The Horror and Beauty of Goal Setting

Alas, I was transfixed....when i finally began to grasp the innate power of setting one´s own goals.

How powerful I felt, that I could write and craft a precious list of life goals, that I could hold tightly and recite aloud daily, and often.

It was liberating....it was the ultimate flex, to emancipate myself....from my own meandering. To harness my artistic soul and force it to form itself into something resembling direction and ambition....and dare, I say......a  career.

That was many years ago. Many goals later..... I proudly was able to assign a few large check marks and gloat at my accomplishments.

To be able to say....with some authority...¨I am going to do this, by this date....." and actually mean it and believe it was possible........was and still is an intoxicating drink.

But now, friends, I also must speak of the horrors of goal setting.

The biggest disappointment of writing down my life goals, was that it was simply not whimsical at all. I had always danced through life....both literally and figuratively......enjoying the surprises and emotional roller coaster that is the common experience of most Canadian women.

I liked not knowing what was coming around the bend. I liked not knowing who I was going to meet. I liked not knowing what I was going to earn. I liked not knowing what I was going to eat.

To then, do a sharp personal turn and declare that I would control my every move in life....in order to accomplish a list of written goals......was, on a certain level.....an unspeakable horror.

How would God surprise me.....if He wasn´t on  my list? How would I fit my family onto my rather lengthy list of personal goals? How would my children´s journeys fit into my own rather complex list of written goals?

Must I always be rewriting my list of goals when I uncover yet another delight in life, that I had not yet written down on paper? How do I include my husband and my friends on this battle weary list? Did they even want to be trapped into my favorite font?

Lord, I do not have the answers. When I think I have the answers.....I feel that the books I must write are many....too many to utter....too thick to describe.

Lord Jesus, how do I dance through life....if I must write every line upon a list? There are no brownie points for the big green check marks on my list. There is only the personal satisfaction....of a fait accompli.

And so now, having uttered these horrid truths...I must run and hide....for I fear I have betrayed....my best friend.....my list.

C,

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Extreme Cheapskates Flashfood Style

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How can a mom not like a food haul for less than 20$ ....loaded with veggies??

And so today, my fellow frugal bugles....Flashfood App won again.....allowing me to score the above listed food items for just under $20 🇨🇦.

I don't know if the Flashfood app is available worldwide...but the last time i checked it has grown by leaps and bounds across North America.

What do i like about my local Flashfood app ?

The food is kept safe and at appropriate temps.....either chilled or frozen or at room temp if shelf stable.

The Flashfood app is easy to use. 

You easily prepay your food order...so no need to even bring your wallet into the store.

You can make your food dollars stretch farther than ever.....all the while feeling grateful that the Flashfood app has diverted thousands ( probably millions) of pounds of food from being wasted. Talk about a win win!!!

If you are a true cheapskate or a gentle frugalista...you are going to love the Flashfood App.

Simply download the app to your Smartphone and it will allow you to explore which stores closest to your location have discounted foods currently available for purchase. Then simply prepay thru the app and collect your items instore during store hours! 

What's not to love?

Have a great frugal friday my cheapskate friends. saving money never tasted quite this good😁👍

This is Why You are NOT Making Money Selling Covered Calls

Selling covered calls is a simple and ¨not so simple"option trading concept which 

option traders often begin with. It attracts people because of the appearance of juicy option premiums and yet often befuddles those who mistakenly believe it is an effortless way to gather ¨free" money.

So, I have compiled a simple list of reasons which causes failure for those who 

try to earn regular income from the practice of selling covered calls.

1.  Taking profits before your position is closed. Option premiums may be hundreds of dollars falling into your account with the click of a few buttons. Resist the temptation to ¨count your chickens before they hatch¨ by waiting until your covered call position is closed or assigned before you consider the profit or loss to be realized. The Market is constantly changing. While this volatility is the best friend of an option trader, we must ALWAYS use patience and wait until positions are closed before we consider the gain/loss as REAL.
2.  Selling covered calls on an underlying asset that is about to go through a reverse split. Don´t sell covered calls on underlying equities that you do not fully understand. A surprise, merger, a negative earnings report, or a shocking news report can cause an unexpected loss in your covered call position. Do your due diligence and research the companies before you bet your hard earning money on a covered call position.
3.  Not choosing the most profitable strike price at which to sell the covered call at. Choosing strike prices is an art in my humble opinion. There are those who calculate complicated formulas to determine which strike price at which to sell a covered call at. However, I prefer the tried and true method of relying on many years of market experience.....reading tape...as they say.
4.  Choosing low quality underlying equities upon which to sell covered calls. Although, people can and do, sell covered calls on lower quality stock, it is inherently more risky to do so. Risk can lure in option traders with juicy high option premiums. But it can be very painful to your wallet to pour good quality money into a low quality equity position just for a very temporary boost in option premium. KNOW your underlying assets....and choose wisely.
5. Using margin debt to finance the selling of covered calls. The stock market can be volatile, and using debt to finance your covered call option trades can be tempting, and can sometimes be profitable. However, any usage of leverage (debt) must be done wisely and with the understanding of risk, reward and interest rates. Not all investors have the temperament to manage debt wisely. Those who have a ¨gambler´s mindset may not want to even entertain the idea of using debt to ¨play¨ options with.  Debt is a great tool in the hand of a master, but a deadly weapon in the hand of a fool.

Well, friends, that´s enough caution and warning for a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Be blessed in your investing and trading.

Peace,

Carla

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