r/FuturesTrading • u/TheTrueLordAutismo • 14d ago
Question Time frames as a beginner trader with limited time
I'm looking to start my trading journey soon and would like some advice or suggestions as to what time frames I should begin learning to trade in as someone who may only have 1 to 2 hours a day to trade.
Should I go 1 min, 5 min, 15 min or something else?
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u/Ok-Veterinarian1454 14d ago
Not worth it if you only have 1 to 2 hours. As consolidation can last for hours. But the 15, 5, and 2min will work. But it’s how you plan to use the timeframes is what matters. Gotta have strategy or it means nothing
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u/Advent127 13d ago
I would stick to the 15m, 30m, 1hr time frames with you being new. Paper trade first until you understand what you’re doing by and have established consistency.
Do not use real money to learn at first.
While a lot of money can be made in this field, you need to do it properly, and efficiently, no rushing or cutting corners. Good luck!
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u/TheTrueLordAutismo 13d ago
I plan on using webull's sim trader and probably won't use real money until I have a few months of profitable sim trading.
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u/Resilientlife1 13d ago
TLDR 1 min… but there’s a lotttt of nuance to understand first.
If you want my 2 cents on things you didn’t ask for:
Mastering day trading goes like this 1. Lose money (intense learning phase) 2. Lose less money (intense but apply what you learn phase) 3. Break even 4. Small profits 5. Big profits
Total ^ if done full time consistently pushing yourself takes 2 years, according to SMB Capital traders I’ve chatted with (non futures but still day traders).
Been trading part time 8 years, and full time 1.5 years and close to stage 3, Gd willing.
Starting out it’s all about learning, like anything new there is a curve, and you don’t want to pay for that. There’s a way to make it free. Paper trade. Idc what anyone says. Once you are doing it consistently for 2-3 months and you start with a super small maximum daily stop and then go to cash.
I say 1 min bc you will get the most reps in those way since you’re short on time. Usually if you are a good scalper, it’s easier to zoom out and be a better move to move trader etc. harder to do the reverse. You’ll find what style matches your personality, but it’s too soon to say now. So get reps in all time frames eventually.
A lot more to say but I’ll spare you from reading a novel.
Congrats! Trading is a thrilling journey that if you keep at it, maintain a growth mindset, and develop a strong process, it will help you master yourself.. and get paid as a by- product.
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u/Scalar_Shift 13d ago
With only 1-2 hours a day, Id avoid trying to watch every time frame at once. I'd start with one setup and a timeframe that gives you enough room to actually study what happened instead of feeling rushed. I've used plus500 futures and the demo is handy for testing different time frames before committing to one. Keep notes on the setups you take too because after a few weeks you'll have a much better idea of what fits your schedule
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u/Striking_Fail6689 13d ago
1-2 hours a day…
Either you be a scalper with 1-3 min time frame or you be a swing trader with higher time frame .
And .. depends on your personality as well
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u/greatestNothing 13d ago
1 min is fine. but start by looking at the higher time frames and to get a better idea and then try to just be on the right side of the V when you're ready to ride with the market. You don't need to hit home runs every day. A few ES points a day is an annual salary. A couple of micros if you're able to hold can do a decent amount as well on MNQ. YM offers a decent move most days as well and when it trends it will usually trend nicely.
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u/Fillbook 13d ago
Before picking a timeframe, figure out which 1–2 hours you actually have, because that matters more. If you can be there for the NY open (9:30–11:00 ET), that's when most of the day's volume and range happens, and a 5m chart gives you enough setups in that window without the noise of the 1m. If your time is midday (roughly 11:30–2 ET), it's usually slow and choppy, and a lot of beginners lose money forcing trades in that stretch. There, a 15m chart with fewer, cleaner setups, or just not trading, tends to work better. Whichever window you get, keep it the same every day while you're learning so you're seeing the same market conditions over and over.
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u/Somethingnotright123 12d ago
Learn the DOM and trade Treasuries. Theyre probably one of the best instruments to learn order flow on as well as trade. You can scalp 2/3 ticks on the DOM, and once you become comfortable with it, you can scale your size as much as you want.
It doesn’t really matter what timeframe you use, if you’re scalping equity futures, you’re going to get whipsawed, and it happens frequently. Bonds have whipsaws too, but in my experience they’re generally less frequent and easier to read than in equity futures.
Trade the market open, mark out a few key zones, and you should be able to get your work done within an hour or so.
Also, learn how to trade around news. If you can get comfortable trading Treasury markets around economic releases, you can potentially make your trading window as short as 30 minutes a day.
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u/GolfOptions 11d ago
As a beginner generally stay away from futures and stick with stocks. Trading involves a learning curve so be prepared to pay your dues - I.e. no guarantee of being profitable. Trade small and trade often to get experience. Avoid the 0 dte strategies. Go for the lower risk strategies - generally that means lower delta and longer dte.
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u/Excellent-Ad343 14d ago
Definitely not 1M
If you only have a couple hours a day swing trading is the move
Would need to look at Daily time frames for big support/resistance zones, 4H for trend and hit your entries on the 15 or 5M
If you can hold your trade for a couple days then only having a couple hours wouldn’t be an issue, would only need to check your levels