Thursday, February 27, 2014

First Milestone Passed



Today was a pretty big day in the history of this blog.  As of today my investment portfolio crossed the $10,000 mark. While $10,000 is not much to some, for me it is huge.  Just two months ago my path to retirement was murky.  I was storing up my funds in a bank account earning almost nothing for interest.  I was spending money unnecessarily and not putting the funds that I had accumulated to work.  With the decision to start investing and tracking the journey it seems as though a path has materialized in front of me.  I know that if I simply continue to walk on this path that I will find success.

Here is a snapshot of my future financial milestones.  I look forward to sharing with you every time I manage to fill in one of the dates.


While today I hit the 10,000 dollar portfolio value mark, I expect this number to fluctuate above and below this threshold until I make up my mind on which stock to buy for March.  As you can see above I also managed to reach a net worth of $10,000 back around October of 2013.  Below is a graph (from mint) showing this change in net worth since my graduation date in May of 2013.



  It is amazing how quickly being frugal, and saving the majority of your income can add up.  It is also important to remember that investing and saving money is not a competitive race but rather a personal challenge where you are your only competition.  Challenge yourself to spend less than the previous month, constantly audit your budget and find new places where you can save.  Never accept complacency.

Thank you all for stopping in and sharing this moment with me. By taking a moment to recognize the little victories and set your sights on the next goal you will always find the finish line.

Have you passed any of your milestones lately?

16 comments:

  1. Hi Dividendasaur,

    Congrats ! That's a great first step. It is empowering.

    One of my recent milestone (january 2014) is to start investing.

    Last week, I also celebrated another milstone : my first year of credit history in the US. Since my arrival I was carefully keeping a low balance and paying it in full each month. Thanks to that, I got accepted for a new credit card with better cashback rewards. A small step but anyway, it will mean more money to invest. Like you say it adds up.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Guillaume

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  2. Congrats!. I am pretty much on the same boat - just crossed $10K in stocks and will create a blog soon. I noteced PSEC in your portfolio. What do you think about the sustainability of yield in that stock?

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    1. Congrats to you too for hitting 10k, stop back in some time after you create your blog and let me know where to find it! That is a great question on the sustainability of PSECs extremely high ~12% dividend. I initiated a position in PSEC prior to starting this blog, and it was actually my first position in my portfolio. I like to keep my exposure to BDC/REIT in the 10% or less total portfolio territory.

      I think that short term PSEC is sustainable, but it is a position that I monitor closely as the landscape could change very quickly to unsustainable.

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  3. Hi Guillaume,

    The first steps are always the hardest. Congratulations on starting to grow your credit rating here in America. It sounds like you have it pretty well figured out which is fantastic considering most Americans don't even know how to build it properly. I alternate between two rewards cards (each are better in different categories) and pay them off monthly as well. I have found that creditkarma.com is a really great way to track your credit score and they do a really good job of breaking down each category showing you where you can improve. Thank you for stopping in sir and have a lovely weekend.

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  4. Nice job man! That chart is really heading in the right direction these last few months! Keep up the good work!

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    1. W2R good to see you!

      These last few months have been pretty amazing. Work has been really busy and it is easy to see the overtime pay reflected in my net worth. Hopefully as the portfolio grows those monthly gaps become even larger due to assets appreciating. Thank you for your support, it is always appreciated!

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  5. Hey Dividendasaur, I just discovered your blog and I really like the content. Keep up the great work!

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    1. Thanks for dropping in Captain Dividend!

      Your blog was one of the original dividend investing blogs that I started to follow and has been/still is a major inspiration for me. I really appreciate your content which helps by providing a road map for up and comers like myself. Cheers, and have a fantastic weekend.

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  6. Dividendasaur,

    Great progress on your first milestone. Looking forward to you reaching more and more goals. Really nice blog and good job executing on your goals

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    1. Hi swan!

      Thank you for stopping in, and the kind words! I was hoping to knock out that 25k net worth goal shortly but I am about to make an offer on a house which could be a bit of a setback. I hope you are hitting all of your goals so far this year!

      Take care.

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  7. Congrats on this milestone!

    I'm in the same boat, with a similar sized portfolio. I'm so glad we've found DGI now instead of letting even more time pass. I'm very much enjoying your blog so far and look forward to your continued progress!!! :)

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    1. Thank you for stopping in Ryan and I'm glad you have liked the blog so far! I'm glad we did too, DGI adds an element of fun to investing for me as watching that total dividend grow each month is really rewarding. I look forward to following your blog as well!

      Take care.

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  8. Congratulations man. $10k is awesome. I hope to get there with my combined accounts later this year. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your next milestone. Take care.

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    1. It is always exciting to add another factor of ten to that number. Although the darn things keep getting harder and harder. I look forward to celebrating with you when you nail that goal! Thanks for stopping in and take care!

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  9. Congrats on crossing the $10k mark for your portfolio! I know it may not seem like much now, but given enough time and consistent contributions and it will turn into a huge snowball. It's amazing what a little bit of clarity can give you and how quickly you can start to make progress.

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    1. I am only kicking myself that I didn't start sooner. There were definitely plenty of years where I lived well above my means, but better late then never! I am currently having a blast with the challenge of growing the portfolio, living frugally, and watching the snowball take off. Thank you for your comment.

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