Transactions in December + hitching

Coming to the end of the year, where did 2016 go to?

Did my regular savings plan of 300 bucks a month, and this month, i decided to get some bonds instead. So i purchased A35 at $1.141. I had left overs from my previous purchases of STI ETFs, so even though the total purchase amount is $343, I had enough to cover the transaction amount.

 Bonds are less volatile... good for people who are getting old like me. I used to be 100% in equities, but some diversity couldn't hurt!

I envisage that as I progress with more savings, I would slowly increase my bond component. At the moment, I'm happy to let it be at around 10-20%.

Also, i am looking forward to collecting more dividends next month. A grand amount of $24.54. Since I restarted my portfolio less than half a year ago, with $300 a month, i am happy that the dividends can last me for a week's lunch. Although that is only hypothetical as I would not be spending it, but going to reinvest it eventually with my regular RSP.

Grabhitch:
From my previous posts, you would know that I sold my flashy 2 door car, and downgraded to a more modest 4 door vehicle. My previous vehicle wasn't approved by Uber because it is a 2 door (and they can only allow 4 door). With my new ride (yes, i know it is still a luxury item), I can sort of monetize the liability a little. Now when i go out and if my company wants to get a taxi, i get him/her to call for a hitch driver (and I will accept the booking). Grab pays incentive for hitch drivers, and i would be the beneficiary of it. :)

And, not forgetting to wish you and your family, a very Merry and Blessed Christmas, and a happy new year ahead!

Transactions, happenings Oct/Nov 2016

Didn't blog for 2 months, was kinda busy. Did my monthly purchase of 100 units of either G3B or ES3.
Guess 100 units work nicely based on savings of $300 a month.

Other significant updates:

(1) Finally secured a tenant for my HDB - market is indeed softening... the house sat empty for 1 month. While logically I know there is definitely a vacancy period, I can't help but feel that every day the house sits empty, I am losing money. All is good now though - the rental deposit is now in my bank account. Ka Ching!
Rates have come down slightly - but still not too bad for a stream of rental income.

(2) Sold my flashy car... after listing it on consignment for 1 year... there is finally a taker. Love that car - especially the cool breeze at night when you drive top down. But after 5 good years, i think it was time to let go... Uber didn't even accept my car as it was a 2 door ride... (back when i was thinking of getting extra cash). In case you think i am being extra financially prudent by selling the car and taking public transport, i have to admit, i am not. I just downgraded to a bread and butter car. It is indeed very tough (i am very pampered) after driving for close to a decade to get back to BMW (bus mrt walk) - doing it for a few weeks now, and actually Uber is quite okay, if there are promotions going on.

So, i guess it is a compromise between wanting to save more money and still have a car around... i know it delays retirement by a couple of years, but it is indeed a conscious decision.a

Transactions for August 2016

Added another 100 ES3 shares. Happy to receive my first dividend payout from ES3 after restarting my portfolio. Even though it's only $4.20, it is actually quite motivating!

Slowly but surely, one minor minor step to more financial independence. :)

Dividends for August

By the way, there is an upcoming event for property, the Smart Expo.

http://www.smartexpos.com/

If you are interested in building up a property portfolio overseas, do check it out if you have time!

Overseas property investment is fraught with lots of risks, including political, foreign exchange risks - but it's always good to get more knowledge anyway. :)

Transactions for July 2016

Going to start tracking my transactions and portfolio value after starting from scratch in June.

Transactions for the months of June and July:

As mentioned earlier, I would be performing monthly 'bites' into ETFs, 300 per month using SCB's low cost trading platform. The portfolio size is really.... 'pitiful'. But i am confident, slowly but steady, it will rise slowly back so that i can rely upon it for my eventual retirement!




On a slightly different note, i started a new blog to chronicle my renovation journey.

Reno Blog

Update Feb 2016

In addition to recording my transactions, I also decided to track down on a monthly basis, how much passive income i receive from dividends

Total of $815 for the month of February. Given that i only hold 15,000 STI ETF shares, seems like February is a good income month for me.
The yield of the ETF is around 3.5% to 4% at this current price now.

Also elected to receive dividends in the form of scrips for Frasers Commercial Trust since i do not need cash at the moment, so might as well reinvest it back in.

Added 500 shares to my STI ETF for this month, at a price of $2.65. A lot of people are avoiding the markets given the volatility, but my thinking is that if i am comfortable buying in at $3.30, i should be even more comfortable buying in at a lower price.

Gonna be adding positions on a regular basis going forward!