Up +$7000 or 350% since August 16th. Trading stock options on AAPL & PCLN

I took $2000 of some money I got back from my school and felt the timing was ripe to trade some stock options. During this time I was deep into renovation a rental home and in full force finishing my MLitt in Film Studies dissertation project and essay. This was hardly the time to be trading volatile stock options on large cap stocks that move violently day to day. My main goal was to just earn enough to pay back, well everything, my total debt is around $130,000. I’m not afraid to say it. Most people hide it, but I hide nothing. I’m not proud of it but sometimes you make bad mistake after bad mistake or in my case I just consider myself likely somewhat handicapped in the entrepreneurial department. I would go as far as thinking I am mentally and business retarded at times making irrational decisions to achieve my American Dream – which now I know is definitely not greed for money but greed for personal freedom/desires (Which still cost money).

So here I am with $2000 to basically lose even though I need it for repair costs, credit card bills, yada yada. I see a great trade on Priceline Inc (PCLN) when I see it got crushed after a report on possible lower revenues. This stock has a solid cash balance sheet and great EPS/PE. I bought it around $559. I have been trading CALLS on it ever since and have done pretty well. Every time I get in it my main goal is to be out of it within 24 hours or less. For the most part I have achieved this. The other trade is with Apple Inc. (AAPL). I’ve traded some PUTS and CALLS on it. They have been mostly quicker trades the PCLN. For the most part if I wanted to I could be in and out of AAPL within 2-4 hours earning on average $500-1000. My last trade earned me around $3000. I’ve only done I believe 5 trades in the past 30 days. This is inline with Gary Williams trading rules to only trade 5-10 times per month maximum. I’m taking a break now so I can let my run cool and re-focus on my next trades. I am not as eager to trade as when I was 23-29 years old and I think that is because I am wiser at trading more now at 31 then when I began at a young 18.

I almost took my $7000 profit to buy a sweet badass 1965 mustang, but instead I settled for an ever cooler 1990 Bronco with a failing engine for $900 which I didn’t have to pull any money out of my trading account. Hahaha. Come on, just laugh! The back top comes off and it turns into a muscle jeep. My mom owns my loved diesel Jetta and I hope to get it back or just buy myself one once I have a more stable income. Currently I’m finishing my MBA, working on starting a mini aquaponics fish farm, trading options again, and among all this trying to now edit my first non-fiction book with a friend to publish and sell on all digital readers. So, I don’t know what my future of trading holds for me, but I do know I’m on a good run and I don’t want to give it up so easily.

Oh, if you are wondering about the Toke n’ Toss business ventures, well, it’s completely over. Now I understand why they say choose your partners wisely – marriage or business. Let’s just say this was another $5000 business lesson, but this lesson was one on one truck/stand vending for concert goers. Learned a lot, but learned the most that people that aren’t willing to budget and chip in on expenses should be left on the side of the highway as soon as they start complaining that a twelve pack of beer IS a business expense and YOU are going to pay for it because the partner doesn’t have any money.

See below trades: