At the time of writing, the S&P 500 has taken a bit of a tumble—down about 9% in the last month. If the stock market had a mood ring, it would be flashing “mild existential crisis.” But that just means it’s the perfect time to check in on my weekly $50 investment experiment.
Let’s rewind a bit. This portfolio started on May 31, 2023, with my first purchase of VOO at $384.26. Fast forward to March 17, 2025, and VOO is now $519.30. Every single week, no matter what, I’ve stuck to the plan: investing $50 like clockwork—rain or shine, bull or bear. The only flexibility? I get to choose which day of the week to buy, usually after checking the morning news. If it looked like a red day, I’d pounce.
So, what does 22 months of disciplined investing get you?
Well, after all that weekly DCA (dollar-cost averaging), I now own 10.658 shares of VOO.
Now, let’s play the “what if” game.
If I had dumped a lump sum of $4,095.44 into VOO on May 31, 2023, I would have bought 10.658 shares at $384.26 each. Today, that investment would be worth $5,534.70—a solid 35.14% gain.
But since I dollar-cost averaged my way in, my actual cost basis per share is $467.65. That means my total investment of $4,984.21 is currently sitting at $5,534.70, reflecting an 11.05% gain.
So, Lump Sum or DCA?
Well… if we’re just looking at the numbers, lump sum wins in this case. A 35.14% return sounds way better than 11.05%, right?
But here’s the catch: lump sum investing only works if you have a lump sum to begin with. Most people don’t have thousands of dollars just sitting around waiting to be deployed into the market. That’s where DCA shines—it makes investing accessible, consistent, and stress-free.
The Real Takeaway
For VOO (or the stock market in general), the best move is to get in as soon as possible with as much as you can afford. Why? Because the market historically trends upward. Sure, there are dips, corrections, and even full-blown market meltdowns, but over time, the S&P 500 always bounces back and reaches new highs.
So, if you have a lump sum ready to go—deploy it. But if not, DCA is still a fantastic way to build wealth over time. Just don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for the “perfect” time to invest—because that time is always yesterday.
And remember, this strategy works well for broad market ETFs like VOO, but individual stocks? That’s a whole different beast. Some stocks never recover. Some fade into oblivion. Some turn into the next Apple. So choose wisely!
Related Articles:
- How to Invest in VOO with Just $50 a Week: A Simple Guide to Growing Your Wealth
- A Simple Way to Grow Your Wealth with Index Funds
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