Back in 2022 I did something I've never told anyone. I put 80% of my salary into option buying. Every month, month after month, that big a chunk of my income just went straight into buying options. And I told absolutely no one. Kept the whole thing to myself the entire year.
I kept at it for the full twelve months. Didn't slow down, didn't pull back, didn't stop to actually count what was happening. Just kept feeding the same habit, convinced the big win was always one trade away.
By the end of the year, out of everything I'd poured in, only 3% was left. Three percent. An entire year of the majority of my salary, gone, with just a sliver remaining to show for it.
The worst part is what my parents believed the whole time. They thought I was being responsible, quietly building long-term investments, setting myself up for the future. They were almost proud of it. And I let them keep believing that. The truth about where that year's salary really went, I still haven't told them.