4 Year Blogiversary

Today is my 4 year Blogiversary! It is hard to believe 4 years have passed already. I still remember making my first ever post. It has been quite a journey so far. The dividend growth investing community has been amazing. It has been inspiring to see everyone else on their journey to freedom and celebrating one milestone after another. You guys are the best!

There is a question that incumbent US Presidents seeking reelection often ask and it is “are you better off today then you were 4 years ago?” Looking back 4 years, I can safely say, I am indeed better off then 4 years ago. I am better off financially, intellectually, and physically compared to 4 years ago.

If I were to go back further to 5 or 6 years ago, I would say there has been a dramatic improvement – almost a night and day difference. Those familiar with my story will understand why and what I had to endure. But sticking to financials over the past 4 years, there has been a marked improvement. Since I started this blog, I have documented my journey and have real data to go by. And the numbers don’t lie. Thus, I want to focus on the numbers for this post.

• • • Four years ago (July 2017) my yearly dividend income was $7,824 which averages out to $652 per month in dividends. Four years later, my yearly dividend income is $11,690 which averages out to $974 per month in dividends. That is a 49% increase over 4 years.
    • Four years ago, my portfolio consisted of only 12 stocks. Four years later, my portfolio consists of 46 stocks. All dividend paying companies. When I started four years ago, my goal had been to become better diversified. Today, that goal has largely been achieved.
    • Four years ago, my portfolio hovered around $135,000 in value. I remember it hovered around that mark for a long time. Four years later, as of this post, my portfolio value is over $270,000. That is the result of new stock purchases, compounding investments over time, and appreciation in stock value.
    • Four years ago, I had a net worth around $240,000. That included my investments in the stock market, my home, and my bank accounts. Four years later, my current net worth is just under $400,000. That includes all my wealth (stocks, bank, home, etc.) together. I have no debt or liabilities.
    • Four years ago, I made much less money at my job. Four years later, my salary has increased about 25% since I started working at my job. I have increased my savings each time my salary increased. As a result, the amount I have been investing has increased over the last 4 years.
    • Four years ago, I would save up and invest $3,000 every quarter (dividends included). Four years later, I regularly invest $5,000-$6,000 each quarter (dividends included). As I made more money, I saved and investment more money. Thus, moving faster towards financial independence.

And that is it. My 4 year Blogiversary! The numbers don’t lie. The snowball has been growing nicely over the past 4 years. Even throughout all the chaos and a global pandemic the snowball has continued to grow. The past 4 years are a testament to its endurance. Guys, we can make it through anything. The DGI community is awesome and I am glad to have been part of this community the last 4 years. Let us continue the march towards freedom!