The Stock Market today

It's been a routine for us. As soon as we get up in the morning, I switch on both the television and the computer. I go to CNBC and check how the stock market is faring. By then, the computer screen comes alive, and I open the finance page. I click on the signs for specific stock quotes, one after another, to see whether they were green or red.

While we both (me and my equal half) start the day, with yoga and exercise, our eyes and ears are glued to the signs and words on the television. Why have we become so dependant on the television? Is it doing us any good, giving us ideas, advice on investment? Sometimes I am doubtful. Things happen so fast. It is not merely on someone's advice, but acting or not acting on it, that determines one's profit from the stock market, I think.

But it is all a waiting and observing game. Not totally a casino play, some amount of thought and intelligence is also required. But a lot depends on intuition, and personal opinion. So we both have disagreements naturally, due to our different dispositions. He is cautious, and I am a risk taker. I have less fear and the converse is true in his case.

Accordingly, our buying and selling decisions are characterised by our personalities. Often, when he wants to sell, I want to hold. When he wants to hold, I want to buy. A lot of disagreements arise. But finally we agree on one point, that  need to be cautious. I have learnt from him over the years, that I need to be careful in investing hard earned money on something as whimsical as the stock market.

Black Friday

Even before I got up from bed, since last night, and much much before that, more than the talk of Thanksgiving was the talk of Black Friday. Not only amongst people, but in the media. The newspapers, television, and the Internet has been painted red and green and black with news about deals that are the lowest.

The talk of competition among retailers in slashing prices made the rounds for a few days. The Internet pulled all stops to talk about Cyber Monday too. One after the other, it is all about buying, shopping, acquiring things, materials, goods, filling up the house.

Last year, the whole day, both my Equal Half and I were out of the house, shop hopping. Thhe number of things we bought last year were so many, that this time I was still exhausted, even after one whole year, to go out and repeat the cycle once more.

I might be exhausted, but not him. Much of his Thanksgiving passed browsing the newspapers for the best deals. Especially the Best Buy pages, electronics - which is his weakest spot. Whether it is cell phones, computer/netbook/notebook, or plasma screen television, I think all men have this weakness. They don't generally go after cosmetics or handbags, like the women do. In clothing, men do not have as many visible choices to make, unlike women. And the market has been doing its best to lure the men into buying the things they covet most.

My Equal Half started cribbing in bed early on for not being out browing Black Friday deals. 'Not to buy, just to browse,' he kept repeating. 'Let's go out for Black Fridaying.'

If I've not been this firm about sticking to our budget, or not accumulating things that we don't need, we'd have been out the entire day, just the way we were last year. We'd have exhausted out wallets, credit cards, and bank balances, just to crowd our house some more and become a lot poorer for all of it.