Dividend Income Update - October 2011

Dividends. There are few words I like writing or speaking more. The very word conjures up images in my mind of financial freedom, still far off in the distance. Every month of dividends collected brings me one step closer to that far off destination.

The dividends I received for the month of October were less than what I received in September. It's not a total disappointment because I'm still building my Freedom Fund, and due to such the monthly dividend totals are a bit volatile right now. I suspect that within a year or two the monthly dividend totals will be a bit more steady and rising. One aspect of my portfolio that also causes excess volatility in monthly dividend totals is the fact that I have holdings with Telefonica S.A. (TEF) that pays semi-annually and I also hold Total S.A. (TOT) that just switched to quarterly dividend distributions from a formerly semi-annual dividend schedule. My portfolio has also experienced a lot of growth this year, as I started this year with just over $20k in equities value. Without further ado:

October 2011 Dividends Received

• Altria Group, Inc. (MO) - $21.32
• Philip Morris International Inc. (PM) - $26.95
• Total S.A. (TOT) - $25.75
• Sysco Corporation (SYY) - $7.54

Total dividends received for the month of October: $81.56

Another wonderful month. Although not as high as the amount I received last month, it's just one more step on a long and rewarding journey toward financial independence. As always, the biggest thing I will always remember is that this is passive income. I love to remind myself that this extra $81.56 this month came to me with no need for overtime or extra work on my part this month. It just requires me to invest in quality dividend growth stocks that pay me to own them.

I'm far behind my goal of producing $1,200 in total dividend income for the year of 2011. I have produced a total of $853.89 in dividends through October. I doubt I'll reach my goal at this point, as I would need to average over $170 per month for the last two months of the year, which is far above my average. At any rate, it's very fun keeping tabs on this and I enjoy showing the world my progress for better or worse. I knew when starting the year that a goal of producing $1,200 in dividends for 2011 was highly aggressive but I enjoy really pushing myself.

I'll update my dividend income page to reflect October's dividends.

Full Disclosure: Long MO, PM, SYY, TOT.

Thanks for reading.

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