🤖 Post 14: How to Automate the FIRE Engine
(So You’re Not Babysitting It All Week)
Let’s be honest:
You didn’t start this strategy because you wanted another job.
You started it because you wanted freedom. Passive income. Simplicity.
So here’s the good news:
The FIRE Engine doesn’t need to be micromanaged.
You can automate 90% of it with a few simple habits.
Let’s break it down.
🗓️ Step 1: Set a Weekly Check-In Time
Pick one day a week to do your FIRE Engine maintenance.
- I use Friday mornings (before options expire)
- You could use Thursday nights, or Monday openings — whatever works for your rhythm
Put it on your calendar as:
🔧 FIRE Engine Check-In – 15 Minutes
You’ll use this time to:
- Check if your current call is in-the-money
- Decide whether to let it ride, close it, or roll it
- Sell your next contract if the last one expired
That’s it. Fifteen minutes a week. Done.
📈 Step 2: Use Reminders or Automations
You can set this up however you want:
- Google Calendar reminder
- Phone alarm
- Sticky note on your monitor
- Weekly task in your to-do app
The key is to make it part of your routine — like brushing your teeth, but more profitable.
🔁 Step 3: Create a Rolling Rule of Thumb
Rolling decisions can stress people out — but they don’t have to.
Here’s a super simple rule I use:
“If the stock is close to my strike on Thursday or Friday, I look to roll. If not, I let it expire and sell a new one.”
Easy.
No panic. No emotion. No overthinking.
Just stick to the plan.
📝 Step 4: Use a Tracker (That Doesn’t Suck)
If you’ve been following along since Post 10, you know I track:
- Premiums earned
- Contracts sold
- Share count
- ROI over time
This helps me know:
- When to scale up
- What’s working
- And how much I’m actually earning
Use my template or build your own — just make sure it doesn’t become spreadsheet jail.
🧠 Why This Works
People fail at covered calls not because the strategy is hard…
…but because they treat it like a guessing game instead of a rhythm.
When you:
- Set a weekly check-in
- Follow a repeatable system
- Avoid emotional trades
You take 90% of the stress out of it — and leave 100% of the profit in.
🧠 Bottom Line
Covered calls shouldn’t take over your life.
Build a weekly rhythm. Automate what you can.
Let the FIRE Engine do the heavy lifting.
You’re not a trader.
You’re a builder.
👉 Up Next: [Post 15: How This Strategy Fits Into the Bigger Picture (FIRE, Freedom & Long-Term Wealth)]
Want to see what my weekly check-ins look like? Follow the FIRE Engine blog.