{"id":9797,"date":"2021-01-03T09:55:28","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T14:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mainstbeatswallst.com\/?page_id=9797"},"modified":"2025-06-28T17:02:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T21:02:50","slug":"grasshopper-trades","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mainstbeatswallst.com\/?page_id=9797","title":{"rendered":"Grasshopper Intro"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Main Street beats Wall Street<\/strong> is an educational website I launched on January 1, 2016. Its mission \u2014 then and now \u2014 is to teach everyday people from Main Street, USA how to confidently participate in the stock market through options trading. By sharing my own trades as proof, I aim to show that Main Street investors can perform just as well as Wall Street professionals.<\/p>\n

About Wall Street<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wall Street spans just eight blocks in lower Manhattan, yet it serves as the symbolic heart of America\u2019s financial markets. Over time, \u201cWall Street\u201d<\/strong> has come to represent all U.S. financial institutions and economic power. It\u2019s been portrayed in many ways: powerful, savvy, corrupt, greedy, excessive, wealthy, even imperial.<\/p>\n

Why This New Section<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Over the last few years, my account has grown substantially \u2014 which is the goal for any trader. However, as my trades became larger, I realized they were no longer practical examples for beginners. They stopped serving the original mission of this site: to educate new investors in a relatable way.<\/p>\n

What is The Grasshopper Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To keep the mission alive, I made two adjustments: I reduced the size of my account so I could make more relatable trades (and plan to continue doing that at the start of each new year), and I created a new section and challenge called \u201cThe Grasshopper Project.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

It begins with this page, simply titled “Grasshopper Intro.”<\/strong> The next page is “Grasshopper Rules,”<\/strong> which defines what a beginner (or \u201cGrasshopper\u201d) is and outlines the 10 worst mistakes new traders often make.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s a page called “The Grasshopper Project,”<\/strong> which explains what the Project is all about. It covers the type of trades I recommend for Grasshoppers, the trades I\u2019ll personally be making, the size of the account I\u2019ll be starting with, and the time frame for the Project.<\/p>\n

Active Trades in The Grasshopper Project<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll also find the \u201cActive Project Trades\u201d<\/strong> page. This is where readers can see all the active trades made as part of The Grasshopper Project. Each trade will remain on this page while it\u2019s open. Once a position is closed \u2014 either through a Buy to Close<\/strong> or because it expires \u2014 the record of that trade will be moved to the \u201cTrade History\u201d<\/strong> for that year.<\/p>\n

Teaching Philosophy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My goal isn\u2019t for new traders to simply copy my trades. Instead, I want to teach you how to develop your own approach \u2014 to understand why<\/em> I enter a trade, the strategy behind it, and how to find opportunities that fit your personal risk tolerance and goals.<\/p>\n

Options 101<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I also recommend checking out \u201cOptions 101,\u201d<\/strong> another section created for Grasshoppers. It\u2019s written by my son, Stephen, who brings his own insights and encouragement for beginners.<\/p>\n

To read the intro to Stephen\u2019s section, [click here<\/a><\/span>].<\/p>\n

Steve wrote three pages for “Options 101”:<\/strong><\/p>\n