On Getting Out of Survival Mode: Musings, Plans, and Questions on 21st-Century North American Life

[Dekafox]

Step 7: Relax. If you don't borrow money and you do just buy a handful of shares of something you understand with what little you can afford to play with, relax. When markets are down, relax. Unlike people who let a professional talk them into going into debt to buy portfolios that looked bigger than yours, you don't lose anything when markets are down. If you understand what you're invested in, and you understand that it should go back up, buy another handful of shares with however little you can afford to play with. Enjoy the ride when it goes back up. Sell when it feels high enough and you need cash. If you're not borrowing money to do this and your gains aren't being eaten by interest and fees, it really doesn't matter if you're not perfectly timing the exact highs and lows down to the penny.

Regardless of whether you go for stocks, mutual funds, or CDs, this point is something to remember. Put money into things, then forget you have it, and be pleasantly surprised later when you go to see how much is in there. Admittedly this applies more to the latter two as stocks can go negative, but if you forget you have it, you won't be tempted to spend it, pull it out early, or stress out about if it's going up or not.

Another thing to consider if you go into stocks is looking for stocks that pay derivitives. Those give you money regularly based on how the company is doing, rather than just the theoretical value of the stock that you have to sell to realize.

 

[MEDdMI]

One of these days I'm going to wander into the woods and not come back. They'll make a cryptid out of my rare sightings.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

One of these days I'm going to wander into the woods and not come back. They'll make a cryptid out of my rare sightings.

So that's why you married a sasquatch.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

One of these days I'm going to wander into the woods and not come back. They'll make a cryptid out of my rare sightings.

It's funny, because that was listed as a possible future life path by my ex early in her post secondary education (and our relationship).

She didn't leave for the local woods, as things turned out....

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

So...

In May I had a rather epic move (about 750 km).
There was a job opening in the new location for the company I work for, I applied, HR said my seniority made the position mine to turn down.
So here I am, posting from a more far-flung location, but basically a small city. It's not close to anyplace else, but it is on a highway hub and has a modest airport and rail connections as well.

My banks know my location, I have mail forwarding set up, I have new dental care (and a new library card and transit pass from the locale -- though transit is more of an afterthought here), but not yet a local doctor. I am currently doing telehealth with the doctor I got in 2021, and he is holding on to my records from 2003 onwards. (Anything prior, alas, was destroyed by the clinic that held them, I found out recently. They could have told me that earlier, as I had made multiple attempts to retrieve them.... but so it goes, I guess. At least I was able to consolidate the rest. A complaint was filed, more out of principle than anything else.)

The primary issue, as I unpack and see if I can handle the climate of my new home and work, is finding a work/life balance. But that was true in the old place as well -- I just had skewed towards keeping a low profile the last two years. Now I don't have to do so.... and it is a bit bewildering.

Preparing my vehicle for local winter has taken up some effort, but it has proper tires and an OEM undercarriage guard. As a 2014 hybrid, further modification may prove difficult, but I am figuring out what can be done, what needs to be done, and what my resources can accomplish.

 

[MEDdMI]

Congrats on the new job. Proper winter tires are a good investment. As long as you regularly use your hybrid, you should be ok. I also have a hybrid, I've replaced the battery a few times and sometimes it doesn't want to start w/out a jump. This problem gets worse in the winter, but only if it's REALLY cold (the car also stays outside). It should be noted that I don't drive my car much since I'm still WFH. A 20min+ drive once a week is enough to keep it charged, and I also have a jump starter battery I can use just in case. If you're able to keep your car indoors, they also sell battery maintainers that keep it charged at a good level.