Weekend Reading – May 16, 2014
Well, I’m so far just a few days into my newfound freedom as I’ve set my ship for new waters. And it’s wonderful! I really couldn’t be happier right now.
I’m no longer a service advisor at a luxury car dealership working more than 50 hours per week, and I’m now instead writing and investing full-time (for now). I don’t know how long I’ll be able to live this dream, but I’m going to give it my best shot. I’m sitting on a bit more cash than I usually do, and I currently have about $8,000 set aside both for moving to Michigan and also to serve as a cash reserve in case I come up a little short on the income side over the next few months. But I honestly don’t think I’ll need it because I’m going to batten down the hatches in regards to expenses, and you’re going to see new levels of frugality from me over the coming months. I’m hoping that the income from writing is enough to pay my meager expenses and I’ll still be able to invest as normal, but as I previously mentioned I’m also open to working once again in order to generate enough revenue to continue accumulating equity stakes in high-quality businesses that pay and regularly raise dividends.
On a personal note, just a couple days ago my little sister (who’s pregnant) was involved in a major car accident up in Michigan. She was rushed to the hospital, but luckily she and the baby are both perfectly fine. But this is a great example of why I want to be back home. It pains me that I couldn’t be by her side at the hospital. I immediately offered to move back right away after discussing it with my girlfriend, but my family advised me to come up in early June as originally planned since everyone is fine. Of course, it’ll be nice to be back up there soon so that I can help her out as she gets closer to the due date. And I’m extremely excited to be an uncle. It’s certainly a bittersweet time in my life as I leave behind loved ones and a life that has treated me well here in Florida, but in exchange see my family and friends back home on a regular basis while pursuing my passions. I can only do what feels right, and I feel good about these changes.
I’m hoping to get a little beach time in before I leave Florida behind, and today is a perfect opportunity for that with absolutely beautiful weather outside. It’s a little over 70 degrees with blue skies and low humidity. Quite a treat for mid-May in Southwest Florida. I guess she’s trying to entice me to stay, and Siesta Key is calling my name.
Since I’ve had more free time than usual, I’ve been able to read some great articles lately and I wanted to share some of those with you readers. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend out there. And thank you as always for all the support.
Below, you’ll find a short list of articles I’ve recent read and enjoyed. I hope you do as well!
Should I buy more high yielding stocks in order to retire early?
This article by Dividend Growth Investor was particularly appealing to me because as someone who’s taken the plunge into a quasi-early-retirement-of-sorts I often think about how much more realistic my plan would be with a much higher yield across my entire portfolio. However, such a move would certainly lower the overall quality of my portfolio, and with it the odds that my income would rise over time. As such, I plan to continue investing as if nothing had changed in my personal life, focusing on quality and overall portfolio construction over yield.
Infinite possibilities at California’s first TEDx inside a prison
Richard Branson recently participated in a TEDx inside a prison, and what transpired is extremely inspiring. Education, second chances, hope, and opportunity are typically not ideas you associate with prison inmates, but good for Richard for spreading the good word and changing lives. I hope those who participated become better people for the event and perhaps even contribute to society in a meaningful way someday.
Four Key Dividend Metrics You Need to Know
Dividend Ninja highlighted an article of his that was published in Canadian MoneySaver. Great stuff here from Ninja, and he goes over some basics that are interesting for novice and expert investors alike!
How ‘microjobs’ help you ditch your boss
This was a perfect video for me to watch this past week! We got to hear from a gentleman who no longer works at a soul-crushing, full-time (and then some) job in sales and marketing, and instead rotates a stable of more enjoyable and flexible jobs. I plan on doing something somewhat similar as I chase after opportunities to freelance and write as much as possible. Who needs the man?!
Recent IRA Purchase: Whole Foods Market (WFM)
Retire Before Dad informs us of his recent equity purchase, and I applaud this one. WFM doesn’t quite fit me due to the slightly high valuation and low yield, but I could see myself stretching a bit for this one. My girlfriend loves to shop at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck?) and she often spends hours at a time there perusing, buying, eating, and people watching. It’s almost less shopping and more an experience. I personally don’t get it, and I’ve seen competition heat up in this space. But there’s no denying Whole Foods is popular and dominant, and I’m going to keep my eyes on this one.
15 Things You Can Do TODAY to Stop Relying on a Job You Hate
Kraig ran down a number of reasons a job you hate might be slowly killing you, literally. And then he included fantastic actionable advice you can use to your advantage to quit hating your work and start loving your life. I personally identify with a lot Kraig is saying here, as I recently took it upon myself to no longer go into a job that was spreading negativity and misery throughout the rest of my life. Even if you can’t become financially independent, the ability to take six months or a year away from work could improve your overall quality of life dramatically, and as such I’m looking at this opportunity as a win-win for me. I might just be on an extended vacation, or I might be able to never go back to work for the man again. Either way is pretty great.
Portfolio Management Does Size Matter
Mike discusses portfolio size in terms of management and how might go about managing portfolios of different dollar amounts. I personally manage my portfolio no different now at $160k then I did when it was $10k. I continue to focus on the best businesses I can find at valuations that make sense while also monitoring weighting to different companies as it applies to diversification.
These 21 Dividend Growth Stocks Go Ex-Dividend Next Week
Daily Trade Alert is kind enough to let me write over there, and this week I highlighted a company that goes ex-dividend next week and appears attractively valued. You also get to see 20 other stocks that go ex-dividend next week as well, so dividend payments are coming your way if you’re already long any of these.
10 Stocks To Buy Now: Be Cautious – But Don’t Panic: Part 2
Chuck Carnevale penned another great piece on why investors should be cautious here. However, as he points out, there are still stocks that are fairly valued or even slightly better, even in this market. I view investing much the same as Chuck, and plan on sticking to my plan through thick and thin. Although a stock market pullback appears imminent, I’ve heard of such imminence for more than a year now. Because I’m no fortune teller I just stick to what I know: High-quality businesses will more often than not grow profits over long periods of time and those that reward investors with rising dividend payouts will most likely continue doing so.
Life on a Bike
Huw described his recent love affair with the bike, and one we adults typically forget about once we relegate our lives to offices and commutes. Great stuff here! I was riding a bike down here in Florida when I initially went car-free, but the heat makes it difficult. I’m excited about the possibilities of biking once again when I’m living in Michigan. Although winter makes biking difficult, the other eight months are pretty lovely.
Early Financial Independence: The Tapering Plan (Fed Inspired)
FI Fighter talks about tapering away from full-time work instead of cutting the cord cold turkey (like I recently did). I can’t blame him, as this is really a smart way to go about it. Unfortunately, not every career path allows for cutting back hours like this. My job in the car industry, for instance, was very all-or-nothing. Either I worked my 50-some hours or I didn’t work at all. I chose the latter.
Tupperware Brands Corporation (TUP) Dividend Stock Analysis
Dividend Hawk analyzed this company and concluded that it while it’s slightly overvalued, the fundamentals look good. I’m not a big fan of the direct sale business model, but it appears TUP has done incredibly well with this model. Definitely an interesting company and a potential investment opportunity in the future.
On The Lookout
Bryan’s on the lookout for investment opportunities, although they’re few and far between. I think that while undervalued stocks are pretty hard to come by, I find many businesses that are high in quality where the common stock is trading for a fair price. I recently initiated a position with The Clorox Co. (CLX) which is an example of this. Solid business, fair price. One could do worse.
Weekly Purchase – GE
Compounding Income recently picked up shares in General Electric Company (GE). I’m a fan of GE at today’s price, and this is another example of a fine business trading for what’s probably a fair price. Again, nothing wrong with that. Although, I hope we get better deals sooner rather than later.
Recent Stock Purchase – May 2014
Continuing with some recent buys, DivHut shares where he’s going with his fresh capital. Some interesting picks, and I agree with him on his assessment of the inherent value in Aflac Incorporated (AFL). If I didn’t already have such a large position I’d be very interested in buying more here.
Weekly Sharebuilder Purchases
My Dividend Pipeline also picked up some great stocks recently, and it looks like we were on the same page in regards to Clorox. I also like his Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) pick, but that’s another company that I’m heavily allocated to.
Net Worth Update: $447,240.46 [Up $7,000]
J. Money continues to rock it, with his net worth climbing yet again. It’ll be quite a number of years before I see a net worth like this, but it continues to inspire me to stick to the plan and work hard!
Full Disclosure: Long CLX, GE, AFL, and KMI.
Thanks for reading.
Photo Credit: foto76/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hi jason. I’m glad to know you are enjoying your new freedom. Probably in the near future you will feel a bit ansious due to having your whole time on your hands. I think that’s the way I would feel myself in the beginning. I guess it is the expected feeling as we are all used to a particular schedule that leaves us without the responsability of fiiling out time ourselves. Keep the good writing!
http://www.dividendogma.com
Good luck on your move and uncertain future. I think You will need some sort of employment to supplement your income once you moved. Sounds You definitely need a while to decompress from your previous job. Perhaps after the move a part time job where you work one or two days a week just to cover your butt for a while might be ideal. Hopefully all is well with your sister as that is a scary situation.
DM,
Maybe life gave you a kick in the right direction. Yes, maybe it isn’t going according to plan, but what in life does? A plan is just a set of steps leading to a destination. Maybe you skipped a few steps along the way? : )
I know you are also into health and fitness. In your new found freedom, you might find time to pick up this book that I highly recommend (that is if you haven’t already heard of it) “How to eat, move, and be healthy”-Paul Chek. Amazing read. The material in this book has changed my life and is often referenced in times of turmoil to help me rebalance and deal with the plethora of external stressors in life.
Thanks for the weekend reading recommendations. Happy reading!
I was thinking of you this morning. I’m glad the change is working out well for you. I didn’t know when you were heading up north, but we may see you on I-75 this weekend. Thanks for including my post. You’re right that high quality companies make the best long term investments. I would rather be buying them as well. Have a great weekend Buddy
-Bryan
Write yourself a book!! You share all this wonderful content for free (or click thru/passive). Short of having a “tip jar” in the corner i don’t know any other way your loyal reader’s can help make your dream come true.
Tip Jar: Turns off people because they think you want money.
Tip Jar: Provides way for people to contribute but don’t get anything in return.
Book: New content for your loyal minions.
Book: Take it or leave it for users, more depth (you don’t/won’t leave anything out on blog)
Book: New revenue stream.
You are honest to a tee. You are the first blog i started following because it struck a cord a few years ago. I’ve since found a few others via comments on *your* blog but overall i can’t think of another one i check daily. Ok i lied, seekingalpha.com but you are there too! You have knowledge and skill and (shocker!) experience at this point 🙂
_Z
DM,
Glad to hear your sister and her baby are all fine. As a big family man myself and my work having me travel the world a little too often, I know that feeling when something happens to a loved one and you are not around to help/provide comfort. The more I see you write about it, the more I get the feeling you are making the right choice with the move!
Best,
DW
Jason,
Never got a chance to tell you congrats on your life move. Family is everything, enjoy your weekend
Glad your sister is fine, family is the main thing. The weather here in Troy is 54 degrees and cloudy. I love DGI’s articles, so I second that. I picked up more WFM in the last few days when the price tanked, along with a few shares of AFL since it’s still fairly valued. Must be nice to be able to chill out and do all that reading.
I don’t know how we are going to see new levels of frugality from you but if anyone can do it you can. Happy to hear about the new plan. I hope it goes well.
Glad to hear your sister is well! Enjoy the beach. Beaches are overrated anyway IMHO 😉 I’ll take mountains or forests anyday!
Have a safe trip!
Our thoughts are with you sister, I’m glad that she’s in a stable condition.
“I’m hoping to get a little beach time in before I leave Florida behind” You do that! I know I will try to get some serious beach time before we move to the PNW.
One thing you should keep in mind as you get ready to sail in new waters is good old serendipidy. Chances are that, because you have moved away from an uncomfortable situation, good things will probably come your way. That’s something I have noticed of other bloggers after they become free or take a sharp turn in their lives: they connect with new people and get the chance to experience things they would never have while chained to the 9-5.
Have a great weekend!
Mantra,
First off thanx for the mention! I really appreciate it. 🙂
Also I’m sorry to hear your sister was in a car-accident, but also glad she is OK. I missed your last post, so missed out on being no. 211 to post! WOW you have a lot of devoted readers. They all wish you the best.
So first off let me say many congratulations on leaving the job you abhor, and embracing your big life changes. You can only be successful when you give yourself the room and allow those opportunities to follow.
I am certain (without a doubt) that any book you write will be a best seller. I told Andrew Hallam the same thing, and he didn’t believe me either. We all know how successful his book was. You also have the full support of all of us bloggers, and all our readers and followers, to get the word out on your book! Your going to kill it, and make even more money than you did in the 9-5 grind. I have no doubt.
Congratulations on all your positive and big-time changes!
Cheers
Avrom
DM,
I’m glad to hear your sister and her baby are fine. I wish you all the best with your new/old life in Michigan. While Florida is no doubt a wonderful place to live, the Midwest during the summer months is pretty amazing. I have visited relatives in Cedar Falls, Iowa many times and the weather is picture perfect. Enjoy!
MDP
Dogma,
Thanks for stopping by!
I’m actually not much of an anxious person in that way. I don’t get bored or antsy in the way a lot of people do if they don’t have constant tasks to keep them busy. I’m quite okay with just being present, but I’m probably just weird.
But I’m incredibly grateful and lucky that I have writing to keep me very busy. I’m just so happy right now. 🙂
Cheers.
Asset-Grinder,
We’ll see. I hope I don’t need to work at a traditional job anymore, but I’m certainly very open minded to it. I think that while I could probably meet my expenses via online income, it would be hard to acquire excess capital to invest with. Thus, I’ll probably need a traditional job to bridge that gap. But I won’t be complaining, because even working 30-40 hours per week will be a big break compared to what I was doing before, even if the money isn’t the same.
Thanks for the support. I’m very glad my sister is okay. If she was anything less I would already be up there, but luckily she’s a tough girl! 🙂
Best regards!
DivStrong,
Great point there. This isn’t to plan, but if the new road is more enjoyable then maybe the plan was flawed from the beginning. 🙂
I’ll have to take a look at that book! I haven’t heard of it before, but I’m always interested in a new read. I should have more time than I used to, and it would definitely be nice to read more than I was able to before. Thanks for the suggestion!
Hope all is well over there.
Take care.
Bryan,
Thanks for the thoughts!
And today was just beautiful, wasn’t it? Really one of those rare days. I went out to Siesta Key for the first time in a while. I hope it’s not my last ever visit there, but the weather made it really special just in case. My girlfriend and I walked down the beach and had a really long conversation about how far we’ve come, how much fun we’ve had together, love, life, and how weird things can be sometimes. It was just a great talk. I’m really lucky to have someone like her in my life.
Hope you have a great weekend. And I hope the family is well!
Best wishes.
Zol,
Thanks for the support and very kind words. I really appreciate it. And I’m glad you’ve found content here that’s been worth following. I always wanted this to be different than anything else out there, and set out to give it my best. The fact that people like yourself appreciate it means the world to me.
And I’d love to write a book. That’s a dream of mine that I’ve had for a long time now. I have some great ideas, and it’s really just putting it down on paper and then learning how to get the words published. I plan on researching this at some point in the near future to see just how realistic it might be. And if I do get an opportunity to write a book I promise you it’ll be different than anything else in this space.
And while I don’t have a tip jar, I really appreciate everyone here. The fact that I can actually generate a pretty decent revenue from this blog without selling you guys anything or asking for money is amazing to me, and I don’t take it for granted. And if I were to write a book it would be less about money than it would be about putting something out in the world that I can be proud of, and something that’s inspirational. Of course, if it turns out to be wildly successful I won’t complain! 🙂
Thanks again.
Best regards.
DW,
I empathize with you. A big part of me wants to engage in long-term travel at some point, hitting SE Asia for a few years and seeing where things go. Of course, a bigger part of me wants to be close to family and watch little ones grow up. So it’s this really interesting dynamic. And if I must be honest, it’s the fact that I might want to travel in the far future that pushed me to decide to move back to Michigan now. I’d really hate to live in Florida for another 5-10 years and then decide once I’m financially independent that I’d like to travel and see the world. At that point there would be no time at all for family, and I would really regret that. At least by moving back now I open up the possibility of traveling a bit later in life without missing out on the moments now.
Great recent buys by the way with AFL and BP. I think those are two of the better opportunities available right now. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great weekend!
Take care.
Charles,
Thanks so much! It’s an interesting time in my life, but you’re right: Family is indeed everything. 🙂
I hope you enjoy your weekend as well!
Cheers.
KeithX,
54 degrees and cloudy? Someone better let Michigan know I’m coming back! 🙂
Nice buy there on WFM. I came very close to picking up shares on the huge drop myself, but still found myself a bit uneasy about the valuation, yield, and adding another retailer to the mix since I already have WMT and TGT. But I think it should work out fine. Every single time I’ve visited a Whole Foods it’s been insanely busy. All anecdotal, but their financials show the same story.
And it’s very nice to read more. I was lacking in that area over the last six months ago because just working, blogging, and managing the investments were leaving me with little time to do anything else but sleep. I’m so grateful now that I have more time to grow as a person. It’s really refreshing!
Have a great weekend!
Best wishes.
Turtlevestor,
Oh, you just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet. I’m actually hoping I can get to my first ever sub-$1,000 month. I think my cheapest month ever was around $1,100 or so, but I’m anxious to set new records. 🙂
Thanks for the support. I’m extremely excited to see just what I’m capable of at this leg of the journey.
Take care!
ILG,
Haha. I’ve always been a big fan of tropical locations, but after living in Florida for five years now I’m ready for a break from it. I’ve actually never lived near mountains, but that sounds really intriguing. In fact, if there was any state that I could live in right now (outside of Michigan because of family) it would be Colorado. The scenery just seems beautiful, and the weather isn’t egregious. The economy seems to be doing well there, lots of free, outdoor activities, and many of their cities just seem cool. Plus Pete from MMM lives there, so that counts for something.
Best regards.
Spoonman,
Thanks for the kind thoughts. She’s tough, and apparently the little baby is as well. 🙂
Yeah, I spent some time at Siesta Key today. The weather was absolutely stunning. Florida is trying to keep her claws in me with days like today! It was quite possibly my last visit there for some time, but it was a great one.
And that’s an excellent point there about serendipity! I didn’t directly write about that, but it’s been on my mind. In fact, since I’ve been blogging I’ve had so many excellent conversations and connections with like-minded people. It’s been really amazing. There was the visit by Kraig from CMI, and it was fantastic talking to him. A reader from Jacksonville met up with me and we talked for like four hours about investing and pursuing a better life. He came prepared with many written questions; it was great! And I also have a planned meeting with Eli Inkrot, a fellow writer, blogger, and investor. I really hope to be able to meet even more people in the future. I love just talking and hashing out ideas with others.
Thanks for stopping by. Always appreciate your perspective!
Cheers!
Avrom,
The support here has been amazing. I’m still in awe of it!
And thank you very much for the congratulations. It’s been an incredible journey, and every day just seems to get better. I never, ever would have thought I’d take this kind of detour, but I’m so excited and happy about it. I’m going to make the most of it, I promise you that.
Man, I need to take your advice about the book. I still remember our conversation from earlier this year. Your advice regarding the switch from Blogger to WP was fantastic, and it couldn’t have worked out better. So I think I need to heed your words about the book. I’m anxious to put something really great together. I just need to research the editing and publishing side of it.
Thanks again. I appreciate it very much. Hope everything is well up in Vancouver!! And congrats to you too on all of your success with being featured in mainstream publications up there. Great stuff. You’re doing phenomenal!!
Best wishes.
MDP,
I’m with you, my friend. I’m leaving Florida just as it heats up and going back to Michigan just as a beautiful Midwest summer comes around. I haven’t had one in a while, so I’m really looking forward to it. My family loves to start fires when the summer evenings cool down just enough. Should be very fun. Just like old times. 🙂
I’ve never been to Iowa. I’m sure it has very similar weather to Michigan, though. Always good stuff through the summer and fall months!
Take care.
Jason! thank you for sharing all the links. I had a long and super busy week, so it was nice to find lots of good information in one place.
Also I am glad to hear that you are enjoying life and doing more things you like.
Hi DM,
Thank you for listing my recent purchases as one of your weekend reads. You made my day 🙂 Enjoy your “quiet time” now without the stress of a regular job. Think of this time before early June as “me” time. Once home in MI your hands will be full with family, friends, getting settled, finding another full/part time job, writing, investing, etc. Life does indeed go on. I think you deserve these next days to just recharge and relax.
Hi, As a late-comer to dividend investing, only been doing it several years now, wasted the first 20 years trading and then blowing the bounty on the usual things, extended periods traveling, boozing, women etc 🙂 I retired from normal work-a-day life in 2004, great!!…..Moved to Turkey, sea,sand,sun,villa……Got sooo bored that after a few years we moved to Bulgaria (Frugalist paradise) and got ourselves a very small farm so we had something to do!!
What your doing is admirable and achievable, my mistakes have been to take my off the ball one too many times and missed a lot of opertunities to load up on market swoons, but I’m back in the saddle once again and a full time divi. investor, nothing else beats it long term, I’m 52 years old and tried it all.
Mantra,
Nice background info into the article – the readers definitely appreciate your update and I hope your sister & her soon to be baby will be perfectly fine. What’s exciting is pushing yourself to new extremes, new measures, because that is when you find out who you really are as a person and begin to dive deeper on what you currently enjoy out of life. I am excited to see you break expense barriers living back in Michigan. Weather sounds awesome in Florida right now, as Cleveland is 45 degrees and raining, c’mon!
Pumped to see when you release the June income/expense report for us. Keep at it and keep moving. You said it best “generate enough revenue to continue accumulating equity stakes in high-quality businesses that pay and regularly raise dividends.” –> that will keep the fuel in the retire by 40 tank going.
-Lanny
“Although a stock market pullback appears imminent, I’ve heard of such imminence for more than a year now.” So true. Stocks were way overvalued in 1995, but they kept skyrocketing for four more years! So, you just never know.
Nice collection of links, thanks! And so glad your sister and her baby are okay–so scary!
My company provides a sabbatical every 8 years or so (2 months paid). I did some lite traveling, visiting family, catching up some projects/chores and a lot of relaxation at home. After finishing all the house projects I did begin to feel anxious to be doing something productive near the end of it. When i returned to work it was only about a month of dealing with office politics before i was good and feeling soul crushed again.
I wonder what working 20 hrs a week if i would still feel the same way or get just as depressed as 60 hrs. Or even possibly using that energy for volunteering my time (if i ever make it to that coveted FI). I confess that i dont do much volunteering now because i’m to used up and drained to even contemplate spending my little free time on anyone but myself.
It’s funny, i can look back to being 10-14 yrs old and i loved doing things like the lawncutting, landscaping, snow plowing. It never felt like work to me because I did it pretty much on my own time and not for 60 hrs a week. Heck, i even did the (nice) neighbors for free when i felt like it.
So scary about your sis man, yikes! Will keep her in our evening prayers 🙂
Thx for the shout out too – glad the updates help/inspire people. Seeing real life net worths was a major reason I started my blog to begin with! So it’s something I’ve always kept around, even though it now makes my wife nervous, haha… but what are you gonna do 😉
Keep living the dream, Mr. full time writer.
I think a lot of people would be more than happy to be in your financial situation. Keep it up. It sounds like you are ready for the challenge and have a good buffer ready for whatever comes next. Only you know if it was the right decision for you to take the plunge.
Happy,
No problem! I hope you find some of the articles informative and entertaining. 🙂
And I’m so glad to be able to slow down. It’s a nice little break here before I drive 1,200 miles north, so I’m definitely enjoying it.
Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Best regards.
DivHut,
Hey, glad to include you! I’m grateful for all your support as well.
Yeah, this is definitely some nice down time before life gets crazy once again – but crazy in a good way. It’s the first time in my life that I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but that’s exciting.
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!
travels,
What a life, man! Sounds like you’ve had a hell of an adventure there. Good for you!
I’ve had far more success than I ever dreamed, but I’ve also been working non-stop for the past five years. Adventures in fits and starts like what you’ve experienced sounds like a pretty great time to me. Certainly not as sure as work for X years and gain FI, but probably more fun. I don’t think I could ever do that because I’d have a hard time going from roaming the world to working again! Even now I don’t see how I could ever go back to working for a car dealership, and I’ve only been away for a week. Give me a year or so away from it and I would rather die. 🙂
I’ve heard Bulgaria is indeed cheap. Really interesting lifestyle there with the farm, though. Cool stuff. I personally wouldn’t mind trying out Thailand for a few years, but that’s still far off in the future for me. I’d prefer to be much closer to FI before I attempt something like that, and plus I really want to spend at least the next few years with family.
But life is definitely a journey, and you’re a shining example of that.
Hope you stay in touch!
Take care.
Lanny,
Thanks so much. My sister is really lucky, and she’s tough! 🙂
And I couldn’t agree more. It’s times when you push yourself through new challenges that you find out what you’re really capable of. I was certainly comfortable with what I was doing before, but I don’t necessarily believe comfort is what you should want to ultimately attain. I prefer being uncomfortable and challenged. It keeps life interesting and new, right? And life is too short to just go through the motions. However, I’m also not interested in giving up the journey or everything I’ve worked so hard for. This is just a new road that will hopefully lead to the same exact place.
And my budgets over the next couple months are definitely going to be different. June, however, will be probably my worst ever income/expense report because I’m going to realize the remainder of rent due on my part for the apartment here. Our lease isn’t up until August, so I have to set aside money for June, July, and August rent. And I also offered to pay all of August’s rent as a token of my appreciation for my girlfriend’s support. So June is going to be extremely expensive. Plus, there’s gas to drive to Michigan, and gifts for my sisters (one’s pregnant, the other’s turning 30) once I get there. But July sets in motion a whole new budget, and I’m excited for that!
Thanks for stopping by. Best of luck with your continued journey!! 🙂
Cheers.
Debbie M,
Absolutely. You just never know what’s going to happen to the stock market. What I do know, however, is that high-quality businesses are very likely going to be selling more products and/or services five years from now than they do today, and sharing those rising profits with us shareholders in the form of rising dividends. Trying to time the stock market is just dumb, in my opinion. I’d rather time business, because business is almost always good.
And thanks for the thoughts in regards to my sister. I’m really glad too. If she wasn’t okay I’d already be back home.
Best wishes!
Zol,
I also wonder if working part-time isn’t the ultimate solution to the balance between quality of life/time now and quality of life/time later once you’re financially independent. Like a treadmill, there’s obviously many speeds. You could run at speed 9 like I was, and try to get there as fast as possible. And that method has its own set of benefits (faster FI) and drawbacks (less time and energy now). Or you could jog at, say, speed 4 and get to FI a bit slower. That will also have its own benefits and drawbacks. I think what’s unique about my situation is that I may get to try both. So I’ll definitely let you know which one is better once I have enough experience of both versions under my belt. 🙂
Best wishes.
J. Money,
Hey, thanks for stopping by! I know you stay busy. 🙂
And thanks for the prayers. I’m really glad she’s okay, but this event really reinforced the belief that what I’m doing is the right choice.
And I’m going to do my best to keep living the dream. And its trailblazers like you that keep the rest of us motivated!
Best wishes.
Andrew,
I’m in a wonderful situation right now. And I realize how lucky I am, so I don’t take it for granted.
I appreciate the support very much. And I wish you the best of luck with your own journey!
Take care.
DM… Glad to hear your sister and future niece/nephew are ok after the accident. That can be scary…
Enjoy the weekend! 🙂
I am the most recent follower of Dividend Mantra. His work is fantastic. Greetings from Brazil.
Best wishes.
Pierz
Totally look forward to hearing about it. The wonderful thing about this internet *thing* is you get to meet all walks of life in all their infinite glory.
Glad to hear that your family & sis is doing ok. Also, I’m now seeing daily articles 🙂 a happy situation for all readers.
Keep up the good work!
Stoic,
Hey, glad to hear from you! I hope all is well. 🙂
And thank you for the kind words about my sister. Luckily, she’s fine and so is the baby. It’ll be an interesting story to tell when she’s older.
You enjoy your weekend too!
Best regards.
Pierz,
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy what I’m doing here. Means the world to me to have readers like yourself appreciate my writing, especially coming all the way from Brazil. 🙂
Stay in touch!
Cheers.
PIM,
Thank you so much. This little scare definitely convinced me that I’m doing the right thing. It’ll be good to be there for my family in times of need.
And I’d love to pump out new articles every day! I don’t know if it’s possible on a long-term basis, but I’ll see what I can do. 🙂
Thanks for all the support.
Best wishes!
Great story MotorBike. While you may have “missed” the swoons etc. you did live a live most people dare not dream of. Living in different parts of the world, travel, buying a farm. What I read is “no regrets” and time now to get some div stocks under your belt for the next 20 – 30 years. Most people never “live” their lives. They just go through the motions.
Hi Jason,
Congratulations on your decision and move.
I made a similar decision to relocate from a well paying job to be near family 5 years after I began working. I never regretted it, and ultimately I was happier and found a better position.
I think this is a valuable opportunity for you also to experience living on your income stream.
This will also give you the confidence to know the theory of living off dividends actually is possible.
I know you will be successful, and can decide if and when you want to begin paid employment again to add more dividend growth stocks to your portfolio
Most of us are trading off our most valuable asset, time, for money.
You just have to decide if and when. If you can find meaningful work, then the trade off is less and may actually become less of a trade off
In my journey, I began investing as soon as I began work, and reached my first goal of financial independence at a young age.
The problem is, for me, the goal keeps changing.
It is like climbing a mountain, and seeing new peaks to scale.
I am self employed and have very fulfilling work, so this is why I have kept on.
Still once you reach financial independence, you make the choice.
So again, congratulations and enjoy your freedom!
dividendsfree,
First, congratulations on your success. Focusing on family is something that should be commended, and I’m following a similar path. And you achieved financial independence? That’s fantastic. Good for you!
And I hear you on setting new goals. I don’t think that once I reach FI my life will be complete, but rather I’ll just have the flexibility to reach new heights and achieve new goals. More time with family, traveling the world, volunteering my time, philanthropy, etc. I have the time for everything else in life once I no longer need to focus on money. That’s really what it’s all about for me. Shedding concerns over money takes a lot of weight off your shoulders and you can then move on to bigger and better things.
Thanks for the support. I really appreciate it. And I hope you stay in touch!
Best wishes.
Thx for the mention Jason!
I,m sorry to hear about your sister, I remember how I was worried while my wife was pregnant (3 times!). Each time I was hoping that everything goes smoothly everyday for 9 months. It’s always a relief when you get a confirmation that everything is okay!
Good to hear your sister is all right. Having been in two car accidents myself I know that they are not fun, especially since she was pregnant. I’m happy to hear that things are going well with your family.
A year ago I got a job at this insurance company, its very well known and they have excellent benefits, it was 9-5 with holidays off. I thought I landed in heaven at first but I soon started to hate the job and although I liked most of my co-workers and liked my boss, I learned that you can get a nice paycheck, hate the job and then hate your life. I decided to leave that job after 5 months of working there.
I felt kind of guilty because many people throughout the U.S. are suffering right now and here I was having a first world problem. I tried to stay there.
I told myself things like, “People in third world countries and in the U.S. would want a job, any job and here I am whining about a job with benefits and opportunities to move up.”
And “Suck it up, not everyone likes their job, how are you going to pay your bills?” and “People do all sorts of jobs for decades and they hate them, so why can’t you?” or “Why are you such a baby?”
But every day that I came to work I had butterflies and felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to hurl before I came to work. I just dreaded it. Then I thought, “maybe someone else who truly wants to be here can take my spot” and in my opinion if you don’t want a job then it’s not fair to the company, employees, boss and another person who might enjoy the opportunity of having that job.
I was happy that I was given this opportunity by life to see the other side. It really was a good company to work for and its not easy getting your foot in the door at this company because they are VERY picky. They check your work history with the companies you list on your resume (not all companies do this), they do a background check, they called my high school to verify I graduated, etc.
I also had a phone interview, an in person interview, and I had to do online assessments too. It was very intense. At this company we had a cafeteria, two different break rooms, and a Starbucks inside. This company was benefits heaven, they had different health care packages, not only that but they had a 401 (k) and a 401 (k) with a ROTH IRA option, etc.
I learned that it doesn’t matter if a company has all the benefits that you want. What may be right for others may be wrong for you. I was following someone else’s script for my life. I think its more important to be happy than to be rich. I think rich is relative. In my opinion I’m already rich for living in the U.S. , for having my health, my family, my friends, my significant other, to have the opportunity to pursue my hobbies, etc.
I don’t care about being a social climber or being on People’s most beautiful list or on being on the Forbes most rich in the world list. I just want to be happy, to have peace of mind, to treasure my finite time in this world. This life is a gift. I don’t think you have to be religious or spiritual to appreciate that.
Dividend Mantra,
I am glad you are moving closer to your family. Based on the numbers you have been sharing with readers, I am pretty confident you might not need a job. However, the only plus that a job will provide a frugal person like you is a source of fresh capital to deploy if ( when) stock prices finally start going lower.
And thank you so much for mentioning my article on raising the yield to retire earlier. I agree with your assessment that raising the yield could reduce quality and increase amount of risk.
Good luck in your journey!
Dividend Growth Investor
That article on micro-jobs and some of the comments there are hilarious.
People still think full time work with one company is security. I’ve heard of the concept of micro-jobs before but usually I’ve heard them described as “portfolio” careers. Although instead of one boss, you end up having 2-4 but if one job fails for whatever reason you still have other jobs to fall back on.
Speaking of work, I read a book called “Free Agent Nation” by Daniel Pink last year, he basically writes the future of work is freelance, contract, consulting, etc. I’m kind of wondering why we’re still stuck in this industrial revolution mindset that you have to be physically at work with one company, 40-80 hours to get any “real” work done.
I can’t tell you how much of actual work we really get to do even though we live in the 21st century with technology at our fingertips, because so much of it is spent on mindless meetings, at the water cooler or smoking breaks, and companies wonder why employees call out, come in late, quit, do no call no shows, why gossip exists, etc. My bf works as a developer and told me that he has to work at home to get any actual work done, that there are too many distractions at work.
I also think that employees have the wrong idea of what to do to motivate people. I can’t tell you how many people, women especially, tell/have told me, “I wish this company was more flexible” or “I like it here but they won’t change my schedule so I have to quit.”
I recommend Daniel Pink’s TED Talk “The Puzzle of Motivation.”
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en#t-518415
Mike,
No problem at all!
And I can imagine how much anxiety you must have felt when your wife was pregnant. And three times? Congrats!
I’m not even the father, and I’ve felt anxious for her. I guess I’m just pretty excited to be an uncle. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!
Anonymous,
That’s a great story there. Thanks for sharing.
You know, I’ve had the same exact thoughts in my mind. How could I possibly want to escape a job so badly when it paid well, and offered me so much opportunity? But in the end, it’s just not for me. And as you realized, it’s better for both you and the company if someone who’s better suited for that opportunity takes the role instead. I never had the kind of benefits you describe, but the dealership could probably serve ice cream for free 24/7 and I’d still hate it! 🙂
We’re not all built the same, and that’s what makes the world an interesting place. I’m just not cut out for the corporate 9-5, and apparently neither are you. Nothing wrong with that. That just means we have to find what we are cut out for. I’ve really found a passion in writing, and I hope I can do this in a way that’s economically sustainable, but if not then I’ll just go suck it up and work for the man for a while longer until I’m completely free via passive income.
I’d say you did a great thing. The worst thing you can do is wake up every morning and hate life. Life is so precious and short, and it’s really important to treasure every day. Letting a job destroy you like that is just a total waste of your time. And time is really all we’ve got.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing that. And I hope you find your calling. 🙂
Best wishes!
DGI,
Thanks, man. I’m really excited about the move. It’s a big change and I’m going to make the most of it.
And I hope I don’t need a traditional job. But as you mention, the biggest benefit would be the extra free cash flow which would provide me the financial flexibility to continue accumulating assets at a fairly robust rate. I’m anxious to see how it all goes, but if I’m unable to regularly invest I think I’ll probably grab a local part-time job and just make the most of it. My portfolio is nowhere near complete yet, and there’s still a lot of work to be done there.
Thanks for the well wishes and support. Means a lot to me! I hope all is well with your journey as well. I’m excited to see what 2018 brings you! 🙂
Take care.
Anonymous,
That’s a great TED Talk there, and some of the big ideas there are what makes TED famous.
I really like the idea of “Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose”. However, I find that a lot of jobs that make up our economy, like fast food, factory work, or even my job at the car dealership, aren’t well suited to this idea. Perhaps the problem is the jobs themselves? And maybe that gets to the root of why working as a consultant or working at micro jobs is so attractive. It gives you the autonomy and purpose that perhaps regular jobs don’t allow with micromanagement and specific tasks for money. I really agree, however, with his thoughts on the carrot and stick. It’s a shame that we haven’t changed at all since the Industrial Revolution. I read a piece a while ago describing how jobs are really obsolete, but we keep them around due to the way our economy is set up. But the solution might possibly be a living wage where people work on things they’re passionate about, or the jobs nobody wants pay well enough to create demand for capital above and beyond the living wage. All interesting stuff. I’m creating my own “living wage” by investing in dividend growth stocks so I can work on things I’m passionate about. So I’m creating my own new economy.
Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate talks like this. Very interesting stuff!!
Cheers.
Hey DM,
I just wanted to say a big thank you for highlighting my post on cycling. My figures shot up all of a sudden over the last few days and I was wondering why, then I saw the link from this post.
I really appreciate the mention, thank you! 🙂
Huw
Huw,
No problem at all! Glad to see you making big changes in your life and aggressively pursuing freedom. The you of five or ten years from now will be very grateful the you of today is making all of these moves. It’s going to have an amazing impact on the rest of your life. Keep it up!
Best wishes.