I finally put my dividend portfolio on a calendar
[Valuedge app](https://preview.redd.it/rk4gsc0yjgph1.png?width=1699&format=png&auto=webp&s=05341a2f91c6cc2d272d8815cdf7b8953e2b10f0)
I always looked at my dividend portfolio in terms of **annual income**.
On paper, it looks straightforward: about **$3,097/year**, or roughly **$258/month on average**.
But when I mapped the payments across an actual 12-month calendar, I realized the income is **way less balanced** than I thought.
For example, in the next 12 months I’ve got months like:
* **December: \~$797**
* **May: \~$620**
* **July: \~$350**
But then also:
* **October: \~$5**
* **November: \~$13**
* **August: basically nothing**
So even though the annual number looks decent, the actual cash flow is much more lumpy than I expected.
That got me thinking about something I don’t see discussed enough:
**Do you care about smoothing dividend income across the year, or do you only care about total income and dividend growth?**