Phew… almost thought for a minute or a month there, that I may go a full 30 days without a right on stock purchase. Well, I guess I couldn’t hold back for 30 days and have made a new stock purchase! Always having tricks up my sleeve and am able to make a move on Thursday of this last week, which is great, even if it wasn’t a large investment. However, it was a NEW investment to my portfolio, let’s take a look at who I was able to scoop up!
The last couple of months has been pretty active for me. Since the beginning of February, I have either initiated a new position or re-upped my position in 6 stocks, with the most recent transaction occurring a few weeks ago when I purchased both CVX and PM. Well, I had some extra capital laying around and wanted to purchase a stock that has been on my radar for a while now. If you have followed our website over the last month, you will probably know which stock I purchased, as it has appeared in several articles recently.
Each month Lanny and I challenged ourselves to save at least 60% of our income. This high savings rate will allow us to jump-start our dividend income snowball by allowing us to invest as much as possible now and allow the power of compounding interest to do the rest! Not only that, but I have found this exercise very beneficial as it allows me to take a hard look at my expenses each month and help me trim the “fat” of my expense outflow. I have had a very successful beginning to 2015, as I was able to save 60% of my income in both January and February. Can I keep the streak alive in March? Let’s dive into my March savings rate summary and find out!
Chugga, Chugga, Chugga… Chugga, Chugga, Chugga – DIVIDENDS! That’s the sound that the stock up for this week’s analysis is all about. I’ve been on a hunt for a good dividend paying stock and what better than a stock that is down over 8% this year but has been consistently raising dividends and laying down stronger tracks each year? What stock am I talking about? Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC). Let’s see the analysis!
Debt. What is debt? Is this America’s Horror Story? Is it chains strapped to your hands and ankles? Well, by definition, Debt is “An amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Many corporations/individuals use debt as a method for making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to borrow money under the condition that it is to be paid back at a later date, usually with interest.” Thanks Investopedia for that. Debt can be used in two ways – to pay for something that we use day in/day out as a liability that does not generate cash for us OR debt can be used to leverage buying an asset that produces a greater return than the cost of the debt itself. I have debt and I wanted to share an update where I stand based on today, Mid-April.
As you have come to see from us Diplomats – each month we share our savings from the income and expense we have endured during the previous month. Our goal is to achieve 60% savings rate in an ever inflationary lifestyle from advertisers, television, peers and co workers. Though it is difficult, we know the combination of being frugal, saving and investing allows us to achieve our financial freedom goals faster, by still enjoying the benefits of life itself. Was I able to hit 60% this month? Let’s check out my income and expense summary from March!
In my last article, I hinted that I recently made a big decision in my life, and boy was it a difficult one. As the title of this article suggests, I recently changed jobs for a variety of reasons. The decision was not an easy one by any stretch, and I had many conversations with my fiance, family, and Lanny about the move. But ultimately, the pros outweighed the cons and handed my boss my resignation letter. Just like that, I closed one chapter of my life and began writing a new one. Here is some insight into why I changed jobs.
