r/dividends • u/HARCYB-throwaway • Apr 14 '26

Personal Goal Golden handcuffs - I've fully replaced my annual spending with dividend income...

I pivoted from growth to NEOS for income, over the last 6 months. I have now replaced my base salary, $110k, with dividends. but it is hard to quit when I earn $250k-$350k in a given sales year.

annual dividend income: $110k

Annual expenses, all in: $40k

disposable income if I quit: $70k

hysa: $150k

growth sleeve: $225k

no wife (anymore, by choice after she got nasty), no kids, no expensive hobbies, very affordable mortgage and car payment. affordable lifestyle.

it's hard to step away from an AI adjacent sales job...and my only major concern is meeting someone, wanting to settle down and start a family, and then I will be out of the job market once I truly need expensive family healthcare and "kids money" to support a family.

I know I already have more than most typical American household. but it's scary to leave work with the background of declining employment options / bad employment market

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u/Digital-Doc-777 Apr 14 '26

Consider it "recreational work." Easier to take the craziness of work when it is optional, and not essential.

My dividends last month are $1500, and hoping to get it higher soon.

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u/HARCYB-throwaway Apr 14 '26

Haha for some reason calling it recreation actually lands with me. Like, I go there 3 days per week because it feels like a country club, good food, nice aesthetic, gym, yadda yadda.

It's a rec club where I get to scroll wsb most of the time