Financial freedom isn’t a theoretical concept but rather a lifestyle founded on real, hard math.
I believe one is financially free when they’re free from financial concerns. More specifically, being free of financial concerns would imply that one is able to generate enough passive income so that their basic expenses are effectively already covered.
Well, I can say that I’ve worked hard enough – along with receiving a little luck along the way – to get to this position, and it’s in these updates that I show the math behind the lifestyle.
I’m paid just to wake up and exist these days, which feels incredible!
Before I even think about taking on challenges or somehow exchanging some of my time for money, my core personal expenses are already covered. Whereas most people are “in the hole” every morning they wake up, I’m in neutral or positive territory. That means I’m in a position of power and control rather than a position of weakness.
I own my own time now. This was the one thing I set out to own many years ago, when I first started my journey to financial freedom. I could never understand why people want to own stuff and things if they don’t own their own time yet. Time is the ultimate and most valuable commodity in this world. And I’m now free to spend it as I please, which allows me to pursue happiness and live a purposeful life.
Keep in mind, however, that while my aim is to show the basic “infrastructure” of my financial freedom via these real-life, real-money reveals, I’ve come to realize that much of the math is moot. One is very likely going to go on to make much more money past the point of financial freedom, which means that one shouldn’t anchor their entire life on hitting $X in passive income. It’s just really not that vital.
Money shouldn’t be thought of in terms of having to live off of it but rather in terms of providing the flexibility and courage to live life on your terms.
Nonetheless, I think it’s still important to operate with all of the benefits (like that aforementioned flexibility and courage) that financial freedom confers. And so I present my passive income and core personal expenses, as you can see below.
Passive Income
The majority of my passive income is made up of the growing dividend income my Full-Time Fund generates on my behalf. The Fund is like an invisible worker, sending me the entirety of their paycheck. It’s a great relationship, but I can’t seem to shake this feeling that I’m really getting the better end of the deal. (Shh. It’ll be our little secret.)
The dividend income my Full-Time Fund generated for me in September 2016 can be seen in the table below. In the first column, you’ll see the name of the company and its ticker. The second column is the dividend paid. You’ll then see the total of all dividends paid to me this past month on the bottom right, in bold.
Without further ado:
| Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) | $34.20 |
| Transalta Renewables Com. (TRSWF) | $8.32 |
| Southside Bancshares, Inc. (SBSI) | $18.72 |
| Phillips 66 (PSX) | $17.01 |
| Pfizer Inc. (PFE) | $18.00 |
| Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (PAG) | $4.20 |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | $10.00 |
| Aflac Incorporated (AFL) | $36.90 |
| Spectra Energy Corp. (SE) | $18.23 |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | $80.00 |
| Southern Co. (SO) | $8.40 |
| Visa Inc. (V) | $2.80 |
| Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) | $30.00 |
| Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) | $9.00 |
| Magna International Inc. (MGA) | $15.00 |
| Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) | $49.88 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) | $13.50 |
| Unilever PLC (UL) | $34.81 |
| Amgen, Inc. (AMGN) | $10.00 |
| Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) | $15.00 |
| CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) | $23.18 |
| 3M Co. (MMM) | $11.10 |
| United Technologies Corporation (UTX) | $26.40 |
| Target Corporation (TGT) | $30.00 |
| Chevron Corporation (CVX) | $21.40 |
| International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) | $28.00 |
| Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) | $41.30 |
| EPR Properties (EPR) | $6.40 |
| Hershey Co. (HSY) | $12.36 |
| Realty Income Corp. (O) | $14.11 |
| Praxair, Inc. (PX) | $7.50 |
| Polaris Industries Inc. (PII) | $5.50 |
| Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN) | $21.60 |
| Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR) | $10.80 |
| Compass Minerals International, Inc. (CMP) | 10.43 |
| Avista Corp. (AVA) | $18.84 |
| Stag Industrial Inc. (STAG) | $12.74 |
| McDonald's Corporation (MCD) | $48.95 |
| BP PLC (BP) | $65.45 |
| Flowers Foods, Inc. (FLO) | $43.20 |
| Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.B) | $47.00 |
| VF Corp. (VFC) | $7.40 |
| Harris Corporation (HRS) | $21.20 |
| OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCM) | $15.40 |
| T. Rowe Price Group Inc. (TROW) | $13.50 |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) | $9.40 |
| Brinker International, Inc. (EAT) | $11.90 |
| Ventas, Inc. (VTR) | $36.50 |
| Union Pacific Corporation (UNP) | $33.00 |
| Principal Financial Group Inc. (PFG) | $8.20 |
| PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) | $57.94 |
| Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) | $57.20 |
| Service Corporation International (SCI) | $2.60 |
| Chatham Lodging Trust (CLDT) | $12.65 |
| C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (CHRW) | $8.60 |
| Travelers Companies Inc. (TRV) | $6.70 |
| Total: | $1,242.42 |
One of my best months ever!
It’s taken me years to get to this point, so you can imagine how proud and excited I am when I look at these results.
There’s just this incredible weight that’s lifted off of my shoulders when I know that I’m earning this kind of passive income without lifting a finger. I don’t have to worry about having a roof over my head or food in my belly, freeing me of those primal concerns. My focus and energy can instead be spent on higher-level endeavors.
Oh, and the dividend income I earned this month puts me at $7,986.60 for the year thus far. September’s tally is 20.7% higher than my take last year.
In addition to the dividend income you see above, my book, The Dividend Mantra Way, earned me $132.83 in passive income this past month.
So my total passive income came in at $1,375.25 for September 2016.
Core Personal Expenses
That passive income is designed to cover my core personal expenses.
I define core personal expenses as all money I spend in a month, except that which is spent on the following:
- Business Expenses
- Philanthropy
- Student Loan Repayment
- Health Insurance
It’s quite simple why I exclude those specific categories.
Excluding business expenses is self-explanatory; business expenses are not personal expenses, and they wouldn’t exist if I didn’t have a business.
Philanthropic ventures are also fairly self-explanatory. I won’t/don’t give what I don’t have.
I started my philanthropic giving in early 2016 in earnest, just after realizing I’d become financially free. I see my position of strength as an incredible gift but also an incredible burden, as I believe it’s my duty to humanity to help those in need. In order to become the best version of myself, I need to transcend myself and make the world a slightly better place.
I see philanthropy much like investing, where I’m able to incrementally give to a diverse range of organizations. Over time, these sums will be substantial. Furthermore, I foresee the last 1/3 of my life dedicated almost exclusively to philanthropy. I hope to share more about these ventures in time.
I exclude student loan repayments and health insurance because these are expenses that wouldn’t exist if I were truly living off of just my passive income. Both would effectively be ~$0 at the income level my passive income alone provides.
Thus, core personal expenses are essentially just the essentials. We’re talking rent, food, transportation, internet access, mobile phone bill, household goods, etc. Everything except that which I just laid out.
Core personal expenses for September 2016 came in at $977.00 (rounded to the nearest dollar).
Overall, that’s pretty much an average baseline for me these days. I didn’t have any large, unexpected expenditures. Everything across the board was more or less kept in line with expectations.
If you’re looking for a great way to manage your budget and your investments in one spot, I recommend Personal Capital. It aggregates not only your spending but also your investments, allowing you to see exactly what’s going on with all of your money in one spot. Plus, it’s free!
My coverage level this month (passive income/expenses) was 141%.
That’s about as good as it gets for me, although the first month of every quarter is always quite impressive due to the way dividend payouts are scheduled. October and November will most likely be under 100%. But it’s really the average over a quarter or year that I care more about.
I believe October in particular will be difficult, as Claudia and I are going to be in Chicago for a weekend to celebrate seven years together since our first date. However, I have some credit card cash-back rewards that are coming in, so that’ll help.
Conclusion
Some people may look at my passive income and core personal expenses and think it’s not enough. Well, that’s really an individual call. I have more than enough for me. I want for nothing. I’m for the most part living the life I’d live even if I had access to unlimited wealth. I’m doing what I want, when I want, with whom I want. I no longer worry about buying stuff I neither want nor need to impress people I don’t care about with money I don’t actually have. Now free from such silly expectations, I’m able to pursue happiness and live a purposeful life with reckless abandon. I’m honestly happier than I’ve ever been. I have the flexibility and courage to live life on my terms.
I could actually spend more than I do, as I earn money on top of the passive income I collect. And if I thought I’d be happier doing so, I would. Instead, I’m more interested in new challenges, writing, reading, exercising, spending time with my puppies, relaxing, and becoming a burgeoning philanthropist. These activities drive my happiness; money does not. Of course, I still invest here and there with any excess capital I might have, as that’s a passion of mine. And seeing as how I’m just barely financially free, I continue to grow my coverage level beyond what passive income growth alone will do.
But how much passive income you need is really your call. Your expenses are your own. Your life and happiness are unique to you and your worldview.
What I intend to show through these updates is simply what financial freedom, in purely distilled math terms, looks like for one man. Of course, financial freedom is so much more than math, with the math itself being largely moot anyway. But the basic infrastructure should still be as intact as possible.
That’s it for this month. I hope you enjoyed seeing what things look like on my end. And I hope you take away some inspiration here, knowing that it’s possible to achieve financial freedom quite early in life, even if you don’t start all that early.
How was September for you? Were you able to cover a large chunk of your expenses with passive income?
Full disclosure: I’m long all stocks listed above, except TRSWF and PAG.
Thanks for reading.
Image courtesy of: bplanet at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
I was watching you wen you were staring dividend mantra. I’m so glad you are back you inspired me to know I can do the same and I have been investing I’m at 3,500 a year in dividends not counting our Ira thanks keep inspiring us.
Oscar,
That’s great progress over there. It wasn’t that long ago that I was at a similar level. So you see what can be done if you really give it everything you’ve got. And I’m not even doing as well as some others out there who were making even more money. But the important thing is that you’re doing your best and hitting your goals. Your best should be your benchmark. 🙂
Appreciate the support. Hope you continue to stop by and enjoy the content here!
Best wishes.
I am glad you are back, I really enjoy reading your articles. Thank you for time and effort.
Lukaivan,
Thanks so much. I’m glad to be back! 🙂
Appreciate the support. The time and effort is all worth it if people take away motivation and inspiration to improve their lives. I’m blessed to be in a position to help in my own little way.
Cheers!
Hi Jason, I really enjoy your work including the book. So very inspiring. I think I speak for the rest of us by saying welcome back to blogging!
Mr Defined Sight,
Appreciate that very much. As a writer, I take a lot of pride in the craft. 🙂
Hope you’re experiencing just as much (or more) success!
Best regards.
Solid stuff Jason! Nice to see the passive income/expense ratio being so high. Totally awesome and inspiring.
Tawcan,
Thanks, man!
Yeah, this month is really impressive. It averages out, but I’m super proud and happy to be here after less than seven years. I never would have imagined. Life is good. Very fortunate. 🙂
Hope all is well over there!
Cheers.
Hi Jason
what a long list! And I thought my 18 dividends last month were a long tally-up.
€70.43 of dividends this month after all tax, and I wouldn’t have this income without your inspiration!
Philipp,
Ha! Indeed, it’s a hell of a list. It’s much more fun to receive these dividends than it is to put this table together, that’s for sure! 🙂
Keep up the great work over there. 70 euros begets 100 euros begets 200…
Best wishes!
Awesome job Jason – you are doing exactly what you set out to do, and it’s only growing from here! Your income is a very nice 4 digit amount, not many DGI bloggers have seen a 4 digit number, we’re yet to see 3 digits.
You have earned what you’re doing now, I hope you’re enjoying it as much as you’ve worked for it.
Tristan
Tristan,
Thanks so much!
I’m definitely enjoying it. I hope the enthusiasm and happiness comes across in the post. 🙂
Keep working hard, saving, and investing. I think my progress and experience goes to show just how fast things can move along when you’re giving it everything you’ve got.
Thanks for stopping in!
Cheers.
Thank you for this post Jason. This right here was the post I was waiting for. As a long time DM reader, watching you hit your goal of having passive income meet your monthly expenses was the proof that it is all very possible for all of us. It wasn’t that long ago for you to hit that coveted 4-figure month in dividends, and now this…. Inspiring indeed Jason, and a job well done.
It’s strange, as I see my dividend income creep up the past years, realizing at first.. ok, now I can buy a Big-Mac sandwich with this, to paying my electric bill, then electric and cable bill, and now making a monthly payment to a nice car.. if I so wanted to (I’ve decided to not only re-invest the dividends, but instead divert more capital to my Scottrade account to buy more shares of these fine companies). It’s kind of like trying to lose weight. It’s hard at first, and stepping on the scale for the first time, and the first few subsequent times may not be the most inspiring thing to see.. but slowly and surely, if you keep at it via diet and exercise, you will start to see results. The work is hard but so very worth it.
Speaking only for me, although I think I speak for many; you truly have inspired us. You’re the living proof that passive income works and I don’t need to succumb to wage slavery till I’m 65! Thank you again for blogging and posting, but most of all inspiring. When I look back at the income posts from DM (Sept-Dec-Mar), and compare it with this post; one can’t help it but to be inspired.
take care,
j
j,
Thanks so much. Readers like you make this all worth it for me. Appreciate the support and kind words!
Couldn’t agree more with you about the comparison to losing weight. It’s really that slow but steady approach that works with so many things in life, including losing weight and building wealth. It’s just that snowball effect where you’ve got this giant snowball made up of all these individual snowflakes, making it easier and easier as time goes on and things start to roll for you. It’s really good stuff.
It’s great to be here. What I hope to show through this new site is not only where rubber meets the road but also how all of this works to impact and improve one’s personal happiness and quality of life. The money is, after all, a means to an end rather than the end in and of itself.
Best of luck over there as you continue to see those slow, steady gains moving you closer to your dreams and goals!
Cheers.
This is what it’s all about… watching that passive income roll in. Congrats on an awesome total for a month of not having to lift a finger to get a four digit income. I see TRV paying you. That’s another name I’m continuing to watch. Great diversity too. Happy to see these updates back online again.
Keith,
It’s another great month. It’s really the culmination of a lot of hard work and perseverance. Couldn’t be prouder or happier. 🙂
Travelers has thus far been great for me. Insurance has been one of the best industries for me in terms of my personal investment success. HGIC was bought out for a huge premium back in the day, AFL has done really well, and then I’ve got CB and TRV that are in the mix there. I see why Buffett’s such a fan.
Thanks for dropping by!
Cheers.
Jason –
Thanks for sharing this, first one of many! Great that you still are earning off the book, great to see. Also – Aflac and Visa should have some div increases this month – would love to see Aflac get out of their norm increase. Visa I am sure will be a great one. Have a great evening, thank you again for sharing.
-Lanny
Lanny,
The first of many!
Definitely looking forward to some pay raises here in the near future. You know, because I’m just working so hard as a shareholder over here. Ha! Just one fun aspect (of many) of dividend growth investing. 🙂
Best regards.
Jason,
Thanks for the inspiration! I stumbled across dividend mantra a while back and I love your logic! It’s really changed how I view money, time, and what I’m doing on this rock!
Currently I have a full time job that pays the bills and I work 2 part time jobs. Every cent that I earn from part time jobs goes straight into my investment account. I made my first stock purchase back in August of 2015 and it was awesome when my September passive dividend income equaled a 8 hour shift at my weekend part time job.
When I start to feel burnt out your articles keep me inspired to look at my goals, focus on keeping expenses down (Married with 3 kids so a bit of a challenge), and just keep plunking those pennies away so they can work for me instead of cluttering up my life with needless junk!
Truly grateful!
Paul B. – Kansas
Paul,
That’s awesome, man. I’m really glad to hear things are working out so well for you thus far. You’re working hard, keeping your head up, and remaining persistent. That’s the name of the game right there. It’s now just a matter of time. So you add a little patience to the mix… and voila. It’s really a wonderful recipe. 🙂
Wish you nothing but the best as you continue to work your way toward freedom!
Cheers.
Great to see over $1200 from dividends and another $132 royalty fee from your books. This is the pure passive income. You are doing really well in your own way. Keep it up Jason!
My dividend portfolio generated $866 income for me in September 2016. This is the record high passive income for me so far. Hopefully, I will break this again in this December 😀 .
Best Regards,
FJ,
Have no complaints here. I’m really fortunate. Not working/saving/investing as much as I used to, and that’s because I’m pretty much right where I want to be. But it’s a lot of fun to be in this spot. I’m grateful. 🙂
You had a fantastic month over on your end, too. Great stuff. Keep it up!
Best regards.
Congrats on a fine month Jason. Hitting $8k in annual dividends with 3 months to go is impressive. December will be another record month for you. That’s a big snowball.
IH,
Thanks, man. Yeah, I never thought I’d be so far along so quickly. But I gave it all I had. So I’m just super grateful to see that all of that hard work was worth it.
Thanks for dropping by. Hope you’re right on track for everything on your end.
Cheers!
Congrats on a great month! Think you’ll post some historical month-by-month dividend income stats? And welcome back to blogging, I recall visiting DividendMantra for the first time just as you were handing it off, so I’m excited to see the direction you take this blog.
misterslm,
Hey, so sorry you came on board just as things started to kind of disintegrate over there. It’s a real shame for the readership. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to start this new project, which also simultaneously gave me a chance to take things in a slightly new and exciting direction.
The historical comparisons will probably be limited to YOY juxtapositions, like I did in this article. But I won’t be going over something like 2016 compared to 2011, largely because the numbers are already there on DM and also because this blog isn’t so focused on money.
Hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙂
Best wishes.
If I could jump in after that last part, I don’t think having the historical dividend figures necessarily makes it all about money. Even on Dividend Mantra, it never really was. It was all about showing what was obtainable.
This blog is about living a life of financial freedom, but those numbers (just like you posted above) shows that the financial freedom life can be achieved. That you aren’t just blogging an elaborate “Wish You Were Here” postcard at us, but that a consistent strategy of investing and saving can make that life a reality.
Like I said, I understand the new direction this blog is going (and certainly no one has the right to demand that you post ANY of your earnings online, despite what many in the Dividend Mantra Team’s introductory post’s comments may think) and agree with it being more about the lifestyle than the money. But like I said, I think that those numbers never made anything about the money. They’ve been what inspired people by showing them that you don’t have to be fabulous wealthy to achieve financial freedom.
Just my two cents. I’m not DEMANDING that you do it, but just putting in what I think.
Sincerely,
ARB–Angry Retail Banker
ARB,
I hear you, but money is still money. And while you may not think in those terms, I’ve found that a lot of other people in the blogosphere do. It’s disappointing sometimes, where I feel like many people are just stuck in the same rat race all over again. In all honesty, if I could just display my portfolio and income in other terms – like units of time or something – I would. I wouldn’t even include market value, dividend income, etc. I’d just talk about how much time all of this has bought me, and I wouldn’t mind historically comparing that. This blog – and that line of thinking – is really designed to recapture the message in the book Your Money or Your Life, which had a major impact on me. I saw them take away the power of money by talking in terms of life and time, and I saw that as this way to really make the idea of money less appealing on the whole.
Like I said, the historical numbers are there for anyone to go back and look at. If someone wants to compare 2016 (or 2017 or 2018, etc.) to 2011 or 2012 or whatever, that’s great. I’ll still compare things from a YOY perspective, but I don’t find it necessary to compare things for years on end. Even if I were still writing at Dividend Mantra, my content was going to evolve as I evolved. I wasn’t looking forward to doing ever-larger spreadsheets/graphs containing information on 10 years of financial history. That’s very uninteresting to me. I won’t be blogging forever. But even if I were still blogging in 20 years, I don’t think it’d be very interesting to show what I’m earning in 2036 only to compare that to 2010 or something. At some point, you draw a line, because you’re just interested in bigger concepts than constantly comparing where you’re at to where you were in financial terms. Even companies don’t do that. I’m not reading annual reports and seeing all of these constant comparisons to where things were 20 years ago. And that’s because you’re spending time, energy, and focus on things that are more relevant today. As I’m not a company, that thought process is even more applicable. Life is just way more than money. If all I wanted were more dividend income to make comparisons look great, I certainly wouldn’t have started giving away money already. Some will get that. Some won’t. But that’s okay. 🙂
I also want to note that I didn’t set out to create Dividend Mantra 2.0 here. I could’ve, if I had wanted to. But I didn’t want that. I think I did a great job at inspiring and motivating people from the financial (saving, dividend growth investing, etc.) side of things over at Dividend Mantra, and I’m proud that that legacy will stand the test of time. I’m now looking forward to inspiring and motivating people from a different angle. This is a chance to grow and evolve, which is what we should all be aiming for. If some people just want to talk money all the time, so be it. I’d personally rather have more diverse conversations. And so this will be the place for that. I’ll still have the income updates, the stock articles, and all of that. But it’s not as focused, as I’ve become more interested in a variety of thoughts and ideas.
Cheers!
No worries, all of your old articles were there to read, there’s just something more interesting watching something happen live as opposed to digging through archives.
And totally fair about not basically making this DM 2.0, that’s old ground for you and this is a fresh start. Like I said, excited to see the direction and your vision for this space.
So you don’t have to pay student loans or health coverage due to government aid? Or did I misunderstand you?
By that logic you can be financially free at any point by collecting welfare and food stamps and living within your means.
tbonez,
What I’m saying is that, at my passive income level, my student loan payments and health insurance payments would both drop to zero. I’m not saying one should take advantage of that but rather that one could. I pay both because I earn money on top of my passive income. But if I had to make do on just my passive income, both would drop to right about zero. The health insurance would kick in automatically as a subsidy on my taxes and my student loan payment would work much the same. So you can argue with the morality but not the logic.
“By that logic you can be financially free at any point by collecting welfare and food stamps and living within your means.” Not really. Those who say something like that clearly don’t understand how “food stamps” work. You don’t just get free food indefinitely, especially if you don’t have children. By the way, they’re not “stamps” any longer, which makes me believe even more that you don’t understand how that works.
Moreover, it seems like you’re stuck on math and numbers. I was once guilty of that, too, until I was blessed with a new perspective on all of this. I’d recommend reading this:
https://www.mrfreeat33.com/why-much-of-the-math-on-early-retirement-is-moot/
I referenced that article above, but you might have missed it (like missing the evolution away from ” food stamps” many years ago).
Cheers!
Damn Jason, that passive income has skyrocketed since your last report on Dividend Mantra. You’re still not withdrawing the dividends yet, right? I assume you’re currently living off your blogging and article income?
I’m currently at $4000 in dividend income right now, but I’ve halted my dividend investing in order to buy property. Still reinvesting though. Can’t wait for the day that my dividend income overtakes my expenses.
Congrats on reaching financial freedom so early, Jason!
Sincerely,
ARB–Angry Retail Banker
ARB,
It’s really crazy. I’m definitely further ahead than I thought I’d be at this point. I always targeted 40 years old as a nice, round number, figuring I’d be too burned out on the auto industry by then. Well, things really worked out, and I had to get away from being a service advisor earlier than I thought. A lot of hard work went into all of this, but things fell into place, too. I’m super fortunate and grateful.
I’m not withdrawing dividend income yet, but I’m also not against doing so. It really depends on how hard I continue to work, how much active income I continue to make, and how much I want to give away. That’s all dynamic, of course, so I’m just really happy to be flexible enough to roll with the punches. I find it likely that I’ll be working harder in five years (compared to how hard I’m working now), but I imagine I’ll just work through challenges as things pop up and become interesting. We’ll see. No pressure either way.
Best of luck with everything over there. $4k in dividend income, and now property. Sounds like you’re in a great spot! 🙂
Cheers.
Jason, congratulations on a great month and creating a big gap between your expenses and passive income. You’re living the dream there and I’m happy for you.
I remember it was only last year that you were just reaching the four figure dividend income mark and here you are putting up new records. Also I’m glad to see you evolving in your thinking now that you’ve solved the FI puzzle.
Our monthly dividend income was also solid for September… $6351.99 from 15 companies, most of which are on your list. It’s a great feeling to have that kind of support especially when you are supporting 5 people in the household like I am at present. It gives me space to focus on other projects and gives me a safety net that allows me to pursue projects that I wouldn’t not otherwise be able to do.
I hope you are staying safe from the storm that is passing through Florida.
Best,
Mike
Mike,
Thanks so much. It’s really great to be here. Like you said, solving that puzzle (from a financial perspective) is great. It allows you to free up so much time and energy to focus on evolving and growing as a person.
Sounds like you’ve definitely solved the puzzle, too. Really glad to see things working out so well. Good for you!!
Although we’re living very different lifestyles, it sounds like we’re both living life on our terms. And that’s really what it’s all about. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Keep enjoying the space, safety, and freedom to pursue projects and happiness.
Best wishes!
I am glad you are back to having a full time site of your own. I really enjoy reading your articles.
Jamieson,
Thank you so much. That’s really, really kind of you. I’m glad to be back! 🙂
I know I won’t be at this forever, as other challenges and opportunities will at some point beckon. But I feel like I still have so much more I can accomplish in this space, so I’m really excited to be putting some of these concepts out there.
Hope you continue to enjoy the content. And I hope you’re experiencing just as much (or more) success as I am!
Best regards.
Jason I love that you are getting that much passive income from your book. I really think you could have priced it at $9.99 and it would have still sold just as much and made that much more.
My September numbers are not even calculated yet but I’m sure it wasn’t as much as I need to get the debt paid off as I would like but I’ll keep trecking along until it’s finally gone.
Tyler,
I’m super happy with the book. I mean, just knowing that there are so many people out that have supported me and benefited from my message. It’s such a great feeling. I could have priced it higher but didn’t want to. I wanted to make sure a lot of people had a chance to get their hands on it. At the price of a small fancy coffee, the value makes a lot of sense.
Keep it up over there. Paying off debt isn’t fun, but you’re going to be in a perfect position to really roll that snowball once you’re moving. 🙂
Best regards!
I really love how you summarize what is enough for you. Everyone has different wants and needs in life and I love that you layout the fact of what you have been earning is just enough for yourself. Not to mention, wheb those dividend increases come around it’ll be a nice pay increase for your littler worker!
Kevin,
Thanks! 🙂
Financial freedom is definitely a unique and individualized lifestyle. The basic math is easy (passive income exceeding one’s expenses), but there’s a lot more to it than that, of course. I’ve found that it just doesn’t take that much money or stuff to make me happy. In fact, more money can sometimes actually decrease my happiness. So financial freedom has come quite naturally to me. Others might not think they’re financially free unless they can afford a giant house and a boat, or whatever. To each their own. But I think it is worthwhile to really explore, via an introspective look at oneself, what makes one happy. The research indicates it isn’t just more money/stuff, even though much of society continues to believe that.
Cheers!
First of all, glad to see you back writing and giving us updates of your progress Jason. I have always been a fan. In fact, my motivation to start blogging and accumulating a dividend stocks account can be attributed to reading the Dividend Mantra! Good to see you are doing well and wish you nothing but continued success!
Regards, AFFJ
AFFJ,
Thanks so much. I’m really glad to be back at it. Blessed to be in a position to inspire and motivate. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear I had that positive impact on you and your life. That’s something that I’m going to be proud of for the rest of my life. I can only hope that I’m able to continue impacting people like that for a long time to come, regardless of the platform used.
Keep it rolling over there. Wonderful things are yet ahead.
Best wishes.
Hi Jason,
Seems you had a great month! I did also receive a hefty amount of dividends ( around 2 400 EUR) since I still working I can reinvest this and accelerate the dividend growth even more.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Dividend collector
DC,
That’s a great month right there! 🙂
I don’t even know what I’d do with that much passive income. I’d probably end up giving much more away than I do now. It’d be a great position to be in, that’s for sure.
Keep it up!
Cheers.
Jason, glad I found you again after Div Mantra departure. I changed my blog name as well and am now at Passive Income Dude (from DivPartisan). Congrats on your success! Looking forward to following you again and seeing your progress. I think we will end up with close to the same passive income totals for the year. Just now finding your site, what is your goal for 2016? Take care,
Dan
PID,
Long time, no talk! 🙂
Thanks so much. Yeah, it’s been an incredible journey. Really fortunate. I stuck with it through thick and thin, which I think just goes to show the power of the concept. If I can do it, so can anyone else.
Sounds like everything is working out great for you, too. I’m really glad to hear that.
I’m not sure if I’m going to have a “goal” for passive income for 2016 (or any year thereafter). My life doesn’t really revolve around money so much anymore, which is in part why I didn’t name this site with any money-based connotation. My life is focused on pursuing happiness and living with purpose now that I’ve achieved the bulk of the financial goals I set out for many years ago. I’m still buying stocks here and there so as to further cement my freedom, but I’m also giving money away and spending a lot of time and energy on other things. So we’ll see. I might set a goal. But I’m also not terribly concerned.
Thanks for dropping by!
Best regards.
Hi Jason
Good to see again the long list of your workers paying you hard cash, It was a great month for you with dividends. I just got back from a big 4 months of setbacks. but hey I’m looking forward over to get to FI.
Thanks for sharing
Sharon
Sharon,
Hey, sorry to hear about the setbacks over there, but I hope you’re back on the right track now. I’ve found every setback in my life to be an opportunity. I’m sure you’ll have a similar experience. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Best regards.
September was our best month ever for dividend income ($276.78). Certainly not even close to covering our expenses (family of 5) but is a slow step in the right direction.
Thanks for the motivation with these posts!
John,
That’s most certainly moving in the right direction. It may not cover all of your bills right now, but it likely covers a very nice chunk of them. Every little bit of relief helps, moving you further along that spectrum, giving you that much more flexibility. 🙂
Thanks for dropping in. Keep it up!
Cheers.
Could you please, translate ‘The Dividend Mantra Way’ book to Spanish?
I know your wife speak spanish, It would awesome to read your book in spanish.
Thank you.
Manuel,
Thanks for the suggestion. I might do that. If the demand is there, I wouldn’t mind going through the work at all. The only issue is that I’m not sure how many readers would buy a Spanish version. But it’s something I’ll definitely consider. 🙂
Cheers!
I am pleased you are back and still blogging. Although i had you on facebook – i loved reading your articles. You were and are an inspiration. It was thanks to DM that i started doing the same thing, changed my lifestyle – and it was a pity how everything turned out with your old site. But glad to see you again!
mr MB,
Thanks so much. I’m really glad to be back at it. I’m obviously not going to be blogging like this for the rest of my life, as I just have so many interests, but I’m blessed to be in this position to inspire and help people from a slightly new angle. To know that I’ve positively impacted so many people, like yourself, is an amazing feeling.
Hope you continue to enjoy the content! 🙂
Take care.
Hi Jason,
Glad to see you back! You also inspired me some years ago, and I was in the fortunate starting position of already having accumulated some capital.
With the help of some financial wizardry, I’m now at a passive income of EUR 3000. Some way to go though, since my spending lis aroud 5000, due to some lifestyle inflation and a heavy alimony.
Cheers!
A Dutch guy
A Dutch guy,
Hey, it sounds like you’re doing great over there. Not too far away from where you want to be, which is just wonderful! 🙂
Appreciate all the support. Hope you continue to stop by and enjoy the content.
Best regards!
Hi Jason, just came across your site. I have been saving hardcore for 2 years now. I am a huge proponent of living below your means, especially during your peak earning years, in order to achieve early retirement. I’ve saved 80% of my take home pay for the last 13 years. Living off just $20% of my income each year. I’ve been in the Air Force for 13 years now. 7 more years to go and I’ll never work for anyone again. According to my freedom fund, I will retire from service in 7 years with 1.8 million in cash savings and a pension good for about $45k per year. My path has been different than yours in that only a very small portion of my savings was/is invested in the stock market. I believe the stock market has become artificially inflated and, as a result, I believe we will see much greater market volatility moving forward than we have ever experienced in the past. Folks often quote that every 30 year period in history has averaged a 10% return. I don’t believe that will be true in the future. I think that will be replaced with large up swings and large down swings. I hope, for the general populations sake, I am wrong. I’ve read your stuff and I do understand that someone like yourself is less concerned with total portfolio value and more concerned with the monthly/yearly dividends the portfolio generates. That said, if the market does become more volatile in the future, if the days of 10% long term returns are behind us, folks relying on such a strategy will have to find a way stomach what could potentially be 6 figure loses during market corrections. 5% of my money is invested in Stocks. I cannot justify more at todays valuations. I sleep better at night this way. I hope your strategy pays off and you are able to live as you are now for the rest of your life. These are just my gut feelings and I could very well be paranoid and flat out wrong about the future. Every day that goes by has me more and more in disbelief about the current sustainability of current equity valuations. Again, just a gut feeling but I do believe the next correction could very well be the worse this country has ever seen. Good luck to you. You are living the dream.
Christian,
Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
I say to each their own.
But I do think the math is largely moot, so worrying about the stock market is also largely moot:
https://www.mrfreeat33.com/why-much-of-the-math-on-early-retirement-is-moot/
Sounds like you’re doing great over there, though. Keep it up!
Best regards.
I just read your math article. Nicely written. To each there own, indeed. We have different ambitions and goals for our free time. I am also more materialistic than you (i.e. I want a few expensive toys in my life, as well as a nice comfortable home). I don’t ever want to feel like I have to keep generating money, even if it is doing stuff I enjoy. That said, I do agree with the ideas your article points out. Congrats again.