Wandering trading thoughts on Boxing Day

What do you talk about the Friday after Christmas, right before the weekend?

Today’s Boxing Day.

If you’re in the United States (like me) then you may never have even heard of Boxing day.

It’s celebrated in the Commonwealth nations, like the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Traditionally, it’s a day to box up leftover gifts & food and give to the poor.

At least, that’s what I’ve read about it online.

I’m sure there are some nuances to the holiday that I miss by being an arrogant U.S. citizen.

😆

But it got me thinking about leftovers in life ... and, naturally, the market.

Something I’ve tried to get better at this year is maximizing my time.

I had a mentor calling this “double dipping.” The idea that instead of doing one thing, I could simultaneously do something else (usually a bit passive) and double dip my time.

He used it in the context of teaching younger people about life and the Bible while also doing things like running errands or home projects.

Which isn’t primarily how I use it.

These days I double dip by going on walks while listening to podcasts or audiobooks ... or while driving.

That engages my mind in learning while doing something rote.

Which is good, because I’m often fighting to keep my mind occupied. (It’s a struggle to quiet myself so I can go to sleep.)

I used to double dip a lot when I was learning about trading the markets too.

In that case, I was watching/listening to tons of YouTube videos or courses I bought while sports was on the TV. I obviously didn’t need to pay close attention to whatever football or baseball or hockey game was on. Which freed my mind to focus on what I was learning.

I still use this technique to learn things today.

Keeping my eyeballs engaged while my mind works in the background.

There’s no telling what kinds of random mental connections can be made from giving yourself room to “wander.”

Not all who wander are lost.

Sometimes they are just learning in a different way.

It’s part of the reason I can start off an email meant for talking about trading with a little treatise on Boxing day.

There’s no connection there, except whatever I make.

It’s a fun little exercise in creativity. Letting my fingers start typing and see where I wind up.

(I’m discovering this along with you, 😂)

But what about double dipping with your capital?

Strictly speaking, impossible to do.

Yet I feel like every time I sell a Put I’m double dipping my money. Because instead of merely buying shares of a company and hoping it makes money by going higher, I get paid to wait on a better price.

Sure, sometimes the stock drops further in price and I take a hit.

That’s almost all temporary.

In the end, I bring in more and more premium from the markets, growing my account at a doubling pace each year. (I’m sure there’s a ceiling to how big an account can trade this way, but based on my trade testing it’s beyond the six-figures.)

I guess I’m not really double dipping, but it feels close.

Anyway, if you’re interested in learning how I trade this way, I run a community teaching both new and advanced traders my system. That link is in the footer of this email.

If you’re not on the email list, then you can subscribe for free by clicking the button here:

— Ricky Ketchum