Hello New Brunswick, and hello money!

I arrived in New Brunswick yesterday. We had a wonderful afternoon at Rivière-du-Loup. If you have never been there, I strongly suggest a visit. The scenery is very beautiful. Just have a look for yourself. I often post pictures of the same spot on my blog, you may recognize:

My old folks picked me up at Rivière-du-Loup, like usual since there's still no bus going to New Brunswick. On the highway, one little idiot passed us at a very high speed. Instead of passing us to the left, he went on the right side, and it was pretty scary. I just don't understand why he didn't pass us on the left side, because he could have done so without any problem. There was massive traffic. We arrived safely home. I think I will be spending the whole month of August in New Brunswick. I drive my mom's car today, as we went to a local beach, but I don't drive enough to be left out in a car by myself on the highway if you see what I mean. It's been a busy weekend.

My investment portfolio closed the month of July on a super high note. It's kind of nice and I welcome this as a breath of fresh air. My non-registered portfolio closed this past Friday's session at $146,924.10, my US portfolio $4,944.15, my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $65.430.16, and my TFSA portfolio at $124,293.28. I estimate my net worth to be in the $343,000, which means I am only missing $18,000 in order to reach back my highest value of $361,000.

This past Friday, other than good results for my investment portfolio, I also welcomed a paycheck. I am closing the month of July with a bit more than $2,000 at my disposal to do whatever I want with it. For now, that money is still in my saving account, sleeping peacefully.

Happy Fed Day, investors! Hello $$$!

Well, it seems like both Canadian and US markets kind of love the hike in the interest rate made by the Fed. If you ask me, I think the Fed will have to hike the interest rate again later on for the third time. It seems like inflation is very hard to push down. Today, my investment portfolio gained over $3,000 today. While enjoying some interesting gains, I really have a taught for those who are struggling financially and who are facing a rough time paying their bills, mortgage, or rent. I never really face financial difficulties in my life, but when I was a young girl in the late nineties-2000s, I didn't have much money, and sincerely I didn't care. It didn't really matter to me. I didn't care because I didn't actually suffer from not having much money at my disposal. But these days, it seems like if you don't have much money, you really feel it. That's probably the major difference between now and "the good old days"...

By the way, I am turning 42 on August 27 :-) !!!! Can you believe that in 8 years I will be turning 50??!! (I know).

I am getting ready to leave Montreal for New Brunswick this weekend. I can afford and I can work from there, as long as Rogers gets their shit together. I haven't gone there yet during the summer and if I don't go now, I won't be able to enjoy the good weather. According to my mom, we still have a good 2 weeks ahead when we can still go swimming outside. I have to say I wouldn't really mind not doing it because here in Montreal, I live close by a gym where there's a rooftop swimming pool, so I can easily go for a swim right after being done with work. It's quite enjoyable. In New Brunswick, I don't have such a place. I will be able to go swimming only during the weekends. But that's ok. At home, my old folks cook for me, and I can enjoy the patio with this view so it's not too bad.

We also have an eagle who has established himself in that area and it's pretty cool to see him fly in the sky. Let's say I am enjoying my privileges while I still can. I may not always have a place to go easily in New Brunswick unless I buy a house or something later on.

My non-registered portfolio closed today session at $144,572.03, my US portfolio at $4,830.05, my RRSP portfolio - stocks-only - at $64,838.87, and my TFSA portfolio at $120,578,03. I estimate my net worth to be somewhere in the $334,000. This Friday, I am waiting for my paycheck and I will have a lot of $$$ at my disposal. I decided to be reasonable and to put a part of it into savings. Hunting season is coming in a hurry and while going hunting, it can cost something like $30/$40 per day in gas or something like it. So I prefer to plan ahead - for once. In case you didn't know, while going hunting, you spend quite some time riding in a car - at least that's like that in New Brunswick. The woods just have no ends in my home province.

Surprise, my net worth is probably is the $333,000! Yeah.

The Pope had arrived in Canada, but you won't see me on any of the sites he's visiting. I am Catholic, I had been baptized, but I am not in favor of the Catholic Church. The best way to be a "good Catholic" in my opinion is to completely stay outside of the regular Catholic Church system. I feel quite bad for all those indigenous people, willing to find sympathy in the excuses deliver by the Pope. I understand it may mean something to some of the survivers and beyond, but I personally just don't get it. As far I may confirm, the Pope Francis is nothing more than an old man who can barely walk. The adorators of the Pope are nothing more than weak followers. They don't know it, but the oranization of the Catholic Church is very far from God and is real deep evil, with Church looking like palaces and the Vatican being super rich. That's not the Church that I want to be in.

I don't have faith in Pope Francis, but I do have total faith in my belove TSX.

Too bad, the TSX closed the week under 19,000 points. My non-registered portfolio is still going strong and closed this past Friday's session at $141 647,39. My US portfolio closed at $4,787.40 US, my RRSP portfolio stocks-only at $64,194.23, and my TFSA portfolio at $119,581.13. My margin account debt is in the $45,900.

Today, my numbers are higher by over $2,500. My non-registered portfolio closed today session at $143,410.85, my US portfolio at $4,824.12, my RRSP portfolio - stocks-only - at $64,261.94 and my TFSA portfolio at $120,005.20. I estimate my net worth to be in the $333,000. If its the case, I am now only missing $28,000 before hitting back my old highest value ever of $361,000.

I am going back to New Brunswick in a few days. I no longer have any vacations for the summer, but at least I have the weekends. I love the lakes that we have in my area. This summer, many Quebeckers died while ejoying the outdoors. Some go swimming, and they actually don't know how to swim, and die. Most of the time, I swim like a frog. I can stay in the water for a long time and I actually go swimming almost every day here in Montreal. I am a frog that is a frog who like to be a frog :-)

To all the hoarders out there!

It was another good day for the TSX, which closed the day within 19,000 points. We are now only missing 937.15 points to hit the old 20,000 points. I notice that my non-registered hit on the 142k, closing at $142,073.00, my US portfolio at $4,778.56, my RRSP portfolio - stocks only - at $64,016.65, and my TFSA portfolio at $119,856.65. I estimate my net worth to maybe be around $331,000. I am now only missing $30,000 in order to hit back my old highest net worth value, which was $361,000. I don't see this as a super huge gap. $30,000 is a lot of money, but it's not awful. My margin debt is now below $46,000 which is great.

Despite inflation and other things I have no control over, I have to admit that I am in a great place right now. Since I came back to Montreal, I went through a massive process of going through my clothes, old books, old fake pieces of jewelry, papers... I am sort of a hoarder in a certain way, but I know it. I could say that I am actually a good hoarder. Once I am in the mood and see the necessity of it, I declutter without any problems. I am a good hoarder because I can get rid of things easily. And real hoarders or actually not able to view themselves as they are - but I personally have no problem with that It happen I was in that sort of mood a few months ago, which help a lot. Now, the only thing I am still working on is my papers. And you may ask yourself, what I mean by papers. Well, it goes to old tax papers, to stuff you had from your school years, old financial statements - all sort of papers that I just put away, and keep over the years. I am well advanced but I want to keep a copy - an electronic one - of what is important to me. And I am currently dealing with the most precious part if I may say. I don't have too much left to go through, but because I don't have that much left, I just don't move forward in that task.

So that's my main project for the days to come.

I also put on sale some items I don't use or need anymore. I did a good job with that selling an old laptop and old smartphone. I had sold a purse just a few days ago. I think it was yesterday, don't ask me. I didn't sleep well last night because of the extremely hot weather, but today is much better in Montreal. I don't really like social media, but I have to say that I had sold all of my stuff on Facebook's Marketplace. I got many replies for my old electronic items over there and they sold very quickly. I was really impressed. If you have anything for sale, I strongly suggest Marketplace, it's quite a powerful tool, much more than Kijiji alone, but I do both.

The end of July is coming, and with it, a brand new $2,000 I will have at my disposal to do whatever I want to do with it. I want to invest it partly, and I was thinking about probably investing a bit in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A) inside my non-registered portfolio. I want to invest also a bit in FTS, POW, and BCE - those are stocks that I already own in my non-registered portfolio. I would like a few shares just to add up to my number of stocks. I still have plenty of room inside my TFSA portfolio, but I prefer to add stocks to my non-registered one in order to boost the value of my margin, to keep it strong.

I am a hoarder, but I am not dumb.

More and more dividend candies from Methanex Corporation (MX)

The "Dividend candies" make me laugh. In my beautiful non-registered portfolio, Methanex Corporation (MX) is among the first stocks that I invested in many years ago. Currently, MX is on a wonderful gain of +210,83% in my non-registered portfolio. It's really rare that MX announced a dividend increase. I don't actually remember if it's an event that ever happens before now, but I doubt it. Just a few days ago, Methanex Corporation (MX) announced a happy 20% dividend increase! 

That's somewhat exciting news. One strange thing is that this is actually happening now, while we are struggling with both recession AND inflation. The recession state hasn't been declared yet, but if it happens, it could be the first time that we have to deal with both of those strange things at the exact same time. This latest dividend increase for Methanex Corporation (MX) increased my annual dividend to close to $11,600.

On that good note, my non-registered portfolio closed today's session at $141,745.08, my US portfolio at $4,780.52, my RRSP portfolio at $63,918.34, and my TFSA portfolio at $119,230.09. Today, I invested a very small in TD inside my TFSA portfolio. I bought less than 5 shares.

Thank you for the good day, TSX!

I was just so in need of this right now!

Its been quite a very good day for the TSX, which closed today's session on a good 18,937.71 points. This happens while the UK and Europe are burning under a heavy hot wave. Today, I didn't suffer much from the heat, but tomorrow could be a bit more difficult. My non-registered portfolio closed today session on a great $141,504.47, my US portfolio at $4,791.42, my RRSP portfolio at $64,140.29 and my TFSA portfolio at $118,706.66. I received a bunch of little dividend payments, so I have now again a bit of money to invest again.

A few days ago, I place a very small investment in BCE Inc. (BCE) inside my TFSA portfolio and in Telus Corp (T) inside my RRSP portfolio. I like to reinvest the money I earn from my dividend, whenever it's at my disposal. The 0$ commission fee with National Bank Direct Brokerage is helping me on that matter.

I didn't post anything in a little while, but here's a little paragraph that I wrote a few days back:

The TSX is so unstable that I think I might simply transfer the $2,000 that I am expecting by the end of the month over my margin amount. The TSX is currently still in the 18,000 points, but it may even go lower when the "recession" status is confirmed and announced. Or it may not move too much, since we are expecting it. There's just no way to predict which direction the TSX will take next. On the date of yesterday, I still have over $45,000 available as "buying power" on my margin account. I am in a good shape, but watch the TSX ups and downs on a daily basis. With the interest rate rising, the interest owned on my margin account is also raising. Currently, according to National Bank Direct Brokerage to interest own on my margin, with a debt of a bit over $46,000 is 5%. I declared the interest rate own on my margin as "financial fees" each year on my tax declaration. 

And with today's good results for the TSX, I just want to invest it all :))))) Let's go.

An ordinary day for the TSX

The scratch on my right knee is healing well and I don't regret staying here in Montreal. We had another beautiful day, with some rain in the afternoon. The sun came back within a few hours. I went swimming later on in the evening, and it started raining again. The weather is very perfect - despite the rain, just the way I like it. Montreal is really feeling like a dream right now. The month of July is also really perfect in its own way because I will be receiving not 2, but 3 paychecks. 

I spent quite of bit of money so far this summer, but I am now slowing it down a bit on the expenses. The good weather makes it easier to cook a meal at home, so I just have no excuse. It's still more than $2,000 that I will have at my disposal by the end of the month, after everything is paid off. I was thinking to invest half of the sum and keeping the other half as savings. If you have any good money available, I strongly suggest putting some money aside as savings. Yes, it's boring, and yes it's tempting to invest it all - like I normally do - but with inflation and a recession at our door, it will be wise to build up a bit more savings, just to play it safe. I am actually thinking about keeping it all in savings.

Just a few days ago, I wanted to buy some jam, but I land up paying $6.99 for it. It's normally always on sale at Shoppers, but it wasn't at the time. The one I like was at that price, which I still remember to this date. This being said, I didn't shop around to see if I could get the so-wanted jam at a lower price. I normally don't buy an item if it's too expensive, but I did pay for it that time... It's something quite insulting to me. I eventually got over it, but it makes me realize that inflation is really here and that at some points, I may have to pay more than I expect for some everyday items. However, I will try as much as possible to stick to my no-buy rule when something is too expensive for my taste. I don't really need jam to live, but some jam is too good with pancakes, even at $6.99.

And here it is, my favorite jam. Delicious! :-)

I have more than just my favorite jam pic to share. Here are a few pictures.

I like the view of construction a bit everywhere in Montreal...

The TSX closed today's session on 18,678.64 points, leaving my non-registered portfolio at $138,878.14, my US portfolio at $4,789.50, my RRSP portfolio - stocks-only - at $63,321.75 and my TFSA portfolio at $117,021.67. It's expected that the Bank of Canada will raise rates tomorrow. We'll see how the TSX handles it. Since it's my last couple of days of vacation, I probably won't be in front of my laptop to look at what's going on.