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Mooer's Story | How options create my financial breathing room beyond the 9-to-5

@Bubble Fish: "Don’t rush, don’t compare with others, we are all in different financial situations and stages in our lives. Start small, learn, test, and make mistakes while the stakes are still low. Build up your confidence, funds, and knowledge along the way.

Most importantly, find the tools that suit you—whether it’s stocks, funds, options, forex, or crypto. Everyone’s style is different.

At the end of the day, starting small is better than not starting at all."

Hi, mooers. Welcome back to Mooers' Stories, where we present mooers' insights and experiences from our community. 🎤 We're thrilled to bring you a special post on options trading with @Bubble Fish today.

@Bubble Fish’s journey is a testament to how patience and consistency can reshape financial futures. From building a foundation with dividend-paying stocks to discovering the “hidden life cheat code” of options income strategies, he has steadily transformed his approach to trading. Balancing the hustle of the creative industry with responsibilities at home, he demonstrates how everyday investors can carve out financial breathing space step by step. Whether you’re just starting small or exploring new asset classes, @Bubble Fish’s story offers practical lessons and inspiration to help you trade with confidence and perspective.

Images provided are not current and any securities are shown for illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation.

Dive into the post and join the discussion below, where @Bubble Fish will answer your questions in the comments section.

Self-Introduction and Personal Background

🎤 Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself? When did you first get involved in stocks and options, and what motivated you to enter this field?

Hi! I’m a Singaporean in my early 40s working in the creative industry, where the hustle is real, the hours are long, and coffee (yeah… $Starbucks (SBUX.US)$ is in my holdings from time to time) is basically on an IV drip. While I’ve always enjoyed the creative chaos, somewhere along the way in my 30s I started wondering… is this pace really sustainable for the next 10, 20 years?

Being single and living with my adorable but financially useless furkid “Cong Cong” which means smart in Chinese. Yes, he’s cute, but no, he doesn’t have Medisave like the rest of us. On top of that, I also give my parents their monthly allowance because #filialpiety is just part of most Singaporean DNA. All of that made me realise: I needed more than just a 9-to-forever job. I needed financial breathing space.

Attached Photo of The MoneySucker

Outside of work, I collect mutated plants and toys, from quirky greens that look like they belong on another planet to limited-edition figures that make my shelves cry for space and sometimes toys can be a form of investment. I’ve cut down at least 80% on toys over the years, but once a collector, always a collector. As my group of bad-influence friends like to say, ‘Came for the toys, stayed for the friendship.’ (What’s that? What is a Labubu?)

I started my investing journey in my late 20s with the fundamentals of value investing on Singapore REITs and good dividend-paying SG stocks, drawn to the idea of building passive income through dividends and reinvesting them. Then in April 2023, I finally picked up the courage to try options trading and let’s just say it was love at first premium. The idea of generating consistent income through strategies like selling puts or covered calls felt like unlocking a hidden life cheat code. From stocks to options to crypto, the next I hope to explore will be forex, seems like I’m also a bit of a collector of different kinds of trading. All of it became a way to build a more flexible future for myself… and a Medisave fund for my little MoneySucker.

🎤 How did you come across moomoo? Was it through a friend's recommendation or an online search? What motivated you to register and start using this platform?

Honestly, it was hard not to come across Moomoo. Those online ads were everywhere! And what really caught my eye was the sign-up offer: a FREE $Apple (AAPL.US)$ stock. As a massive Apple fan (I practically live in their ecosystem- I’ve got almost every Apple product except the headphones and Vision Pro. Yes, I still hold AAPL sometime.), that deal definitely got my attention.

Plus, the Moomoo mascot is cute and I’m a fan.

Attached Photo of MooMoo Collection

🎤 Do you remember your first trade on moomoo? Can you share some details and feelings about that experience?

Yes, I remember my first trade on Moomoo—it was $OCBC Bank (O39.SG)$ back in 2022, when the price was just around $11.50. By then, I had already dabbled in stocks on other platforms, so it wasn’t exactly a brand-new experience.

But the real unforgettable moment came on 31 March 2023 - my very first option trade… also on Moomoo. I sold a put on $Citigroup (C.US)$, and $30 USD instantly credited to my account. I had to stare at the app for a while, blinking in disbelief. As a first-timer, I even double-checked multiple times just to make sure I didn’t accidentally press something I wasn’t supposed to.

🎤 How did you initially learn to invest after starting to use moomoo? Which tools or resources on the platform were particularly helpful?

One feature I really liked was the bid and ask bar, watching it move felt like a real-time tug-of-war between buyers and sellers. It kind of reminded me of Ryu vs Ken from Street Fighter. It made the market feel more alive and dynamic.

Images provided are not current and any securities are shown for illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation.

Another tool I found super helpful was the options price calculator. As someone new to options at the time, it really helped me visualise potential outcomes.

Trading Strategy

🎤 What was your initial trading capital? Would you mind sharing the current value of your assets accumulated through trading?

I started my options trading journey in April 2023 with an initial capital of around USD 5,000. That wasn’t fresh cash—I actually built it up from gains and savings through my earlier stock investments. I’d say I’m only moderate risk-taker.

Fast forward to now, my portfolio has grown to about USD 22,000. It’s been a mix of learning, trying out and a few bumps along the way (recent one was the Trump tariff start of this year).

🎤 If you had to summarize your trading style and philosophy in one sentence or a slogan, what would it be? Why?

Mmm… Know what you buy or don’t buy at all.

If you understand what you’re buying into, whether it’s a stock, or an options strategy, the probability of losing money become much lower. That’s why I usually only invest in companies where I understand what they do and how they make their profits.

🎤 You mainly share options trading in your daily posts. Can you describe the reasons why choosing these assets? How many times do you trade in a week (between stocks, options, and crypto)? How do you balance your portfolio?

I focus more on options trading because it’s more capital-friendly. I don’t have a huge fund, and I’m not the type to throw all my savings into one stock. Take $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$ for example: buying 100 shares costs around $16,000 USD, but with options, I can control the same 100 shares for just a fraction of that.

For someone like me, options let me participate in quality companies without needing to commit big sums upfront.

I usually trade options 3 to 10 times a week, depending on market conditions, some days more active, some days just wait and see.

As for crypto, I treat it more like an experiment. I have some holdings outside of Moomoo too—mainly just exploring and learning as the space evolves.

My trading portfolio breakdown roughly like this:

50% in high-dividend stocks (long-term steady income kind)

45% in options (main income engine right now)

5% in crypto (play-play only)

🎤 Personally, what do you think are the similarities and differences in the trading strategies for crypto, options, and U.S. stocks?

To be honest, I’m still learning and figuring out the deeper strategies behind each asset class but here’s how I see it so far:

U.S. stocks as more long-term and fundamentals-based. Applied with a value investing mindset.

Options, I use them for income or exposure with less capital, and timing matters more here.

Crypto, it’s volatile and runs 24/7, so I treat it more like an experiment and just observe with a small holding.

🎤 Considering the high volatility involved in your strategy, how do you manage such fluctuations? Do you employ a particular risk management strategy?

As I gained more experience, I evolved from mainly selling puts and covered calls to collect premium, to now also buying and selling long calls and puts (at least 90 days a year). This shift has given me more flexibility in different market conditions.

When I buy options, I know the most I can lose is the premium, or the portion that I paid. I only enter trades I’m comfortable with. I also avoid overtrading; if the market’s unstable, sometimes the best move is just to wait it out.

🎤 How do you pinpoint the right moments to buy or sell? Are there specific indicators or tools you depend on to guide these decisions?

When it comes to pinpointing the right moments to buy or sell, I generally aim to take profit when the earnings hit around 10% of my capital, which is a long-time habit of mine. If I'm feeling more aggressive, I might wait until it hits around 25%, then lock in the gains and observe the next move. For entering a trade, I look at several factors, including how much the stock has dropped, and I use indicators like Bollinger Bands and EMA levels to guide these decisions.

For instance, if NVDA dropped to $90, I would buy a long call without overthinking because I strongly believe in the company’s value at that level.

Regarding day trading, I wouldn’t classify myself as a day trader, but I do sometimes take quick trades, even with options. If there’s a sudden price spike and I hit my profit target, usually around 10% or more, I'll take the profit first. If this happens within a day, I'm okay with that; I’ll lock it in and then watch for the next opportunity.

Of course, sometimes the price continues to rise after I exit, but I’ve learned not to chase. Profit is profit. I’d rather secure a solid gain than risk giving it all back. There’s always another trade on the horizon.

Trading journey

🎤 What kind of challenges have you encountered during your trading sessions? How do you tackle these hurdles and adjust your strategies accordingly?

To be honest, I haven’t faced any major trading challenges so far—thankfully! But if you ask me about non-trading hurdles, I’d say my biggest one is… my dog. 😅

He has a very strict sleeping schedule - every night between 9:30 pm to 10:00 pm (SGT), he expects me to tuck him in. If I don’t, he’ll keep pacing around the house, and trust me, the guilt will find me before the market does. I prefer the market opens at 10.30 pm (SGT) during the latter half of the year.

Attached Photo of The Sleepy Master

🎤 Could you share a memorable trading experience, detailing perhaps your most successful or challenging trades? What lessons did these experiences impart?

To be honest, I feel that my most successful trade is still ahead of me. I’ve had some decent wins, but nothing that I’ll call “best” yet. That said, I do have a few trades that were hard to forget, not because of how much I made, but because of the lessons they taught me.

One recent example is my trade on $Micron Technology (MU.US)$—a $110 call option expiring 16 Jan 2026. I bought it back on 19 Dec 2024 for around $2,380 USD. Not long after, the Trump tariff news hit, and the stock took a big hit. Even when the price eventually recovered and hit $110 again, I was still in the red—all because of time decay.

Eventually, the stock rallied higher, and I exited with a $120 profit (might be $1000). It wasn’t a loss, but definitely not the kind of return I was originally aiming for. Now, I’m more mindful about volatility events and time decay.

Another one was with $Intel (INTC.US)$. Back in January 2024, INTC was on a declining trend, so I let a put get assigned at $47 instead of cutting a small loss. Later, I got assigned again at $33, so now I’m holding 2 lots at an average of $40. The stock still hasn’t recovered ($8000 locked), but after a year of selling covered calls and options plays, I’ve managed to recover about $2,000.

I did some deep reflection:

Sometimes it’s better to cut small losses early

Don’t get too emotionally attached to any stock

Capital stuck too long is capital not growing

And most importantly, manage the trade, not emotions

Experience with Moomoo

🎤 How has your experience been with the Moomoo? Are there specific features that have enabled you to make informed trading decisions? What improvements would you suggest to enhance the trading experience on Moomoo?

My experience with Moomoo so far has been pretty positive!

One thing I really appreciate is the 👉earnings calendar, especially with the filter settings that let me narrow it down to just the companies on my watchlist. It’s a small detail, but super useful as sometimes I avoid trading right before earnings announcements, so having that heads-up is a big help.

Attached Photo of Earning Calendar

The news feed and comment section for each stock are great too. I don’t post much, but it’s nice to see what others are thinking—like a mini forum built in.

As someone who mostly trades options on Moomoo, I do have a little wishlist though, I’d love it if they could implement something like OptionStrat, where you can drag the pricing handles around and visualise strategies in a more interactive way. I know it’s a bit of a big ask… but dream big right?

It will be cool would it be if we could set up automated trades in the future? For example: being able to preset a strategy, like automatically selling when the price hits the top of the Bollinger Band. The system executes it for you, just set it and sleep.

🎤 Your achievement wall shows you've traded Crypto on moomoo. What initially motivated you to start trading Crypto on moomoo?

Honestly: convenience. Since the platform already offers crypto and I had funds sitting in my main account, it was as simple as just shifting the money over and giving it a try.

I’m also quite open to trying out new things. If it’s already there, explore it lah.

🎤 Do you have service/product feedback especially for Crypto trading on moomoo?

When it comes to crypto trading on Moomoo, I do have a bit of feedback. Since crypto markets run 24/7, it would be great if Moomoo could offer round-the-clock crypto trading as well. There might be times when I needed to cut losses or make quick decisions outside of trading hours, but couldn’t because the platform only allows trading during certain windows. That limitation can be a little frustrating.

Also, it’d be a huge plus if there were a “transfer to wallet” function. Having the flexibility to move crypto assets to an external wallet would give users more control and align Moomoo better with how crypto is typically managed across other platforms.

Words for beginners

🎤 What guidance would you offer someone just starting out with trading?

Don’t rush, don’t compare with others, we are all in different financial situations and stages in our lives. Start small, learn, test, and make mistakes while the stakes are still low. Build up your confidence, funds, and knowledge along the way.

Most importantly, find the tools that suit you—whether it’s stocks, funds, options, forex, or crypto. Everyone’s style is different.

At the end of the day, starting small is better than not starting at all.

Spark meaningful conversations

💬 Topic: What else do you want to know about @Bubble Fish? Any other topics you wanna discuss with him? Comment below to let us know.

Since @Bubble Fish is both a Furkid Dad and a collector, feel free to also share photos of your own pets 🐶🐱 or your favorite collections 🎮🧸—whether it’s toys, plants, or anything else you treasure. Let’s make this a fun and inspiring space together!

🎁 Rewards: 30 points for mooers who share photos or raise insightful and @Bubble Fish-related questions.

📅 Time: From now to September 7th, 23:59 ET

(Moomoo Points may be redeemed only through the moomoo app and have no other value.)

Notes: We encourage benign and in-depth interaction, from which all mooers can learn from each other, helping our community members be more courageous and not alone in their investing journeys.

We truly appreciate @Bubble Fish for sharing his valuable and inspiring experience with us! Feel free to interact with him if you have anything to say!

Thanks for your time. See you next time!

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