This past Monday morning, I missed a golden opportunity to invest in stocks. I have over $13,000 sitting in cash in my RRSP portfolio. That money has been waiting to be invested for quite some time. On Monday, February 3rd, the TSX reacted to the weekend’s news, including Trump’s threat of a 25% tariff on Canadian imports to the U.S. The TSX dropped as low as 24,742.92 points, a spectacular decline. And yet, I found myself frozen in the moment, unable to press the buy button.
My main concern was whether the market had already hit bottom or not. I was so caught off guard and confused by everything happening that I missed my chance to invest at a bargain. It was a great opportunity lost, but no worries—under Donald Trump’s presidency, market volatility is here to stay. I expected turbulence when Trump took office, but things have turned out far worse than I ever imagined. Not just in terms of tariffs, but also with the drastic restructuring of the U.S. government and the massive layoffs he has implemented. Tariffs are no longer just a threat; they have become a reality. I don’t understand why the announcement was made on a Sunday, but today, Trump officially declared a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States.
Let’s not forget one of his latest out-of-the-blue ideas—to take over Gaza while refusing to welcome any Palestinians into the U.S. Trump loves attention and takes up massive space in the media. What he doesn’t seem to realize is how incredibly annoying his constant chatter has become. He is not a man of action, just a bully and a big talker. Americans likely had no idea what they were signing up for when they voted for him. They certainly do now, and we are still in the early days of his presidency. I don’t want to sound harsh, but the cynical side of me believes that Americans simply got what they deserved. It’s a terrible turn for the U.S., but this could work in favor of the rest of the world. Other countries will now have a chance to shine internationally as leaders in climate change, peacekeeping, and global initiatives that the average citizen may not even be aware of yet.
Basically, the world is shifting, and from now on, it’s the U.S. on one side and the rest of the world on the other.
With all this chaos, the U.S. is no longer the country it used to be. Even visiting doesn’t seem appealing anymore. In New Brunswick, I live near the U.S.-Canada border, and I used to visit Maine quite often. But now? I can’t even remember the last time I crossed the border. Trump's presidency will have long-term effects on Canada-U.S. relations. Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has been treated with shocking disrespect by both Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Regardless of how you feel about Trudeau, this level of arrogance in leadership is unacceptable. It’s truly painful to watch.
As concerned citizens, we can certainly take action in our own way. I canceled my Netflix subscription and deleted my X (Twitter) account. I’m not on Instagram, and while I still have a Facebook account, I only use it occasionally, mainly for Marketplace. Beyond that, I avoid social media as much as possible. It’s important to push back against arrogance like Trump’s, and canceling U.S.-based services and social media platforms where possible is a good step. I support a selective boycott—do what you can, in whatever way you can. A full boycott of U.S. products is probably impossible, but every little bit counts.
Recently, I’ve been focusing on saving money, a personal goal for this year and probably even beyond. I’m working on intentional spending, buying only what I truly need and avoiding unnecessary expenses. But I’ll admit, I love trying new makeup products from time to time. With a weekly "extras" budget of just $50, money goes fast! Drugstore makeup prices are no longer what they used to be, so I usually buy one small thing at a time. Lately, I really wanted to try the new Face Glue setting spray and primer by NYX. Fortunately, I found them this weekend at Shoppers Drug Mart for $15.99 each before tax—and they were totally worth it! For the price, you’re getting high-end quality.
NYX’s Face Glue gripping primer and setting spray are among the best products I’ve ever used. The Face Glue setting spray is as good as Charlotte Tilbury’s setting spray. Another NYX favorite of mine is the Buttermelt Bronzer, which I bought a few months ago and now wear regularly. I was relieved to find out that NYX is owned by L’Oréal, a French company.
While browsing at Shoppers this weekend, I noticed that Korres products were on clearance, so I picked up a few items. Let’s just say I blew past my $50 weekly budget! To make up for it, I’ll try to cut back on spending for the rest of February...