What's going on?

Yesterday at my evening job, I took a look at my schedule, like I do for every week even if I work on a regular 16 to midnight basis. For next week, I am only schedule for Monday, from 16 to midnight. Seem like for next week, I will only be working 4 days! It’s going to be very rough on my budget if it’s the case. I was so shock by the news that I felt a heavy pain on my lower back. It was horrible. I am still having back pain at this time, but it’s not so bad. But still!

We are very busy right now with the calls. Just yesterday, calls didn’t stop from 16 to midnight. There’s no reason why my hours should be cut like that.

But the situation is not desperate yet. Maybe it’s a mistake on my schedule. I was not able to very as my team leader was not on duty yesterday. But he is in today, I left a not at his desk and I am going to see him at 4PM. I just hope it’s going to be ok.

For the month of June, I am going to be ok. I will be able to pay off all of my expenses. But problems could begin to show up in July. If I am only working on Monday next will, I will begin my job search this weekend. And for June, I might just do the minimum payment on everything, credit card and so on. Also, I had all those blogging projects I wanted to work on. I was supposed to be job searching only in June. In the meantime, I was supposed to be taking a rest and working at my blogs. All of my plans seem to be broken.

I am facing a very difficult situation right now. Cannot wait for 4PM…

Energy Savings Income Fund is an investment rock

The expression “investment rock” had been used by the Executive chair of Energy Savings Income Fund (SIF.UN) in her latest press release. I really like the expression “investment rock”. As a small investor, I am in great needs of solid investments. I truly believe that SIF.UN represents a good investment. I am very proud to have SIF.UN included in my portfolio.

Here is some of the context where the Executive Chair had used the expression “investment rock” to describe SIF.UN:

“I like to think of Energy Savings as the fund for all seasons. Since our IPO eight years ago, we have seen good weather and bad weather, skyrocketing commodity prices and collapsing commodity prices, good economic times, and the worst recession since the 1930s. I would like to think that Energy Savings has been an investment rock throughout the entire period, providing predictable, reliable and growing cash flow to our investors every year, just as I promised at the time of the IPO.”

And the good news just keep rolling and rolling through the rest of the press release. According to RM, SIF.UN fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 had been, to repeat her words: “the strongest quarter in the history of the company”. Is there anything better that can be said about SIF.UN?

While being in a major recession, SIF.UN declares its best result ever. Those are good news for unitholders of SIF.UN like me.

Just like Sprott Asset Management (SII) who had provided a special dividend to their stockholders, SIF.UN had paid a special distribution to their unitholders. In 2009, the special distribution of SIF.UN had been of 16.5 cents per unit.

But isn’t strange that SIF.UN had also a net income loss of more than 1 billion? Is it normal for the Executive chair to publicly declare that SIF.UN had its best result ever when they had at the same time a net income lost of exactly 1 107 473 000$? This is the most complicated part and I don’t know for sure – for this specific reason – if SIF.UN really represents a good investment.

At this point, it does begin to become just a bit too much complicated for me lol.

I finally received part of my May dividend

I just take a look at my broker account and I finally received my Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (PIF.UN) dividends. I earn 13.13$. Unfortunately, it was not enough to cover the cost of one unit. The value of PIF.UN is currently of 14.07$.

At this time, I am still waiting for my Fortis and Pengrowth Energy Trust dividend.

I am still waiting for my dividends

For the month of May, I should received about 129.36$ in dividend money.

I didn’t received my dividend from Fortis (26.26$), Pengrowth Energy Trust (51.90$) or either from Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (13.13$). It’s because I had enroll to a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). I begin to worry for Fortis, because the distribution date was back on May 8 and I didn’t receive anything yet. A while ago, I was told by a TD Waterhouse representative that to receiving dividend when enrolling to a drip could takes a couple of days before actually receiving the new stocks. So let’s be patient for once lol.

The Benefits of participating in a DRIP

The dividends I am earning from Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), Methanex Corporation (MX), Fortis (FTS), Pengrowth Energy Trust (PGF.UN) and Pembina Pipeline Income Fund (PIF.UN) allow me to earn new stocks at the same occasion as receiving dividends. I enroll in a DRIP for those companies by calling TD Waterhouse. I ask them to register to a DRIP for current investments. I was told that all new acquisitions will automatically DRIP – if eligible.

Its unfortunately not all companies who offer a DRIP program. There’s no DRIP available at this time for Sprott (SII).

The DRIP is a very good program for me. I am still at an early stage in building my portfolio. Later on, I might just cash in the dividend money and it will go directly to my pockets.

I find an ad for a part-time job in a newspaper. The hours are flexible and the workplace is located downtown Montreal, close to my evening job. I had been giving myself off until the end of May. But I will apply to this job tomorrow. I really want to earn more money in order to purchase at least 100 units of Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (BA.UN) as soon as possible.

What will be my next investment?

I just have left 2 weeks until the beginning of June, than I will begin my job search for a day-time job. I just hope to be able to find something what will fit in my schedule. I am available at anytime from 8am or even earlier to 3:30pm. I would very much like to find something. The extra money made will allow me to increase my portfolio and I cannot wait to reach my first 50 000$ in investment. It’s getting interesting.

Those last few days had been quite chaotic. I really work hard at trying to make money online and currently, most of my free-time is being giving away on trying to make money online. I now reach over 700 followers on Twitter and I continue visiting my followers’ blogs from time to time.

I start a couple of blogs. Lately, I had been trying to make money online like crazy. I started a couple of blogs all over the place. One blog that I just started but I already like very much is a blog call The 200 Project Blogs. I am very proud of that blog even if I am still at the early beginning. If you like, you can check it out. I start out multiple blogs lately, but the funniest one is a blog that I title this way: International Organization of Prepaid Workers.

All of this of course have nothing to do with investment, but if it happen I can earn just a bit of money from those blogs than, automatically, they will become part of my investment plan. I would very much like to make money from Google Adsense program. I cannot believe I am going to be job searching in about 2 weeks from mine. The whole job searching process is already plan now and I wrote it down in my calendar…. Seem like I have no choice.

As for my next investment, I would very much to invest in 100 units of Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (BA.UN). BA.UN annual dividend is of… 2.90$ per unit!! And BA.UN latest had been very strong and I truly believe it’s a good company to invest in. I might only be able to make another investment in 2 months from now…. Running out of cash…

Doing more with less: budgeting!

I am doing a lot better today than yesterday. I slept in very late. I actually wake up at 13 pm… The TSX is burning me. Today, the TSX gain some points and is now at 9 849.2. It’s part of the reason why I am feeling better today. It wouldn’t be the case if the TSX would had drop points again for 2 days in a row.

I took my day-time off until the month of June and it’s going to be very difficult for me to start getting up early in the morning again. But I might continue to sleep-in if it happens I can’t find a day-time job. I just got terribly lazy among the way. But not that lazy as I am trying very hard to make money online. I would very much to make a 200$ per month with Google Adsense. It’s the goal I gave myself.

For now, and let’s say if it happen I couldn’t find a day-time job in June, I would probably work at paying some debts of mine instead of investing. I am making 1460$ per month at my evening job and my weekend job is giving me an average of 620$ per month. At 2 080$ per month, my income is not that much, but its making enough to pay my usual expenses and pay-off some debts.

By “doing more with less”, I mean to minimize my expenses in other to maximize the payment of my debts. And to do so, I need to respect a tight budget.

And here it is:

Rent: 535$
Internet: 35$
Metro pass: 67$
Student loan: 150$
Groceries and coffees: 250$
TOTAL NEEDED: 1037$

2 080$ Income - 1 037$ Needed = 1 043$

This makes 1 043$ I have available to pay on my debts each month (this is the reason why I seriously need to begin job searching in June lol). I do not carry heavy debts, but it will be better if I could begin to pay-off some of them. At this time, I have 800$ in my bank account. I just received my pay from my weekend job. I currently have a balance of 645.46$ on my American Express. I like to use my American Express to received Air Miles, but at 19.99%, the interest rate is extremely high. Almost scandalous…

Anyway, I am going to send a check tomorrow to pay the balance I have on my American Express credit card. The remaining money of 154.54$ will go on my credit line at TD. For this month, it’s about all I can make as payment. But I guess I am going on the right direction.