Stock Market Investing

Investing in the stock market is one of the smartest or dumbest moves you can make.  A lot of people, myself included at times, have a difficult time making decisions or making dumb ones.  For example, Visa IPO came to the NYSE a few months ago.  I was looking to buy some shares pre-IPO for ~$44 per share.  I passed that up, as well as $54, $64, $74.  After roughly doubling, I decided to buy some stock in the mid-80’s.  

If we all were economists, this wouldn’t be a problem.  I was making a rational decision based upon the knowledge I had at the time and choose to hold my money instead of risking losing it.  The risk of losing my money simply outweighed the risk of investing and hitting it big.  This is the problem, I always say that the money you invest into the stock market should be considered as lost.  Yes this is horribly pessimistic, but it puts you in the mind set into how much risk you are willing to take on: “only invest what you are not afraid of losing.”  If I had followed my own recommendations, I would have doubled my investment.  Instead, I took the irrational of the two choices because I choose to wait with my purchase.  

For my future stock purchases and sales, I don’t want to encourage acting on impulse, but a certain degree of risk should be assessed and acted upon before an opportunity is lost.  If I was to by a $100 dollars worth of stock and I was unsure, I should invest half and hold the $50 for a future purchase date.  This mentality will allow me to take on more risky investments as well as maintain money to buy future investments.  Next time, I will pick the “rational” of the two decisions.  

Eating Healthy

“You are what you eat” – Unknown

Summer weather is finally upon us and I find it that eating heathy is an intricate part of summer fitness.  I’ve been drinking tons of water, Vitamin Water, Pomegranate juice, green tea, etc. to stay hydrated and healthy.  Instead of coffee in the morning, I’ve been drinking the Vitamin Water Energy which has 300 mg of caffeine (to get me going in those early mornings).  I’d drink water throughout the day and carry around a water bottle.  During lunch/dinner/snacks I have been drinking juices and green tea.  Specific to green tea, I’ve found that I’ve been healthier and more relaxed.  Green tea has 175 mg of antioxidants to boost the human immune system and it has low calories and tastes great!  

Eating healthy is sometimes more difficult during the summer (especially for college students such as myself) because of the less available food.  If you are playing golf, at the beach, hanging out with friends, you have to eat what is convenient.  Unfortunately, it is more often junk food than not.  To counter this summer eating tread, I’ve been trying some different combinations of food to keep me in shape and perfect the “beach body” look.  

Quick morning: Oatmeal.  Simple, cheap, and good.  Add honey and bananas to regular Quaker Oats oatmeal.  Chase this meal with some Vitamin Water Energy or Coffee and jump start your day.

Berry Fruit Lunch: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and a carton of Dannon yogurt.  Takes about two minutes (need to wash and cut fruit) and is packed with vitamins and nutrients.

Snacks: Yogurt with granola, banana, dry cereal.  Pick a snack and drink some green tea and you won’t fill up on snacks prior to a meal.

Some of these food ideas are simple, but most people overlook the basics.  This summer I want to eat healthy in order to feel great.  I’ve heard a quote that “Fitness is 10% exercise and 90% of what you put in your body”.  I want a fit and healthy body so naturally I should fill it with the best.