what is the best way to invest in the stock market with $1000.00 budget?

Open a Brokerage account with E*trade (http://www.etrade.com)/

minimum is $1000.

E*trade offers over 7000 mutual funds:

https://us.etrade.com/e/t/investingandtrading/mutu...

There are many no load no transaction fee mutual funds, with minimums of $1000 or less.

Example: UMBIX (Excelsior value and restructuring), 5 star morningstar.com rated fund, minimum $500.

Selected American Shares (SLASX) has a $1000 minimum:

https://www.etrade.wallst.com/v1/stocks/snapshot/s...

Once you get more money, you can automatically add to the mutual fund.

Index or mutual fund is the safest way. But that's no fun. You may want to take that small amount and get onto Ameritrade or something. Start reading books and watching Cramer (although many disagree with him, he has certainly been right and has at least SOME good advice). 1000 bucks is really not enough to do serious trading, the trading fees will eat you alive. But, since you are probably young, I wouldn't be afraid to lose it all. The experience that you would gain might make you millions later and a grand really ain't all that much.

Don't invest - keep it in your bank and wait at least until the end of this year or more. If the Middle East explodes due to US idiocy....... any investments will be worth nothing. There are bad things in the pipeline!

Janus Oversees Mutual Fund. JAOSX

Without getting into talk of risk tolerance and such.

A mutual fund.