Post-tax investment accounts: DRIP, or spend the dividends?

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I have a non-tax advantaged index fund account.  I get dividends throughout the year that are currently being re-invested (DRIP).  Now that I'm FI/RE though I'm not sure it makes sense to use DRIP.

Here's my thinking.  Suppose I get a $6000 dividend payment.   That shows up as $6000 in income.  My DRIP plan reinvests it.

Now I need some spending money.  At the minimum to pay taxes on the $6000 dividend income.  So, I sell some of my index funds, a portion of the proceeds also becoming a tax burden because I'd have a capital gain.

Is this worse than simply having dividends hit my checking account and using that for spending money?  I assume it's worse, because my dividends and my sales with capital gains risk edging me up into a higher tax bracket than if I disabled re-investing and spent the dividends as my primary means of funding.

Thoughts on this?  What do you do?

Sorry if this is a FAQ.

[alanB]

Depends, if you are in the 0% LTCG bracket you might want to realize capital gains up to the limit of that bracket.  You can always reinvest the excess.  If you are in 15%+ I would just spend the dividends.  If your dividends alone are enough to support your spending you have too much money ;P