THE FATHER BLOG

We are in the middle of an unseasonably warm stretch of weather here in NJ. 90+ degrees F and today is calling for a high of 98! It will go back to the normal mid 60s and rainy/shitty for Memorial Day weekend as expected but for now, we are going to enjoy this taste of summer.

So with the pool open now and us getting our first swim in on Sunday, it makes me aware that the beer fridge should be stocked with some pool beers.

I tend to like some of the lighter and lower ABV beers from our local NJ breweries. Cape May Brewing Follow the Gull or Always Ready. Tonewood Freshies. Kane Sneakbox. Or I can go for a Kona Big Wave or an Abita Amber or Purple Haze. I could probably name about 100 more but I digress.

What is your go-to pool beer….or back deck beer….I just finished mowing the lawn beer….or “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” beer at 2pm on a Tuesday beer?

Stocks that historically perform well during wartime include aerospace and defense contractors, energy and oil producers, cybersecurity firms, and safe-haven commodities like gold. I guess this doesn’t come as a surprise. Let’s take a look at Exxon Stock as an example.

Exxon Stock (XOM) was on the rise before the War with Iran officially started but I sense many not only knew it was coming, but did something smart along the way….which was buy stock. Since the beginning of the year, XOM is up over 30%. Should I have paid more attention and bought some back in January…YES…I wish I had. It had hit it’s 52 week high back in March. But Is Exxon still a good buy?

History says yes and current analysts still see it as a moderate buy with many reiterating that this is a great buy and hold long term. XOM constantly raised it’s annual dividends over the past 43 years.

Bottom line is this: just because a stock is near it’s high or looks to be expensive at the time, doesn’t mean it’s not a good long term stock to add to your portfolio. This has nothing do to specifically with XOM (this was just today’s example) but it is a reminder to do your due diligence and pay attention. There is sometimes more to a stock that ONLY it’s price.

Here is a nice article from Charles Schwab to help educate: https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/how-to-pick-stocks-using-fundamental-and-technical-analysis

I love vacationing as much as anyone. But everyone around the world right now is feeling the pinch due to the rising cost of fuel. Drive around your own town all week doing your normal errands and that’ll run you a tank of gas right now that costs upwards of $70+ or more. It’s ridiculous.

But we all need a break and you have some options.

Option 1 is always the stay-cation. Did you open your pool yet or start tidying up your back deck? Spend some time outside and enjoy it. One thing that is super cheap now are televisions. Buy yourself a rolling stand and a big TV and sit outside to watch the game or have movie night. This is a repeatable event so you will get your moneys worth for sure.

Option 2 is take a last minute flight anywhere (if it’s last minute and you don’t care too much about the location other than it’s warm) than you can probably get a great deal still. Also, make sure the location is a cool city that you can walk around or take public transportation or a beach location where everything is walkable. This avoids renting a car and paying for gas.

Option 3 is the short, somewhat local, weekend trip. Take a drive (usually within a few hours) and explore something different. Find some cool restaurants or breweries or hiking trails, etc. Sure this will cost you a couple tanks of gas and a night or two in a hotel, but it’s a break from home and you can say you “got away” for a bit. You work hard…you deserve it!

Whatever you decide to do this weekend….I hope you have a great one!