Sunday, 12-23-07

Spare change collected today: 3 quarters, 5 dimes, 8 nickels, 12 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.77

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.77

12th month overall total: $64.40

Saturday, 12-22-07

Spare change collected today: 3 quarters, 7 dimes, 5 nickels, 6 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.76

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.76

12th month overall total: $61.63

Friday, 12-21-07

Spare change collected today: 6 quarters, 4 dimes, 1 nickel, 2 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.97

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.97

12th month overall total: $58.87

Thursday, 12-20-07

Spare change collected today: 4 quarters, 2 dimes, 3 nickels, 2 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.37

Add in $1, and our total is: $2.37

12th month overall total: $55.90

Wednesday, 12-19-07

Spare change collected today: 3 quarters, 1 dime, 3 nickels, 4 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.04

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.04

12th month overall total: $53.53

Tuesday, 12-18-07

Wow, the year is almost done.

Well, the bad news is I've done a horrible job keeping up with this blog.

The good news is, I've continued saving and contributing to my stock account.

Currently, of the 8 stocks I have purchased this year, 6 of them have made money, with the two losers experiencing only small losses.

I'm still saving, and will continue to try to be more conscientious about updating my site.

Thursday, 3-15-07

I went to Wal-Mart early this morning, and a gas station somewhere in Tarrant County this afternoon.

Spare change collected: 4 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.22

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.22

2nd month overall total: $68.94

Wednesday, 3-14-07

I went to Wal-Mart twice today.

Spare change collected: 4 quarters, 1 dime, 11 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.21

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.21

2nd month overall total: $66.72

Tuesday, 3-13-07

I went to Wal-Mart and KFC today.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 1 dime, 1 penny

Total spare change collected: $1.36

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.36

2nd month overall total: $64.51

Monday, 3-12-07

I went to Wal-Mart, KFC, and the gym today.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 2 dimes, 1 penny.

Total spare change collected: $1.46

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.46

2nd month overall total: $62.15

Sunday, 3-11-07

I went to Wal-Mart and the gym today.

Spare change collected: 10 quarters, 2 dimes, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.73

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.73

2nd month overall total: $59.69

Saturday, 3-10-07

I went to Wal-Mart and Bavarian Grill today.

Spare change collected: 7 quarters, 4 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.79

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.79

2nd month overall total: $55.96

Friday, 3-09-07

I went to the KFC and the movies today.

Spare change collected: 7 quarters, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.78

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.78

2nd month overall total: $53.17

Thursday, 3-08-07,market watch

Our big winner for the day is Wynn Resorts(WYNN); our only loser is Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).

On average, our stocks gained .95% for the day.

Thursday, 3-08-07

I went to Wal-Mart and KFC today.

Spare change collected: 9 quarters, 4 dimes, 2 nickels, 5 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.80

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.80

2nd month overall total: $50.39

Wednesday, 3-07-07, market watch

Our big winner on the day is Exxon Mobil (XOM), our big loser is Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

On average, our stocks experienced a loss of .32% today.

Wednesday, 3-07-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart, Subway, and Burger King.

Spare change collected: 9 quarters, 6 dimes, 4 nickels, 7 pennies

Total spare change collected: $3.12

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $4.12

2nd month overall total: $46.59

Tuesday, 3-06-07, market watch

Our stock purchase went through this morning, just in time to catch a small rally. Our big winner on the day is Boyd Gaming (BOYD), our only loser is Southwest Airlines (LUV).

On average, our stocks went up 1.73% today.

Tuesday, 3-06-07

Today, I bought a newspaper and dessert at Wal-Mart, and lunch at KFC.

Spare change collected: 7 quarters, 3 dimes, 1 nickel, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.13

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.13

2nd month overall total: $42.47

Monday, 3-05-07, market watch

Every stock suffered losses today, so we have no winners. Our biggest loser is Wynn Resorts (WYNN).
On average, our stocks experienced a loss of 1.65% today.

Monday, 3-05-07

Today, I bought a newspaper at Wal-Mart, lunch and dinner at Subway, and a late snack at Burger King.

Spare change collected: 8 quarters, 9 dimes, 4 nickels, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $3.13

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $4.13

2nd month overall total: $39.34

Sunday, 3-04-07

Today, I bought a snack and then dinner at Wendy's.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 6 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.71

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.71

2nd month overall total: $35.21

Saturday, 3-03-07

I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, went to Subway for lunch, and Gloria's Restaurant for dinner.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters, two dimes, 4 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.74

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.74

2nd month overall total: $32.50

Friday, 3-02-07

I went to Subway for lunch and Randy White's Hall of Fame Barbecue for dinner.

Spare change collected: 4 quarters, 6 dimes, 1 nickel, 7 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.72

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.72

2nd month overall total: $29.76

Thursday, 3-01-07, market watch

As you can see, I've trimmed down the number of stocks I follow, basically limiting it to the seven stocks I will buy in the coming month. You can see that we have added Exxon Mobil (XOM), the oil & gas company which has made record-setting profits the past two fiscal years.

Our big winner on the day is Southwest Airlines (LUV); our big loser is Wynn Entertainment (WYNN).

On average, our stocks experienced a loss of .11% today.

Thursday, 3-01-07

I went to Wal-Mart, Subway, and Whataburger today.

Spare change collected: 8 quarters, 6 dimes, 1 nickel, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.68

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.68

2nd month overall total: $27.04

Wednesday, 2-28-07, market watch

I'm unable to post my stock chart graph for Wednesday, but we did have a better day than Tuesday, with some stocks having a slight recovery.
Eight of our stocks experienced gains, four experienced losses, and one showed no change at all.

Our biggest loser was Joy Global (JOYG), who fell 11.9% on the day. Our biggest winner was Wynn Resorts (WYNN), who reported a modest gain of 2.21%.

On average, our stocks experienced a loss of .71% on the day.

Wednesday, 2-28-07

I went to Subway, Wal-Mart, and Burger King today.

Spare change collected: 12 quarters, 3 dimes, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $3.18

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $4.18

2nd month overall total: $23.36

Tuesday, 2-27-07, market watch

Today, the market experienced the biggest drop since 9/11 happened. We didn't have a single stock gain today, so there is no big winner. Our biggest loser was Joy Global (JOYG).

On average, our stocks lost 3.92% on the day .

Tuesday, 2-27-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart and KFC during lunch.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters, 5 dimes, 2 nickels, 2 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.12

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.12

2nd month overall total: $19.18

Monday, 2-26-07, market watch

The big winner for the day is Diamond Offshore (DO), the big loser is Oilsands Quest (BQI).

You'll notice we've added some new stocks to our watch, Boyd Gaming (BYD), Harrah's Entertainment (HET), and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). They're the major casino companies in Las Vegas, so I thought they'd be fun to watch.

On average, our stocks lost 1.05% on the day.

Monday, 02-26-07

I bought a newspaper at Wal-Mart, lunch and an early dinner at Subway, and a late snack at Wendy's.

Spare change collected: 10 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 nickels, 9 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.89

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.89

2nd month overall total: $16.06

Sunday, 2-25-07

I went shopping at Wal-Mart, went to the gym, and went by BK for a late snack.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 3 dimes, 4 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.59

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.59

2nd month overall total: $12.17

Saturday, 2-24-07

I bought a newspaper, went to the Bavarian Grill for lunch, went out to a club later, and had a late dinner at Whataburger.

Spare change collected: 9 quarters, 5 dimes, 1 nickel, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.83

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.83

2nd month overall total: $9.58

Friday, 2-23-07, market watch

Our big winner for the day is Joy Global (JOYG), our big loser is American Airlines (AMR).

On average, our stocks lost .09% today.

Friday, 2-23-07

Today, I bought a newspaper at Wal-Mart, as well as lunch and dinner at Subway.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 1 penny

Total spare change collected: $1.41

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.41

2nd month overall total: $5.75

Thursday, 2-22-07, market watch

Our big winner for the day is Xanser (XNR), our big loser is American Airlines (AMR).

Overall, our stocks gained an average of .58% today.

Thursday, 2-22-07

Today, we begin a new month of spare change collecting.

Total for our first month: $81.34

I went to Wal-Mart for a newspaper and lunch today.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters, 7 dimes, 1 nickel, 9 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $2.34

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.34

2nd month overall total: $3.34

Thursday, 2-21-07, market watch

Today, our big winner was Joy Global (JOYG), in monstrous fashion, and our big loser was Xanser (XNR).

Our stocks gained an average of 1.20% today.

Wednesday, 2-21-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, and some lunch.

Spare change collected: 1 quarter, 2 dimes, 1 nickel

Total spare change collected: $.50

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $1.50

Overall total collected: $81.34

Tuesday, 2-20-07, market watch

Today, our big winner is Joy Global (JOYG), our big loser is Oilsands Quest (BQI).

Overall, ours stocks gained an average of .31% today.

Tuesday, 2-20-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper and lunch. Later, I went to Wendy's for dinner.

Spare change collected: 4 quarters, 1 dime, 3 pennies.

Total spare change collected today: $1.13

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.13

Overall total collected: $79.84

Monday, 2-19-07, market watch

Market was closed today due to federal holiday (Presidents' Day).

We'll return with our normal updates tomorrow.

Monday, 2-19-07

Today, I bought a newspaper at Wal-Mart, and lunch and dinner at Subway.

Spare change collected: 3 quarters, 3 dimes, 2 nickels, 1 penny.

Total spare change collected today: $1.16

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.16

Overall total collected: $77.81

Sunday, 2-18-07

Today, I went to the gym to workout, and Wal-Mart to buy a small snack.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 3 dimes, 1 nickel, 7 pennies.

Total spare change collected today: $1.67

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.67

Overall total collected: $75.65

Saturday, 2-17-07

Today, I went to the Bavarian Grill to watch a basketball game, the movies, and Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters

Total spare change collected today: $1.50

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.50

Overall total collected: $72.98

Friday, 2-16-07, market watch

Our big winner today was American Airlines (AMR), big loser was Microsoft (MSFT).

On average, our stocks lost .14 1/2% today.

Friday, 2-16-07

Today, I went to Subway for lunch and dinner, Wal-Mart for a newspaper and some other items, and the gym to workout.

Spare change collected: 5 quarters, 9 dimes, 4 nickels, 6 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $2.41

Add $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.41

Overall total collected: $70.48

Thursday, 2-15-07, thought

When I started his blog, my modest goal was to achieve $50 a month in spare change to invest. As we can see, I have far surpassed that goal already, with several days still left in the month.

Right now, it looks safe to say that I'll hit $70 or more for this month. Assuming I keep up this pace of collection, and continue for the next 35 years, I would be investing a total of $25,200.00. If I get an annual return of 10% on my investments, I would end up with $234,885.05. If I get a 12% average return on my investments, I would end up with $386,109.17. If I wait 40 years, at 12%, my return would be $685,579.22.
Not bad for just collecting spare change at the end of the day.
The next time someone asks you why you're picking up a penny you find, throw those numbers at him.

Thursday, 2-15-07, market watch

I didn't get te correct update in my email, so I was left with snagging this graph that was cleaned after the day was over. As you can see, we took a hit pretty much across the board.

Our big winner on the day was Joy Global (JOYG), the big loser was Diamond Offshore (DO).

Thursday, 2-15-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart for lunch, bought a newspaper, and a dessert. Later on, I went to another Wal-Mart for some soup.

Spare change collected: 9 quarters, 5 dimes, 2 nickels, 6 pennies

Total spare change collected: $2.91

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $3.91

Overall total collected: $67.07

Wednesday, 2-14-07, market watch

Overall, it looks like we did very well today. The big winner was Southwest Airlines (LUV), our only loser was Xanser (XNR).

Overall our stocks gained an average of .85% today.

Wednesday, 2-14-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart for a newspaper, and Subway for lunch.

Spare change collected: 6 quarters, 2 dimes, 3 nickels, 6 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.91

Add $1 for the day, and the total is: $2.91

Overall total collected: $63.16

Tuesday, 2-13-07, market watch

Big winner for the day is Joy Global (JOYG), big loser is Oilsands Quest (BQI).

On average, our stocks gained .31% today.

Monday market watch graph

I finally was able to access my email.

Big winner on Monday was Southwest Airlines (LUV), big loser was Oilsands Quest (BQI).

Overall, our stocks gained .09%.

Tuesday, 2-13-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart for a newspaper and lunch, and Albertsons for dinner.

Total change collected: 8 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 nickels, 13 pennies.

Spare change collected for the day: $2.43

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $3.43

Overall total collected: $60.25

Monday, 2-12-07, market watch

I can't access my e-mail to pull my daily update.

When I get a chance, I'll add it tomorrow.

Today, I went to Subway for lunch and to Wal-Mart for a newspaper.

Total change collected: 5 quarters, 4 dimes, 1 nickel, 2 pennies.

Spare change collected for the day: $1.72

Add $1 for the day, and the total is: $2.72

Overall total collected: $56.82

Sunday, 2-11-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart twice, went to the gym, and went to the movies.

Total change collected: 8 quarters, 2 dimes, 1 nickel, 9 pennies

Spare change collected for the day: $2.34

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $3.34

Overall total collected: $54.10

Saturday, 2-10-07

I had my hair cut, went to lunch at a bar, had a late dinner out, and picked up some things from the store.

Total change collected: 5 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 nickels, 3 pennies.

Spare change collected for the day: $1.58

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $2.58

Overall total collected: $50.76

Friday, 2-09-07, market watch

Today, we got absolutely hammered, with the only stock making any gain being Altria (MO).

On average, our stocks lost 1.46% today.

Friday, 2-09-07

Today, I bought a newspaper, then went out for lunch and dinner.

Total change collected: 5 quarters, 2 dimes, 1 nickel, 4 pennies.

Spare change collected for the day: $1.54

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is: $2.54

Overall total collected: $48.18

Thursday, 2-08-07, market watch

Our big winner today was Diamond Offshore (DO); our big loser was American Airlines (AMR).

On average, our stocks lost an average of .28 percent.

Thursday, 2-08-07

Today, I went to Wal-Mart for a newspaper, some lunch, and some candy for the office.

Total change collected: 6 quarters, 3 dimes, 2 nickels, 10 pennies

Spare change collected for the day: $2.00

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $3.00

Overall total collected: $45.64

Wednesday, 2-07-07, market watch

Big winner today was Apple (AAPL), big loser was Oilsands Quest (BQI).

Overall, stocks lost an average of .27%.

Wednesday, 2-07-07

I went to Wal-Mart for a newspaper and lunch, and Wendy's for a late dinner.

Total change collected: 8 quarters, 2 dimes, 2 pennies

Spare change collected for the day: $2.22

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $3.22

Overall total collected: $42.64

Tuesday, 2-06-07, Market Watch

Well, it looks like Joy Global (JOYG) and Southwest Airlines (LUV) did well for us today, while Oilsands Quest simply got hammered.

On average, our stocks lost .35 percent today.

Tuesday, 2-06-07

Today, I went and bought a newspaper and some candy at Wal-Mart.

Total change collected: 2 quarters, 3 pennies

Spare change collected for the day: $.53

Add in $1 for the day, and total for Wednesday is: $1.53.

Overall total collected: $39.42

Monday market watch

I can't access my chart, for some reason, but we got hammered today. If I can post it later, I will.

Monday

I went by Wal-Mart for a newspaper and lunch, and Subway for dinner. I also went to the gym to workout after the A&M-texas basketball game.

Spare change collected today: 4 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 3 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.18

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $2.18

Overall total collected: $37.89

Sunday

I went by a Racetrac gas station to buy a drink on the way back from a drive to McKinney after a Super Bowl party, and cashed in a winning lotto scratch-off someone gave me for Christmas (won $2, woohoo!!!).

Spare change collected today: 2 quarters, 1 dime.

Total spare change collected: $.60

Add in $1 for the day, and the $2 from the scratch-off: $3.60

Overall total collected: $35.71

Saturday

I went and bought a newspaper at Wal-Mart, and went to the Bavarian Grill for a late lunch with friends, and to watch the first half of the Texas A&M - Kansas University basketball game.

Spare change collected today: 2 quarters.

Total spare change collected: $.50

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $1.50

Overall total collected: $32.11

Friday market watch

Today, Diamond Offshore (DO) and Altria (MO) both took a hit. The big winner of the day was Xanser (XNR), who went up 3.34%. Oilsands Quest (BQI) continued to fall for the second day.

On average, our stocks gained .035 percent today.

Friday

I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, Subway for lunch, and the gym to workout.

Spare change collected today: 6 quarters, 3 pennies

Total spare change collected: $1.53

Add in $1 for the day, and the total is: $2.53

Overall total collected: $30.61

Thursday market watch

Today, Diamond Offshore (DO) continued to rise, while Altria (MO) rallied a little. Joy Global (JOYG) continued to go up, while Apple (AAPL) took a hit. Southwest Airlines (LUV) was the big winner in our picks today. The big loser was Oilsands Quest (BQI), who took a 6.19% hit.

On average, our stocks went down -.31 today.

Thursday

I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, and again later to buy some candy for my co-workers.

Spare change collected today: 7 quarters, 4 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.79

Add in $1 for the day, and the total for Thursday is: $2.79

Total collected overall so far: $28.08

Wednesday market watch

Once again, Diamond Offshore (DO) gained today, as did Joy Global (JOYG), Oilsands Quest (BQI), Xanser (XNR), and J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM). Only Altria (MO), and our two airlines, American (AMR) and Southwest (LUV) lost on the day.

On average, our stocks went up 1.15% today.

Wednesday

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, Subway for lunch, a gas station to buy gas, and Wal-Mart again to buy dinner.

Spare change collected today: 5 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 6 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.46

Add in $1 for the day, and the total for Wednesday is: $2.46

Total collected overall so far: $25.29

Tuesday market watch

Today, Joy Global (JOYG) and Oilsands Quest (BQI) made small improvements. Southwest Airlines (LUV) experienced no change at all. American Airlines (AMR) took a hit, but Diamond Offshore (DO) recovered nicely from their fall yesterday. On average, our stocks went up .98% today.

Tuesday

Today, I went to Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, some candy for my co-workers, and lunch.

Spare change collected today: 3 quarters, 3 dimes, 1 nickel, 3 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.13

Add in $1 for the day, and the total for Tuesday is: $2.13

Total collected overall so far: $22.83

Monday stock watching

As you can see, we added two new stocks to our watch, American Airlines (AMR) and Microsoft (MSFT). I am looking to add a little diversity to the portfolio, while adding two stocks that have been popular choices as of late.

AMR did particularly well today, gaining 3.64 percent. They were the big winner today, while Oilsands Quest (BQI) and Joy Global (JOYG) continue to disappoint.

Monday

I went to work today, stopping at Wal-Mart for a newspaper and a quart of oil for my Jeep, then went to Subway for lunch later.

Spare change collected today: $1.50

Add in $1 for the day, and total collected for today: $2.50

Total collected overall so far: $20.70

Sunday

I went to work today, bought the Sunday edition of the paper at Wal-Mart, and stopped by KFC for a snack on the way home.

Spare change collected today: 5 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 3 pennies.

Total spare change collected: $1.43

Add in $1, and our total for Sunday is: $2.43

This brings our 7-day total to: $18.20

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Today, I went to the DFW Coaches Clinic (http://coachesclinic.net), and had my car inspection renewed.

Spare change collected today: 4 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel.

Total spare change collected: $1.15

Add in $1, and our total for Saturday is: $2.15

This brings our total for the week to: $15.77

Friday, January 26, 2007

Today in the market, among my picks, it looks like only Oilsands Quest (BQI) and Altria Group (MO) did well.
The Dow Jones Industrial (DJI) and Standard & Poor 500 (GSPC) both took a hit, too, so our results are not atypical.

Today, I went by Wal-Mart for a newspaper, and Subway for lunch.
Total spare change for the day: 5 quarters, 1 dime, 2 nickels, 5 pennies.

That brings my total for the day to $1.50.
Add in $1 for the day, and our total for Friday is $2.50.

This brings our total for the week to: $13.62

January 25, 2007

I went by Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, and went to Whataburger for dinner. Total spare change for the day: 4 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel, 2 pennies. That brings my total to $1.17.

Add in $1 for the day, and our total is $2.17.

This brings our total for this week so far to: $11.12

As the chart above shows, both Oilsands Quest (BQI, down 0.32) and Xanser (XNR, down .04 ) took a hit today. That's okay, we're looking at this for the long haul, not the short term.

This is my first spare change count. I'm combining all of my spare change together for this week so far, with $1 added in for each day.

Spare change collected Monday, January 22 and Tuesday, January 23, 2007: $4.81
Add in $2, $1 for each day, and you have a total of $6.81

Yesterday, January 24, 2007, I went by Wal-Mart to buy a newspaper, and Subway for lunch, so spare change collected is $1.14

Add in $1 for Wednesday, and you have $2.14

This brings my weekly total so far to: $8.95

Hey, I already have enough to buy a share of Xanser (XNR), currently trading at 5.68 or Oilsands Quest (BQI), trading at 5.27 (assuming we ignore the trade fee).

I'm well on my way .

Howdy and Welcome

Hello, all new visitors. Welcome to the From Spare Change to Stock blog. The purpose of this blog is simple: to track my collection of spare change each day, and to take that spare change and invest it each month in stock. I will then track the stocks I buy, to watch my investment grow. I think it will be both an educational and fun experience.
I came up with the idea for this blog after seeing Change Is Good (http://www.changequest.blogspot.com/), a simple blog about finding and collecting loose change. In this blog, I'm going to expound on that idea, keeping a running tally of all the spare change I come home with each day, and then using it eventually to buy stock.
I think just about everyone drops their spare change in a jar or plate or bowl after arriving home from work; I have a change dish on my bureau for this very purpose. I'm just going to take my spare change, add $1 to my total each day (so I get a nice round number, and so my tally grows quickly), add it all up until the end of the month, then buy some stock with it.
I'm already keeping my eye on a few stocks I'm considering: Xanser (XNR ), Oilsands Quest (BQI ), Diamond Offshore (DO ), Altria Group ( MO ), Joy Global, Inc ( JOYG ), Apple, Inc( AAPL ), and Southwest Airlines ( LUV ). I think these stocks will give me a diverse portfolio, with a clear emphasis on energy, but transportation and technology mixed in.