Cheapo Groovo

Some changes to my high dividend strategy

I'm not convinced that the stock market drop is over. Today's rise is 401(k) money coming in. The December jobs report actually points to more monetary tightening and a flattening yield curve.

I got burned by ticker symbol SMHD . They stopped issuing new shares (which means you pay a premium to own it), and it dropped 24% in one month! If I go back in, I will buy ticker SMHB right after it goes ex-dividend. Also in a much smaller amount (20 to 25 shares).

I am also selling out of the money puts on ticker PSEC all the way out to January 2020.

So I went back to something I owned in the past - ticker symbol PHK. But I took profits quickly after I got my payout. Only $26.27 over 2 months but I'll take it!

Give me your examples of Price Gouging

 

 

Unique Investment Strategy Worth Studying

Automatic Investment Management – AIM

AIM is an investment method devised by the late Robert Lichello. This method is a proven way to take advantage of the inevitable market swings to enable us to ‘Buy Low / Sell High’.

Groundrules of how the AIM Strategy works:

1. When starting with a lump sum, only invest 50% from the start.  If establishing a monthly investment plan, also split this allocation to 50% invested (after all, there’s a 50/50 chance the market will go up OR down tomorrow!)
2. Utilize a cash account to maintain your investment reserves / gains, awaiting further investment (starting with the second 50% of your lump sum, and then including the proceeds from sales as well as 50% of any subsequent monthly investment.)
3. Be prepared to sell a portion of the gains you have realized and deposit them into your cash account, per the AIM algorithm.
4. Be prepared to buy some back with your reserved cash account when the stock declines.
5. Set a routine period of time in which to analyze the markets direction, and take action.
6. The algorithm is relatively simple.  It involves several key points:
   1. Portfolio Control:  Running total of your stock purchases (total initial purchase plus 1/2 of follow on purchases; however it is never deducted from in a sale) in order to keep a basis of where the portfolio should ‘aim’ to be.  This is the ‘governor’ of the system – it drives the initial assessments about buy and sell decisions. 
   2. Buy/Sell Advice:  Based upon the current Stock Amount (currently owned shares times current price) compared to the Portfolio Control figure.  When the Portfolio Control amount is larger than your current Stock Value, you will look to buying (the Market is down.)  When your current Stock Value is higher than your Portfolio Control, you will look to selling (the Market is up.)
   3. SAFE (Stock Adjustment Factor Equalizer):  10% of the Stock Amount – After you do the analysis in [b] above, you compare the results to your SAFE amount – you only pull the trigger on a sale or purchase for the amount of Buy/Sell Advice less SAFE; this controls you from selling or buying too prematurely.

TIP ME and I will email you the spreadsheet and a help file!

Extreme Couponing Exposed

What money you might be saving, you are wasting two-fold in the amount of time it takes you to properly shop with coupons. It's downright complicated. You have to subscribe to the newspapers, clip, sort, and store the coupons, find the store's deals that week, figure out what coupons can work with the deals, go shopping (often times having to visit multiple stores), and then, additionally, plan out and shop for the things your coupons don't work for (but you still need).

Coupons are meant to bring down the price of name-brand items. But, have you noticed that name-brand items are typically more expensive to begin with? One of my favorite frugal living secrets is that store-brand items are usually made by the name-brand factories.

Most coupons are for pantry items. It's next to never that you'll find a coupon for fresh produce, dairy, or meat ... which is typically the stuff that we go through the fastest, and costs us the most.

Just because something is a good deal -- whether you use it regularly or not -- doesn't mean you have to buy a three-year supply of it.

Stores across the nation have tightened up on their coupon policies.

And most couponers realize their addiction and stop!

20121030_tmm_03

 

Own Things With A Dual Purpose

Our tea kettle serves as a humidifier. Lime and calcium will build up in it, so boil white vinegar inside of it to clean!

It makes great tea as well.

 

 

Our solar lantern also serves as an emergency phone charger.

No sun? It has a hand crank!  

Cheapo Health Club

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