That's why you wait ! I only but options within the month I'm trading, for example between now and the third friday in february I will only buy FEB options. I won't buy March options until after the third friday in February.
I don't "buy and hold" options - I trade them and sell when they hit my profit target which is usually between 50 and 100%. And I never buy an option early in it's last month with the plan to sell near the expiration - that is a fool's play because of price erosion near the expiration. As you know most options are never executed, and they expire worthless, so the price erodes to zero near the expiration.
One of these days, I'm going to buy an option and then EXECUTE IT - just for fun ! Especially a call ! Hopefully it is a covered call. Many people use calls on their holdings to make extra cash. The risk is someone could execute the call. One day I will do it and suck those shares right away from some sucka ! And YOU KNOW I will do it if I buy a call that goes way up, so the poor sucker has to give me shares of a stock that has gone up !
Maybe I should change my name back to evil wizard.....
