Does it really make any sense at all?

I knew my brother own a lot in student loan, I was still shocked to learn yesterday that he owned close to 40k in student loan debt.  He has to pay close to $500 pet make month just as minimum payment only. It just doesn't make any sense. As her sister, I told him to give the f student loan a call and shake up things. My brother live in one of the worst place in Canada: Ottawa. Ottawa is a shitty expensive place where public transportation suck. Ottawa only get exciting on one day per year: 1th of July. The Hill is full of shit and the whole renting area is super upper expensive and the workplace is extra fresh and arrogant and many workers are under paid because too much jobs are being managed by staffing agencies. I lived a few years in Ottawa and I was really happy when I left if you see what I mean. I very dislike my time in Ottawa, but I like to go there once in a while, but not very often.

So knowing all that, and especially knowing that my bro live on less than 50k per year, knowing he live in an extra expensive fresh f arrogant Ottawa are, hell in the world, why does he have to pay close to $500 per month on a F student loan. Does it make any sense at all?

My bro decided to follow the flow and do like too many other young people do: enroll to a Canadian university, be clean and and go deep into debt by enrolling into student loans. And what did he got in return? A holly bunch of debt. And a job, sure, but not a 50k a year salary. I don't think the Canadian educational system worth the debt it cost.

February was an awesome investing month

Already the month of March coming in! Another rent to be paid, and bills, oh yeah. I rank up to a total of $1 681 in expenses for March. I have bought a new office chair for $191 in February. I didn't have any comfy chair, but now I have one so just be ready to read on some more interesting blog posts!

My credit card rank up to $895. Oh lala. I plan to control more my expenses in March and cut off morning (and sometimes) afternoon coffees and stuff. Its not outrageous spending, but I plan to be more careful and not buy any coffees at work - or at least I try. I don't like to rank close to the $900 on my credit card.

I am going to Quebec City next week for a shopping trip as my folks are going there so hopefully, we'll be able to meet without too much trouble. I have a cell phone, but of course, they don't. Anyway, the goal is not to spend more than $500 for the month of March on my credit card. Or maybe 600. Budgeting is HARD.

Even after a deposit of $1 600 on my student loan, my monthly payment is still the same $98, it didn't actually reduce the amount. But in result, my student loan balance is now of only $3 6030 and 42 cents. Not a fortune at all and I would very like to get rid of my student loan sometime by the end 2014. My brother own closed to $50 000 in student loan and believe it or not, his monthly payments are close tot he $500 per month! Students loans staff are retarded for sure.

In the immediate time I have my $2 404.45 credit card balance at 0% with CIBC that soon will expire. I will be ok to pay it off by the end of April. But wait, in April, I am going home for Easter and April is also the TAX month.

For the second year in a row, I have pop up the 50k in income for 2013. I probably going to have something close like the $600 to $800 to pay extra in taxes. I may need to use my BMO credit line for a limited time, I don't know. But the good news is that April will probably be a very good month for my dividend income.

Other than the usual money problem, I stop coloring my hair and my natural color is slowly showing and I don't dislike what I see. Its been 2 months since I didn't color my hair and I don't regret. I had been coloring my hair for close to 10 years now and the whole process of getting my hair colored is taking long each time and it need to be done every single months. So I got enough and stop coloring my hair, saving about $25-$30 each month. But I am not doing this to save money, its just that I really have enough of hair coloration.

To close February in all in strength and fabulous beauty, my non-registered portfolio finish the session at $137 516.02! In result, I have left $7 633.77 on my margin. I like to see the TSX at more than 14 000 points. I hope things will remain as good for the upcoming months as I am working at paying down my debt.

Its the RRSP season and you shouldn't care about it

Its the big RRSP season  once again and personally, I am not a fan of RRSP. I have 40k worth invested in RRSP and I can say that if I regret one thing in my life, its all that money that I invest inside RRSP. 

I am not a fan of RRSP for many reasons. First of all, you never can plan what kind of shit will put itself on your way. When you invest inside a RRSP, you cannot benefit that money until you retired at an OLD age. 

Investing in RRSP will provide an immediate tax benefit, but when you get old, and withdraw the money, you'll need to pay tax on that money + all gain made! Awful right? I think that all the money you can possibly save should go to pay down debt and inside a TFSA and after, a non-registered account.

I need money now, not when I will be old and grey.

The name of this B**** is M-O-N-E-Y, Honey

And you are all going to understand really quickly why. Its a mega portfolio pow-wow! My non-registered portfolio is on the $137 226 value right now, its highest value ever. I own this success to some good old stocks of mine. When I say old stocks, I mean stocks that I had been holding on to for a veryyy longggg time. Those extra special stocks are like Methanex (MX), which I bought at close to $16 per stock back in sometime like,,, 2008. And in 2008, I was a 28 year old chick. As the year pass by, I luckily only got richer. MX closed the day at close to the $75 today. That's right, that baby is going to stay with me forever. Hello, no not diamonds, but hello very expensive $$$ cash.

Another stock that totally turn me on at this time is Premium Brands Holdings Corp (PBH), currently trading on the high at $23.60, I got in the game at $16.66. I own this one to Jean-François Tardif. And talking about the Jean-François Tardif, is JFS.UN fund is finally kicking some ass and making me a very very rich girl.

Other stuff like AGU, BNS, PGF, CNR, oh yeah CNR, DH and sooo on had made of me a lucky girl.

Richness is relative. For some, being rich mean being a millionaire. For others, a $50 000 is all they need.

Saying hello for the first time to a $190 000 portfolio

I haven't post nothing in about 2 weeks, which is quite unusual, but I had been busy with a part-time activity. I made I guess around $700 from it so far and I already been paid for one project. I plan to use the money to pay down some debt. I have update my home office chair to a new one, it make it more comfortable to spend those long hours in front of my laptop, or even for blogging.

Even while being busy at other stuff, I kept my eyes on the stock market and I saw it going up up up. The TSX pop up the 14 000 points mark, like WOW! And I knew at that time I was on the $190 000 value at that time. I was very excited. My net worth is now at $111 472.91. If the rhythm stay the same, who knows, I could easily get on the $150k net worth by the end of 2014. Wouldn't be great?

My debt repaying plan is going on well. Other than my margin, I only have left $3 723 on my student loan and a balance of $2 508 on a 0% credit card that I need to pay by the end of May. $2 500 is quite an amount and my priority is now to pay it as soon as possible. The month of May is coming in a hurry! And some vacations in Easter too...

My investment portfolio on date of February 21, 2014

In date of February 21, 2014:

Non registered Investments:

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN 
Timminco (TIMNF): $1.56

Blue Note Mining (BNT.H): $2

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS): $6 954.10
Hanwei Energy Services (HE): $21
Methanex Corporation (MX): $7 430.42
Fortis Inc. (FTS): $3 346.30
Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL): $18 387.60
Just Energy Group Inc. (JE): $7 200.10
Pengrowth Energy Corporation (PGF): $1 727.30
Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. (ENF): $8 561.54
Corby Distilleries Limited (CDL.A): $2 265.50
Davis + Henderson Corporation (DH): $6 199.20
Premium Brands Holdings Corporation (PBH): $10 255.45
EnCana Corporation (ECA): $4 370.08
iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE): $2 417.80

Horizons Gold Yield Fund (HGY): $1 376.55
Canfor Pulp Products Inc. (CFX): $1 383.48
New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI): $2 296.32

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF): $4 915.90
Colabor Group Inc. (GCL): $476.34

TMX Group Inc. (X): $401.52
K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL): $3 750
Westshore Terminals Invest Corp (WTE): $7 344
WesternOne Inc. (WEQ): $2 850
First Majestic Silver Corp (FR): $1 341
Kinross Gold Corp (K): $877.31
TransCanada Corp (TRP): $1 222.50
Canadian National Railway Co (CNR): $5 577.30
Firm Capital Mortgage Investment Corporation (FC): $476
Enbridge Inc. (ENB): $1 335.60
Agrium Inc. (AGU): $2 620.02
Canadian Utilities Limited (CU): $1 637.58Crescent Point Energy Corp (CPG): $854.92

JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN): $2 412
Geovencap Inc. (GOV.H): $0.40

Black Diamond Group Ltd (BDI): $758.25

Emera Inc. (EMA): $820.25

Cineplex Inc. (CGX): $1 002.25

Barrick Gold Corp (ABX): $931.60

BCE Inc. (BCE): $1 051.60

Stella Jones Inc. (SJ): $527.40

Shoppers Drug Mart Corp (SC): $2 991.50

Saputo Inc. (SAP): $1 071.80

Canada Bread Company Ltd (CBY): $2 527.70

Lassonde Industries Inc. (LAS.A): $1 156.20
Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD): $993

TOTAL: $136 130.24

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:
Sprott Physical Silver Trust ET (PSLV): $1 384.74
Cash: $4.12

TOTAL: $1 388.86

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):
EnerCare Inc. (ECI): $30.15
Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI): $129.38
Sprott Physical Silver Trust UTS (PHS.U): $2 004.40
Sprott Strategic Fixed Income Fund (SFI.UN): $363.50

Healthlease Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (HLP.UN): $1 057

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust (REI.UN): $926.45

Precious Metals and Mining Trust (MMP.UN): $565.20

Sprott Inc. (SII): $3 522.53

Chorus Aviation Inc. (CHR.B): $594.36

Data Group Inc. (DGI): $474.64

AltaGas Ltd (ALA): $1 252.50

CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN): $1 131

Cash: $73.09

TOTAL: $12 124.20

RSP investment portfolio:
Sprott Canadian Equity Fund: $3 555.86
iShares Gold Bullion Fund (CGL): $3 978.26
EnCana Corporation (ECA): $2 227.06
Emera Incorporated (EMA): $7 546.30
Sprott Physical Silver Trust UTS (PHS.U): $668.13

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD): $1 489.50

Barrick Gold Corp (ABX): $1 164.50

Stella Jones Inc. (SJ): $2 637

Telus Corp (T): $1 939

Tim Hortons (THI): $582
Cash: $196.33

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund: $677.13
CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund: $329.88
CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $1 198.75

Energy and Base Metals Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $577.30
Natural Resources Term Savings (Indexed term savings): $502.06

GIC National Bank: $1 277
GIC Plus TD: $500

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP B: $1 200.26
Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio: $1 076.65
Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund: $1 211.17
Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund: $1 304.12
Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest: $872.74

Great-West – various: $2 189.08 
Various other mutual funds: $1 333

TOTAL: $40 133.08

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $40 

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax- 
free Savings account + RRSP + Online Income
($123.95):

$190 040.33

My deb situation on date of February 21, 2014

2 508.45$ for 6 months at 0% (credit card) = $0

$72 335.03 at 4.25% (margin money coming from my broker account): = 
$3 074.24 in annual interest

$3 723.94 at low interest rate loan at 5.50% (student loan) = $204.82 in annual interest

TOTAL: $78 567.42

TOTAL in annual interest: $3 279.06

[In date of February 21, 2014]

CIBC Visa decided to treat the Dividend Girl like a Queen... and you should all do the same!

Not so long a ago, a reader was asking if I finally got my credit check and what my score was. Well, I didn't get my credit check yet, but I guess I have one of those very good credit score because once again, CIBC Visa decided to treat me like a Queen.

With CIBC Visa, I am currently under a 0% credit card balance promotion. Nice, but it seem not to be enough for CIBC Visa. I received the following offers by mail today: CIBC Visa offer to increase my credit card limit to close to 10k. And that's not all! CIBC Visa is offering me 1.99% interest rate for 6 months. Both offers are nice, but I am not accepting one or the other as I have more debt that I need on my back. The 1.99% offer for six months is not that much interesting because a 1% immediate fee need to be paid off, and to that you need to add 1.99% interest rate. Not to interesting.

I haven't mail my $1 600 to the Student Loan yet, and I guess its the best thing I can do for now, rather than getting into a credit card limit increase and stuff.

For those cold winter nights, try David Tea The Spice is right

The weekends are always a nice time and the day FOLLOWING a paycheck is always extraordinary. Yeah! I had discovered an extraordinary David Tea name The Spice is right, a spicy orange green tea with 0 calories and the taste is absolutely amazing, its my new favorite tea. While drinking The Spice is right, you could thing that the tea contain sugar, but no sugar, only a very great taste! The mix of orange and cinnamon is very good! Check on the Spice for those cold winter nights.

While drinking that awesome tea, I wonder: what am I going to do with that money? In total, I have a $1 600 available to do whatever I want. Excluding my margin, my debt include a $2 500 credit balance at 0% for 6 months and a $5 381.54 student loan. My margin situation is stable for now, and I have plenty of cash available - $20 000 available on my different credit lines and I have an immediate access to $15 000 in case of need. So no excuse, I have no excuse. I haven't done extra payment on my student loan in a very long time and with only $5 381.54 left to be paid, giving an extra push on it wouldn't hurt at all. I don't have much debt excluding margin, so paying off as much possible, why not.

I currently have to make a monthly payment of $98 on my student loan. With an extra payment of $1 600, it could lower my payment to $69 a month and lower my student loan to $3 781.54.

I have establish a minimum monthly budget that goes like this:

Rent: $615

Grocery: $200

Internet: $39

Cell: $41

Laundry: $18

Student Loan: $98 $69

Banking Fees: $6

Credit card at 0%: $53

Total: $1 041

Knowing my habits, a more realistic budget should include an extra $300 for other expenses like coffees and stuff like hair products, makeup and clothes. A more realistic is $1 350. Its getting more and more interesting. 

Saying goodbye to Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX)

I am late on the post, but I didn't take time yesterday to make it publicly announced... yesterday, I have sell all of my Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX) shares for $11.70. I cash in $633.51 after commission. Its a good move for me because I need to lower by debt and also at this point, Heroux-Devtek Inc. (HRX) doesn't pay any dividend. I had collected dividend from HRX in the past, but it was only one time, 2 years ago at the time a special dividend of 5$ per share was distributes. Two years is a long run to be able to sell back a stock on a profit, but this was only a tiny small investment and I had all the time of the word. I can be very patient when needed.

My non-registered portfolio closed today session at $130 659.67. The markets are quite difficult these days and hyper sensible to the situation for the emergent market. I don't have too much left on my margin (just something like 3k), so I decided to put my upcoming paycheck on my margin instead of my student loan or anything else. Following what, I will only own $73 558 in debt - including margin, student loan and my current credit card balance at 0%. 

I am watching the French Quebec TV show L'Épicerie, thanks to my antenna, and there's a guy that live on a $60 grocery bill for one month..... Oh lala... The goal was to eat for $2 a day, he was able to make it, lost 12 pounds among the way, but wasn't much interest in repeating the experience because it requested a lot of shopping time. No, its not something I am interested in.