Happy Year of the Snake!
January has been a much-needed month of calm 🙂
Spendings Report: $2,549
Lower than usual!
The biggest one-off cost was for chronic acne I’ve been dealing with on and off (so fun!). I went to see the dermatologist and decided on a new course of treatments, so over the next three months, that will be a big recurring cost. That was most of the Health/Hygiene category, along with some medicated body washes and creams.
The second cost was a round-trip train ticket to see my family in Fuzhou 🙂 I took the train because there are no direct flights and I’d have to transfer anyways. In total it was just under $400 and 36 hours of travel haha… I spent 5 days there and it was as relaxed as can be. Southern China is so beautiful in the winter, cool breezes with bright blue skies, the seafood is fresh and sweet, and the pace of life is a welcome break from the city. It was a good balanced way to spend my break, half of it with family and half of it being an introvert at home.
Spent very little on education this month because at any point either me or my Chinese teacher were off on holiday haha. No big deviations in my other spending categories.
Net Worth Update: Pleasant surprise!
Since last month, my net worth increased by about $20,000, with 85% of that growth coming from investments. I’m happily bewildered! This graph for the 24-25 school year is off to a wild start already. I can’t wait to see what this sharp drop will look like in another 4 years when I do the 10-year review 🙂
Tax season is coming up soon and with it, more RRSP room! Yay! I’ve been making good on my goal to invest at least $50,000 every year this year and it’s giving me a good energy boost to try for $60k in 2025!
Enjoy the holidays if you’re in China, and stay warm/cool wherever you are!