BennyEast.Com/Blog The official blog of Kenny West

New Beginnings

I've given this a lot of thought... and I've decided on new beginnings.  My mom always said "Go do what makes you happy".  For these last several years I've just stuck around this area to help her and be her caregiver.  I love her and miss her a TON.  She's really what kept me here in this area.  But, truth be told, I've never much liked this area.  Actually, that's not entirely true, I like the area... It's the people.  They aren't bad per say, they are just very closed off.  Like most of the people I know and I'm friends with, aren't actually from this area.  They are transplants from elsewhere.  I don't know, the people who are ACTUALLY from this area, we just don't seem to mix well.  They aren't warm and friendly and open.  They are hard.  Especially when it comes to dating.  It's like trying to pick an axe through a block of ice just to get to the person's frozen heart... True there are some exceptions to the rules... But most aren't inviting.  Most are impossible.  They almost give off the vibe like they are angry at you and they don't even know you.  They don't have that Midwest warmth, or that Southern charm.  They are more like, if I don't know you, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to know you.  You have to battle your way in and it's exhausting.  I'm a gregarious person.  I love to get to know people.  I want to find an area in the world where others are gregarious too and just love to chat and be friendly with one another and be open to possibilities and not closed off like so many of the native Philadelphia people.

Now, I started this life in warm and sunny southern California.  Everyone there is super outgoing and super friendly.  Philadelphia is... Not so much.  I've just never had luck in this area with dating and making friends.  Sure I've had some people that have becomes friends and some girls that have turned into girlfriends... But it's interesting... none of them are from Philadelphia.  They are all transplants from at least a couple hours away.

For whatever reason the people of Philadelphia and myself are just like oil and water.  We just don't mix.

I feel it's time for new beginnings.  I want to see how I mix in some new cities.  So as my mom said... I'm going to  go and try to find a new place.  I'm going to try and find a girlfriend that hopefully will eventually lead to marriage.  I'm going to write books.  I'm going to make music.  I'm going to trade stocks.  I'm going to see what else is out there and see if the grass might have a slightly greener coat elsewhere.

I've started a list of places to try out:

Asheville, NC

Portland, OR

Austin, TX

Orlando, FL

Boulder, CO

San Fran, CA

I'll probably just do month to month leases in each place and move after some time if I don't find I really fit in the area.

My plan is to consolidate all of the capital that I'll have from my own funds and as well as the proceeds that I'll recieve from my mom's estate and any proceeds I receive from my grandparents estate and really start to get SUPER serious about trading stocks.  I currently consistently have been making money from my trades over the last several years.  It's not a TON of money because I don't have much of my own capital, I've saved some, but not enough to make a significant amount of money.  Even though I've made some bad trades and actually lost money, because of how my trading style works, I still have made money every year with the losses accounted for.  Each bad trade is a learning experience as well.  And each year the amount of money I've made has also increased.  I'm getting better at it every year that goes by.  If I could focus on that full time I'd be really good at it I imagine.  My plan isn't to make millions, it's just to make something comparable to my current salary in IT.  Enough to afford rent, and food, and bills... and some spending cash.

Trading is risky, but the thing about dividend trades is that regardless of the stock price, there are many companies that pay reliable dividends that you can count on just as you would a job salary from working.

Here's a list of companies that have reliably increased their dividend for at least the last 25 years.

http://www.dividend.com/dividend-stocks/25-year-dividend-increasing-stocks.php

That money just comes in 4 times a year.  So you just hold the stock and let it fluctuate in value and then use the dividend income as you would your normal 2 week paycheck from work.

But instead of getting showered and dressed and fighting the traffic on the roads... Etc. etc... You just wake up and...

Well that's pretty much it.  You just wake up and check for the deposit.  Then go do whatever else you want to do with your day.

This way I won't have to worry about applying for jobs in the places I move to.  I can simply move when I want and where I want.  All I need is an internet connection.  Mostly my trading style is longer term trades and relies mostly on dividend collection so I won't have to watch it closely.  I rely on fundamental dividend paying stocks that reliably increase their dividends each year.  Things like water companies and electrical utility companies.  Basic needs, like food, shelter, things like that.  Real estate investment trusts that own property such as the property that Walgreens sits on.  Walgreens pays them rent every month... And they in turn pay a dividend every quarter to me for holding their shares.

I'm going to wait a couple years to move.  I'll continue to build up my stock holdings and track the returns... Much like an airplane lifting off the runway.  I want to know I'm off the ground first before I start to maneuver my flight controls.  I won't just simply go and quit my job and sell the house unless I have data driven results that my trading and budgets can be calculated with a margin of safety as well so that I know I will have plenty of money to sit on.

I'm already using some of my dividends to pay bills so I've got the system already in works.  Just have to keep increasing the amount of income that I make from it.

My goal is age 35.  I plan to live in a different city probably every 3 to 6 months... From about 35 to 40.  Hopefully I'll eventually meet "the one" and we can settle down and stay put in whatever city I end up meeting her in.  Obviously if I do meet a girl before October 10th of 2017... I'll just stay around here, or even keep this house.

So, I'll give Philly a little more time to show me a true love.  As of right now, it's not looking good.

I've had several friends that have moved new places and found love within a couple years of living in those places.  They had terrible success dating in Philadelphia, so I figure if it can work for them... It might work for me!  If not... It will just be a new beginning and a new experience living somewhere new.