It has never been complicated. To be in a good financial state, I need the TSX to be at 20,000 points. And from there, my investment portfolio can grow properly. Today, as I watched my TSX reach 20,400 points, I knew I was onto something! My non-registered portfolio closed today's session at $145,979.58, my US portfolio at $7,370.06 CAD, my TFSA portfolio at $130,277.63, and my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $67,502.81.
I have over $400,000 in total assets, and my net worth is now very close to $370,000, sitting at $369,820.54. I am happy that I updated my investment portfolio this evening, as I hadn't done so in a while. The month of March had been quite busy, and I had been observing my stocks and other investments from a distance without much involvement on my part.
Some areas in Quebec and Ontario, including Montreal, had dealt with the effects of an ice storm. It might be challenging to live in Montreal these days. I hope the street where my apartment is located is doing okay. I actually have a massive tree facing my window, and here's what it looks like during winter:
I am planning to return to Montreal sometime in May. In the meantime, I am continuing my adventure in decluttering. I have made some exciting discoveries, which I have shared on my Twitter account. Posting on Twitter occasionally is enjoyable as it doesn't demand a lot of my time. Feel free to follow me there, I am right here :-)
Fortunately, I don't have much to declutter in terms of clothes. I have what I need, especially here in New Brunswick. The same goes for makeup and beauty products, as I am being quite reasonable these days. However, my main challenge is dealing with sentimental items, books, papers, old academic notes, and pictures. Being 42 years old, I have a lot of printed pictures from when I was younger, and most of the time, I printed "double" copies. So, it's like having duplicates to take care of, and sometimes it takes time to figure out that I actually have a set in duplicate... you know what I mean? I have finished decluttering my pictures, but I still have some books and old academic notes to go through. I have one small suitcase and about 5 large plastic bins left to tackle. My goal is to minimize the amount of stuff I keep, as I will eventually have to bring it with me to Montreal, sooner or later.
Personally, decluttering is something I have to do periodically. Typically, when I return to Montreal after spending a few weeks or even months in New Brunswick, I engage in decluttering. It's really helpful because being away from my belongings for a while allows me to easily identify clothes and items that I no longer need. Usually, I leave the clothes I no longer wear in Montreal. Living between Montreal and New Brunswick has its pros and cons. I enjoy spending time in both places. I left my hometown when I was around 20 or 21, but I always came back, though I moved around quite a bit in the meantime. That's why I left most of my sentimental items in New Brunswick. It hasn't been a problem, but now that I am almost 43 years old and my parents are getting older, I feel the need to bring all my belongings with me to Montreal, with a few exceptions. I am leaving my printed pictures and photo albums in New Brunswick, along with some winter clothes.
Decluttering sentimental items is probably one of the most challenging tasks, and it's what I am currently dealing with. However, I am fortunate to have the luxury of time and can thoroughly go through these items. What remains to be done are the items that have been in storage for a long time (in those infamous plastic bins and that little grey suitcase), as they were previously put away during a major decluttering session. I am determined to go through these items and assess what I can let go of. Among these things are academic notes, papers, and books - my usual sentimental items.
My bedroom in New Brunswick is a good size, not too big, but spacious enough. My wardrobe was filled with my mother's clothes, but I had packed my usual stuff in there, not clothes. My bed had drawers, and the contents were mine. I had a small library with a mix of my mom's items and some of my books. Next, I had a beautiful wooden chest of drawers that my father built decades ago, which held a combination of my things and my father's clothes (that's where I found my old New Kids on the Block tapes, lol). I also had a dresser that mostly contained my clothes and belongings, along with some of my mother's items. Then, I had a side table with two drawers that held my things. Finally, I had a desk table with drawers, and in one of them, I found... floppy disks... This gives you an idea of what I had to go through. However, I can proudly say that I am done with decluttering my bedroom. I tackled this task by working on one section at a time. At one point, I had a lot of stuff on the floor, but I left it there and decluttered it when I had time. Having everything out really helped.
I have significantly reduced the number of sentimental objects and papers that I keep. I took a lot of pictures of documents and notes that I wanted to preserve, and once I had taken the pictures, I got rid of the papers. It was the only way I could move forward with this process. I am not against keeping sentimental items, but in my case, it had become too much.
In fact, I enjoy the process of decluttering because it allows me to go through all of my belongings and documents. I actually find going through those documents enjoyable. In my case, I could say I am an intellectual hoarder. I don't mind reading through those things because, after so many years, it's like a refresher. It's like I am transported back in time.
Posts
