Monthly Review: March 2012

Here is a review of what happened in March:

Dividends: I received a total of $110.85 in dividends from the following stocks:

• ADM: $10.50
• BDX: $11.25
• CVX: $16.20
• JNJ: $19.95
• MCD: $24.50
• NSC: $16.45
• UTX: $12.00

This is my highest monthly total thus far this year and the first time I received more than $100 in dividends in a single month, as highlighted in a milestone post. I now have a year-to-date total of $285.37, which puts me 22.0% of the way toward my goal of receiving $1300 in dividends for 2012.

Dividend Increases: A dividend increase was announced for only one of my stocks (click on the stock to see my post about the increase):

• GD: 8.5% increase, $3.20 more in annual dividend income

Savings: This month I saved $1605 (55.0%) of my net income, which is my highest monthly total thus far this year. I am pleased that I managed to get over the 50% mark for the second month in a row. This results in year-to-date savings of $4462, which puts me 37.2% of the way toward my goal for 2012. The preceding numbers do not reflect additional savings I realized this month when I received a tax refund of $976. When the refund is included, I actually saved $2581 (66.2%) of my net income in March. However, given that the refund is a special, non-recurring item, I have excluded it from my averages and totals so I can get a better sense of my typical savings.

Transactions: I bought three stocks this month (click on each transaction to see my post about it):

• 15 shares of NSC
• 10 shares of UNP
• 30 shares of VOD

These purchases will increase my annual dividend income by $96.01. I did not sell any stocks this month. My portfolio now has 21 stocks with a market value of $50,046.40 (including cash). This month was the first time my portfolio's value reached $50,000, as highlighted in a milestone post.

Looking Ahead: In April I expect to receive even more in dividends than I did in March, which is great. April should be similar to March in terms of expenses, so I expect similar savings (no tax refund, though). One thing worth noting is that in March I was able to change my cell phone plan to a cheaper option, which will save me about $12 per month starting in April. Based on the cash currently in my brokerage account and the pending addition of new capital, I will likely be able to make 2 purchases in April, although whether I do will depend on the availability of attractive buying opportunities.