# An Ag Driver's Clipboard



## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

You'd probably be better off investing spare time working another part-time job, or investing in your human capital. Are there any training courses/certifications you can do that would enhance your income or open new opportunities?

Day trading, especially with small amounts of capital, is unlikely to add up to much income (over a market return which requires just about no time at all).

My 2 cents.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

What about skills you might need to go into business for yourself?

Accounting, book keeping, etc.?


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## arrow1963 (Nov 22, 2011)

Your post doesn't say anything about your expenses (or your implied savings rate). If you're in the market to save 10K+ a year over then next 2 years, that will get you into your 20% down payment range.

It's up to you, but a lot of the financial planning literature probably wouldn't recommend equity investing over a 2 year period, and while there isn't much exciting about 2% in a HISA, you'll have the money for your down payment, and you won't be paying commissions on $500? stock purchases.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## YYC (Nov 12, 2012)

Ag Driver said:


> Unfortunately, the winter season is a slow season for most red seal trades, aside from going to work in the oil sands.


So why not go do this? You can make a boatload of extra money with no special skills except a willingness to live in camp. Given that you're single, now could be the perfect time to do it and really set yourself up.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Pigzfly (Dec 2, 2010)

Australian mining is also an option, though easier with a professional skill (engineering/accounting) or a trades skill (red seal) or operating experience (jumbo operators, any heavy equip, plant/mill worker). 
Camp lifestyle is not for everyone, but great for some. It is a fantastic way to put a lot of coin in your pocket, though.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

driver do we not recall from your 1st post that you had a total of something like $1k in your tfsa at broker Qtrade? & this book value was divided between shares of potash & shares of goldcorp? although you may have since added TA?

& do we not recall that you have another larger tfsa at a credit union which is, presumably, 100% invested in safe interest-yielding instruments?

ahem. For the small developing tfsa at the broker, i for one would not hesitate between more equity investing vs constructing a GIC ladder, particularly since your income seems to be stable even though it's not evenly distributed across all 12 months of the year.

i would add to equity exposure. Please notice that, so far, you are 100% resource focused, so perhaps it's time to diversify a little.

cmf member Argonaut doesn't seem to be with us any longer, but he had developed a win/win TFSA formula. He owned 5 quality common stocks. A bank, a telco, a railroad, a pipeline, a utility. He wasn't obsessive about which bank or which telco, either, moving easily between TD & BNS, even between T & BCE.

as i understood argo's theory, he eschewed index investing because he wanted to own only the quality stocks among the liquid large caps. He wanted to avoid all the losers that inevitably populate an index.

argo's TFSA outperformed XIU over 3 years of tracking, as i recall. One recent year, it returned 17%.

even moving to this degree of diversification & this degree of equity exposure will require more study on your part. For example, a next stock pick might be a telco. These are slightly lower in price in recent weeks due to increased risk from possible verizon encroachment on their client base. 

as for the earning lacuna in your career, with little or no employment during the peak winter months, i find myself not worrying very much about this earnings gap since overall you seem to be managing your career very well. I absolutely agree with you that the skilled trades do pay very well, usually much better than a general undergraduate arts degree. Might i congratulate you for having developed your career base so expertly, at such a young age.

perhaps you can chalk up the 4-5 winter months of low employment to opportunity for adventure? there's no limit to the travelling or the alternate employment or the additional education you can take up.

unfortunately it's a fantasy & a fairytale that a novice can suddenly start to earn blockbuster income by day-trading fulltime. Rather, investment returns are only going to accumulate from whatever you are able to save from your earned income. Alas, it will take a fair stretch of time, at least 10 years, possibly 15-20 years, to grow your investment portfolio to a level that can generate a decent retirement income all by itself.

that's why some of the other suggestions upthread - that you augment your earnings by upgrading your skill certifications during the winter months, or work in ultra-high-paid bush locations - do make some sense.

wishing you continuing success.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

driver i'd noticed the mortgage savings in the first post & wondered what it was doing there, since you'd said you were living at home! but now it all makes sense.

fais attention, there are others who have set out to buy a house & share quarters with roommates/roomers, but then problems developed. What might make a difference here is that you are probably very handy, so things like diagnose furnace problems, minor plumbing & repair screen back door will be easy for you.

husky is tempting, it has its own thread i believe. Probably the cmf expert on husky is haroldCrump, was he not posting just the other day that the outlook is good? although you are overweight on resource stocks in your tfsa, nevertheless the energy patch is one area where there have been some bargains ... lately this sector has risen substantially, though, so the hungry edge is gone.

you will be relieved this am that you didn't (i hope) buy more potash shares. It's too soon to know anything with this am's russian news, but one has to wonder if POT's recent dividend increase will fall at risk if times worsen for the fertilizer producer.

i don't know if i'd buy rogers, i think that in a very small equity account, i might stick to the gilts just as Argo did & go for telus instead ...


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## PrairieGal (Apr 2, 2011)

Just don't forget that any rental income you bring in is taxable. There is no "free lunch" so to speak. I'm glad that things are working out with your roommate. It's not easy to find a good fit, as you found out with the one bad apple. You've got some great goals there. Good luck with everything.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Kim (Jan 10, 2011)

This is really good.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## janus10 (Nov 7, 2013)

Great news! Congratulations because being happy doing what you love doing is priceless. Can't see THAT on a NW statement.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Ag Driver said:


> I'm now free and clear of all debt with the exception of my mortgage. Yee-Haw.


 +1


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