lanale,
In addition to the losses on your stock purchases, you need to add the money you wasted --err, spent-- on a subscription to RB. Instead, you should have bought a used copy of Ben Graham’s intro to value investing, The Intelligent Investor. Or if a more “growthy” style of investing appeals to you more, then any of Peter Lynch’s books.
As for what to do about the stocks you’ve already bought, DO NOT ADD MORE MONEY. Instead, keep them as reminders that you failed to do your homework before you bought them. One of these days --maybe-- they’ll recover. Or maybe they won’t. Who knows? Meanwhile, just regard them as very expensive warnings not to jump into things you don’t understand.
In addition to doing some basic reading, I’d suggest you find an investing buddy. I’m guessing from the photo you included in your brief bio that you’re female, which puts you into immediate conflict with the reckless, male-oriented approach to investing that the Motley Fool prefers. Seriously, there are deep and profound differences in how the two sexes view and deal with ‘risk’. This isn’t to say either approach is better or that there aren’t reckless women, for whom that idiot, Cathy Woods, is the poster child. But if you don’t hang glide, rock climb, etc. and aren’t an adrenaline junkie, you shouldn’t be trying to follow TMF’s model of investing, which isn’t ‘investing’ in any meaningful sense of that term. What they advocate is ‘speculation’, nothing more.
Right now, you’re suffering financial damage and emotional damage, and you need a win to clear your head (and heart). So, do this. Take advantage of Schwab Starter Kit offer. “Open and fund your account and get $101 from Schwab to split equally across the top five stocks in the S&P 500®, plus education and tools to help you take the next step.”
Now here’s the good part. The funding requirement on your part is a mere $50. Once you’ve done that, they give you $101 worth of stocks. ShaZamm! You’ve tripled your money. Furthermore, once the stocks are in your account, they can be sold if they don’t do well. So you’re trading on their nickel. But you still need someone to talk to. So talk a girl friend into opening an account as well, and then the two of you learn together how to make sense of the craziness of markets.
Lastly, and again, there really are no right ways to do any of this investing/trading stuff. There are only ways that interest you enough that you’re willing to do the work --and accept the risks-- they require. That means you gotta do some exploring to find a niche that suits your means, needs, goals, and personality.
Caminate, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar. [roughly, “There are no roads but by walking.”]