(Subtitle: How a Small Dividend Proves My Money is Working, Even If I’m Not)
1. Hello, I’m the Unemployed Writer.
Hi, I’m a writer in my 50s and I’m currently unemployed. In my last post, I mentioned buying dividend stocks like Coca-Cola (KO) and Mondelez (MDLZ), and how I’m obsessed with the beautiful ‘red and blue’ of the stock charts. I also promised to share my first-ever dollar dividend story.
I was so excited to see ‘dollars’ pop up in my account! Mondelez was supposed to pay out in October, and while it hasn’t landed yet, I’m sure it’s coming soon. I’ll share the honest truth about the initial disappointment and how I turned that feeling into genuine conviction.
2. The Reality of Dividends: “Can’t Even Buy One Share”
I just started investing recently—I didn’t even know that dividends existed for 50 years! I was thrilled and dreamt big about getting paid just for owning a stock. But about five days into my journey, I realized something: my dividend wouldn’t be enough to buy even one full share of stock.
I was so sad, I cried all night! The next morning, my eyes were swollen. I had naively thought I’d get enough dividend money after a few payments to buy a whole new share.
3. The Real Reason People Invest: My New Epiphany
Still, I figured there must be a reason why people who know this small reality continue to invest. I realized the true value isn’t the tiny amount of money itself.
- The Dividend’s True Role: This small dividend isn’t the point. The point is that I’ve built a ‘system where my money is working.’
- The AI’s Advice: The advice I once received from an AI—that my invested money could grow like a snowball over time (compound interest)—was about this system.
4. The 50s Unemployed Writer Chooses ‘Happiness’ Over ‘Compounding’
I know I could reinvest the money and start the magic of Compound Interest (or ‘the snowball effect’). But I’ve chosen a different path.
- My Dividend is for ‘Snack Money’ (My “Kkakka-gap”):I decided to use my dividends to buy ‘snacks for myself.’ Even though, realistically, it’s not the best financial move for an unemployed person, thinking about my stocks and my RP investments makes me smile. I feel confident that “I won’t end up being a recycling-bin lady” because of these investments. The dividend is a small reward to myself for building that confidence.
- Small Happiness Sustains Investing:The goal isn’t just to make money; it’s to gain the psychological stability of knowing, “I’m old and unemployed, but my money is working.” That ‘snack money’ is the small happiness that keeps my investment journey sustainable.
5. Moving Beyond Sadness to Conviction
I was initially heartbroken about the small dividend, but I’m no longer sad. My money, which I converted into stock, is working hard for me.
The only one who’s unemployed is me. My money never takes a break!
This ‘small capitalist system’ created by an unemployed person in her 50s gives me the gift of experiencing time making money for me. Don’t be disappointed by small dividends. That money can be seed money for ‘compounding,’ or, like mine, it can be ‘snack money for happiness.’
I hope the dividend comes in next week! I’ll share what kind of snack I bought, and I’ll talk about my next step for blog monetization!