Double A Penny - Step 20 - Recovery

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog
I want to thank those who offered their sympathy and condolences in regards to my Father's passing. People say that one day I will recover, after going through the grieving process. A part of me believes them and a part just cannot see it happening. The future will ultimately reveal it.

I do not feel like I am anywhere ready to post on the DTAMP blog, but I will anyways. Just please don't expect to much in the way of entertainment, inspiration, valuable advice, etc. , not that this blog provided any of that in the past. I just wanted to prepare you in case you started to get your hopes up.

Since my last post I managed to bring in the following amount into the DTAMP coffer:

June 12th, 2009 - Given a gift of some extra change ($1.77)
June 14th, 2009 - Given a gift of some extra change ($0.49)
June 17th, 2009 - Given a gift of some extra change ($2.51)
June 19th, 2009 - Found ($0.05) at the CoinStar machine at the supermarket.
June 21st, 2009 - Given a gift of ($20.00) for DTAMP.
July 5th, 2009 - Given a gift of some extra change ($3.61)

Total: ($28.43)

Present Stake: $3011.79

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"Click to Read this Blog in Chronological Order"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - My Father

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog
These have been difficult times for me. My Father who had a liver transplant about 8 years ago was admitted to the hospital last week and then moved to a Hospice House. At the present moment it appears he will be passing away any day.

In addition on June 1oth my wife was laid off from work and we now have no family income.

I must confess I am filled with anguish, sorrow and concern and may not update this blog for awhile.

My hope is that better days may come one day.

Present Stake: $2983.36

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - I Get Knocked Down

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog

But I Get Up Again........

I Get Knocked Down - SongI Get Knocked Down - Lyrics

Your Never Gonna Keep Me Down! Ahhhhh, the cycles in Life.

I must confess from time to time the thoughts of quiting DTAMP come into my mind. I get tired and worn out and maybe a bit discouraged. But just about the time that happens, something comes along that says "It is All Worth It!".

More than the money, perhaps what I am doing is encouraging and inspiring someone else in this life and that makes it much more valuable to me. The money is nice but life is far more than how many coins I can rub together.

Something came along at just one of those times that encouraged me and I wanted to say thanks for sending the email.

From: Dave B........
To: Double To A Million Plan
Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: Double To A Million Plan

You're tenacity is amazing! I'm enjoying how you've added to your stake using different methods as time goes by. The stock trading makes for a good read, for sure. But I love how you never fail to mention, for example, that you "found a dime at Burger King..." My guess is that when you reach your million dollars (which i'm sure you will), the day after, you will still find a penny or a nickel or a dime, or an empty bottle or can by the side of the road-- and be off to your second million! Keep up the good work!

Here is the most current report on DTAMP since my last post:

I turned in 155 Aluminum Cans at Stop & Shop for recycling and received $7.75 for the DTAMP stake.

I also found ($0.02) on the floor of Burger King and McDonalds. My wife had this week off from work and we went out to eat way to much. That has got to stop. I gained 5 pounds in the last month.

When I was younger, teens, twenties and into my thirties I was very slim. Very, very slim and people would make fun of me all the time. They would say if I turned sideways and stuck out my tongue I would look like a zipper. They usually weighed a normal amount, like 175 lbs, so I looked really skinny to them at 120lbs. But eventually I started to gain weight and got up to 165-170 pounds.

At last, I thought, now I wouldn't be skinny anymore. But life cheated me out of that. Now everyone weighs 250 to 350 lbs and they still call me skinny. I guess it just goes to show everything is relative.

I try to keep the Burger King meal small. I order my usual: A Small Number Four, with cheese, without Onions. They seem to like me there and I am the only customer that is allowed to get a 20% discount, that is what the manager told me. I am not sure why. Maybe they think I am starving to death cause I am so skinny.

Present Stake: $2974.91

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - Advertising Revenue

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog

Today I received ($100.00 - $5.20 (Paypal Fee) = $94.80) for an advertising renewal for

"CashNetUSA.com"
I also found a Dime on the floor at Burger King.

This puts me at only $32.86 from reaching $3000.00 . After that another $2000.00 and Step 20 will be completed.

My current trade is down ( -$119.00 ) at this point.

Present Stake: $2967.14

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - South Trade

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog

Since my last post, I have found ($0.25) Twenty-Five cents in change on the ground in various places, received ($25.00) as a gift from a Benefactor and got an ETF to my Internet Bank Account from an unspecified and unnamable advertising revenue source for ($106.88) .

So things with that are looking OK.

However, I am in a trade with most of the stake and that is not going so well.

At this present moment I am South (down) around (-$125.00) . I have been in the trade since 05/20/2009.

I did exactly what I did not want to do. I had been staying out of NLY because it had been floating even, going sideways for like 10 day after it had risen a good distance. I kept waiting and waiting for it to back down before I made a move, I had a very strong feeling it was going to drop. I lost my patience because I kept missing trades I knew I should have made over that ten day period and finally I decided to not hold back and just jump in. Big Mistake.

Of course, as soon as I did, it started to collapse. So I dun got stuck good.

I have decided to hold it until it either rises back to where I got in, plus a bit more to get most of the $18.00 commission, or hold it even longer for the dividend which could be estimated around (186 shares x $0.50 = $93.00) . The ex-dividend date should be around 06/26/2009 and hopefully the stock will rise again before that date.

The only problem with a hold situation is nothing much can be earned with the money during that time, slowing down possible growth of the stake.

Maybe I need a vacation from trading for awhile, so it will all work out just fine.

Present Stake: $2872.24

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - What Are The Odds.

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog
I went shopping with my wife on Saturday. I use to not like going grocery shopping (except when I might find coins for DTAMP), but now I have a new toy to play with.

Yes, I am talking about the new Laser Scanner at Stop & Shop. This handy little gizmo happens to not be much of a stretch from the Dust Buster Star Trek Phaser design of years past. (Although not my most favorite design, it will do in a pinch when you gotta grocery shop and need to protect yourself from strange alien children.)

I have to constantly quench the urge to handle it like a futuristic weapon, and fighting it out with some kid riding along in a cart, while making the best phaser sounds I can audibly produce.

(Warning: Of course I wouldn't actually do that because these devices do have a laser diode and must be respected. Don't look into the laser or point it at anyone. Eye damage is always a possibility when dealing with lasers.)


Meanwhile, my wife reminds me shopping is serious business and to please scan these pork chops. She managed to get to use it for a few minutes while I ran off to the Little Space Cadets room.

Although I have had a tendency to be an Anti-Technological, Iconclastic Luddite lately, this device is really a step up in grocery shopping.

There are some pros and some cons that I can see.

One good thing is that you do not have to load, unload and then reload groceries. That means less people touching my food packaging, transfering diseases to me and mine. I was always working at avoiding the checkout that had a bagger I called "The Licker".

He would lick his fingers before opening each plastic bag then touch my food before it went into the bag. I had to wash every single thing when I got home. Sorry but that is just down right disgusting. I avoided the licker at all costs.

I get to arrange the product in the bags the way I want them. Many times baggers just crush things or mix the wrong things together causing a myriad of issues later on. At other times I end up getting home to find my can of mushrooms has disappeared and found a nice dark hole to live in. Things wont disappear if I am the only one dealing with it.

Also I make sure I arrange my receipt with my food first and then add the household items last so they are all together and it is easy for me to do my later calculation with Quicken. In the past every thing was mixed up and I had to go through the whole receipt and figure out what each item was, some times weeks later when I am entering data and confirming. Now it is in the order I choose. I like organization.

Using this scanner I can just go to the self checkout aisle, usually empty, and no matter how much food I have in the basket be through in about one minute or less. Not to mention it is the self checkout aisles where I find most of my loose change on the floor for DTAMP.

Plus I get all kinds of free coupons. I just got one for free $5.00 off my next purchase. Plus some other good ones.

I love being able to check unknown prices on things as I go along. I just scan it in then delete it if I don't want it, but I am 100% certain what the price is.

It helps to manage my budget as I go through the store. I can be sure I am getting a sale price, etc.

It offers sales or specials every once in a while, with a Ka-Ching sound, which you get used to.

I use our own bags so I get $0.05 cents discount for each bag at the end of the final bill.

Thats some of the pros now the cons.

So far we haven't done what I would call a full basket. I see them all the time people go around the store and the basket is so full of stuff that things are falling off and rolling around on the floor. That could be a problem if you bag it as you go along.

My solution: The store needs a new basket for the new future. That design would need to be more of a three level jobber so you can bag it and slid it into one of the levels. Right now the baskets are one level with a rack on the bottom. Three smaller levels would work better.

One obvious con is privacy issues.

Apart from being one step closer to a life that is constantly monitored, recorded, analyzed, categorized, alphabetized, numberized, reviewed, evaluated, judged, approved, etc. , where we will all be under the watchful eye of the big brother, big mother or some other big human body part. Which by the way I reject being Iconoclastic. Let them keep their big body parts to themselves. They know everything you buy and they keep track of it so they can offer you discounts and specials based upon what you have purchased in the past.

If you used a card at the checkout they have been probably keeping track of it for some time.

Here is a suggestion I will be making to Stop & Shop Management and Owners:

Since all this data is being collected, make it available to the customer.

Provide an online account that I can go to and download the data of my shopping to my computer. This way I will not have to input things manually. I can use this data in a spreadsheet or a specially designed program that enables me to track my purchases, costs and manage my budget even better.

It is easy enough to do, banks do it, credit card companies etc. I download data from many sources to my Quicken. This would be one more. It would help me to micro manage what exactly I am buying. Food happens to be my highest cost, even beyond property taxes and heating oil. Yet it is the one I have the least access to the data to.

I would be able to track patterns, see where waste is and easily see what I have a tendency to buy so I can find coupons, look for cheaper prices, you know, like manage it. Please give me the data that my scanner and your computers so happily accumulate.

I would have an ID and Password, enter online and download. It would make me very happy.

What do you think Stop & Shop, Quicken? Come On, let me have my data.

The first thing that comes to people's mind is, what stops someone from cheating/stealing.

Well, some people will get away with it, but as I mentioned above, you are being watched. If you go to the checkout with a basket full and you come up with $25.99, then red flags are going to go off. If you behave oddly the camera's will be watching. Plus you may be subject to a random audit from time to time.

If you get caught, your name will be mudd. You will go on the record and eventually every store everywhere will know you are a thief. Don't believe for a minute that it won't go on your record.

One of the store's people told me the story of someone recently getting through with "Free" stuff. They missed him at the checkout but one of the store's cameras beamed in on his license plate, later the police showed up at his home.

You need to use your store card to get access to a scanner so you are matched up. Don't try to take the scanner. :)

Anyways it is better to be honest, upright and honorable. The other way just takes to much energy expenditure always looking over your shoulder.

Ok, so getting to "What Are the Odds?"

I wanted one of those Kellogg's Star Trek Badges found in specially marked packages.

The thing is the boxes are not specifically, specially marked. Meaning, I wanted the Command badge, with the star on it. Remember, I wanted to be a Captain. So I had to pick a box of Frosted Flakes that had that one in it. I would look at the boxes, into the eyes of Tony the Tiger in the hopes the shadowy secret would manifest itself. When that didn't work, I guessed.

The odds were against me of picking the right one.

I will let the following picture reveal if I beat the odds.

For DTAMP, April may have proven, though not verified, that I have reached my limit with an unspecified, un-named advertising source of revenue.

Present Stake: $2740.11

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - After Hours

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog

I got out of the bad DTAMP Annaly Capital (NLY) trade I was in. I did manage to take a profit.

It ended up being sold in After Hours Trading. The Market had been closed for about 19 minutes when I put the order to sell in. It sold at $14.19 . If I had waited a bit longer I might have gotten about $14.40. I ended up selling another stuck trade at that price. So today I managed to get out of 4 trades I had been in.

I had never used after hours trading before. But the stock had popped up after the market closed due to an announcement. So I put the limit order in just to see if it would sell.

Annaly Capital posts higher Q1 profit

April 29 (Reuters) - Annaly Capital Management Inc (NLY.N) posted a 44 percent rise in net profit in the first quarter, helped by higher net interest income and lower interest expense.

DTAMP Equities Plan Report:

04/17/09 - Buy - 185 shares of NLY @ $13.98 p/s - Total $2586.30
04/29/09 - Sold - 185 shares of NLY@ $14.19 p/s - Total $2625.15Total ($38.85) - ($17.98) Fees = ($20.87)Net Gain of (+0.80416)% in the Amount of ($20.87)
Although it was only $20.87 I consider that good. I had gotten into this trade on a bad note, when that certified letter had come, distracting me, and I am glad I was able to clear the board today so I can get a fresh start.

Present Stake: $2740.09

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"

Double A Penny - Step 20 - Anonymous Rex

How To Double Your Way To A Million In 28 StepsDTAMP - Double To A Million Plan Blog
Because my responses to an Anonymous commenter are so long I have been adding them as full blown blog posts. I may or may not be able to continue to do this. I am undecided.Here is one such post:

Thanks for your comments. I will try to address each of your points.

Anonymous said... i'm resisting the urge to click on that link. might find i already have lifetime membership.

Xin's Response: It is possible you are on the membership roster of The Dorker's Club of America .

Anonymous said... anyway, as usual random tidbits:
first off i'm rather impressed w/ your "inner voice's" batting avg. amazing.

Xin's Response: The inner voice is always correct. Whenever there is a problem it is my response to it. Although this has nothing to do with the inner voice, each stock has a personality, it has it's moods, it's behavioral patterns.

When you find a stock or type of stocks that match your personality, not identical, but rather a match and you are able to get to know it, you feel it's desires, wants and determinations.

Anonymous said... 2ndly, are you prepared to wait long enough or do a stop-loss when something unforseen happens?

Xin's Response: Presently, I am not doing any stop-loss scenario and I am willing, although I would not be very happy about it, waiting long term until the trade returns to a profitable mode. If it is long enough there may also be dividends made in that time period.

Anonymous said... what i've heard is that random rewards generate more loyalty. think "gambling." i believe the stock mkt is as close to that as poss even if we decieve ourselves by saying it is not.

Xin's Response: I am finding that consistent winnings increases my confidence and comfortableness with what I am trading. Random rewards is iffy and there is no level of certainty. Although I am not 100% certain with the stock trades, I am finding the longer I do the correct thing (i.e. obey the inner voice), the more successful I am finding I am. I agree that trading stock is highly risky.

Everything has it's degree of risk, or gambling temperature. Crossing the street on my home's dirt road is far less risky then crossing the street in downtown Manhattan. I prefer to use the word speculation when trading stock as opposed to flat out gambling.

Anonymous said... that said, i am very interested in your big wins in the mkt. ;oP

Xin's Response: Actually, the wins haven't been big, but rather many small ones that when added together begin to accumulate surprisingly quickly. I do not feel comfortable revealing the results of my personal accounts on the internet.

Anonymous said... but, as little as i know about the actual "plan," i feel you should be starting a biz instead.

Xin's Response: The thing with DTAMP is the plan reveals itself as progress is made. I do not know what the plan is, but I am assured that the plan will make itself known, and has been all along the way. It may not have been what I wanted, it may not have been glamorous or exciting or tremendously profitable, but it was alway what I needed to accomplish the present step. Regarding starting a business, perhaps that may occur.

I have tried starting businesses all my life since I was 16 years old, it never seemed to work for me. Something would always come along and totally destroy everything I managed to build. I would start over and again and again, destruction in one form or another.

Finally after 34 year I decided to stop. Instead I took another avenue. The Double Your Way To A Million Boulevard. It meant no preconceived ideas, not looking into the future, not trying to figure anything out. Just going with the flow. I am alot happier doing it this way. Will I make it to the million? Who knows. I am only concerned about Step 20 at this point.

Anonymous said... rather than "grind out" your returns, you might consider other "investments" that might take a lot longer to plan and a lot longer to complete, but should prove to have better ROI. they also, might prove to take less time as it seems grinding away in the mkt takes time to actually double ones original stake.

Xin's Response: Perhaps in time the longer term plans may come into effect. I am open to it. At this point grinding away at the stocks is what is working and what I feel is the correct thing for me. When it comes time to do something different it will make itself known and hopefully I will see it and be able to begin working on it. I do not mind taking the time to trade and I am happy with whatever it gives me. I am content.

Anonymous said... to be fair and "give back" i'll give away something that i think you and your readers might be able to get together and do something with. ( if i had a penny from each of you that just rolled your eyes! )

Tele-Novela!

yes, i'm serious. start w/ a short story and go with it. there's got to be a way to take your journey and cash in on it! write a soap opera!

what? more eye rolling!?! ;o)

Xin's Response: :-) I met someone on Second Life who comes from Brazil and she was writing for soap operas. She apparently was doing very well. It is something to consider.

Anonymous said... another potential "investment" would be to spend some money on skool or a class or something that would give you more tools to enjoy life and poss improve your doubling.

Xin's Response: Another good idea. I have been considering it off and on throughout the years. I like doing graphics, learning how to do it better might help.

Anonymous said... FINALLY, ONE LAST comment:

to quote you, "My goal in life was to be the Captain of a Starship. I never made it."

i hate to be the one to break this to you, but any reports as to your death are exaggerations! ( unless, of course, you're witholding some info. )

so, i very much wish you the best in accomplishing this goal. perhaps those of us with the "right stuff" could serve. but PLS do not kill us off just because we're not the regulars or have official "names."

Xin's Response: hahaha... thank you. Ahhhhh the dreams of my youth. I had such spunk in those days. Determined to make reality fit my desires.

Secretly, I still dream of Captaining my own Starship, visiting far off exotic nebulas or stars going supernova or planets filled with beautiful alien females (well, I don't know about the supernovas).

Perhaps one day you will join me as crewman number six. With the red shirt. That lives long enough to hear the doc say, "He's dead Xin". :-)

Anonymous said... ty and good luck.

Xin's Response: You too crewman number six.

Present Stake: $2719.22

Motto: It is only "one" found penny.
Slogan: As Simple As Finding A Penny.

Regards,

Xinfinitum



This Double A Penny Blog is based upon the Doubling Method "How to Double Your Way to a £Million in 28 Steps". Using the Doubling Rule it is an attempt to "Double Your Way to a Million" by going from one penny to a million dollars, starting from nothing. At the beginning you start by finding a penny and then double a penny until reaching $1,000,000.

Double Your Way To A Million
How to Double Your Way to a Million in 28 Steps
D.T.A.M.P. - Double To A Million Plan
"For The Next Chronological Post Click Here"