money on school.

Overall, if anyone here has had any success with creating a product or small investments that would be good to start with, where would be a good place to start?