Setting Up Journal to Document Learning How to Trade Stock Options

I’ve been learning how to trade stock options. Specifically, I am learning to trade cash secured puts and covered calls. Basically, it is the Wheel strategy with some slight modifications.

I am getting very serious about trading them and decided to document my learning journey in one centralized location.

This online journal and knowledge repository is that location.

At 1 PM MST. I checked my trades for what I should be doing with the help of AI (which I always double check).

Looking at your option positions for Friday, July 25, 2025 (EXPIRATION DAY), here’s the analysis:

EXPIRATION DAY POSITIONS – SPECIAL FRIDAY RULES APPLY

CHWY $38 PUT (Expires TODAY)

  • Current Price: $36.265
  • Strike: $38
  • Status: ITM by 4.57% ($1.735 ITM)
  • ACTION: ROLL IMMEDIATELY for shortest time with good premium
  • Target: Roll to next week (August 1) or 2 weeks out
  • Premium Target:
    • 1 week: $38 × 0.01 × 1 = $0.38/share ($38/contract)
    • 2 weeks: $38 × 0.01 × 2 = $0.76/share ($76/contract)

The premium for rolling it a single week to August 1, 2025 was a debit when I looked at it (which I did not expect to see). However, when I looked at it to write this post about 35 minutes later, it does show a small credit for a week out.

CHWY Put Roll Transaction

Closing Position:

  • Jul 25, 2025 $38.00 Put
  • Buy to close: 1 contract at $1.56

Opening Position:

  • Aug 01, 2025 $38.00 Put
  • Sell to open: 1 contract at $1.62

Transaction Summary:

  • Net Credit: $0.06
  • Midpoint: $0.16
  • Net Ask: $0.26
  • Evaluation Price: $0.25

Rolling out one week from July 25 to August 1, maintaining the $38 strike price. Collected a small net credit of $6 per contract after closing the expiring position.

I ended up doing this (2 weeks out) by letting my order sit for about 15 minutes:

CHWY Put Roll Transaction

Closing Position:

  • Jul 25, 2025 $38.00 Put
  • Buy to close: 9 contracts at $1.63
  • Total cost: $1,467

Opening Position:

  • Aug 08, 2025 $38.00 Put
  • Sell to open: 9 contracts at $1.97
  • Total credit: $1,773

Transaction Summary:

  • Net Credit: $0.34 per contract
  • Total Net Credit: $306 (9 contracts)
  • Roll Duration: 2 weeks (July 25 to August 8)
  • Strike Price Maintained: $38.00
  • Return on Risk (ROR): 0.89% for 2 weeks (0.445% per week)
  • Annualized ROR: 23.2%

Successfully rolled the expiring CHWY position out two weeks, collecting a net credit of $34 per contract. While this is below the 1% weekly target of $76 per contract for a 2-week roll, it was necessary to avoid assignment on expiration day.

MU $114 PUT (Expires TODAY)

  • Current Price: $110.92
  • Strike: $114
  • Status: ITM by 2.70% ($3.08 ITM)
  • ACTION: ROLL IMMEDIATELY for shortest time with good premium
  • Target: Roll to next week or 2 weeks out
  • Premium Target:
    • 1 week: $114 × 0.01 × 1 = $1.14/share ($114/contract)
    • 2 weeks: $114 × 0.01 × 2 = $2.28/share ($228/contract)

I rolled these out for a little under 1%.

MU Put Roll Transaction

Closing Position:

  • Jul 25, 2025 $114.00 Put
  • Buy to close: 3 contracts at $3.12
  • Total cost: $936

Opening Position:

  • Aug 01, 2025 $114.00 Put
  • Sell to open: 3 contracts at $4.05
  • Total credit: $1,215

Transaction Summary:

  • Net Credit: $0.93 per contract
  • Total Net Credit: $279 (3 contracts)
  • Roll Duration: 1 week (July 25 to August 1)
  • Strike Price Maintained: $114.00
  • Return on Risk (ROR): 0.82% for 1 week
  • Annualized ROR: 42.6%

Successfully rolled the expiring MU position out one week, collecting a net credit of $93 per contract. This falls slightly short of the 1% weekly target of $114 per contract, but was necessary to avoid assignment on expiration day.

OSCR $14 PUT (Expires TODAY)

  • Current Price: $14.325
  • Strike: $14
  • Status: OTM by 2.32%
  • ACTION: Let expire worthless (clearly OTM on expiration day)

RUN $9.50 PUT (Expires TODAY)

  • Current Price: $10.555
  • Strike: $9.50
  • Status: OTM by 11.11%
  • ACTION: Let expire worthless (clearly OTM on expiration day)

ZIM $15.50 PUT (Expires TODAY)

  • Current Price: $16.605
  • Strike: $15.50
  • Status: OTM by 7.13%
  • ACTION: Let expire worthless (clearly OTM on expiration day)

NOT EXPIRATION WEEK POSITIONS

KHC $26 CALL (Expires August 29, 2025)

  • Days to Expiration: 35 days
  • Current Price: $28.66
  • Strike: $26
  • Status: ITM by 10.23% ($2.66 ITM)
  • ACTION: ROLL OUT 6 WEEKS FROM TODAY
  • Target Date: September 5, 2025
  • Premium Target: $26 × 0.01 × 6 = $1.56/share ($156/contract)

UNH $295 CALL (Expires August 1, 2025)

  • Days to Expiration: 7 days
  • Current Price: $281.08
  • Strike: $295
  • Status: OTM by 4.71%
  • ACTION: OTM – DO NOTHING (entering expiration week)

SUMMARY

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS REQUIRED (Expiration Day):

  • ROLL CHWY $38 PUTITM by 4.57%, roll to shortest timeframe with $38+ premium (1 week) or $76+ (2 weeks)
  • ROLL MU $114 PUTITM by 2.70%, roll to shortest timeframe with $114+ premium (1 week) or $228+ (2 weeks)

OTHER ACTIONS:

  • ROLL KHC $26 CALL – Deep ITM >10%, roll out to September 5, 2025 (6 weeks) for $156+ premium

NO ACTION REQUIRED:

  • OSCR $14 PUT – Let expire worthless (OTM)
  • RUN $9.50 PUT – Let expire worthless (OTM)
  • ZIM $15.50 PUT – Let expire worthless (OTM)
  • UNH $295 CALL – OTM, entering expiration week next week

Remember: For the Friday rolls (CHWY and MU), prioritize getting them rolled today even if it means accepting slightly less than the 1% weekly target, as avoiding assignment takes precedence on expiration day.