Personal Update #10 – November 2021 | $30,000 Stock Portfolio… Almost

Howdy folks! November has been a really good month for me and my business ideas! I cranked out a lot of work that had piled up and really hit a groove with workflow and all that good stuff!

What I worked on this month –

I did not however get the Podcast up and rolling. To be honest, it’s made me feel really insecure and vulnerable with the idea that the episodes will be unscripted and just a flowing conversation. It leaves a lot of situations were it could get a little uncomfortable or the conversation might be difficult to keep moving. It just makes this all very, very real and out there. But, I know it is something I want to pursue so onward!

I have put a lot of effort into getting healthy and loosing some much needed weight! I have been eating clean and working out around 5 or 6 days a week. Right now I am doing a 3 day split of push, pull and lower body twice a week, with 1 rest day over the weekend. I am seeing some great results with my lifts and slooooow… progress on the scale. But, good things come to those who wait and keep showing up!

I actually did a baseline test with the primary lifts (bench, squat and deadlift) to see where my lifts are at. Now I was honestly surprised with how fast my lower body has improved in the past few months. And, my bench is almost already back at what I was lifting a couple of years ago. My squat and deadlift need a lot more work to get back up there. But, progress is progress!

Compound Lifts	Weight
Bench Press	110 pounds
Back Squat	145 pounds
Deadlift	175 pounds

I did a little pet sitting and watched Remmy, an adorable large chocolate lab who is very good friends with Jaxon! The bed was a little crowded but the extra snuggles and kisses were well worth it!

Stock Market Portfolio –

My goal for my stock portfolio is function as a long-term dividend account. My diversification strategy is broken-down by different sectors and areas. I try and stay close to this breakdown – The majority of my dividends come from the Real Estate Sector and the Finance Sector.

My stock portfolio finally hit $30,000! Then… the market hit a slump and my portfolio dipped down about 3.5%… So, when the market corrects and I hit $30,000 again, I will break down my entire portfolio for you! The nerd inside of me is very excited to show you my totally awesome spread sheets!

But… As far as November went, my portfolio dropped to just under $29K and my Lending Club account is slowly dwindling down to $300.

I earned just over $71 in dividends, woot woot!

And here is the breakdown of the dividends I earned this month!

I reinvested the dividends I earned in October by purchasing shares with 3 different companies. And I already earned a dividend off of the LTC share! Yes!

Home Projects –

I bought a deep freezer! I snatched it up on Facebook marketplace for $120! So, I am very happy with that steal! Now I am just working on organizing it and stocking up my food storage!

And of course, I set up all my decorations for the holiday season! Even Jaxon has his own stocking (Thanks mom)!

My Goals for this next year, 2022 –

Spend time creating images specifically for stock photography sites. This will hopefully be a long-term passive (residual) income stream that just keeps on giving little bits and pieces back for many, many years. It will push me outside of my normal photography focus and keep me up to date with techniques and trends.
Go on a backpacking trip in the mountains and get lots and lots of pictures. And spend time fishing and get lots of exploring in! While I am pushing hard this winter to get my websites fully set up, next spring my schedule will really open up and I’ll have nothing but time to get outside!
Lose weight and pack on some muscle! I enjoy weightlifting and the pump that comes from hitting those weights! I might even try for a 5K but… we shall see.

Long-Term Goals (5-10+ years) –

Pay off my Mortgage and become 100% debt free! My goal is to pay off my house completely by 2030… A hard target and will depend upon how business goes!
Participate in a Triathlon and a Winter Triathlon. I completed a full marathon while I was stationed in Hawaii, back in 2014. And I also completed the Baton Memorial Death March in 2019 which is a full marathon ruck march.
Build a Dividend Portfolio that generates around $2,000 per month. That would equate to about $24,000 annually, just from dividends. With my current diversification strategy, that would mean about a $600,000 stock Portfolio earning an average of 4% on dividends a year. (Not counting market value increases) We are a long way away from reaching that but, it’s all about those baby steps along the way!