Buy low?

I decided to buy stocks. Always heard to "buy low" so I decided now was a good time.

I have invested in retirement mutual funds before, but this time I decided that I would buy individual company stocks. I would love to be that old lady who is worth millions because she was wise enough to buy Coca-Cola or Frito-Lay back before they became house-hold names.

I bought shares in Sirius-XM radio (SIRI) at $0.25 a share. HA! now it is worth half as much, but I still have hope. The Motley Fool just proclaimed it the worst stock of the 2008 year! What do they know.

I also bought Apple, IBM, Google. Wish me the best. I know I will need it, especially if I expect to become that rich old lady before I retire.

I hope to buy stock in what I know, or in what product I use or company I admire. It is fun to guess how the market will go and watch the ups and downs. Eastman Kodak (EK) just surprised me with a huge drop in value, but I am going to hang in there. Just you watch me. Look out Wall Street!

Can't sleep...

As most people are getting up and getting ready to go to work, I am sleeping. I work the evening shift and worked the night shift previously. I have problems going to sleep sometimes and this has been one of those nights.

I am worried about my 401K. I don't like losing the money which is mainly tied into the stock market in mutual funds, but it is too late to move any funds around without losing a great deal more.

I have decided to buy some individual stocks in a separate account not tied into my retirement...just to see if I can offset the loss; but, it will be a while before I can tell if this works. Nothing will work if the stock market doesn't recover in a few years. And it will take years for our economy to rebound.

I have a headache which will not quit. And I can't sleep...

I'm tired of this

I am tired of trying to figure out what I should do. Do I buy, sell, or hold. It's not that I have all that in the stock market, but I do have some. And I don't like losing.

Maybe it's the loss of control I feel, knowing forces are out "there" that are determining my financial fate.

Is it true that Obama won the election because of the bad economy?

What are we going to do? Will we have the guts to buckle down and start paying our way instead of borrowing it? How much do we owe to foreign countries? Can our government ever get itself under control and start spending OUR money on the people of the United States instead of making huge interest payments on the money we owe others?

I decided I should buy a few stocks while the prices are low, but now I am second guessing myself and wondering if it is worth it. I decided to buy and hold on to some old timers that have been around for decades, hoping that they can weather any storm. I feel like a kid still believing in Santa Claus. Only time will tell if I get the gift or the bucket of coal and ashes.

If we had listened to history, we would have learned that we can only count on the money that is in the bank, not on that elusive money that is only on paper. We need to put a real value on things rather than an inflated idea of what we think it is worth. Oh, but wait...if we did that???

What to do, what to do...

What? Did you say "Buy"??

Too late to sell, but afraid to hold on to a sinking ship? They keep telling us not to sell our stocks and mutual fund shares, but people keep selling. Does this contribute to the stock market fall or is it just fear that keeps the slippery slope slippery? I think it will be years before the answer is found. All conventional thinking is out. Leaders in the US, Great Britain, and Europe are still throwing more money at the bank and credit industry. Is this going to work or will our governments only get into deeper trouble...

I hope we bounce back soon. Is it time to think about buying? After all, they have always said to buy low. How low will we go? Aye, there's the rub. No one knows.

The financial crisis has stressed us all. I think we are only skimming the surface. We need honest leadership. Greed and selfishness has to be banished before we can begin to recoup. I hope a financial leader will come forth and bring confidence and recovery back to the markets of the world.