An ordinary day for the TSX

The scratch on my right knee is healing well and I don't regret staying here in Montreal. We had another beautiful day, with some rain in the afternoon. The sun came back within a few hours. I went swimming later on in the evening, and it started raining again. The weather is very perfect - despite the rain, just the way I like it. Montreal is really feeling like a dream right now. The month of July is also really perfect in its own way because I will be receiving not 2, but 3 paychecks. 

I spent quite of bit of money so far this summer, but I am now slowing it down a bit on the expenses. The good weather makes it easier to cook a meal at home, so I just have no excuse. It's still more than $2,000 that I will have at my disposal by the end of the month, after everything is paid off. I was thinking to invest half of the sum and keeping the other half as savings. If you have any good money available, I strongly suggest putting some money aside as savings. Yes, it's boring, and yes it's tempting to invest it all - like I normally do - but with inflation and a recession at our door, it will be wise to build up a bit more savings, just to play it safe. I am actually thinking about keeping it all in savings.

Just a few days ago, I wanted to buy some jam, but I land up paying $6.99 for it. It's normally always on sale at Shoppers, but it wasn't at the time. The one I like was at that price, which I still remember to this date. This being said, I didn't shop around to see if I could get the so-wanted jam at a lower price. I normally don't buy an item if it's too expensive, but I did pay for it that time... It's something quite insulting to me. I eventually got over it, but it makes me realize that inflation is really here and that at some points, I may have to pay more than I expect for some everyday items. However, I will try as much as possible to stick to my no-buy rule when something is too expensive for my taste. I don't really need jam to live, but some jam is too good with pancakes, even at $6.99.

And here it is, my favorite jam. Delicious! :-)

I have more than just my favorite jam pic to share. Here are a few pictures.

I like the view of construction a bit everywhere in Montreal...

The TSX closed today's session on 18,678.64 points, leaving my non-registered portfolio at $138,878.14, my US portfolio at $4,789.50, my RRSP portfolio - stocks-only - at $63,321.75 and my TFSA portfolio at $117,021.67. It's expected that the Bank of Canada will raise rates tomorrow. We'll see how the TSX handles it. Since it's my last couple of days of vacation, I probably won't be in front of my laptop to look at what's going on.

I am no longer a Dividend Girl, I am a Dividend QUEEN

The problems experimented with Rogers' services affected my family in New Brunswick this past Friday. This Saturday, I was able to reach them, but the main line cut off on and on. However, I was able to exchange a few words. My father has a cell phone, but it wasn't working too well. I am very surprised by this because we always had very good services with Rogers in New Brunswick. I had worked from home in New Brunswick all winter long without any problems. With the incidents that happen in the past few days, I think Rogers will get their shit together and make sure it won't happen ever again. The worst problem concerns the 911 line, impossible to call 911 if needed. 

During that time, my non-registered portfolio closed this past Friday session at $140,667.07, my US portfolio at $4,808.59, my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $64,041.63, and my TFSA portfolio at $118,207.55. My overall annual dividend income is now exceeding the $11,500. I am jumping for my regular "Dividend Girl" status to a glamourous Dividend Queen title, nothing else.

It's been announced that compensation will automatically be given to the affected Rogers clientele, no need to call them in order to request a credit. So if any of your old folks are with Rogers, better call them to let them know because some spammers may try to use this incident to request personal info. It's better to make a reminder to the old folks that just like usual, don't give any personal info over the phone for any incoming calls. Spammers will have to hit somewhere else than my old folks in New Brunswick, trust me on that one. I tell them frequently as a reminder. When I was still in New Brunswick just a few months ago, we were receiving some calls about Amazon orders that - of course - we had never placed. I find that one to be quite bad as a spammer call idea because these days, everyone buys stuff on Amazon.

I was supposed to go to New Brunswick this week, but the weather announced is really not good and I decided I could go later on this summer. Here in Montreal, the weather will be better and since I only had two weeks off this summer, I want to make the most of it. Also, I wasn't very thrilled about hitting back while Rogers is still experiencing problems back home. I call today, and the line was cracking up a little. I left a message on the voicemail, but they didn't call back.

Earlier today, I had a strange incident, I went for a walk in the evening and I just fall down while walking on the sidewalk, exactly like a frog. Montreal sidewalks are not the greatest, and I put one of my feet on an unregular spot, and BANG, I fell down on the ground. My hands absorb the hit, but luckily I didn't hurt my hands. I didn't hurt myself badly overall, I have a starch down my right knew, but not on the knew itself which will heal easier on that spot. It became red but didn't bleed. I got some alcohol to clean it out and that's it. I also bought my favorite candies for moral support. What the hell Montreal. Maybe this is a sign that I should actually go back to New Brunswick, like right now. For the present time, I will just wear sneakers for walking around, maybe my feet were not stable enough in sandals, and the Montreal sidewalks are not helping out, but there are places like parks where I can walk more safely... I haven't felt pain like that in the longest time. The feeling of the alcohol touching the scratch burns me. 

One good investment idea from Derek Foster: Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A)

Yesterday, at some points of the day, my stocks portfolio was under -$2,000. Fortunately enough, my stocks portfolio closed that bad day with only a -$374.37 loss (-0.135%). Today was a much better day for the TSX. My stocks portfolio gained over $4,500. My non-registered portfolio closed the day at $140,339.22, my US portfolio at $4,795.47 US, my TFSA portfolio at $118,031.98, and my RRSP stocks-only portfolio at $63,722.65. At the present time, I estimate my net worth to be in the $327,000. 

Today, Derek Foster published a newsletter, exposing his recent stock investments. I hold many of his newest investments: LNF, BAM, CAR.UN. I never had a huge interest in LNF, but with today's newsletter, I understand better why Derek Foster invested in that stock. In my RRSP portfolio, LNF is on a +1,04%. At least I am not experiencing a loss on that one. Inside my TFSA portfolio, Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A) is a +35.90%, and Canadian Apartment Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (CAR.UN) is on a +62.87% gain. I wouldn't invest more in CAR.UN or any REIT-related investments at this time, but I certainly see myself investing more in Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Class A Limited Voting Shares (BAM.A).

Yesterday, I should have invested in Freehold Royalties Ltd. (FRU) because today, FRU gained over 10.38%. I am pretty sure another time will come, the TSX being all over the place these days. It's not a fun time, but I think the market will recover, even if it could take time, and even if we have to go through a recession before it gets better. I think the easiest way to go through this is to have the spirit of a long-term investor and to invest in quality stocks and keep in mind it's for the long run.

I had done so since I started investing in stocks 14 years ago and back in April of this year, I was on my highest note, in the $360,000. Over time, even if you invest small amount of money at a time, it's possible to turn small amount into more sustainable ones, but at the condition to invest in quality stocks. I think BAM.A is one of those stocks you can rely on for big bucks and reliable dividend distributions.

Does Freehold Royalties Ltd. (FRU) deserve to be part of my investment portfolio?

While being on vacation, I manage to sell a few things that I was no longer using, and that being an old LG smartphone, a mini laptop that was running on Windows 7 and on which I was no longer able to surf the Web, a very big fan that I barely ever us and that I couldn't clean the blades. All for a total of $130. Nothing much, but it makes money for my coffees and liberates some space. I actually sold my fan this morning. The guy was supposed to come at 10:30 this morning, but he actually came at 9... But it was ok, I just made him wait a few minutes outside while getting ready. I am just in need of more sleep, but I will take a nap later on.

In my opinion, the best place to sell stuff you no longer use is on Facebook's Marketplace. I still have a few items on there that I am looking to sell, like purses, running shoes, and a pair of sandals. But those items are not selling quickly. If I cannot sell them by the end of this summer, I will just donate them.

It was raining yesterday, but I have a nice time anyway. I went to a free event at the Jazz Festival in a theatre. Following what, it started raining, so I went straight to the movies and I arrived right on time for Tom Cruise's Top Gun Maverick. It was very entertaining. I wanted to see it before going to New Brunswick. Actually, I am going through all the fun stuff I possibly can before going back. These days, the weather is so-so in New Brunswick. At least, no one is suffering from extremely hot weather. Personally, I like the weather we are having right now in Montreal. The sun is out, but the air is fresh. Fact is, I don't really want to leave Montreal for New Brunswick.  

On Monday, I went to the MTelus until 3 am. There was a very good band playing, Liquor Store. They began playing at midnight. It's free to enter the MTelus at midnight during the Jazz Festival, but you got to wait outside and online before getting in. Liquor Store was worth the waiting time. On my way out, I saw a policeman, a woman, who was looking for something on the sidewalk and I just couldn't understand what she was doing. I was slightly drunk. I asked if I could walk there, and she said I could but that it would be better if I go on the other side. 

When I cross the street, she continued her search, I think it was for bullets gun. A man well dressed was helping her, he seems to be the bouncer of the strip club, corner St-Catherine, and St-Laurent. They finally find what they were looking for. On the other side of the street where I was looking, there were two men who were acting stupid to a policeman, and he told them to stop or he was going to arrest them. I had my little adventure of my own that night. I never had any problems in Montreal, but like in any city, you need to be careful. The day after, I was tired all day, and since it was raining and a bit cold, I went home around midnight. And this morning, I wasn't very lucky with my buyer who decided to come at 9 am instead of 10:30 lol. I was however very happy to sell my item and get it out of the way.

Currently, my overall stocks portfolio is going under a -$2,000 correction. It's not fun to watch, but I won't be in front of my laptop for much longer. These days, this is how I basically spent my days: I wake up late, I usually stop by the coffee shop for an expresso, I go swimming, go back home, usually take a nap, and following what I get up and get ready for the Jazz Festival. It's a fun way to spend my days while I am on vacation.

Yesterday, Jean-François Tardif was from BNN. You can listen to him here. He had suggested FRU and CEU as invested. Both are well ranked in Stockopedia, but I don't like their respective overall chart. Maybe I could invest a few dollars in FRU, I don't know. I still have a few bucks available in my TFSA and RRSP portfolios to invest. Currently, JFT Strategies Fund (JFS.UN) is at -0.505%, trading at $21.68. I hold to some JFS.UN units in both my non-registered and RRSP portfolios. One thing I like about JFS.UN is its stability. No matter how strong his performance is, JFS.UN doesn't pay a regular dividend distribution to its investors. It would be quite a bold move to sell my JFS.UN units and reinvest the money in a dividend aristocrat stock, but inside this chaos, it's nice to have an investment like JFS.UN who's relatively stable. Also, I think I will try to put some money aside as savings since I am expecting two major paychecks in July. It's actually hard to do when stocks are trading so low. 

Does Freehold Royalties Ltd. (FRU) deserve to be part of my investment portfolio? For now, I don't know. 

Saying thank you and goodbye to Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (ITP)

I hope you all had a good Canada Day. I usually post a little something, but these days, it had been extra busy at work. And while I haven't been working, I am at the pool, reading at the cafe, walking around o Montreal My last paycheck was almost $2,000, it says just how busy I had been. My next paycheck should also be somewhere close to that amount. Knowing this, I went shopping yesterday and I bought two pairs of sandals, one is a pair of Birkenstock. What I had as sandals were pretty ear out. It's getting used to my feet, but they didn't hurt my feet so pair. I think they'll be a good everyday pair of sandals. I plan to bring them with me to New Brunswick.

This past Friday, the TSX lost again some major points, but I was surprised, my overall stocks portfolio only lost -0.259%. these days, I am happy when my portfolio loses just a tiny bit... It's how I react to the crazy shit shows. 

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. (ITP) is no longer trading over the TSX, which brings on some cash to my non-registered and TFSA portfolios. Like everyone else, I had received in cash CDN$40.50 per share. Since Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) is trading lower today, I decided to invest in some BNS shares for my non-registered, TFSA and RRSP portfolios. It's now official, I am earning an equivalent of a bit more than $800 in dividend income from my non-registered and TFSA portfolio. I should be able to make another investment by the end of the month, but I don't know yet in which stock I will be investing. My overall annual dividend income is getting closer to $11,500 which is really not out of reach at this point.

I am currently on vacation and I am spending the whole week in Montreal. I will go back to New Brunswick probably in the middle of next week, and I will probably stay there until the beginning of August. And following what I have a two weeks vacation in October for the hunting season, and I will probably stay there until the end of the hunting season. I may spend the whole winter there again this year. But this year, I may escape from there as soon as Easter arrived. There's still no bus going from Rivière-du-Loup to New Brunswick, it's quite a pain. It deprives me of my usual liberty, of being able to travel the way I want to, whenever I want to. 

Here in Montreal, it's currently the Jazz Festival, and I go there basically every day. I am currently on vacation. I think from now on I will always take a few vacation days if I can or the whole week during Montreal Jazz Festival. That way, I enjoy more the event. I think it's probably the best time of the year to be in Montreal. Despite the big amount of people going to the free shows, it's still enjoyable - just like the way it was before COVID hit. I had been taking some videos and pictures, I should post that soon. You should enjoy it.