Wealth: April Dividend Income

Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by for my monthly dividend income report. The dividend reaper was very successful this month. Multiple companies made payments and the dividend scythe swung hard to collect all that could be taken. This left my family with $45.51 in total dividends received by the scythe this month. This is slightly lower than the expected average payment per month but that is to be expected given that it's a monthly average and not a guaranteed monthly breakdown.

The key is to simply stay on track. Each month, as long as the received are larger than the previous years (given little/no surprises), that month should be seen as a success. That being said, this month has been a huge success. The scythe shows a 230% increase YOY for this month's dividend income. One can't complain when leaps forward are at that big of an increase.

Health: Green Deliciousness

This last weekend, my wife and I were enjoying a sun kissed afternoon lunch at the nearby golf course with my in-laws (their treat). As our conversation had progressed, we had gotten to talking about my new favorite jolly green monster. It was sweet, it was cheap, and I believed it to be a healthy option in a world of poor choices. No, I’m not talking about licorice again. I’m talking about iceberg lettuce. It was something that I had only just moved to a short while ago in an attempt to lose some weight and save some cash at the same time.

The delicious and cheap green orb of juicy goodness had become a staple for me. At only 99 cents a head, it was what I was now

Wealth: Equal to Zero Budget

Making more money each month is hard. Saving more money is easier. When one is trying to put together their own dividend scythe or simply just trying to put away money, the easiest way to do so is to learn how to budget effectively.

A budget can come in many forms. I'll be detailing many different budgets on the blog soon but first I wanted to start with one of the most common - the "Equal to Zero" budget. If any of you have ever read anything by Dave Ramsey, you've likely become very familiar already with this type of budget. If you haven't, I'll try my best to walk you through how you could create and use this type of budget for the very first time.

Don't worry if you have never put together a budget before. They aren't as scary as everyone talks them up to be. They simply require a little time and a good bit of control in order to work. The particular budget that I want to talk about today requires only two columns that pretty much anyone could emulate.

Wealth: Debt Optimization

Living with debt can be hard. No, really. Ever hear Dave Ramsey’s show? Hear his guest’s “debt-free screams” when they come on the show to publicly announce that they have eliminated all of their debt? Crushing all of your debt is a big deal and it’s not an unreasonable thing to do when you’ve annihilated a lot of debt. However, one thing that I feel gets missed in all the hustle bustle about identifying and paying down debt is that sometimes investing in other items can be more beneficial than paying down your debt. Please allow me to explain.

Everyone knows that debt is huge in the USA but just how huge? In 2015, studies conducted found that the average American has $15,609 in credit card debt. That’s not including student loans, car loans, home loans, or other much larger loans that are generally expected. That’s just the amount that was currently sitting on credit cards. If you do the math at the staggering 25% interest rate that some credit cards are subject to, you’ve got an amount of credit card debt that is by all intents and purposes insurmountable by a lot of households. For this type of debt, the Dave Ramsey, “attack the debt with a sledgehammer” is probably the best approach. However, once that type of debt is gone and one if left with only other lesser interest rate debt, there could be a much better direction to take.

Wealth: Stock Alert - TGT

TARGET CORPORATION

Target Corporation is a general merchandise store that distinguishes itself apart from others by offering great deals without sacrificing service or options. While Walmart can be seen as the corner store for deals and therefore a staple for many American homes, Target seems to aim for a more middle class clientele. Their brands are recognizable, their selection isn't lacking, and their service always seems to be a cut above other general merchandise stores. They offer clothing, groceries, and much more.

Their merchandise comes from a network of forty distribution centers and are then carrier through multiple channels to their intended Target locations that are primarily located across the United States. They also offer digital services through their Target website with added perks for Target RED card customers. The company's risk factors seem to revolve around the same risk factors that can affect all general merchandise stores. Most notably is whether or not they will be able to maintain a good reputation. While this would seem simple for some stores, Target itself can be an easy target as they already walk a tight line as they have been called the store that is "Not Walmart". In addition, if Target cannot stay ahead of the trends, they themselves will be given the boot in lieu of another general merchandise store that can stock items faster or offer more competitive prices. Lastly, items like the data breach that occurred some time ago can adversely affect business as they know it.

Wealth: March Dividend Income

March 2017 Dividend Income

GME - $30.40

ARII - $6.80

QCOM - $15.37

STAG - $1.75

TGT - $9.00

EMR - $7.68

LB - $4.80

WFC - $8.36

Total March 2017 Dividend Income: $84.16

Total March 2016 Dividend Income: $20.40

Percent Increase: 312% increase

Now that March has come and gone, it's evident that the Dividend Scythe has been hard at work. If we're only looking at the change from the previous year to the current year, the percent increase has been phenomenal! It's enough for me to even wish for a positive increase year over year but an over 300% increase from last year is exactly what I want to see and more! Moving forward, I'm sure that I probably won't see these high percentages as it will be harder to see huge jumps as the portfolio grows but it's incredibly pleasing on the eyes as I get to look at it now.