DivHut Turns One

Where does the time go? I know we all ask this same question when some milestone event takes place. It may be a birthday, the start of a new year or in this case, exactly one year since I started my blog. As I sit here typing this post I can hardly believe that a whole year has already passed since launching DivHut. Of course, many amazing things have happened to me over the last 365 days. Foremost, was the birth of my son. This blessing came to us after almost six years of marriage and almost two months into parenthood I can say without doubt that it has been an amazing experience that I am proud to share with Mrs. DivHut. Sure, these early days keep us on 24 hour clocks as feedings, diaper changes and the occasional bouts of gas keep us up every two to three hours but I wouldn’t trade this life experience for anything.

 

I always have been a believer in spending time and money on experiences rather than on “stuff.” I discussed the concept of a “moneymoon” in a comment a while back. It’s the feeling you get after you buy some material possession… the feeling of utter joy and real happiness that comes with that new car, article of clothing or some piece of jewelry that fades dramatically in the weeks and months that follow. No matter what that material possession is, the newest “i”Gadget comes to mind for most, the utility and joy derived always declines. However, spending time and money on experiences such as travel being with my wife and son and creating other memories truly lasts a lifetime. I am certain that in a year from now or in ten, I’ll look back at these early days with baby DivHut with fondness just as I look at photos from my many travels and feel great joy reminiscing.

 

Besides the birth of my first child I feel very fortunate to be a part of our growing dividend/financial independence community. Not for one second during the past year did I regret starting DivHut. In fact, much as most of us regret not buying certain dividend paying companies earlier, my only regret is that I did not start chronicling my dividend growth journey online earlier. I am continually amazed at the support, advice and transparency among our community. I plan to continue sharing my real world portfolios with you on DivHut as well as continue to do overviews of different dividend paying sectors that might otherwise be overlooked. I want to thank everyone who has visited and commented on DivHut during the last year. Without you DivHut would not be possible as I continually receive inspiration from your comments, questions and your own blog posts that I read on a daily basis.

 

Of course, being a blogiversary post, I wanted to share with you my blog stats from the last 365 days.

 

Sessions
52,305
Users
20,594
Pageviews
112,456

 

The numbers above just prove to me that DivHut would not be possible without any of you and for that I thank you. I’m happy to see those numbers above without making any comparisons to other blogs that exist. I’ll simply let these numbers stand alone and give me my own metric to compare DivHut’s second year stats to. Here’s to all of us continuing on our own FI journey and may we continue to receive inspiration from one another.

 

Disclosure: Long DIVHUT

69 thoughts on “DivHut Turns One”

    • Hi DM,

      Thanks for the well wishes. Yes, life is good. I really have nothing to complain about. Foremost, my family is healthy, I feel very content where I am as well as where I’m headed. Thank you again for you continued support as well as inspiration for us all.

      Reply
  1. Congratulations and happy blogiversary!

    I recently celebrated my one year too and it has just flown by. Like you, I am so glad that I began documenting my own journey and found such a friendly and helpful community.

    Here’s to many more years!
    weenie recently posted…Changes Afoot at WorkMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi weenie,

      Congrats on achieving your first year in the blogosphere. While I have been a dividend investor for a long time it was only in the last year that I actually began to chronicle my investing exploits and be able to track my progress. I think creating this blog really helped me see, in real numbers, the progress made month to month and year over year. Prior to the blog, I knew I was making more money but never really quantified it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  2. Congrats on the anniversary and the new baby!! I recently had my first child as well and he’s the reason I started dividend growth investing – to pass on all these divvies to him. Best of luck in the future.

    Ken

    Reply
    • Hi DE,

      Thank you for your well wishes. Congrats on your new baby too. It is a great experience. I plan to start a dividend growth portfolio for baby DivHut very soon and fill it up with several dividend stalwarts. The way I figure, baby DivHut will have two decades of dividend compounding till he becomes a legal adult at which time I hope he’ll continue on his own dividend growth journey from the portfolio we have started for him. Thank you very much for your comment.

      Reply
    • Hi FerdiS,

      Thank you. I hope this is the first of many more anniversaries to come. Keep inspiring others with your blog too. Have a great weekend.

      Reply
    • Hi KN,

      Thank you for your support. I always love reading comments from my visitors. I’ll be sure to post an update once we open a baby DivHut brokerage account as well and share the stocks he’ll be holding for the next two decades at least.

      Reply
    • Hi DH,

      I still can’t believe that a whole year has passed since I began this blog. To say “time flies” is a gross underestimation. Thank you for your continued support and I hope my posts and real world portfolio continues to inspire and give you ideas about dividend investing.

      Reply
  3. Congrats DivHut! It’s been a heck of a year for you and most importantly it’s been a wild success with the birth of your son and continual progress on your goals. Like you I only wish I had started my own blog earlier, much like investing. You have some pretty amazing blog stats for your first year. Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to keep seeing the blogiversaries go by. Well, kind of since that means yet another year would have passed.

    Reply
    • Hi JC,

      Thank you for your kind words and support. I still do a double take when looking back at the past year and can’t believe at how fast it has gone by as well as the great happy change that came about. Here’s to our continued support of one another, good health and financial progress going forward. As always, I appreciate your comments.

      Reply
    • Hi Ryan,

      It gives me great satisfaction reading a comment that says my blog is enjoyable. The comments and questions from people like you gives me the juice to continue sharing my real world dividend income portfolio. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
    • Hi DD,

      Well after one full year of blogging and a new baby to keep me busy I still plan to post regular updates to DivHut and share insights into dividend investing as well my my real world portfolio moves. Thank you for your continued support. On to year two!

      Reply
  4. Congratulations to you DivHut. You’re doing fantastic and we all wish you continued success and health. Everything sounds peaceful and prosperous for you which makes me happy. Keep it up and wish us the best. Cheers. Life’s great!

    Reply
    • Hi DH,

      No complaints from me. I have my health and happy marriage and a growing boy. I feel plenty rich and content where I am in life though by our consumer driven society it may not appear that way as I don’t own a home I cannot afford nor drive a car that equals a rent check in some cities. Keep writing and inspiring by sharing your stories too. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi D4s,

      Thank you for your kind words. Reading comments such as yours just motivates me to continue writing posts as well as sharing my real world FI journey. Though never meeting any other dividend blogger in person, I feel a certain connection among our online blogs. Perhaps it’s the candor and transparency that we all share that unites and drives us forward. Whatever it is, I am happy to be a part of it. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi Tawcan,

      Thank you for the well wishes. It has been a great year. New baby, healthy family, great year over year increase in dividend income. It’s all good. I’m still in shock at how fast the year flew by but I guess that’s how life goes. Make use of every minute you have and don’t waste time regretting, complaining or hating. Just continue to be happy and wrote great posts that inspire us all. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi FF,

      Thank you for your continued support. Happy to have enlightened you with my posts and real world dividend growth portfolios. Thank you for your comment.

      Reply
    • Hi DD,

      Thank you for your continued support. Looking back at the last year I can hardly believe how fast the time flew by. My goal, as always, is to remain consistent with my dividend investing and make at least one buy every month no matter the market conditions. It’s this attitude that has helped me achieve my progress over the last several years. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi R2R,

      Thank you for the kind words and well wishes. I’m looking forward to the next twelve months and continuing to read great posts from other dividend bloggers such as yourself.

      Reply
    • Hi GRB,

      Thank you! I must admit it has been very inspirational just being a part of our online community. Here’s to the next twelve months of passive income!

      Reply
    • Hi DGJ,

      Always appreciate you stopping by. Thank you very much for your kind words and well wishes. Let’s continue on our personal FI journey and may all our inspiration be ongoing.

      Reply
    • Hi Vivianne,

      Thank you! I have never tracked the time I spend writing posts or replying to the comments but the way I see it DivHut is a pleasure for me and all the hours spent keeping the site updated regularly is not considered ‘work’ for me. I think every blogger spends a considerable amount of time on their blog simply for their own pleasure of sharing real world financial information. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  5. Hello DivHut,
    Congrats on life and with the blog. Seems you have it all well under control. Keep it up!

    Little note on Baby DivHut, it may take a while before you get back to a normal sleep pattern! We are at about 18 months with Miss FSF and are finally getting some rest again (most of the time anyways).

    Cheers!
    Mr. FSF recently posted…Cheap or Frugal – A Vacuum StoryMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi MFSF,

      Thank you for your kind words and support. I really have a lot to be thankful for and feel blessed to have health and a great family. Thanks for the note about baby DivHut. As long as I can function and feel good I’m OK with the irregular sleep. I know this is just a phase that will pass and quite honestly Mrs. DivHut and I are embracing it and enjoying it as much as we can. Thank you very much for your comment.

      Reply
    • Hi DGI,

      Thank you for the kind words. As you mentioned, the hardest part is simply starting. It’s sad that many people fail because they never start. I’m happy to share my real world portfolio and continue on my investing and blogging regimen. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  6. Congrats DivHut on an excellent year. I like your page a lot, especially the industry focused articles and that your strategy for growth is a little different; more conservative and smart in my opinion.

    I’ve learned a lot from your posts. Keep up the good work!
    -Gremlin

    Reply
    • Hi DG,

      Thank you for your kind words. It’s always nice to hear some reaffirmation about my strategy when buying dividend growth stocks. Sure, I own a lot of names that yield in the 1% range that many dividend bloggers don’t even consider. Names such as ALLE, BCR, BDX, GWW and VFC come to mind. I am investing for the long term and feel that I can let my portfolio mature over two or three decades which is why I don’t always chase high yield MLPs or REITs (not that I’m against them either). I have owned KMP, EPD, ETP and HCP in the past and am looking to add some REITs to my portfolio shortly. The way I figure it, my portfolio will continue to grow and as it does I’ll want to be able to sleep well at night and not worry about the companies I am invested in. But I guess that’s why we all own 20 to 50 stocks on average just in case some crap out. Glad you continue to enjoy my articles and more will be coming in the next year for sure. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi Ra50,

      Thank you for your continued support. I still cannot believe how fast a year flew by. I still remember debating whether or not I should even blog about my real world portfolios but I have to say that I have no regrets about starting DivHut except for the fact that I should have done it sooner. Reading and writing about our real world investments, exchanging ideas and simply learning from one another really seems to motivate us to achieve our goals whatever they may be. I am still amazed at the openness and transparency of our online community and think it’s a great platform to set goals, track progress and learn. Look forward to your one year announcement. It will be here before you know it. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi DG,

      You said it. My life has always been about experiences and not stuff which is why I feel very content where I am in life. I have tons of travel experiences, being self-employed, a great marriage, health, a new baby, etc. What else do I need? Who is the rich man? The one who is content with what he has. I appreciate your continued support and comments. Thank you for stopping by.

      Reply
    • Hi dividenddreamer,

      Keep writing great content and sharing your real world dividend investments with all of us and you will see your traffic and comments rise on your blog too. Keep your eye on the prize and always look down the road. As with my dividend investing, the one key component to blogging is consistency. I always make at least one stock buy every month just as I like to write more than several articles each month on DivHut. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
  7. Congrats on an awesome year! It really can’t get much better than that; successful blog, great community, and of course your new son. I’ve enjoyed reading your posts thus far and hope to continue reading in the future. Thank you for your contributions to the blogosphere.

    – HMB
    HMB recently posted…Mobile Phone Plans, What are They worth?My Profile

    Reply
    • Hi HMB,

      I always appreciate the kind words and support from readers like you. It has been an amazing year full of new experiences from travel, the creation of this blog and of course the birth of my son. I plan to continue posting regularly on DivHut and share my real world portfolio moves as well as general articles highlighting lesser known dividend stocks from specific industries. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi FJ,

      Thank you for your well wishes. I totally agree with you about our awesome dividend/FI community. I am continually amazed at how open and supportive everyone is to one another as well as how we all provide praise and constructive criticism for our fellow investors. Thank you for your continued support. We’ll be starting a baby DivHut dividend portfolio in May. Now we just have to wait and see what we’ll put in his account. Thank you for commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi DW,

      Thank you for your kind words. I still cannot believe that a full year has flashed before my eyes. I remember like it was yesterday when I was registering a domain and beginning to lay out my blog. Keep the posts coming as well. I always love reading what others are buying and their reasoning for it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      Reply
    • Hi Brian,

      Thank you for the well wishes and support. Almost two months in the dad club and so far it is beyond what I expected. I really couldn’t imagine being so attached and so full of love towards our new little one. I truly believe that being a parent is an experience like no other and now I feel blessed that I had this amazing opportunity bestowed upon me. I appreciate your support and am looking forward to year two with DivHut.

      Reply
  8. Hey man, big CONGRATS on your blog anniversary! When I started my blog I thought it would be a piece of cake, but it is a lot of work mainly in financial niche. What do you want to write about and not to be boring. You did a great job here and hope you will continue many more years to come and endure. I have seen good blogs appear as well as disappear and it is sad as blogs like yours provide a lot of inspiration to others mainly those who just started investing, so keep up! And good luck!
    Martin@hellosuckers.net recently posted…April 2015 trading, investing and dividends resultsMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi Martin,

      Your words mean a lot to me as I feel it’s important to acknowledge the work we do as bloggers to provide information, education and inspiration to others. The transparency we all share is vital in showing newbies that it is possible to generate meaningful passive income from quality companies and create better financial futures for ourselves without depending on the government for social security nor the defunct concept of company pensions. The key to successful investing is staying consistent and keep making those buys no matter what market conditions exist. So to the key to a successful blog is to remain consistent and to continually provide articles and updates in a timely manner. Thank you for your kind words and well wishes. I look forward towards year two at DivHut.

      Reply
  9. Congratulations on 1 year of blogging! I didn’t realize it but I’m right behind you and will hit my 1-year blog anniversary in a few weeks. I really enjoy your blog and completely agree with your statement on the support and inspiration the dividend & investing blog community provides.

    Also, you hit the nail on the head about spending money on experiences rather than stuff. My oldest child is a teenager I’m starting to think that I may only have a few more years to really spend quality father/son time with him before he turns into an adult. When I think about some of the memories of my family, none of the memories revolve around stuff received (video games, toys, etc). My family tries to go camping 1-2 times per year and those camping trips and trips to the beach seem to stand out the most. Enjoy every moment with your child because time does go by quickly. Your child is lucky to have loving parents to raise him.

    Take care,
    DD

    Reply
    • Hi DD,

      Thank you very much for your continued support and comments on DivHut. I read and appreciate every word left by people like yourself and our dividend investing community. The support we receive from one another as well as some great investing advice no doubt will enable a brighter financial future for us all.

      As far as spending time with baby DivHut it has been an amazing experience with the crying, diaper changes and all. It is an experience that I will remember forever and I look forward to creating many more memories with him as he gets older. It’s funny how when we reach older ages we always reflect on the experiences we had more than the stuff. No one on their deathbed regrets not getting the ‘sunroof package’ on their car but often regret not spending more time with family, self, etc. I appreciate your kind words and I look forward to a great year two with DivHut.

      Reply
  10. Divhut,

    Congrats on the big birthday! One year, man does time fly by. I bet it seems like just yesterday you were signing into WordPress for the first time trying to figure it all out. Your blog has made some amazing strides and you have recorded some pretty impressive pageview figures. Keep up the great work and stay focused. Year One was used to build the foundation, and now years two and on will be spent building the house. And that is the most fun part.

    I am looking forward to watching your blog continue to grow over the next 12 months.

    Bert
    Dividend Diplomats recently posted…Bert’s April Dividend IncomeMy Profile

    Reply
    • Hi DD,

      Thank you for the kind words. I still can’t believe that a whole year has passed. I remember vividly the mental discussions about the merits of starting a blog versus simply investing and not keeping as close a vigil to my portfolio as I do now. The question of sharing my real world portfolios and stock buys came to mind as well. In all, I don’t regret my decision one bit and only wish I had started my blog sooner. But, as you stated, the foundation is already set and now comes the house building. I appreciate your continued support and comments on DivHut.

      Reply

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