Yeah, but we're talking etrades here.....
SO! Whatcha gonna do, Ghostbuster?
HINT: If you
sell a 3025 put for December 20 (likely FUT expiration), you'll pocket $33, putting a nice dent in that $55pt hole, WHILE giving you the opportunity to exit with a $5 loss. (In other words, a possibility of a $28 gain, should the market go in the crapper.)
HOWSOMEEVER*, if you were to sell the 3025 strike two weeks out for $12, and then repeat that twice more{$36}, you'd have an extra $3 for your trouble, AND have the opportunity to move your strike around, should that seem advisable... Like 3025, pocket $12; then 3035, pocket $14; then 3045, pocket $20 -- getting more cash and closer strikes as you go. Every two weeks....
Work this out, etrades. Pen & paper. First.
What you need is a reasonable expectation that you can raise that strike/cash faster than the market can raise it's mark, week after week after week (without fail). So! You need 12pts. What has the market average been?
* (That's a special gift for Mr. Gutless...)