1. Stagger Your Purchase 

   It might not be a good idea to buy all your

   shares at one price. Give yourself some "reserves"

   to cover yourself. Let's say you wish to buy

   80 lots, it might be best to "stagger" your 

   buys. Putting all 80 lots at one price, and you

   become very "vulnerable". Just like going to war,

   you don't know how many enemies is lurking in

   front of you, so use your "bullets" wisely. Fire

   all your bullets and you cannot "protect"    

   yourself later. So "test water" first at the

   "right price" (tricky) and if the stock behaves as

   you like it,  then gradually "average up" But

   "averaging up" can be tricky too. In some case

   though you know you have the confidence to buy at

   a higher price as your earlier lots are already  

   "covered" (in profit).

2. Protect Your Profit/Capital

   Let's say you have made $5000 profit, it might 

   not be wise to take up a position  where

   you could lose that profit and worse incur a loss.

   For instance, put in 100 lots at one price. You

   can eventually buy up to 100 lots,

   but it can be done in steps if your stock pick is

   right.

3. Switch Stocks

   If you are holding to a stock that just does not

   seem to move or find it was a wrong buy, you can

   consider selling it at a loss and transfer that

   money to buy something else that will help yu

   recover your loss faster. If you sell share A

   and use that amount to buy share B,

   in effect it is just a "transfer" of money from A

   to B but you just lose the brokerage fees. However

   not many people are willingly to do that as

   they see that as a loss if they do the "transfer".