My debt situation on date of January 25, 2024

Margin Account Debt: $12,395.81 at 8.50%

Annual Interest: $1,053.65

As of January 25, 2024

For a complete update on my debt situation, please click on the label "Debt Situation" located in the right column of this blog.

Easy Tips on How to Save Money When Inflation Wants to Eat You Alive - Small Town in New Brunswick Edition

Living in a quiet suburb comes with its pros and cons. When you don't live next door to a coffee shop, library, gym, or any stores at all, and you need a car to go absolutely everywhere, life can sometimes be miserable. I am currently spending the long winter weeks in New Brunswick, living in such a suburb, in a small quiet community where not much is happening. However, don't get me wrong; I like spending time with my old folks in New Brunswick, but spending very long periods of time here, especially during the winter, can be a bit hard for me. I cannot go to the gym very easily, and I cannot go to a coffee shop for an espresso during my lunch break for the simple reason that we don't have any around here. It sometimes gets a bit boring, but at the same time, it gives me the opportunity to save a lot of money.

Here's a perfect example of boredom in little New Brunswick: yesterday, my mom asked me, "What would you like to do? How about going to Walmart?" (That's my mom trying to get creative and figure out what to do just to please me). I politely refused the invitation for the simple and good reason that if I stepped into a Walmart, I would come out with certainly an invoice of $50 - and maybe more, and the fact is, I wasn't in need of anything. I really didn't want to get into spending more when I am trying to save money.

Just to make things worse, the weather has been very cold lately in New Brunswick. I am not enjoying the outdoors very much these days. It makes it hard to exercise. I usually take some daily walks, but not these days. There are many good YouTubers that make easy-to-follow exercise videos, walking videos, etc. I plan to do some to get in better shape. Actually, I am planning to start this evening. It's something that I had in mind for the new year, but I haven't moved forward so far. When it comes to exercising, I prefer going to a gym rather than doing exercises at home. For the next couple of weeks, I won't be able to access a gym as easily as I would like. I plan to go back to Montreal mid-March. It's my father's birthday in February, and after that, it's my mom's in March, so I plan to leave the week following her birthday - if the weather allows it. The months of January, February, and March are birthday months in my family. I am the only one who has her birthday in summer, more exactly in August.

What I wanted to share in this post is the following: when it comes to saving money, try to concentrate more on your needs rather than your wants. It's easier said than done, but you need to establish a state of mind where saving money becomes your priority. Avoid any shopping trips that are not necessary and eat your meals at home. Before leaving Montreal for New Brunswick, I ate out a few times, and most of the time, it wasn't even on fancy things, but even "regular" eating out had become more expensive. I remember one time eating out, and I got a salmon bagel, a soup, a coffee, and a bottle of water, and it cost me over $30... You can still enjoy city life if you eat at home or bring a little sandwich and snacks while going out. This is something that I will work on once I go back to Montreal.

On those good words, I need to go and do my exercise videos... This is day one.

The Positive Effects of Holding Quality Stocks on Your Mental Health – Better Than Prozac

(The post title is quite intellectual and came from my mind on a Saturday night. I am currently watching The Sopranos, that's where the Prozac inspiration is coming from :-)). Winter is long here in New Brunswick. I cannot wait to go back to Montreal.

The TSX closed this past Friday's session at a not-so-bad 20,906.52 points, leaving my non-registered portfolio at $142,044.30, my US portfolio at $5,192.93 US, my TFSA portfolio at $125,294.83, and my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $64,431.65. My margin account debt is now at $12,395.81. I just cannot wait to finally sell my Bitcoins and Ethereum ETFs at a profit.

Interesting fact: Currently, in my non-registered portfolio, only two investments that I hold are in the red. Those two investments are Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI). Times have been rough for BNS. I have been holding some BNS stocks in my non-registered portfolio for the longest time. Back in the days, BNS was a Derek Foster stock. If I remember correctly, BNS was from his "Stop Working" book. It's with that book that I began my investment portfolio. Over the years, thanks to the dividend DRIP, my investment in Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) has grown quite significantly. Unfortunately, these days, my investment value is in the red when it comes to that stock.

As for New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI), it's also a stock that I have been holding in my non-registered portfolio for a really long time. This one wasn't a Derek Foster stock. NFI has experienced a rough ride, but it usually gets back on its feet following a downturn. There have been a lot of downturns with NFI. I actually reduced - several years ago - the number of stocks that I hold of NFI. I was able to sell at a profit. Despite being difficult to hold in reasons of its volatility, I really like New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI). I thought about selling the remaining NFI stocks that I hold to pay down my margin debt, but so far, I haven't proceeded. One stock that I have been seriously thinking about partly selling to pay down my margin debt is Savaria Corporation (SIS). I own some of SIS inside my non-registered and RRSP portfolio. I wouldn't mind selling some of the stocks of SIS that I own in my non-registered portfolio to pay down my margin debt.

I have been checking on my TFSA portfolio contribution room for 2024, and surprise, I am over 30k! I knew my contribution limit was high, and that being for several reasons. Prior to 2024, I already had over 19k in contribution room left for 2023. The sum of 7k for the usual 2024 limit for the TFSA brings me up to 26k. Another 4-5k came from the fact that I withdrew money coming from selling stock and dividends earned from my TFSA over my non-registered portfolio to pay down my margin account debt.

In a previous post, I shared a list of stocks that I considered as possible investments. I may or may not invest in stocks from that list; you may consider it my little stock "watch list." Personally, I enjoy being exposed to various stock ideas. If you would like to get investment ideas, I have the perfect post for you. Back in December 2023, I posted an interesting review of my top performers. You can certainly refer to that post for investment ideas.

Good past results are not a guarantee of future good results. No stock guarantees success, and no stock is free of risk. That being said, I can tell you for sure that for "middle-class" folks, the only way to get more for your money is to invest in stocks. I started my investment journey when I was still fresh and new to the workforce at 27 years old. With the employer I had at the time, we had some RRSPs that were invested in mutual funds. I didn't know much about investing when I first started, but while looking at the returns of those mutual funds, I was sincerely quite disappointed. I wasn't impressed at all. I had the intuition that there was something better out there for me. After extending my searches, I discovered the stock market world and quickly came to the realization that the only way to one day achieve financial health or improve it a little bit—in my situation—was to invest in stocks. There was just no other way. There was no other way for me because my job income itself wasn't enough, alone, to create wealth.

When it came to my career choices and everything else, I have never been driven by money. Money wasn't something that was important, and that's for several reasons. Back in my days growing up, inflation wasn't driving us crazy like today. The cost of living was much lower, and there was no housing crisis. You could have a minimum salary and live quite okay—depending on where, of course—but it wasn't difficult like today. You just didn't need as much money as today to make ends meet. The cost of living was reasonable in New Brunswick. And when I later moved to Montreal, the rents were not as huge as today. Maybe my attitude toward money would have been different if I had suffered from not having enough while growing up or if I had been raised in an expensive city, but it wasn't the case. So everything has always been quite easy-going for me in my relationship with money. It has always been a smooth one.

What changed for me is the moment I entered the workforce. I wasn't quite satisfied with the salary and the RRSP I was getting from my employer. I knew I deserved much better, but it's just that I didn't know exactly how to get what I wanted. Everything became a lot easier for me when I discovered Derek Foster's book. With my stocks, I am feeling satisfied. I actually feel that I am going somewhere. It's not always an easy road, but it's totally worth it.

Portfolio Updates and A Few Investments Ideas for 2024

The TSX closed this past Friday's session a bit behind at 20,990.22, just shy of the 21,000 points mark. My numbers remain somewhat similar to those I had just a couple of days ago, back on January 8. Here's the breakdown: my non-registered portfolio closed at $143,477.34, my US portfolio at $5,173.23 US, my RRSP portfolio stocks-only at $64,620.59, and my TFSA portfolio at $124,909.81.

Thanks to my latest paycheck and some dividend distributions, my margin account debt is now at $12,674. I should be able to reduce it to $11,934 by the end of the month. I have big hopes for February, aiming to further decrease my margin debt to $9,584.36 by month-end. To achieve this, I've set an extra ambitious plan not to spend more than $200 on extras like eating out, coffees, and whatever else. With only $200, there won't be much room for extravagance, but that's my designated "party money," equating to $50 per week. It's doable, but I'll have to closely monitor my expenses.

In 2024, my focus is on paying down my margin account debt and building up some savings. Despite this, I continue to receive dividend income in my RRSP portfolio, generating cash for potential investments. Life isn't as enjoyable without any investment projects. Recently, a stock in my RRSP portfolio - Logistec Corporation Class B Subordinate Voting Shares (LGT.B) - was sold, and it won't be trading on the TSX anymore. This automatic spontaneous sell generated a few hundred dollars, providing me with some funds to invest in my RRSP portfolio!

I like to keep a list of potential future stock ideas on the side. Here's what my list is currently looking at:

 
Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Stantec Inc. (STN)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A)

Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF)
Hydro One Limited (H)
Canadian Tire Corporation Limited Class A Non-Voting Shares (CTC.A)
Finning International Inc. (FTT)
Algoma Central Corporation (ALC)
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM)
ADENTRA Inc. (ADEN)
BRP Inc. (DOO)
Goodfellow Inc. (GDL)
Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ)
Magna International Inc. (MG)
Element Fleet Management Corp. (EFN)
EQB Inc. (EQB)
North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)
TMX Group Limited (X)
JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

Capital Power Corporation (CPX)

I already hold some Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI) in my RRSP portfolio. Over the years, my TRI shares have gained a fabulous +327.43%. While TRI shares are expensive and the dividend yield is relatively small, the overall chart of TRI is perfection, much like Stantec Inc. (STN) and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A). Currently, I don't hold any Stantec Inc. (STN) stocks, but I do have some Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A) stocks in my TFSA portfolio. In my TFSA portfolio, ATD.A has seen a gain of +74.53%.

My plan is to invest in a mix of Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI), Stantec Inc. (STN), and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A) stocks for my RRSP portfolio.

On today, January 8th, 2024 - I reached my highest net worth ever: $382,559.57

I had to write a little something to commemorate the fact that I closed the day with my highest net worth ever: $382,559.57. I am now missing less than 18k before hitting the much-wanted $400,000 net worth. I remain realistic because many things are happening simultaneously that could impact the stock market negatively: the upcoming elections in the US, the unfriendly climate in North Korea, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, and so on. I bet that there are many more conflicts going on right now that we are more or less aware of.

One thing that pops into my mind is the situation in Haiti. We don't hear much about it these days, but I don't think the situation has improved over there. It seems like everywhere, we are at a point of no return, or we have reached critical points. The fact that it's an election year for the US is not helping on any front; it's only adding to the general pressure that already exists.

One of the reasons why I like to publish updates on my investment portfolio is to keep track of everything, and it serves as a reminder that if I have once reached a $382k net worth, I have all the chances in the world to get back to the same net worth - and even more - in case of a downturn.

For now, I appreciate the numbers. The $390k net worth is just around the corner.

Historic of my Total assets and Net worth values on date of January 8, 2024

2024

Total in assets: $396,039.93/Net worth: $382,559.57: January 8, 2024 - HIGHEST NET WORTH EVER
Total in assets: $393,167.74/Net worth: $379,670.38: January 5, 2024

2023

Total in assets: $406,622.25/Net worth: $380,929.15: December 29, 2023

Total in assets: $408,307.33/Net worth: $380,099.13: December 27, 2023

Total in assets: $406,167.92/Net worth: $380,273.66: December 14, 2023 

Total in assets: $402,432.82/Net worth: $376,538.56: December 13, 2023

Total in assets: $397,453.80/Net worth: $371,540.77: December 8, 2023

Total in assets: $395,604.93/Net worth: $368,453.87: December 1, 2023

Total in assets: $390,070.59/Net worth: $362,630.53: November 17, 2023
Total in assets: $381,814.54/Net worth: $354,269.04: November 3, 2023
Total in assets: $373,267.72/Net worth: $345,282.56: October 6, 2023

Total in assets: $393,849.39/Net worth: $367,685.60: August 11, 2023

Total in assets: $397,595.65/Net worth: $361,500.59: July 18, 2023

Total in assets: $416,472.91/Net worth: $370,235.74: May 6, 2023

Total in assets: $419,167.77/Net worth: $373,150.19: April 21, 2023 - first time I ever hit the 373k!

Total in assets: $416,945.17/Net worth: $370,829.18: April 13, 2023 - first time I am in the 370k!

Total in assets: $415,945.38/Net worth: $369,820.54: April 11, 2023

Total in assets: $413,311.52/Net worth: $366,524.01: February 13, 2023

Total in assets: $411,186.99/Net worth: $364,399.48: February 10, 2023

Total in assets: $408,656.95/Net worth: $361,844.12: February 7, 2023

Total in assets: $407,606.87/Net worth: $361,043.28: January 17, 2023

Total in assets: $405,708.89/Net worth: $359,060.31: January 16, 2023

Total in assets: $404,983.22/Net worth: $358,324.64: January 13, 2023

Total in assets: $403,429.72/Net worth: $356,771.14: January 12, 2023

Total in assets: $399,232.95/Net worth: $352,574.37: January 11, 2023

Total in assets: $396,629.76/Net worth $349,971.18: January 10, 2023

Total in assets: $395,568.27/Net worth $348,909.69: January 9, 2023
Total in assets: $393,444.59/Net worth $346,786.01: January 6, 2023

2022

Total in assets: $384,602.29/Net worth $337,875.65: December 30, 2022

Total in assets: $394,205.35/Net worth $347,621.02: November 25, 2022

Total in assets: $383,659.43/Net worth $337,227.95: November 11, 2022

Total in assets: $373,493.10/Net worth $327,061.62: November 4, 2022

Total in assets: $356,147.14/Net worth $309,920.82: October 11, 2022

Total in assets: $396,620.95/Net worth $350,590.82: August 14, 2022

Total in assets: $369,523.83/Net worth $323,815.43: June 24, 2022

Total in assets: $367,287.71/Net worth $321,579.31: June 20, 2022

Total in assets: $364,145.55/Net worth $318,437.15: June 18, 2022

Total in assets: $398,010.84/Net worth $352,164.94: June 2, 2022

Total in assets: $385,843.39/Net worth  May 20, 2022: $340,156.47

Total in assets: $407,547.23/Net worth $361,442.42: April 20, 2022 

Total in assets: $405,658.35/Net worth $358,941.11: March 29, 2022

Total in assets: $403,792.28/Net worth $357,075.04: March 25, 2022

Total in assets: $402,081.01/Net worth $355,363.77: March 22, 2022

Total in assets: $400,979.64/Net worth $354,262.40: March 21, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $400,000 in total assets!

Total in assets: $398,652.13/Net worth $352,071.24: March 18, 2022 - First time I ever hit on the $350,000 in net worth value!

Total in assets: $396,355.91/Net worth $349,713.01: March 10, 2022

Total in assets: $393,037.13/Net worth: $347,573.53: March 4, 2022

Total in assets: $391,766.36/Net worth: $345,622.80: February 9, 2022

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $341,862.36: February 2, 2022

Total in assets: $386,320.32/Net worth: $340,128.37: February 1st, 2022

2021

Total in assets: $385,979.66/Net worth: $339,434.39: December 31, 2021

Total in assets: $382,726.19/Net worth: $336,268.16: December 23, 2021

Total in assets: $388,421.37/Net worth: $340,312.77 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED A $340,000 NET WORTH!
November 8, 2021

Total in assets: $387,068.51/Net worth: $338,959.91: November 5, 2021

Total in assets: $384,785.92/Net worth: $336,781.52: October 20, 2021

Total in assets: $382,580.80/Net worth: $334,576.40: October 19, 2021

Total in assets: $379,263.95/Net worth: $330,680.17: October 14, 2021

Total in assets: $364,072.52/Net worth: $315,407.64: July 26, 2021
Total in assets: $358,867.59/Net worth: $311,858.22: June 15, 2021
Total in assets: $354,774.64/Net worth: $307,559.30: June 10, 2021
Total in assets: $348,042.77/Net worth: $300,799.45 - FIRST TIME I EVER REACHED 300k in net worth, on May 26, 2021
Total in assets: $346,583.88/Net worth: $298,486.93: May 20, 2021
Total in assets: $349,651.45/Net worth: $298,435.31: May 7, 2021
Total in assets: $347,002.53/Net worth: $297,614.64: April 16, 2021
Total in assets: $338,188.16/Net worth: $287,914.75: March 11, 2021
Total in assets: $333,970.92/Net worth: $283,675.99: March 9, 2021
Total in assets: $328,881.12/Net worth: $279,611.57: February 10, 2021
Total in assets: $326,670.02/Net worth: $278,758.37: February 8, 2021
Total in assets: $324,891.52/Net worth: $276,979.87: February 4, 2021
Total in assets: $322,236.52/Net worth: $274,318.36: February 3, 2021
Total in assets: $327,639.01/Net worth: $274,298.23: January 19, 2021
Total in assets: $316,192.85/Net worth: $268,180.14: January 7, 2021
Total in assets: $313,003.95/Net worth: $264,915.22: January 6, 2021
Total in assets: $310,587.36/Net worth: $262,498.63: January 5, 2021

2020
Total in assets: $310,392.38/Net worth: $259,661.24: December 31, 2020
Total in assets: $307,812.05/Net worth: $259,070.79: December 24, 2020
Total in assets: $306,444.25/Net worth: $258,948.73: December 4, 2020
Total in assets: $304,701.39/Net worth: $257,331.58: November 27, 2020
Total in assets: $300,956.84/Net worth: $253,587.03: November 24, 2020
Total in assets: $298,903.01/Net worth: $251,533.20: November 23, 2020
Total in assets: $296,643.60/Net worth: $249,158.71: November 20, 2020
Total in assets: $294,514.87/Net worth: $247,145.87: November 11, 2020
Total in assets: $291,172.40/Net worth: $243,802.59: November 10, 2020
Total in assets: $287 803.13/Net worth: $240 433.32: November 9, 2020
Total in assets: $277,872.92/Net worth: $226,678.26: August 5, 2020
Total in assets: $276,627.27/Net worth: $227,745.47: June 6, 2020
Total in assets: $263,304.63/Net worth: $211,395.63: April 29, 2020
Total in assets: $241 461,13/Net worth: $194 558,29: March 13, 2020
Total in assets: $282,640.61/Net worth: $235,284.72: February 21, 2020
Total in assets: $304,955.72/Net worth: $257,187.44: February 12, 2020
Total in assets: $296,200.07/Net worth: $250,595: January 16, 2020
Total in assets: $292,715.58/Net worth: $244,970.41: January 9, 2020

2019
Total in assets: $288,237.52/Net worth: $239,582.44: December 31, 2019
Total in assets: $278,823.27/Net worth: $230,902.04: September 17, 2019
Total in assets: $271,896.19/Net worth: 226,137.05: June 24, 2019
Total in assets: $269 950.21/Net worth: $222 942.87: April 5, 2019
Total in assets: $251 634.94/Net worth: $206 278.84: January 18, 2019
Total in assets: $238 656.07/Net worth: $191 009.83: January 4, 2019

2018
Total in assets: $270 679.86/Net worth: $204 306.57: November 16, 2018
Total in assets: $332 750.88/Net worth: $232 609.15: August 3, 2018
Total in assets: $331 413.83/Net worth: $232 280.40: June 20, 2018
Total in assets: $326 085.75/Net worth: $226 801.92: June 3, 2018
Total in assets: $322 479.23/Net worth: $222 850.15: May 4, 2018
Total in assets: $319 644.86/Net worth: $217 246.23: March 16, 2018

2017
Total in assets: $318 544.64/Net worth: $221 989.65: December 29, 2017
Net worth on the date of November 17, 2017: $211 430.89
Net worth on the date of October 27, 2017: $212 633.39
Net worth on the date of September 29, 2017: $206 352.49
Net worth on the date of April 24, 2017: $204 277.66
Net worth on the date of March 31, 2017: $200 325.69
Net worth on the date of March 29, 2017: $198 299.73
Net worth on the date of March 18, 2017: $193 969.21

2016
Net worth on the date of December 30, 2016: $184 074.35

Net worth after debt on the date of January 1, 2014:
$101 172.99 (yes, finally, IN NET WORTH!).

On the date of February 16, 2011, the TMX hit 14 000+ points, and I exceeded the 150k in assets! (Not net worth yet).

On September 9, 2010, I reached $100,000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).

On the date of August 5, 2009, I reached my investment goal: I reached $50 000 worth of assets! (NOW, net worth).

On the date of December 5, 2009, I had exceeded $60 000 in assets! (not in net worth yet).  

My investment portfolio on date of January 8, 2024

Cold cash: $284.84

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $CAN 

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Methanex Corporation (MX)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index (XRE)

New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI)

TMX Group Inc. (X)

K-Bro Linen Inc. (KBL)

TransCanada Corp (TRP)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Enbridge Inc. (ENB)

Emera Inc. (EMA)

Loblaw Companies (L)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

George Weston Limited (WN)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (AD.UN)

Ag Growth International Inc. (AFN)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Telus Corp (T)

TOTAL: $143,220.30

Stocks and Units investment portfolio $US:

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B)

General Mills Inc. (GIS)

Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund (VONG)

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) 

CSX Corporation (CSX)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (BIPC)

TOTAL: $5,250.33 US: $6,991.34 CAN

Tax-free savings account (TFSA):

Dumont Nickel Inc. (DNI)

CT Real Estate Investment Trust (CRT.UN)

Canadian National Railway Co (CNR)

Exchange Income Corporation (EIF)

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (BIP.UN)

Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Andrew Peller Limited (ADW.A)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Boyd Group Services Inc. (BYD)

Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN)

Data Communications Mgmt (DCM)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

BCE Inc. (BCE)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Northland Power Inc. (NPI)

Calian Group Ltd. (CGY)

Canadian Utilities Limited (CU)

WSP Global Inc. (WSP)

Granite Real Estate Investment Trust (GRT.UN)

Cargojet Inc. (CJT)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

TFI International Inc. (TFII)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

SIR Royalty Income Fund (SRV.UN)

ATCO Ltd. (ACO.Y)

Aecon Group Inc. (ARE)

Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Metro Inc. (MRU)

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATD.A)

Fortis Inc. (FTS)

CGI Inc. (GIB.A)

TMX Group Limited (X)

Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BIPC)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI.B)

Telus Corp (T)

Bitcoin Fund The Class A units (QBTC)

Purpose Bitcoin ETF CAD ETF non-currency hedged units (BTCC.B)

3iQ CoinShares Ether ETF (ETHQ)

Tilray Inc (TLRY)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Stelco Holdings Inc. (STLC)

Hammond Manufacturing Company Limited Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (HMM.A)

Saputo Inc. (SAP)

Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corporation (LIF)

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (ITP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

Wescan Energy Corp. (WCE)

Verde Agritech Plc Ordinary Shares (NPK)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Goodfellow Inc. (GDL)

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN)

Pembina Pipeline Corporation (PPL)

TransCanada Corp (TRP)

A&W Revenue Royalties Income Fund (AW.UN)

Total Energy Services Inc. (TOT)

Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares (EMP.A)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

Alaris Equity Partners Income Trust (AD.UN)

Westshore Terminals Investment Corporation (WTE)

Finning International Inc. (FTT)

Element Fleet Management Corp. (EFN)

Ninepoint Energy Income Fund ETF (NRGI)

Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (CHE.UN)

Hamilton Enhanced U.S. Covered Call ETF (HYLD)

TOTAL: $125,372.53

RSP investment portfolio: 

Emera Incorporated (EMA)

Ovintiv Inc. (OVV)

Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)

Telus Corp (T)

Royal Bank of Canada (RY)

Savaria Corporation (SIS)

Thomson Reuters Corporation (TRI)

Park Lawn Corporation (PLC)

Richards Packaging Income Fund (RPI.UN)

Toromont Industries Ltd (TIH)

CAE Inc. (CAE)

CGI Group Inc. Class A Subordinate Voting Shares (GIB.A)

Boralex Inc. Class A Shares (BLX)

Quebecor Inc. (QBR.B)

Logistec Corporation Class B Subordinate Voting Shares (LGT.B)

Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (BEP.UN)

Leon's Furniture Limited (LNF)

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

Brookfield Renewable Corporation Class A Exchangeable Subordinate Voting Shares (BEPC)

Cascades Inc. (CAS)

JFT Strategies Fund Class A Units (JFS.UN)

AirBoss of America Corp. (BOS)

Suncor Energy Inc. (SU)

Pender Growth Fund Inc. (PTF)

Rogers Communications Inc. Class B Non-voting Shares (RCI.B)

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (ATA)

Algoma Central Corporation (ALC)

Finning International Inc. (FTT)

Guardian Capital Group Limited (GCG)

Information Services Corporation Class A Limited Voting Shares (ISV)

Interfor Corporation (IFP)

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (MFI)

National Bank of Canada (NA)

Nutrien Ltd. (NTR)

Open Text Corporation (OTEX)

Taiga Building Products Ltd. (TBL)

Vitreous Glass Inc. (VCI)

Power Corporation of Canada Subordinate Voting Shares (POW)

North West Company Inc. (The) (NWC)

Whitecap Resources Inc. (WCP)

Parex Resources Inc. (PXT)

Wajax Corporation (WJX)

Canadian Imperial Bank Of Commerce (CM)

Hamilton Enhanced U.S. Covered Call ETF (HYLD)

TMX Group Limited (X)

iA Financial Corporation Inc. (IAG)

Ninepoint Energy Income Fund ETF (NRGI)

Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (IVN)

ARC Resources Ltd. (ARX)

Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS)

Total: $65,144.05

CIBC Dividend Growth Fund + CIBC Emerging Markets Index Fund + CIBC Monthly Income Fund: $3,464.21

Others: $1,159.90

NBI Income Fund: $1,269.52

Manulife Fidelity NorthStar GIF CAP

Manulife Simplicity Growth Portfolio 

Maritime Life CI Harbour Seg Fund

Maritime Life Fidelity True North Seg Fund

Manulife GIF MLIA B World Invest

Total: $8,705.65

Other various: $40,312.55

TOTAL: $120,055.88

Social Capital at Desjardins Membership share: $35

Online money: $80.04

Savings + Stocks, units, mutual funds + Tax-free Savings account + RRSP:

TOTAL: $396,039.93

On date of January 8, 2024

My debt situation on date of January 8, 2024

Margin Account Debt: $13,480.36 at 8.50%

Annual Interest: $1,145.84

As of January 8, 2024

For a complete update on my debt situation, please click on the label "Debt Situation" located in the right column of this blog.

New Year, New Financial Focus: Tackling Debt and Maximizing Savings

The first days of a new year are always quite precious, full of hopes and projects for the months ahead. 2023 turned out to be a very good year for me, so it's easy to stay motivated in these first days of January. I have been enjoying a couple of days off, just reading, checking on my stocks, sleeping in, going to bed late, etc. Nothing extravagant. These very ordinary vacations have helped me save up some good money. I should be able to reduce my margin debt to $12,280 by the end of this month, but that comes with a great deal of effort. You need to have a great deal of self-motivation to control your spending. I am delaying the moment I will get a haircut. I really have to control myself from buying any new makeup or beauty cream. I don't need anything anyway. I haven't been in this kind of savings mode for a very long time, and it's a bit rough.

For the past couple of years, my investment portfolio has performed very well most of the time, so I didn't feel the need to focus on saving money. I had been saving money as I wanted, without restricting anything. But now, I am working on more defined goals, and it's not an easy task for me. Things are a bit different now. We'll see if I can stand by my goal of paying down my margin debt and building some savings.

I invest in my RRSP through my job, but the amount invested is just a few thousand dollars. This year, I don't plan to make additional contributions to my RRSP portfolio. I normally make extra contributions to my RRSP at the end of December or during the month of January, but not this year. I am tight on money and cannot do it all. For this year, my obsession revolves around my margin debt. I have never been a fan of investing in my RRSP. The fact that I am not making any extra contributions into it does not cause me any pain. For me, it's quite the opposite. It's not something that is enjoyable for me anyway. I really dislike the way the RRSP is built. You cannot withdraw money from there without facing penalties.

A new year comes with... an extra $7,000 contribution room for my TFSA portfolio! I should receive very shortly my dividend for the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) stocks that I hold in my non-registered portfolio, and those dividends should DRIP into new shares. I am waiting for that operation to be completed before using all of those shares to make a contribution in kind and have all of those BNS shares switch from my non-registered portfolio to my TFSA portfolio. I have close to 20k in contribution room available, and this move will use the biggest part of it.

Happy New Year 2024!

The winter had arrived for real in New Brunswick! I had been enjoying a few vacation days. I am starting the year on an interesting note: my margin account debt is now at a low $13,497.36. Not too bad, considering that I started the year 2023 with a margin debt of over $46,000. I updated my investment portfolio earlier, only to find out that my net worth is now standing at $379,670.38. I could have been within the 380k, but I have some bills to pay, not to forget my rent, since we are in the first few days of a new month.

I should be able to clear my margin debt by September, if not a bit earlier, depending on how things are going with my spending. I am currently in New Brunswick for the next couple of weeks. I don't know exactly how long I will be here, but one thing is for sure: I spend much less money while in New Brunswick than when I am in Montreal. For that reason, I think I may have a chance to reduce my margin debt from 13k to 10k over the next two months.

There's still no bus covering Riviere-du-Loup to New Brunswick, so I am stuck here for a big part of the winter. It's a problem and it's not a problem at the same time, but I feel less free to do what I want and go where I please. The winter months can be quite long here in New Brunswick. The winter has just begun here. However, I work full-time, so it's not too bad, but it really gets to a point where I feel the need to be alone in my own space, just me.

Anyway, while I am here in New Brunswick, the advantage is that I save a lot of money. I don't have my daily espressos; I don't go to the movies, and I don't go shopping just for the heck of it. I sincerely have no place to spend my money except for the grocery store and a few more places of the same nature to cover essential needs. I really want to pay off my margin debt in 2024, so I am off to a good start. Once that debt has been paid off, I will have some money left at my disposal to rebuild my savings within the 10k.

While having these very two clear money goals in front of me for 2024—paying off my margin debt and building up some savings—I don't have the liberty that I am used to. Usually, I don't set myself any really defined financial goals, if not general ones, like increasing my net worth. The stock market is already a very difficult place to be - and I know that - I don't want to add extra pressure by having to think about having to fulfill some financial goals. I am quite easy-going on a day-to-day basis.

However, this time around is quite different. 2024 is going to be a challenging year for me, where I have to really work at controlling my spending, pay off my margin debt, and build up some savings. We'll see how things evolve over time.