When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
In the old days, I thought I could pick stocks. That was stupid because I had a full time (+) job working 60-80 hours per week, plus a full non-work schedule. I ended up putting all our investment money into what I call "spread spectrum mutual funds". That grew into a fairly substantial retirement fund, and we pull out about 4% per year. It has gone up and down over the years, but as I look at it, it is now a bit more than we originally started with 15 years ago.
I know nothing about how to read a company's financials. I know that I can't predict the market. You could look into a company's history of success. But can't predict the failure of tomorrow. How many fortunes were lost with Xerox? Who knew that Walgreens was going down the tube?
The one thing I am sure of: at this very moment, Amazon has a better price on eggs.
Wow. I just came back from the Social Security Office. I checked in at 10:17am and I was out of there in less than ten minutes. that never happens. Two minutes after I checked in they called my number. Spent maybe five or six minutes at the window and I was done. I am a happy camper.
For the first time in over a decade, I got grapes with seeds. Weird. I thought that all market fruit was genetically modified. Is it even safe to eat real food these days?
So says you. I don't believe it. My generation grew up with chicken nuggets and tenders. We've never seen real chicken with skin and bones. Just ask my X. Until I found her, the only seafood she had ever had was fish sticks, and the fake Krab in California rolls. Only potato was fast food hash brown patties, french fries, and 'tater tots.
Chicken, pork chops, steak, green beans tater tots, or mashed potatoes, we had it all as kids. We only ate out once or twice a month. My mom's favorite place was called H. Salt Fish and chips. Mine was Kentucky Fried Chicken before they became KFC. Der Wienerschnitzel before they lost the Der, and a pizza place, any pizza place. There was a place in Lakewood that served good Sloppy Joes, but I can't remember the name. Oh, and Manno's Pizza. We all loved that place. It too was in Lakewood.
I met a woman at a party when I lived in Minnesota (we're talking late 60s here). Fresh fruit and vegetables were unheard of in the north woods, and she believed (or so she said) that tomatoes were manufactured in cans (because that was pretty much the only way you could get them unless you had your own garden).
In the days of my youth, I I knew a girl who got almost everything frozen and canned. Frozen and canned veggies were already washed, cut, and cooked. You just had to heat it up. Burgers came as frozen 1/4 lb patties. Chicken & fish came in frozen packages. That was how she was raised. Everything went in the freezer. Meal planning meant that the night before, you take out whatever you were eating the next day, and defrost it. The first time I went grocery shopping with her, I picked up a couple of steaks and pork chops. When we got home, she put them in the freezer. I had to ask. Why? Why not just put it in the fridge, and eat it fresh? She looked at me like I was crazy.
I got some pork chops today to watch the 9ers lose.
I'm pretty fortunate that my mom subscribed to the Wall Street Journal since I was about 12. I read that sucka as much as I could, and it's worn off on me. I'm a pretty good stock picker. My biggest failures have been selling stocks too early, after good quick gains.
My first stock was one share of Apple Computer, purchased about that same time. I still have the certificate printed on a dot matrix printer. That one share became worth about $3500 in 2011 when I sold it to buy my Boss 302. If I had held onto it, that one share would have been worth $56k today. Wow.
My buddy called me yesterday to say he's established the stock numbers for his new company that I invested in. I'm getting 2 million shares for my $100k. He's getting 17 million shares for being the founder. He's meeting with an Intellectual Property attorney this week. The guy said he sold another similar, but not as good of an idea for $170M. We need to take the money and run if we get anywhere near that number!
Ugh! Had a good morning yesterday, then a flat tire from picking up a bolt/screw in the tread. Almost home and the spare decides to separate taking out the break lines and fender.
