Stock Market Basics, Timing the Market in the current Global Economic Crisis

I still haven't started with the stock market. I know, I know, earlier is better, you can't time the market, blah blah blah. I've got to get a move on.

Making money is no joke, and no amount of money made online can compete with what I make offline. Or well, if I invest on my stocks online, does that make it an online money-making venture? How do you categorize that? Bah, it doesn't matter! Bottom line is, I should get some money in stocks.

So how am I preparing for this new endeavor? By reading everything. Stock market tutorials, finance tutorials, the business newspapers, watching BBC, CNN, Bloomberg! Information is money. Gotta know what's happening in the world.

Although they say you can't really beat the market. But more on that some other time.

Making Money Online via SEO or something like it

So far, I have four blogs running, and only one is making money. That's awful. Two blogs, I can understand, since they're less than a month old each, but my other blog? It's even on its own domain. I've got to start making some money with that thing, since update it pretty often, anyway. Maybe I need to get a few more links in. Make it look professional and stuff.

Sigh.

Okay, I'm giving myself an assignment. Over the next two weeks, I should have:

1.) 15 links in my new blogs
2.) Disclosure Policy
3.) Better "About" Page

Just to make things look more professional. I've got to make my presence felt, too, online. That means more and more entries, all the time. 4 entries a week. Let's go!

Stock Market Basics, Basics of Investing

Okay, it's time to cash in on the recession. I've always wanted to try the stock market waters out, see what it's like, but I've also always been more focused on building the business. There was never enough time, or it was never the right time.

Now I'm going to be pretty damn busy with the business the next couple of years, but when the market is down, that's the best time to invest. You can get shares at undervalued prices, and then just resell when they reach your desired price. Double the initial investment would be nice.

Now I may know how economics work, but that doesn't mean I'll be good at this. That's why I'm going to set up a trial account. Extremely small amount, the kind your graduating high school student might open. Well, no, at least graduating college student. I'll read up on this stuff online, and see how it goes.

If there's one thing you should all take away from this post, it's this: INVEST WHEN THE BUBBLE BURSTS.

The Nokia E71 Plan

I want a Nokia E71. It's got WiFi access, word processing, a ton of memory, fast performance, spreadsheets, and it looks really damn good as well. I want it. I've got to have it.

Now it'd be a simple matter to just go out and buy one. I have the money for it. It's just that I feel like I need to work for it some more, just because my current phone is still functional. I'm a pretty wasteful guy, but it just doesn't make sense to get a new phone on a whim. It's not that expensive, even. I just can't bring myself to do it. Which is weird, because I very rarely have whims. Good thing, right?

So there. The E71 costs around PhP20,000. I'll save 1/4 of all my blogging earnings and put away PhP200 a week for the E71 fund. Let's see how long it'll take me to have enough to get one. Gotta get started making money!

Ugh, of course I can always just get one now and charge it as a business expense, but NO. I'm going to stick to my guns on this one.

Cutting the Fat

I've been doing some thinking, and I've realized I can drastically reduce my day-to-day costs if I just eat at home. See, I have this tendency to be picky with my food. Not in a healthy kind of way, but in a more epicurean sort. I don't like the viands at home, I go for McDonald's. Or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Or whatever random fast food I feel like.

Not only is this unhealthy for my body, but it's wasteful as well. I'm basically spending for food when there is already food at home, waiting to be eaten. It's a crazy thing. The biggest culprits are breakfast and lunch. Breakfast, I love my sausage McMuffins. Lunch, I love me some fried chicken. But it's extremely unnecessary and impractical. I realize that now, so that's the end of that.

Okay, fine, I'll give myself ONE fast food meal every two weeks. That should be enough.

Money Isn't Everything

I was in China for a couple of days, on a trip to potentially kick-start more money-making. The Canton Fair was ongoing, and trade shows are usually a great place to pick up new ideas and products. It was an investment, and I believe it's a good one.

Anyway, while there, I was approached by this lady with a baby (that rhymes). She was begging. Looking for a handout. Now, I felt pretty bad for her, so I started to take out a few RMB, when she stopped me. She said that the baby was hungry, and all they wanted was food, not money.

Food, NOT MONEY. I was giving her an amount that would buy her food for a day. Instead, she wanted food right there and then, for her baby. I was pretty amazed. And so, I bought porridge from a nearby food stall to give to her for her baby.

Now I'm not trying to impress you with my altruism, which god knows I could use a hell of a lot more of, but I'm just saying. Money isn't everything.

PayPal, don't screw me over please!

I transferred some money from my PayPal account to my bank account first week of March. I got the confirmation email, the transaction showed up in my PayPal history. Everything worked out great.

Well, except for the fact that the money STILL hasn't arrived in my bank account, and it's been more than a month already. I KNOW I got the bank information and everything correct, I've transferred money to it from PayPal before. It's just that PayPal is royally screwing me over and I don't like it.

Now it's not like I moved a couple of million dollars, or a thousand even, but that's my money, and I should get it. PayPal's been very good to me with helping me make money online, but this really pisses me off. I already emailed them, and I'm hoping they give me a response within the week.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Pass the Cash please!

The US government just shelled out billions of dollars in the economic recovery stimulus program, but I'm not getting any of it. Pass the Cash, please!

Hi! Call me Kevin. This blog is all about life in general, and the pursuit of happiness and money. You'll notice happiness comes first, but money's always gotta be there. I'll either make the money online or make it offline. Whatever the case may be, you'll read about it here.

Of course, money doesn't grow on trees, so I'll throw in the occasional non-money related blog post every now and then. Let's see how it goes. Right now, I'm starting on: $0. Let's see how much money I can make in 6 months. Peace out.

P.S.

I'm only going to count money I get off odd jobs. The day job accounting is a totally different matter.