Closing out this Black Friday with a net worth of $443,118.38

The TSX closed this past Friday’s session at a disastrous 23,193.47 points, down -1,142.30 (-4.69%). It’s quite rare to have two exceptionally bad days in a row. Usually, when the market experiences a deep correction, it bounces back at least slightly the following day—but that’s certainly not what happened this time! As of now, U.S. futures are significantly down, which could lead to yet another painful day tomorrow morning for the TSX.

These past couple of days weren’t easy to watch, but strangely enough, I remained surprisingly calm. Derek Foster recently sent out a newsletter where he shared which stocks he's currently investing in, among other insights. I replied, thanking him for the note—because in these chaotic times, we all need some good, old-fashioned common sense. I told him that thanks to his influence, I was very close to reaching a $500,000 net worth before this correction hit and that I was proud of how calmly I was handling the market crash. I also mentioned that I recently ordered his new book God and Santa—even if it’s not finance-related, I was just glad he published something new.

Right now, Derek Foster is investing in names like CNR but is also keeping some cash on hand—which makes sense, considering he has a big family to care for (eight kids!). Regardless, I think it’s smart to keep some cash in any investment portfolio. For many years, I lived paycheque to paycheque, investing every single penny that I could. It’s not something I recommend doing, but it’s what I did for most of my adult life. I’ve never been afraid of losing money. You might see that as a good or bad thing, but I don’t fear the stock market—I see it as a tool. These days, I have $10K in savings and I’m working toward increasing that to at least $20K in the coming months, and maybe even more.

After my exchange with Derek, I realized the main reason I was feeling so calm: I have no more margin debt. In the past, even small market corrections made me a bit nervous because of the margin exposure. I was lucky—I never got a margin call—but only because I carefully managed the available balance. Now, with no margin debt at all, I can track the TSX without feeling on edge. And it's quite a liberating feeling.

Between April 2 and April 4, my net worth dropped by -$23,115.50. That’s obviously a huge loss, but I was mentally prepared for it. Maybe that’s another reason why I’ve remained composed. With Trump eyeing a second term, I expected market volatility—but I didn’t expect things to get this bad so fast.

I started investing right before the 2008 crash and used that moment as an opportunity. It was clear to me that investing during a downturn was the right move. I never doubted it. I was actually a poor girl with the mindset of a rich boss. Everyone builds their own view of the markets over time, but one truth I’ve come to believe in is this: the stock market always wins in the long run. A correction doesn’t change the fundamentals of the stocks you own. If my “bitch” (aka my portfolio) is going down, I’m holding her hand tight and going down with her. Hopefully, this correction will turn into an opportunity for growth—that's my wish. This is my personal opinion, and keep in mind that I could be wrong. At this critical point, you are the master of your finances, and you should do what feels right for you.

Until recently, my net worth hit a high of $466K. My all-time high was $469K back in January 2025. It’s never fun to watch your net worth decline, but there’s nothing you can do about it. This is not the time to sell. It’s so important to hold onto your investments because if you sell, you’ll miss the recovery when it eventually comes. Right now, it’s hard to even imagine a rebound—but like I said: the market always recovers. Just give it time. It won’t happen overnight. Recoveries tend to be slower. My best advice? Hold. Breathe. Take care of yourself. Stay calm. Invest if you can. 

A correction like this can be mentally exhausting—and that’s totally normal. So, take a rest when you need it. And if you’re in a position to invest without using margin, go for it. This could be your moment.

We might be looking at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy quality assets at fair (corrected) prices. I built much of my portfolio during the 2008 crash. I knew I was doing the right thing back then—and I believe the same applies now. Think of this crash as your chance to buy all the stocks you’ve ever dreamed of—at a discount!

That’s exactly the mindset I had when I gave myself an “investment party.” Did you notice any newcomers in my portfolio? Here’s my latest portfolio update:

👉 http://www.myfirst50000.com/2025/04/my-investment-portfolio-on-date-of_5.html

Over the past couple of months, I’ve worked hard to build up some cash. As a treat, I invested most of my Friday paycheque. Since National Bank charges no commission, I really went for it. I no longer disclose share quantities, but most of the time I only invest in one or two shares at a time. In times like these, that’s a smart move. It leaves room for future opportunities if stock prices dip further.

Here are the Canadian stocks I bought this past Friday:

📌 Non-registered portfolio:

SGR.UN, ALC, BEP.UN, PBH, GRT.UN, TD, CM, BNS, AD.UN, FTS, CUP.U, POU, CRT.UN, SRU.UN, RUS, ENQ, EIF, OTEX, CTC.A, WCP, NRGI, X, BAM

📌 TFSA portfolio:

ARG, DIV, PLZ.UN, ERE.UN, ALC, BNS, BAM, CRT.UN, CHE.UN, SGR.UN

📌 RRSP portfolio:

URB, TWC, BDT, GIB.A, OLY, POW, EMP.A, NWC, T, MRU, WN, EIF, CNR, CNQ, RY, TIH, X, TD, BNS, CPX, FTT, HYLD, MEG, NRGI, VLE, CM, SU

I added a couple of newcomers—more on that in my next post, so stay tuned! In the meantime, follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sunnyjnb.bsky.social