Credit – Chatgpt Open AI
By Subhankor
I’ve been investing in the stock market for seven years now. In that time, I’ve made some brilliant decisions that made me feel like Warren Buffett. I’ve also made some absolutely terrible choices that kept me up at night, questioning every life decision that led me to that point. Today, I’m going to share five stocks I’ll never buy again not because I hate the companies, but because I learned expensive lessons from each one. These mistakes cost me real money, caused genuine stress, and taught me more about investing than any book or course ever could. If you’re reading this, you’re probably looking to avoid making the same mistakes I did. Let me save you some money and some sleepless nights.
My Investment Philosophy (Before We Start)
By Subhankor
Before I dive into my list, let me be clear about my investing approach now versus Then (2018-2020) – I chased hot tips, bought hyped stocks, held onto losers hoping for a miracle, and made emotional decisions. Now (2024-2025) – I focus on fundamentals, diversification, risk management, and learning from my mistakes. I’m not a perfect investor, but I’m a much smarter one
Stock 1: GameStop (GME) – The Meme Stock That Burned Me
By Subhankor
When I bought it: January 2021
Purchase price: $312 per share
Amount invested: $3,120 (10 shares)
Sold at: $89 per share (March 2021)
Total loss: -$2,230 (71% loss)
Why I Bought It
By Subhankor
In January 2021, I watched GameStop go from $20 to over $400 in a matter of days. The entire internet was talking about it. Reddit’s WallStreetBets was full of stories about people making life-changing money overnight. My friends were texting me about their gains. I felt like I was missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime. I ignored every fundamental indicator. GameStop was a dying brick-and-mortar gaming retailer in an increasingly digital world. Their business model was obsolete. But none of that mattered to me I saw dollar signs and FOMO took over. I bought 10 shares at $312, convinced it would hit $1,000 like everyone on Reddit was predicting. I even told my family about my genius investment.
What Actually Happened
By Subhankor
The stock crashed. Hard. Within a week, it dropped to $90. I held on, believing the diamond hands mantra. It’ll bounce back, I told myself. The squeeze hasn’t squoze yet It bounced to $180 briefly, but I didn’t sell I wanted my money back. Then it crashed again to $40. I watched $3,120 turn into $400 in my account. I finally sold at $89 after two months of misery, locking in a $2,230 loss. That was money I had saved from six months of side hustles.
Stock 2: Zoom Video Communications (ZM) – The Pandemic Winner That Lost Me Money
By Subhankor
When I bought it: October 2020
Purchase price: $559 per share
Amount invested: $2,795 (5 shares)
Sold at: $178 per share (November 2022)
Total loss: -$1,905 (68% loss)
Why I Bought It
By Subhankor
In 2020, Zoom was everywhere. Every work meeting, every family gathering, every online class happened on Zoom. The stock had gone from $68 at the start of 2020 to over $500 by October. Revenue was exploding. Everyone needed Zoom. I thought, “This is the future of communication. Work from home is permanent. This stock can only go up. I bought at $559, thinking I was getting in before it hit $1,000.
What Actually Happened
By Subhankor
The pandemic ended or at least the lockdowns did). People went back to offices. Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and other competitors caught up. Zoom’s growth slowed dramatically. The stock dropped from $559 to $400. then $300. then $200. I kept holding, thinking it would recover. Hybrid work is the future, I told myself. “Zoom is still essential.” But the market disagreed. The stock kept falling. By late 2022, I finally sold at $178, accepting my 68% loss.
Stock 3: Peloton (PTON) – The Exercise Bike That Exercised My Patience
By Subhankor
When I bought it: December 2020
Purchase price: $153 per share
Amount invested: $1,530 (10 shares)
Sold at: $11 per share (May 2023)
Total loss: -$1,420 (93% loss)
Why I Bought It
By Subhankor
Peloton was the darling of pandemic stocks. Everyone I knew was buying their exercise bikes. The waitlist was months long. The stock had gone from $20 to $171 in less than a year. I thought I was being smart I waited for a dip to $153 before buying. This is the future of fitness, I told my wife. Home fitness is here to stay. I imagined Peloton becoming the Netflix of fitness, with millions of subscribers paying monthly fees forever.
What Actually Happened
By Subhankor
This was my worst investment to date a catastrophic 93% loss. First, the pandemic ended and gyms reopened. People who bought Peloton bikes during lockdown started using them as expensive clothes hangers
Stock 4: Rivian (RIVN) – The Electric Vehicle Dream That Became a Nightmare
By Subhankor
When I bought it: November 2021 (IPO day)
Purchase price: $122 per share
Amount invested: $2,440 (20 shares)
Sold at: $18 per share (October 2023)
Total loss: -$2,080 (85% loss)
Why I Bought It
By Subhankor
Electric vehicles were the hottest trend. Tesla had made early investors millionaires. Rivian was being called the next Tesla. I bought on IPO day at $122, believing I was getting in early on the next automotive revolution. Amazon had ordered 100,000 delivery vans from them! They had innovative designs! The founder seemed brilliant! I was convinced this was my chance to get Tesla like returns.
What Actually Happened
By Subhankor
Rivian went public at a $100 billion valuation despite delivering fewer than 1,000 vehicles. They were burning through cash at an incredible rate. Production problems plagued them constantly. The stock dropped from $122 to $80 within a month. I held on, believing in the vision. It kept dropping $60, $40, $25. By 2023, reality set in: Rivian was hemorrhaging money, struggling to ramp production, and facing fierce competition from established automakers who were also going electric. I sold at $18, accepting my 85% loss.
Stock 5: AMC Entertainment (AMC) – The Theater Stock That Should Have Stayed in My Past
By Subhankor
When I bought it: June 2021
Purchase price: $62 per share
Amount invested: $1,240 (20 shares)
Sold at: $7 per share (December 2022)
Total loss: -$1,100 (89% loss)
Why I Bought It
By Subhankor
After my GameStop disaster, you’d think I’d learned my lesson about meme stocks. I hadn’t. AMC was the next big Reddit phenomenon. “Apes together strong!” The stock went from $2 to $72 in a matter of months. I got caught up in the movement again. I bought at $62, believing the community would push it to $100, $500, or even higher. I ignored that AMC was a movie theater chain drowning in debt during a pandemic that had changed how people watched movies forever.
What Actually Happened
By Subhankor
Exactly what should have happened reality caught up with hype. AMC’s business was terrible. Streaming services were dominating. Movie theater attendance was declining even before COVID. The company was barely profitable even in good years. The stock crashed from $62 to $30.then $20. then $10. I held on for over a year, hoping for another squeeze. It never came. I finally sold at $7, accepting yet another massive loss.
Conclusion
By Subhankor
Looking back at these five stocks, I don’t feel bitter or angry at the companies. GameStop, Zoom, Peloton, Rivian, and AMC didn’t do anything wrong I did.I bought hyped stocks at peak valuations without understanding the businesses. I let FOMO, social media pressure, and greed override common sense. I held losing positions far too long, hoping for miracles instead of accepting reality. These five stocks taught me expensive but invaluable lessons- The biggest lesson: Investing isn’t about finding the next Tesla or making 1000% returns. It’s about consistently making good decisions, managing risk, and letting compound interest work over decades.
Will I ever buy individual stocks again Yes, but only after thorough research and only with money I can afford to lose. Will I ever buy meme stocks again Never. Will I chase hype and hot tips Not anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
By Subhankor
Q1: Are these stocks bad investments for everyone, or just for you?
A: Just for me, based on my psychology and investing approach. Someone with better timing, stronger research skills, or a different strategy might succeed with these stocks. My point is that I’ve learned they don’t fit my investing style or risk tolerance.
Q2: Did you ever make money on individual stocks?
A: Yes I’ve had successful investments in Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia that more than made up for these losses. But those were established companies I bought based on fundamentals, not hype. My overall portfolio is now positive, despite these five disasters.
Q3: Do you regret buying these stocks?
A: I regret the financial loss, but I don’t regret the lessons. These mistakes taught me more about investing than any book could. The $8,735 was expensive tuition, but I graduated with valuable knowledge.
Q4: Should I avoid meme stocks completely?
A: That’s your decision. I’ve learned I can’t handle the volatility and emotional roller coaster. If you’re going to invest in meme stocks, only use money you’re completely comfortable losing, and treat it like gambling, not investing.
Q5: What would you do differently if you could go back?
A: I would have sold much earlier when each stock dropped 20-30% from my purchase price. I would have used stop-loss orders. Most importantly, I wouldn’t have bought hyped stocks at all-time highs without understanding the fundamentals.
DISCLAIMER
By Subhankor
Please read this carefully before making any investment decisions based on this article.
This blog post represents my personal experiences, opinions, and investment history. I am not a certified financial advisor, licensed investment professional, or securities expert. Nothing in this article constitutes professional financial advice or a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security.
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