Buying Options is Mostly Gambling for Me

Options give the put buyer the right to sell a stock at specific price or call buyer the right to buy a stock at a specific price.   

While buying a put is "insurance" for shares that are owned if there is a decline, buying naked put option or call options is often gambling on the price of the stock, especially if they are short term options, i.e. less that a month from expiration.

I admit I like to buy call and put options, but generally for longer term around 6-11 months from expiration.  I often buy options that expire in January of the next year.  For me, options are mostly gambling on the price change.  2021 was a great year in options for me.   2024 was poor year, with mostly losses.   2025 was a mixed year.  Some options had up to 7000% gains and others expired worthless. 

2026 started out poorly since all my January 2026 options expired worthless.  Since 2025 had some bad option purchases, I decided to be less aggressive in 2026 and purchase much fewer options that were also lower in price.  Right now my January 2027 expiration options on BB and SLS are returning XX% and XX% respectively.  My SNDL and EVGO call and SPY put January expiration options are breakeven at this point.

All these options are just lotto tickets that I can deduct for taxes if they become worthless. I'm going to hodl these to Valhalla or zero.  Hopefully, it's Valhalla.   If it's zero, unlike lotto ticket, I can write off the losses on my tax return.

For more on The Practice of Personal Finance, check back every Wednesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, option, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Need a TACO

My "buy the dip stocks" rocketed yesterday.  Today, they gave it all the gains back by 10:30AM this morning.

Here's a list of my "buy the dip stocks:" MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

I discipline myself to hodl and I will again this time.   However, I'm hoping/expecting a President Trump TACO since it's Tuesday. 😎

Disclosure:  I still own MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

For more on Ideas You Can Use, check back every  Tuesday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Diamond Handing Memory Stocks

I bought MU and STX on May 11, 2026. The stock crashed on May 11, 2026 and then rebounded before crashing again on May 19, 2026.  The price dipped way below my purchase price.   However, I decided to hodl.   By May 29. 2026 they recovered an reach new highs.

Lucky me.  I will continue to hodl for a while.  It works all the time, 60% of the time.😎

For more on Ideas You Can Use , check back every  Tuesday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking nor stock investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Vibe Investing is Working Great

Measures such as price/earnings, dividend payout,  and other technical factors don't seem to matter as much as before for stock market values.   Vibes seem to be the new controlling factor. 

IMHO, there seems to be multiple vibe vectors that affect movements in stock prices:

• Bull vs. Bear
• Positive vs. Negative
• In the Market vs. On the Sidelines
• Optimistic vs. Pessimistic
• Reasonable Risk vs. Unsafe Risk
• Trump Pump vs. Trump Dump

When the vibes move more to the left, the stock price tends to rise.  The more to the left, the faster it rises.  When vibes move to right, the stock price tends to fall.

My assessment of vibes is that they are solidly in the left.   My vibes are slightly more to center, and I have gone full retard on equities since I'm hedging with bonds and bond funds.  However, I'm still hodling what I have.

Who needs to study and evaluate the technical data.  Lately, vibe investing works all the time, about 60% of the time.😎  LOL.

For more on Strategy and Plans, check back every Monday  for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock investment, nor investing advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Moles/Vols are Gone This Year

I've spent 4-5 years trying to rid moles/vols in our yard by repelling them.  We don't like to trap or kill the animal pests.  We prefer to encourage them not to be in our yard.

This all started when my neighbor hire a pest control company to rid the moles/vols in his yard.  The pest control company then made a bid for doing my yard too.  He said, "Once we repel the moles/vols from your neighbors yard, they will do to other yards.  Would you like a treatment for your yard?"

Initially, I tried the commercially available mole/vol powder repellent.   Guaranteed to work said the package.  Qualitatively, it reduced the mole/vol population but they returned after a short period.  Then I switched to castor oil mixed with dish detergent for 2 years.  I sprayed directly on the tunnels, and I didn't notice any decrease in tunneling activity.  In fact, the tunnels appeared to be expanding across the yard based on the mushiness of lawn.

At the same time, I also bought some sound emitters.   I tried them for a few months before my spouse complained about the noise and I removed them.  Still there was no reduction in the lawn mushiness.

Over the winter, I read a post and responses on the Internet claiming success from using coffee grounds to successfully repel moles/vols.  Since my spouse regularly drinks coffee, I tried spreading used coffee grounds over the lawn. In the worst case,  the coffee grounds would only fertilize the lawn.

While there were still noticeable squishy mounds on our lawn in March 2026, it is now May 2026 and the mounds are gone and the lawn is firm.  My assumption is the moles/vols have moved away.  However, I have no idea which of the treatments had an effect nor do I know if they moved away due to lack of food sources.   Either way, they appear to be gone.

If they return, I will probably try the repellents in reverse order, starting with coffee grounds, even though that seems unlikely to be the reason.

For more on Strategies and Plans, check back every Monday for a new segment.

This is not financial  nor pest control advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

24 Hour Stock Trading

Last week, I was checking some of the after-hours prices for my "buy the dip software stocks" and I noticed the time stamp was 12:37AM, which is after the typical close of 8PM for after hours trading.   In addition, the prices were still changing, which led me to think that 24 hour trading was in effect.

I just checked a today and several brokerages now have 24 hour trading 5 or 6 days for specific index and other ETFs, and specific equities.   Amazing.

I won't be trading 24 hours, but it is useful to be able to check how specific stocks are doing overnight, for the case when I plan to sell or buy the next day.

For more on New Beginnings, check back every Sunday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock trading, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Will SPCE do a GME MOASS?

I've seen a lot of posts about SPCE (Virgin Galactic) which may be conflated with SpaceX (SPCX) when IPOed.   Some are buying because they think they are getting SpaceX cheap. Others are buying because they believe SPCE will be lifted by SpaceX IPO.  

Oh well, I recall people bought ZOOM which was some penny stock, when they wanted Zoom Communications (ZM) during Covid.

I will watch but not participate.   It will be interesting to see if SPCE rockets up due to mistaken identity and high short interest (~32%).  Or if Richard Branson will dilute Virgin Galactic by issuing more shares. LOL.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

SPCX the Final Frontier

SpaceX will IPO in June 2026.  It is expected to raise $75 billion and have a target valuation of about  $1.75 trillion.   Here's my take:

• Other space related stocks: SPCE, ASTS, RKLB, etc. are rising with this IPO
• Muskman may become the first trillionaire if he achieves certain criteria.
• Other Muskman stocks and investments (TSLA, xAI) will probably benefit.

I expect there will be high volatility for a few weeks.  I plan to hold TSLA, but not take positions in SPCX nor the other space related stocks.

Disclosure:  We own shares of TSLA.

For more on Reflections and Musings, check back every Saturday for a new segment.

This is not financial advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Hodling Was a Genius Move

When I bought my "buy the dip stocks" in February 2026, they kept dipping further through March 2026.  I made the decision to hodl despite a further decline for many of them.

However, since March 31, the S&P has advanced 9 consecutive weeks.   During this time, my "buy the dip stocks" continued to decline or stayed flat.   I continued to hodl.  I thought most of them were way oversold due to the overestimated future impact of AI on their business models. 

This week, a number of my "buy the dip stocks" are making significant gains.   Many are now positive, not all.  I'm going to continue to hodl.   

Of course, it will work until it doesn't.

Disclosure:  I still own MSFT, NOW, TSLA, CRM, TEAM, HUBS, ADBE, ACN, NFLX, UNH

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial, stock picking, nor investment advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC

Learning the Fine Print in my Health Insurance Coverage

I recently had cataract surgery, which Medicare covers.   I also found out that Medicare will cover cost of corrective glasses since I got single focal cataract lenses.  I thought this would be easy to do.   Haha.

I called my Medicare Advantage Insurance company to clarify the coverage and process.   Here's what I found out:

• Medicare only covers the cost of 1 pair to glasses with a standard frame including anti-reflective and UV lenses.  Subsequent glasses are 100% my responsibility
• The provider needs to fill out paperwork to be submitted with my request for reimbursement to verify I am qualified for the benefit.
• I need to pay for the glasses and submit for reimbursement.
• The expense is expected to be done within 3 months of the surgery.

Originally, I was just expecting to go to provider, present my prescription, and have the provider submit to my insurance.   Wrong.  Good thing I checked and learned the above.   

I will be using another provider other than my usual one.   I will bring all my support documentation and have a new provider that complies with the rules and paperwork requirements in the next few days.

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial nor corrective glasses advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

Copyright © 2026 Achievement Catalyst, LLC