Stéphanie Grammond and Rob Carrick: two losers in war against the TFSA

Lately, so call "financial journalists" of the name of Stéphanie Grammond of La Presse and Rob Carrick of The Globe and Mail had decided to come forward and testify against the raise of the TFSA contribution limit.

I love my country because its possible, even while earning very little to hit big on the stock market. Proof is, I my non-registered portfolio is now EXCEEDING the 140k. My non-registered portfolio is now at $141 156.13. Which mean that yeah, any sexy girl and boy can make huge $$$ on our very dear Canadian market. Knowing that we have the best stock market in the world, we should take advantage of every tools available at our disposal. 

I stop caring about the RRSP long ago. At 34, I need my money now, and I need to have my money working for me now, so that SOON (not not in 31 years from oh no) I can enjoy myself and be free of any kind of salvation. And for that, the TFSA is the perfect tool. We currently can invest $5 500 per year in a TFSA. That's great. But imagine that the Tories - yeah! Stephen Haper - want to DOUBLE the amount admissible in a TFSA when our federal deficit will be paid off. It mean $11 000 per year that can be invest in a tax free way! AMAZING.

But those two losers that are Stéphanie "flop" Queen Grammond and Rob "I know it all" Carrick go public about being against the idea, saying that it will only benefit a minority, only tot he rich. Well, to that, I say,you are wrong, bad journalists!

I am a middle class Dividend Girl and I am far from being rich. However, I can very easily save 10k per year - even more. I earn thousands in dividend per year and I plan to earn many thousands more. And I am far from being rich. I guess it might be hard for a Quebecker like Stéphanie Grammond to understand this, but Canada is the land of opportunities. In Canada, its easy to save money, its easy to make money. And in Canada, we should have all of the tools available to push it.

So hell yeah, in Canada, there're too much losers in the public scene.

Dieting with Oasis NutriSolution meal replacement of Lassonde Inc. (LAS.A)

The month of March is slowly coming by and with it a better weather. This weekend temperature in Montreal allow some activities outside. With the cold weather we have this winter, I stay in more and I haven't walk as much as I regular do. So no surprise, I gain a few pounds.  There's a free public swimming pool close to where I live, but in the cold weather, I really don't feel like going swimming. I also taught of going to a gym, but I am on a budget and I really dislike the idea of spending a few hundred dollars on a gym membership - I am way smarter than that.

I used meal replacements to lose weight in the past and it work pretty well for me. I went for a walk downtown this afternoon and in my way back home, I stop by a Jean Coutu. I taught of buying some meal replacements to help me lose a few pounds while waiting for Spring to hit on. And I made an interesting discovery.

Some meal replacements taste like shit - let say it. You might not be very appeal by them. The no name brand of Shopper Drug Mart work well for me, but the taste is not very extra good, but its not disgusting. However, I discover a new meal replacement: Oasis NutriSolution. Its made with fruit juice and a few savors are available. I went with a 6 packs of wild berry at $11.99. It might feel expensive, but the product seem to be of good quality: there's no artificial flavour or colour, its gluten free and no sugar added. Each bottle of the wild berry flavor contains 230 calories - exactly what I am looking for.

When I dieting on meal replacement, I eat a normal breakfast like usual, most of the time two slice of brown bread with peanut butter. It help me stay full until 11 h. In the morning, I like to take one glass of juice to get my vitamin c for the day. And I also take a one capsule of multivitamin. 

For my day at work, I like to cut 2 apples - strangely, I don't eat apples unless they are cut in slices. I also add white mushrooms, radish all together, but I don't add any salad sauce. I also bring a one small 0% yogurt (individual portions). When I begin to feel hungry, I eat my yogurt. Later on, I will drink my meal replacement. I will eat my slices apple in the afternoon. I also like pineapple, they really help to stop the craving. I usually eat pineapple by the end of the day, to make sure I don't feel hungry while leaving work. Once home, I try not to get a heavy meal. I usually get cereal or again toasts. I walk to go to work and on my way back home. And I try to walk again in the evening. If not, I don't lose weight at all... There's unfortunately no magic trick.

And REALLY important, is to drink at least 1,5 L of water during the day - that one is hard because I am not naturally tempt to drink that much... My trick is that I make myself tea at my arrival to work and by noon, again some tea and again in the afternoon... but if I do it at least 2 times during the day, its because I tried hard.

I think the worst thing to do is not to bring lunch at work. Because than, you eat at the food court and there's plenty of salt in the food that restaurant are serving. And plenty of junk too! I am getting back on track and we'll see how it goes. I was quite please by my finding. Oasis NutriSolution is made by Lassonde Inc. (LAS.A), a company that I own inside my portfolio.

More on the JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN)

These days, my non-registered account is performing well these days. I closed the day at $140 687. I now have closed to $190 000 investment at TD Waterhouse. It begin to make a lot of money invested in the same spot. For that reason, I think I will apply to a RBC trading account.

Currently, RBC have that promotion, 22 free trades - or something like it - for a year. Its a great promotion. Not that I don't trust TD Waterhouse no more, its just a matter of not having too much at the same spot, in case some problems happen, like any kind of problem you can imagine of. Fraud or really anything else. 

Because if something happen at TD Waterhouse let say, and that all of my investments are made there, well, it would be quite of a stressful situation. I really think that having more than one broker account is a good precaution to have. So far, nothing happen to me at TD Waterhouse, but seeing my going slowly going up to the $200 000, its like gees, how that happen? The amount begin to be outrageously big and I don't like that.

I am probably going to open a broking account at RBC, but with that one, I won't open a margin account because we all know what happen when a girl have too much money.

Jean-François Tardif is really quiet these days so I am going to speak for him. The JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) is doing as well as my portfolio these days :-) Good job Tardif.

I am now debt free

Or almost... I had paid off my CIBC Visa and BMO MasterCard. I no longer have any student debt or any credit card debt what so ever... The only debt I have is invisible. It doesn't appear on my credit score. So what is that debt? Its my margin. Even if I have a margin debt of $68 282.49, it doesn't appear ANYWHERE. And banks just keep sending credit card balance offer over and over again. It took me such a long time to pay off my debt, its not anytime soon that will enroll in a loan or any kind of debt.

Eventually, I would like to see my margin usage go under the 60k. I hold Glentel Inc. (GLN) inside my TFSA and non-registered account. Since BCE acquisition of Glentel had been approved, very soon, I should have some new cash flow.

At less than $80 per share, Royal Bank of Canada (RY) look pretty attractive. I am surprise to see that even with a TSX at 15 000 points up, RY still trade way below the $80 per share.

I am watching my expenses, like I watch movies here instead of paying $12.99 to go and I didn't purchase new clothes in a little while. And I am trying not to spend too much. My non-registered portfolio close the day at $139 904.77. Can I make it at $140 000 by the end of the week? I hope so.