Forex or Futures? Why Not Both? How I Trade Both While Working Full-Time
If you’ve been reading the Pallets to Pips blog for a while, you know my main goal: figuring out how to build a disciplined trading routine around a standard 9-to-5 (or longer) physical job. I’ve been through the meat grinder—blown accounts, overcomplicated miracle strategies, and late-night chart staring. Then I realized that keeping things simple and using plain common sense works best.
For a long time, I only focused on the Forex and CFD markets. But naturally, you always keep an eye out for new opportunities. After a while, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give futures trading a try.
I won’t lie, I was a bit hesitant at first. It’s a new market with different numbers and a different system. But honestly? It was a massive and very pleasant surprise. It went so well that I asked myself: Can I carry both on my shoulders? Can I really trade Forex AND Futures while still putting in a full shift at my day job?
The answer surprised me: Easily. And here is why.
1. Easily, because a candle is just a candle
My biggest realization was that the market is just the market. There is no need to overcomplicate things. Price action, trends, and levels on the futures market (like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq) work exactly the same as they do on a plain old EUR/USD chart.
Since my whole approach relies on my 3 pillars and keeping my charts completely clean, I didn’t have to force a crazy new system into my head. I just fired up TradingView (where I do all my charting anyway), looked at the futures chart with my usual routine, and the setups were right there. Just common sense, no magic involved.
2. Easily, because the timing is perfect
When you work a physical job all day, your biggest enemies are a lack of time and pure fatigue. You can’t—and shouldn’t—sit in front of a screen for another 8 hours when you finally get home.
This is where the beauty of the futures market comes in! US indices (like the US30 or NAS100) get highly active during the New York open. Depending on your timezone, this usually falls right in the afternoon or early evening—perfect for when you get off work. This fits my daily schedule perfectly. While I might look at Forex in the morning or hold longer swing trades, futures give me a solid, focused 1-to-2-hour window in the evening. I do my routine, and if there’s no good entry, I simply shut the laptop. Done.
3. Easily, because capital protection is the same game
The Survival First rule saves lives in the futures market, too. No matter where you trade, the golden rule is always the same: don’t blow your account. I use the exact same iron discipline and risk management on both markets.
If you are looking for reliable prop firms on the Forex/CFD side, The5ers and FundingPips are still my absolute favorites because of their fair conditions. The discipline I learned with them—knowing when to sit on my hands and say “no” to a stupid trade—transferred perfectly to my futures trading. The rules are exactly the same; only the playground changed.
The Bottom Line: Keep it simple
The takeaway here is that you don’t have to choose between the two markets if you have a clean, simple system. The secret isn’t dying in front of your screens 24/7. It’s about finding the specific time windows that fit your work schedule and sticking to your plan like glue.
If you want to see the exact tools I use for my everyday trading (whether it’s Forex or Futures), check out my Toolbox page. I’ve put everything there that actually works for me in the real world.
Protect your money, trade smart, and the pips (and ticks) will follow.
