Category Archives: Financial Independence

financial freedom

Money And Greek Myths: Lessons From Clash Of The Titans

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Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. – W. C. Fields

That quote from W.C. Fields could not more accurately describe this film. The Gods of Olympus rule the world of man. And those who disobey or hurt others are punished.

I have learned that my attitude dictates everything around me including my ability to build wealth. A positive attitude can move mountains.

See my post Money and Life Lessons I Learned from CBS Srorybreak’s Yeh-Shen

This mythical tale of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his quest for the ‘fair’ Andromeda,  Clash of the Titans was released on June 12, 1981.

Why is Greek mythology important?

Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks. These stories concern the origin and the nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Greeks‘ own cult and ritual practices.

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Clash of the Titans is a 1981 British-American heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross which retells the Greek mythological story of Perseus. It stars Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier. The film features the final work of stop motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen.

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Review for the film with an excellent synopsis from IMBD # 8 from 2004. 

In the Mount Olympus, Zeus (Laurence Olivier) destroyed the city Argus with the Titan Kraken to punish King Acrisius (Donald Houston) that sentenced his daughter Danae (Vida Taylor) and her son with Zeus Perseus to death in the sea. Zeus orders Poseidon to save them and Perseus grows up in a paradisiacal island with his mother.

Years later, Zeus punishes Calibos (Neil McCarthy), the evil son of the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith) and fiancé of Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), turning him into a monster doomed to live in the swamps.

The vindictive Thetis curses Andromeda with a spell and every suitor should solve a riddle; otherwise he would be sentenced to the bonfire. Further, she brings Perseus (Harry Hamlin) while sleeping half-naked to the City of Jopa but Zeus gives magical helmet, shield and sword to his son for self-protection.

When Perseus sees Andromeda, he falls in love with her and uses the magic outfits and Pegasus to discover the answer of the riddle with Calibos.

But Thetis dooms Andromeda to be sacrificed to the Kraken otherwise the City of Jopa and the inhabitants will be destroyed by the Titan. Perseus now has to defeat Medusa and the Kraken to save his beloved princess.

The saga of Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, and the intrigue among the Gods of Olympus, is brilliant presented in this magnificent film. The delightful story is supported by an outstanding international cast, with names such as Laurence Olivier, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Ursula Andress, and by fantastic special effects, considering this is a 1981 movie. The golden mechanical owl Buba is hilarious and responsible for some of the best moments in this film. This epic is a wonderful and highly recommended entertainment for the whole family. I do not recall how many times I have had the pleasure of watching this film.

WEALTH IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR HUMILITY

Zeus watches over everyone in Mount Olympus. Especially, that of his children and those of the other Gods, many of whom have children with mortals.

It has become known that Thetis’ son Calibos, who has been spoiled and given every advantage in life, is cold and callous. He abuses and hurts others. For this, Zeus punishes him. His son Perseus, who was given none of those advantages or indulgences of Calibos, is punished by Thetis in retaliation and dropped in the middle of their war between each other.

I found it very interesting that Zeus was willing to punish Calibos for being inhumane and uncivilized. He let the punishment fit the crime.

This is a reminder that life is not fair and no deed goes unnoticed, good or bad.

You should live your life like it will hit the front page of every newspaper. Best to eat humble pie than be served a dish that is best served cold.

WITH MONEY COMES POWER AND WEALTH BRINGS PROTECTION

Being in power means you can make things happen. If you read the stories of Napoleon Bonaparte, The War of the Roses, Winston Churchill, or any leader or influencer you will find a theme.

Success leaves clues.

Regardless, of whether or not you are born into wealth, it is your job to manage all that you have. This is done by controlling your thoughts and actions.

Did you know that most generational wealth is gone within three generations?

According to MarketWatch, about seven in 10 wealthy families lose their fortune by the second generation, according to a study of more than 3,200 high-net worth families by the Williams Group wealth consultancy. By the third generation that number has jumped to 90%.

That means the parents and grandparents make the money, and the children and grandchildren spend it.

After doing some more research, I discovered the following:

  • If you earn more than $34,000 per year, you are in the top 1 percent globally.
  • Most wealth is not inherited. You have to work for your meal. There is no FREE LUNCH.
  • According to the book The Millionaire Next Door, most millionaires are worth between $1 million to $5 million.

See my post the Top 1% of income worldwide

In the film, Zeus provides Perseus with incredible weapons that are magical to protect him. This would not have been possible if his father did not have access to those things.

The reason you want to have financial independence is because you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

FIND YOUR PASSION AND CREATE YOUR FINANCIAL DESTINY

Perseus gets sent to Jopa where Calibos ex-fiance is cursed by his mother Thetis. He decides to find out the answer to the riddle so that he may marry the princess Andromeda.

One of my favorite parts of the film right here. Perseus was smart in the way he found the answer. This is what you are supposed to do in life. Find a goal. Make a plan. Execute. Same rules apply to personal finance.

I set a goal of saving first 10% of my income. Then it kept growing from there. I set the following savings goals:

  • Save 15% of my income
  • Save 20% of my income
  • Save 25% of my income
  • Save 30% of my income
  • Save 35% of my income
  • Save 40% of my income
  • Save 45% of my income
  • Save 50% of my income ➡this is my next goal 💰😉

WE ONLY WANT JUSTICE

If you cannot be a good winner, there is no way you can be a good loser. – Halle Berry

See my post on Halle Berry and success

After Perseus defeats Calibos, he spares his life only if he lifts the cure on Andromeda and he agrees.

He then goes to demand his mother seek out vengeance on Perseus. This is wrong. Perseus won in a fair fight with hand-to-hand combat. However, his mother does what he asks. Thereby putting Perseus on another quest to yet again save Andromeda and risking his life in the process although he committed no crime. He must now face Medusa.

Justice or Revenge

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the Gorgon Medusa

NEEDS VS WANTS

Knowing what your needs versus wants are is how you will achieve your goals.

Perseus must face Medusa in order to save Andromeda.

Who is Medusa?

In Greek mythology, Medusa was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed upon her face would turn to stone.

What is the legend of Medusa? In later myths (mainly in Ovid) Medusa was the only Gorgon to possess snake locks, because they were a punishment from Athena. In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.770), Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, “the jealous aspiration of many suitors.” Accordingly, Ovid relates that the once beautiful mortal was punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been in Athena’s temple and being pursued by Poseidon.

Simply put, she was punished for being too beautiful.

In the film, Perseus only did what is absolutely necessary. Veering off course, even just a little could spell disaster. Same goes for wealth building.

TRIUMPHANT AND SUCCESS AT LAST

Perseus wins.

Zeus declares:

No more trials against Perseus for he has confronted them and he has won.

The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. Zeus commands, “I forbid any revenge against Perseus.” He has triumphed and he shall be rewarded.

The constellations of Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia are created in their honor.

I feel that like Perseus, I have been underestimated.

It took many years to achieve the goals I had set for myself. Some of which I am still working towards. And as one is crossed off the list, others are added. However, as I once told my sister, I had my back against the wall and was down but not out.

It took every ounce of energy and willpower I had, but I started taking control of my financial life and never looked back.

All those times of wondering how I would pay the bills, get to the end of the month before getting through the end of the money, and living check to check was no more.

I had prevailed against every obstacle, trial and tribulation, and test that had come up against me. There would be no more trials of continuing to go into debt against me. For I had triumphed and I had won!

I hope you enjoyed this post. I had to travel all the way back to 1981, but you have to admit that it is a great story and a spectacular adventure.

Well Greenbacks Magnets, that wraps up another post. Until next time.

Sounding the Financial Alarm: An Interview with Financially Alert

Time Is Money, The Eleventh Hour

Let’s all welcome Michael of Financially Alert. Michael is a FIRE (financial independence retire early) blogger. He retired early after accumulating over a cool million from hard work and sacrifice while building a business. Or was it two million? Can’t remember. Doesn’t matter cause he’s here sharing part of his story with us! He graciously accepted my invitation for an interview. Well Michael you have officially been Greenback’d. 🤣

Just some quick background information.

I was introduced to Michael’s blog from a Google search I did for last years FinCon, where media meets money conference.

I was unsure if I should go or what to expect.

His website kept popping up on advice when attending a conference including FinCon. It was so thorough that I decided to do what he said and I reached out to him via email to ask if we could meet at the conference. And to my surprise he said yes!

I wrote a post all about it.

See my post FinCon 18: The Recap From Your Friendly Neighborhood Greenbacks Magnet

Meeting Michael and others at FinCon

I was so nervous, but…

movies kirsten dunst *gif Elizabethtown claire colburn

While in line to get my badge, I met Michael.

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He was pleasant, laid back, and super down to earth. He was even kind enough to send me an email and asked me to lunch! This is what it’s like meeting Michael. We ended up hanging out for a pretty good chunk of the 2nd day of the conference.

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I met so many people that I couldn’t even count! So I introduced Michael to a lot of them. We could barely keep track of so many new faces.

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Michael even introduced me to the founder of FinCon, PT Money.

After the conference ended, I took his advice and reached out to people to be on the blog and send invitations. And here we are today.

Let’s go!

MEET MICHAEL AND LEARN HOW TO BECOME FINANCIALLY ALERT

Time Is Money, Currency, Euro, Clock

Starting A Financially Alert Money Blog

  1. What prompted you to start a blog about money?

I started my blog as a way to share good money habits and knowledge with those of us who weren’t given the exposure to sound financial principles. Becoming financially alert is less about a number, and more about developing a smart and practical mindset around money.  If you have the right money mindset, the mechanics are easy and your money will keep growing. I also want people to realize money is simply a tool.  It can be used for good things, and likewise bad things.  However, in my experience, those who feel in abundance are more likely to share with others who do not.

Why blog?

2. Any favorite finance books? How come?

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Ahh… there are so many.  But, in terms of impact, Rich Dad Poor Dad really breaks things down into simple digestible concepts.  I love his cash flow quadrant which speaks to the different ways people earn money.

GBM Miriam: I am providing a copy of The Rich Dada Poor Dad Quadrant for inquiring minds!

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Let’s break it down.

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Once you understand cash flow, you can really begin to grow your money with intention.


3. What are you reading right now? What’s on your night stand? 

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Most recently I read How to Quit Your Job with Rental Properties: Expanded and Updated – A Step-by-Step Guide to Retire Early with Real Estate Investing and Passive Income

Dustin thoroughly guides you through the real estate investing process.

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GBM Miriam: And I too love to read. I am reading several books about money right now!!!

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GBM Miriam: That reminds me of the real estate website Bigger Pockets. I read their book on How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started. And I did a post on it.

See my post How to Get Bigger Pockets

How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started by [Turner, Brandon, Dorkin, Joshua]


4. One thing people may not know about you?

I grew up wanting to working the movies as a special effects guy.  So, when I sold my business, I took some time to myself to attend a special fx class.  It was pretty fun to blow up a car – don’t try that at home kids!

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Just FYI: Greenbacks Magnet does her research. I found this interview that Michael did with Physician on FIRE (POF) in 2018. It’s awesome. An excellent and informative interview.

In that interview, I read that you would like to travel to island with the amazing animals, it’s called Galápagos Islands. I’ve always wanted to go since I saw that video about it at the Virginia Aquarium. It looks so cool. And watching stuff blow up is right up my alley! No wonder we got along so well at FinCon18. This was a really good post. Thanks for sharing so much about yourself. I too noticed that PoF was everywhere. I had to step my game up because of him. 😉

I also found your post from 2016 called Opportunities in the Bag! The Fill-the-Bucket-List which discussed you watching of a professional blowing up of a car! I also saw that you attended a Date with Destiny, Tony’s 5 day seminar.

And yes ladies and gentleman, that Tony is motivational guru and New York Times best-selling author Tony Robbins! Here is the photo Michael posted on his website. Awesome right?

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See Michael’s posts on his Tony Robbins seminars a Date with Destiny and Life and Wealth Mastery

How My Date with Destiny Found Me (Part 1 of 2)

Exploring Tony Robbin’s Life and Wealth Mastery – Part 1

In the second post link, you will get to see Michael swinging from a trapeze in an attempt to face down his fear, which is so Tony Robbins!!!

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Fun Fact: Trapeze is a piece of equipment which is used in acrobatics. It is considered to be one of the most demanding aerial arts.  History. The art of trapeze performance was developed by Jules Léotard, a young French acrobat and aerialist, in Toulouse in the mid-1800s. He invented the flying trapeze, practising over his father’s swimming pool. A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It can also be known as a aerial hoop, or fabric known as an aerial silk. 

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And Michael is still inspired by Tony Robbins all these years later. Check out one of his recent tweets 🙏😉

5. What’s in your wallet? How did you start building wealth? 

  • $83 cash
  • 4 credit cards
  • 1 debit card
  • fishing license
  • insurance card
  • coupon for bare naked granola
  • drivers license
  • AA card

FINALRT Michael: I started building wealth the old fashioned way… saving! As soon as I got my first job, I started paying myself 20% automatically into my savings account.  Over time it grew, and then evolved to other asset classes like stocks/bonds, and real estate.

GBM Miriam: That’s what I’m taking about!!! Take control over your finances. Control your finances, control your life. 👍

The lazy way to build a fortune: automate your savings and investments.

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You can build great things when you work on things over time. Just like Voltron. 🤣I just love when things come together. Don’t you?

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I personally like focusing on starting salary. Negotiating a good starting salary can set you up to be even better down the line. Kind of reminds me of that scene in Clueless 🤔 starring Alicia Silverstone and Avengers Endgame Ant-man Paul Rudd.

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Financial makeover. Who here wouldn’t do things differently if they knew then what they know now?

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It’s like Cher (the real one not the one from the movie Clueless) said, “If I could turn back time.”

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Speaking of Clueless…

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I love makeovers!!!! So I wrote a post about having a financial facelift. 😉

See my post A Financial Nip/Tuck

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Whatever you do, financially or otherwise…Own it!!!

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I made it out of living paycheck-to-paycheck woohoo!!! I appreciate all the support from the personal finance blogger community. 💖Especially in doing interviews like this one. 😉 xoxo 💋 I feel the love. I felt just like Mulan. The finance community definitely made a man I mean blogger out of me. 🤣

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Bonus Questions (pick any of the questions from the top or below that you want to answer) 


6. Any life or money lessons from a favorite movie or TV show you would like to share?


TV loves to glamorize our consumer culture. While it’s fun to watch shows like Million Dollar Listing, the reality is that happiness is controlled by us individually and doesn’t required luxury items. 

How can you use your money to make the biggest positive impact on your family and friends? 

Well said Michael. 👏 And excellent question.

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Embarrassment of riches book portrait of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews.

See my post Money Lessons I Learned From Scrooge McDuck

GBM Miriam: I have learned to not focus on having privilege, but on doing things that help myself, my family and my community. A lesson Cher (Alicia Silverstone) started to learn as the film Clueless progressed.

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While shopping with her friend Dionne (Stacey Dash), she started feeling like there was more to life than shopping, like helping others. 😉

7. If you found a lottery ticket that ends up winning $2.5 million. What would you do?

After giving a chunk to charity, I’d buy a McDonald’s franchise!  Who wouldn’t want a french fry cash machine??

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16. What was your best MacGyver moment?

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I recently was doing a video and couldn’t ad-lib the content to save my life.  So, I started researching ways to help me create a better video.  I stumbled upon teleprompters and was like, OMG that’s it!The problem though is that teleprompters start at $200 and go up from there.  I didn’t feel like making that kind of investment for a single video, so I put on my MacGyver hat and built my own.  I used an 8×10 frame from Walmart, a cheap 3 ring binder, some cork-board from Dollar Tree, and electric tape from Home Depot… total costs to build it – $12.84.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with MacGyver, here is some background info.

Angus “Mac” MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series MacGyver. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both portrayals MacGyver is shown to possess a genius-level intellect; proficiency in multiple languages; superb engineering skills; excellent knowledge of applied physics; military training in bomb disposal techniques and a preference for non-lethal resolutions to conflicts. The hit television series MacGyver, which lasted from 1985 to 1992 and was highly successful throughout its seven-year run.

The character Angus MacGyver, also known as just MacGyver or Mac, was an optimistic action hero who was notable for using a Swiss Army knife instead of a firearm as his tool of choice.Young war hero Angus `Mac’ MacGyver has an extraordinary knack for unconventional problem solving and an extensive bank of scientific knowledge that he believes can best be put to use saving lives, both of which come in handy when he creates a clandestine organization within the United States government to tackle high-risk missions around the world. Working under the sponsorship of the Department of External Affairs, MacGyver quietly prevents disasters.

The character is portrayed as a non-violent problem solver and typically eschews the use of guns. Even in cases where he must resort to physical violence, or when his improvised devices are used to attack hostile opponents, he is always doing so in self-defense and, if possible, subduing or disabling rather than killing.

MacGyver is passionate about social causes, having on several occasions volunteered to help the less-privileged, showing a particular affinity for – and connection with – children. For example, he is shown to be a “big brother”, conducts hearing research at a school for deaf children, and helps out in a mountain excursion for delinquent youths.He strives to protect the environment and endangered species such as eagles, the black rhino,and wolves It was also established that he became a vegetarian at an unspecified date during the series run.

MacGyver’s persistence and the improvisational nature of his plans make him difficult to thwart, as his nemesis Murdoc pointed out, because not even MacGyver himself knows what he is going to do next. Unlike stereotypical “macho” or stoic action heroes, MacGyver exhibits grief in the face of tragedies, open fear in perilous situations, and shows pain after a fight. A sensitive character, Mac has a tendency to blame himself for personal losses and tragedies. He usually carries duct tape, chewing gum, a Timex watch, strike-anywhere matches, a flashlight, and an ID card. Yes, that’s what he uses to get out of every near death situation.

In short, he’s awesome.

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17. How would you sell hot coco in Florida?


I’d add some ice and throw it in my vitamix for the perfect blended frozen hot coco!

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Oh yea. As cool as ice!! 🤣

Thank you for stopping by Greenbacks Magnet!!!!

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Hope you enjoyed this latest blogger interview. I try to keep it 💯here and help people improve the quality of their financial lives. Thank you for reading.

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GBM Miriam: Thank you Michael for treating us all for an inside look to becoming financially alert. You’ve been a great guest!

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Want more financial wake up calls from Michael. Follow him on Twitter and read his blog at Financially Alert.

The Simple Path to Wealth Book Review

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There is brilliance in simplicity. – Bruce Lee

Recently, I began reading the book The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins.

The book originated with letters to his daughter about financing.

On my path towards financial freedom, I have decided to read the books of other Personal Financial Bloggers.   

The book du jour: The Simple Path to Wealth.

Do you believe in coincidence?

I don’t believe in coincidence. I think that all things work together for good. – Kathie Lee Gifford

“I do not believe in meaningless coincidences. I believe every coincidence is a message, a clue about a particular facet of our lives that requires our attention.” – Deepak Chopra

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Well, it just so happened that the last finance blogger I interviewed for this website was Dave of Accidental FIRE called: Accidentally Wealthy on Purpose.

In that interview, he informed me that his favorite personal finance book was The Simple Path by JL Collins.

I mean what are the odds that I would be reading that EXACT BOOK at that EXACT MOMENT. 😲 Pretty slim that is for sure.

I too thought the book was pretty good and gives some sound financial advice.

I even tweeted out that advice directly from the book. And to my surprise JL Collins gave me a like. I appreciated that! 😉

After, doing that interview and sending the tweet and the getting a like form the author, I decided that I must do a book review on this book. Why? I feel that if you see something three times (3x), then it must be for a reason. They say things happen in three’s. So I went with it!  

Let’s get to it!

Drum roll please.

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THEEEEEEE SIMPLE PATH TO WEALTH!!!!

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your Road Map to Financial Independence and a Rich, Free Life

WHO IS JL COLLINS?

He has been an investor since 1975. In 2011, he wrote a series of letters to his daughter about money and investing; which morphed into jlcollinsnh.com and led to this book.

Welcome inside the mind of the man who started the infamous Stock Series on his blog.

The foreword of his book was by Mr. Money Mustache.

Serious praise for the book:

“Let’s face it: Most investment books are boring. Dull. Uninspired. This book brings managing your money to life.” – Paula Pant, Afford Anything

“The media claim stock investing is no better than gambling. Collins cuts through the crap. He demonstrates a simple level-headed way to wealth that will lead you to a richer life.” – J.D. Roth, Founder Money Boss and Get Rich Slowly

I have to agree wholeheartedly with J.D. Roth’s assessment. I also got to meet him at FinCon. Nice guy 😉

See my post on FinCon

FinCon 18: The Recap From Your Friendly Neighborhood Greenbacks Magnet Part I and Part II

After reading the book, it was really eye-opening. One of the simplest approaches to investing and building wealth that I have ever read and I read A LOT!

My library card is on fire!!!   😂

Now let me tell you why I feel that way about the book.

DEBT IS A BURDEN

There is no free lunch. tweet

There is no such thing as E-Z financing. Credit cards come with enormous interest rates. If you look on credit card statements today, it will give you two numbers.

One is how long it will take to pay off your balance paying the minimum amount.

The other is how long it will take before your balance is paid in full after three years.

Knowing that you can be paying off that sweater from last year until your kids are ready to graduate from college should scare most straight to the path of cash only!

Debt causes too many constraints and limits personal and financial freedom.

Paying a $10 minimum on a $300 balance is a sure fire way to the poor house.

If you owe more than 5% interest on any debt, then get rid of it ASAP. And forget all these consolidation loans and balance transfers. That’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Just work on steadily paying off the one with the most interest and then continue until all the debt is gone.

Then make being debt free last forever.

WHY YOU NEED F-U MONEY

We all need it.

You know why? Because sh*t happens, that’s why.

What happens if you chip a tooth, get hit by an uninsured motorist, and the basement floods all in the same week?

You have to pay to handle of these situations. If nothing else, an insurance deductible; which can run into the thousands as house flooding can be a deductible as high as $5,000!

I previously wrote on F you money in a blog post called How Do You Play With FIRE?

Here is part of that post here for your convenience.

My blog post from the Mark Cuban on F-U Money blog post

LEVELS OF WEALTH

Only you can decide how much money is enough. However, if we go by Rockefeller, enough is always a little more. Basically, how much money is enough?

For purposes of simplicity, we will use the examples of enough money given by billionaire Mark Cuban.

Mark Cuban on enough money:

“‘Enough’ is what it takes to not worry about the bills.”

“‘A lot’ is enough that you never have to worry about working again.”

“‘F you’ money means you can rent a jet to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and no party is out of reach.”

“‘F everyone’ money means you can have your favorite band in your backyard, not care how much it costs, and lend them your jet to get there.”

We’re not talking about rich; talking about wealthy. Chris Rock once said, “Shaquille O’Neal is rich. The guy who pays his salary is wealthy.”

He also said comfort is the poison. Too much of it can slow down your progress on the road to wealth. All I mean is to stay hungry. I’m just saying there are different levels of wealth.

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So trust me when I say you need F-U Money.

MAGIC BEANS ARE INDEX FUNDS

Coco Chanel — ‘Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.’

Jack Bogle founded the Vanguard Group in 1974.

Mr. Bogle created the first S & P 500 index fund. Due to its immensely low fees because the investors own Vanguard and not some company or board of directors that want to please shareholders, this book advises an investment in the VTSAX at Vanguard.

JL Collins advice: Invest in index funds with Vanguard and keep what is yours.

I concur.

I need all my coins. I want ALL of my MONEY! I aim to keep as much of it as possible. I’m almost as bad as Scrooge McDuck. Almost.

See my post on Money Lessons I Learned From Scrooge McDuck

Remember that episode of Ducktales when Fenton Crackshell was counting all of Scrooge’s money that he dumped into the lake in “Liquid Assets Part 1.”  That’s me! 🤣

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This total stock market fund holds the entire U.S. stock market fund; which includes about 3,700 stocks.  As most of these companies are worldwide and involved in international markets, you only need this one fund. Simple right? 😉

And it is comprised of 80% of all the top funds in the S & P 500, so no need to diversify as you already have it here.

If that did not convince you, the maybe the best stock-picker of all time can: Warren Buffet.

He owns the company Berkshire Hathaway (stock symbols; BRK.A and BRK.B)

See my posts

Forget Simon, Do What Buffet Says

How I Used The Buffet 25 Strategy to Walk The Talk

Money And Chocolate

Don’t Take Money Too Personal

Patience Is The Key To Wealth

3 Rich Habits Of Millionaires

Do You Want A Million Dollars? Ask For It!

In the 2013 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder letter, Buffet advised the following:

“What I advise here is essentially identical to certain instructions I’ve laid out in my will. One bequest provides that cash will be delivered to a trustee for my wife’s benefit. My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. (I suggest Vanguard’s.)”

I am a Vanguard and Berkshire Hathaway investor and I approve this message. 😉

Have you recently wrote a book? Are you looking for a review? Do you want to be Greenback’d? Tweet me. I’ll be here @mjp2520

Accidentally Wealthy on Purpose: An Interview with Accidental FIRE

Man, Business, Adult, Suit, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency

“We gonna win more. We gonna live more. We the best.” – DJ Khaled

I know what you’re thinking. How do you accidentally get wealthy on purpose. Well guess what? You’re about to find out.

This latest blogger interview comes from Dave of Accidental FIRE.

I reached out to him after seeing his name on like 20,000 blogs.

Here’s how it went down because as you know it goes down in the DM. 🤣

I sent this tweet out after seeing a post Dave published. I thought it had an inspiring title. So I retweeted it.

To my surprise, Dave responded. 😮

So I responded to Dave. 😁

That’s when he told me to hit him up in the DM! 😉

So yes ladies and gents, this post happened from a tweet!

He seems as passionate about writing and blogging as I do!

I was born for this, born for this It’s who I am, how could I forget? – Macklemore

Let’s get right down to it! It goes down in the DM!!! It goes down. It goes down!!! 😂 Yo Gotti – Down In The DM

The blog and the interview was done by Miriam of Greenbacks Magnet, but those lyrics up top are by Yo Gotti.

INTRODUCING 

Welcome aboard all! All are welcome!

Welcome to Greenbacks Magnet. Home of attracting Greenbacks like Magnets! 🤣Can I help you find financial freedom?

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I want to thank you all for coming along this financial journey with me as I study the self-made and do blog interviews. You know, you are all my copilot’s on this magic carpet ride.

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In the illustrious words of #Aladdin Genie, “You ain’t never ever had a friend like meeeee!!!”🤣

Let’s Meet Dave!!!

I actually met Dave at FinCon. He was positive and had a great attitude. That was the thing I remember about him most. He may not have known it but I thought to myself now there’s someone I would not mind working with. 🤔

And here we are today.

Another day, another breath (another breath)
Been chasing dreams, but I never slept (I never slept) – Glorious Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey

I told Dave I thought he was one of the hardest working men in the blog business. I said that because I would go to read a post by a personal finance blogger and he would have already been there and posted the very first comment!

I couldn’t keep up with him! And I work HARD!!!

I remember seeing a comment on one blog post he did and he said, “Oh get out the popcorn. I see an interesting comments section coming on this post.”

Yep, that’s Dave.

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What it felt like to meet Dave at FinCon.

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He’s a genuine guy. 😉

Let’s talk about how Dave caught on financial FIRE!

DAVE STARTS A FINANCIAL FIRE BLOG

GBM: Hey Dave!! You should let me interview you for the blog! 5 questions tops! If it will get this ball rolling. I know you’re busy, but I promise to keep it short and snappy. Scouts honor. 😉

Dave: Hey Miriam, I will have to ponder these and will get back to you, interesting questions 😉 

What is FIRE? It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.

There are tons of blogs out there on the topic.

I even wrote a post called How do you play with FIRE?

WHAT IS FIRE?

According to Camp Fire Finance, the elevator pitch for FIRE is this, “When your investments generate enough money to cover your annual expenses you’re financially independent (FI). At that point work is optional and you can retire early (RE) if you want to.”

Basically, you have more than enough money coming in to stop working. Usually, this requires anywhere from $1 million to $5 million dollars depending on what you want or need to spend to maintain your lifestyle or that of the one you dream of having.

For example, if you decide you want to withdraw at least $80,000 a year, you would need to have a $2-million-dollar portfolio.

This is how I visualize myself on FIRE! 😂💋

Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games was serving them eye candy with that dress. It was literally ON FIRE!!!

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To stay on theme, I will pick this image for Dave. 😉

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Let’s get to the interview. 😊

Dave: Hey Miriam, here are my responses.

1. How did you come up with your blog name?

I named my blog Accidental FIRE because I reached FI accidentally – meaning I wasn’t intentionally trying to get to a point where I didn’t have to work anymore.  I just wanted as much of a nest egg as I could get because I come from a background and family that has no money.  So it was about building security in my life.  But when I discovered the 4% etc it then accidentally became about working less too.

Accidental Fire

Good for you! 👍

It’s great to have goals. I call that a win!

Win, Word, Scrabble, Letters, Wooden

GBM Miriam: Some people may think building a nest egg from the ground up is impossible. I say personal finance is not rocket science. It is about earning, saving, and consistency.


Thanks for keeping it 💯and sharing that.

2. Any favorite finance books? What’s on your nightstand?

My favorite financial book is “The Simple Path To wealth” by JL Collins because it does the best job of boiling the basics down to make a FI path, well, simple.  On my nightstand now are two books “War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars”, and “The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure”.  Also my eyeglasses and a candle.

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Well ok ✌That’s some good reading material right there. 👍

GBM Miriam: I am actually reading The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins right now! I guess great minds think alike! 😉

This was me in school. 😂

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Even today, if I’m not reading, I like to exercise. 🤣 I like to keep busy. No idle hands.

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I still read comic books too! My favorite is Red Sonja.

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She Devil with a Sword

Fun Fact: The Marvel comic Red Sonja was turned into a film in 1985 starring one of my favorite self-made people to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Don’t focus on getting to $1 million; focus on getting to $2 million.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

I heard that little gem when Mr. Schwarzenegger was doing a radio interview.

I’ve learned to make every dollar count. Focus on turning every $1 into $2. Instead of $1 million focus on $2 million. I learned that from @Schwarzenegger 😉

Just my 2 cents. Smooches 💋

Did this book inspire this post I wonder? 🤔

3. What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume?

I’m a pretty good juggler.

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Awesome! 👍That’s pretty cool.

4. What’s in your wallet? How did you start building wealth?


If you mean what kind of credit card I have a US Bank VISA that gives great reward points and that I use for everything.  I started building wealth as soon as I started working when I was 16, I’ve always spent less than I made.  But I started supercharging my wealth-building after reading a copy of Money magazine in 1995 and putting money in index funds.

Nice! 👌

GBM Miriam: I actually started after reading a Kiplinger magazine around 2007. I also put my money in index funds like the VFINX 500 index with Vanguard, which tracks an index like the S&P 500.

I try to save and invest over 40% of my income.

Although it is now closed to new investors you can put money into the VTSAX which is 80% comprised of the 500 largest companies in the United States.

Your story on how you grew up and got started building wealth reminds me of the song Glorious from Macklemore.

I feel glorious, glorious Got a chance to start again!

I loved it in the Crazy Rich Asians movie trailer.

5. What 80’s film best describes your relationship with money or the lifestyle you would like to have?

I guess I’d pick “Stand By Me” It doesn’t have much to do with money but I love the movie because it reminds me of my childhood – being in a small pack of super close friends and exploring and maybe sometimes getting into thins we shouldn’t have.  And I’m still friends with all those guys today so it’s fun to reminisce about when we were younger and our knees didn’t hurt so much!

I hear you! 😉

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Love that movie! It had some inspiring words. Love the 80’s. 💖

You know? Dialogue like this. 🤣

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GBM Miriam: Seriously, though that film makes me tear up at the end every time. A great coming of age story about friendship.

Why we blog about finances?

I’ll let Skylar Grey answer that:

We gon’ be alright, put that on my life
When I open my eyes, hope I see you shine
Now I feel glorious, glorious
I feel glorious, glorious

Well, we have come to the end of this interview. Hope you had fun.

Here at Greenbacks Magnet we like to have fun. And I had a blast!!!

GBM Miriam: Thank you Dave for stopping by!! I sure hope we will see each other again at the next money meets media conference as FinCon19 is coming to DC! But if not, there is always Twitter and DM’s. 😉

I bid you all farewell. Until we meet or tweet again.

I will give you one of my farewell messages that I tweet as a show of my appreciate for you hanging out with me here at Greenbacks Magnet.

Hope you had fun with me today and my Lipstick confessions. I must bid you all a good night. And go back to my regular identity. May the 80s live on forever in our hearts. Smooches💋 Greenbacks Magnet

Shows over Synergy. #Jem

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Are you surprised I sent this tweet? Well, don’t be. I told you I loved the 80’s!!!

Hey Dave!!! Thank you. Appreciate that quick turnaround right there!

ACF Dave: thanks Miriam 👍

Remember how I said I saw Dave on like 20,000 blogs. Well, I guess that is a popular number.

Got 20, 000 deep off in the street like we some warriors
My mama told me never bow your head, woo! – Macklemore

But this time, you can take a bow and bow your head Dave. You were a great guest to have. 👏👏👏

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Want more on purpose money advice from Dave of Accidental FIRE?

Visit his website Accidental FIRE and Follow him on Twitter @Accidental_Fire and

Jennifer Lopez: From Jenny from the block to JLO and $100 Million

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“You have to fight for the things you want.” – Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is a quadruple threat: actress, singer, dancer, and producer.

It was recently reported earlier this month that in March 2019 she got engaged to former MLB phenom Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod).

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Jenny from the Bronx has parlayed her talent into major coin.

Her estimated net worth is over $300 million.

Insider reported it as high as $400 million!

So how did Jenny from the block earn her wealth?

Well, you are about to find out.

As you may know, I am on a mission: financial freedom.

Therefore, I started to study the self-made.

How did they get so wealthy? What did they do? What do they do with their 24 hours we are given in a single day?

Today we talk all things J to the L-O! Hello!

Let’s go!!!

STARTING OUT

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969 in Castle Hill, New York City. Growing up in the Bronx with her parents and siblings she watched how hard her parents worked to make a living as Puerto Ricans living in the richest country in the world.

She knew that she had a responsibility to do well because her parents gave and sacrificed so much.

She was quoted in an interview as saying, “I had to do well. I couldn’t let them (her parents) down.”

Jennifer says she was always training for something. And dance become her go to activity.

DANCING TO THE FRONT

In 1991, Lopez began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color, where she remained a regular until she decided to pursue an acting career in 1993.

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These are HER lyric from “Jenny from the Block.” Let J. LO tell you her story.

From In Living Color and movie scripts

To On the 6 to J. Lo to this headline clips

I stayed grounded as the amounts roll in

I’m real, I thought I told you

I really been on Oprah

That’s just me

Nothin phony, don’t hate on me

What you get is what you see

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If you have ever seen the Janet Jackson video “That’s the way love Goes,” then you will see a young Jennifer Lopez dancing and talking to Janet. She performed as a dancer for her while as pursuing her dreams of acting.

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I love the lyrics to that song and how it starts out.

Like a moth to a flame

Burned by the fire

My love is blind

Can’t you see my desire

That’s the way love goes

So you could say like a moth to a flame, J. LO gravitated towards acting. Haha

You also may remember her dancing with Puffy or P. Diddy, as he goes by now, in the music video “Been Around The World.” That was in 1997. Haven’t seen it. No problem.

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JLoThis 1997 music video  Puff Daddy Been Around The World

I have the footage right here thanks to Youtube 😉 Enjoy!


Jennifer Lopez HOT Dance Scene With P Diddy

HER BIG BREAK STARRING AS TEJANO MUSIC SUPERSTAR SELENA

In 1995, the world lost Tejano music’s biggest star Selena Quintanilla. Due to widespread reports of unknown causes of events that surfaced, her family decided to tell the world her story. That became the 1997 film Selena.

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A story of a girl who had the spirit to believe in a dream and the courage to make it come true.

Movie poster reads: A story of a girl who had the spirit to believe in a dream and the courage to make it come true.

The film that made Jennifer Lopez a star: Selena.

Released in Summer 1997. Based on the life of Tejano superstar Selena.

In 1997, Lopez played the title character of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in Warner Bros. “Selena.” Lopez was 28 years old when she portrayed the late singer.

After an intense media frenzy, auditions for the role of Selena sparked applications from about 20,000 Latinas from around the globe, one woman was selected that stood out from the bunch: Jennifer Lopez.

The role of a lifetime was won to play Mexican-American music star Selena.

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People Magazine

Jennifer Lopez Reflects on Selena Quintanilla and Where She’d Be Now: ‘She Was a Star’

Jennifer Lopez in the film playing Selena.

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Fun Fact: People Espanol was started because of Selena.

The real J. LO. She too likes to wear white.

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Jennifer Lopez as Selena.

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Jennifer Lopez wearing Selena’s iconic red lipstick in the film Selena

Fun Fact: Selena favorite lipstick was Brick by Chanel, she did her own makeup and her favorite shoe store was Payless. Favorite pizza: Pizza Hut thin crust double pepperoni.

One of my favorite scenes from the film.

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If you watch Selena perform, you not she is doing tons of cardio.

Fun Fact: Selena would walk around her neighborhood EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

And don’t take no crap from anyone.

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The real Selena Quintanilla Tejano singer and superstar

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The album that put her on the map. Selena Live!

Nominated for a GRAMMY in 1994
Selena Live! Best Mexican/American Album

Selena won her first career GRAMMY for Best Mexican-American Album for Live at the 36th GRAMMY Awards in 1994, marking the first time a female Tejano artist won the category.

She was gone less than a year later.

Awards/Accomplishments. In 1987, Selena became a spokesperson for Coca-Cola. Selena won the Tejano Music Award for Best Female Vocalist running every through 1986 to 1996. Received 8 awards at Lo Nuestro Awards, 34 Tejano Music Awards, Kuno’s People’s Choice award, and first Tejano artist to win a Grammy.

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Always smiling, laughing, and joking around. That was Selena.

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So full of life and light
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Selena Quintanilla 1971-1995 May she forever Rest In Peace.

The movie Selena would make Jennifer Lopez one of the highest paid Latina’s in film.

Many have reported that she is the highest-paid Latina film actress in history.

It was estimated that she received a $1 million payday for the film.

Her life and BANK ACCOUNT has never been the same.

A STAR IS BORN TO SING

Just keep your head down and work. Success comes when you work harder than everybody else. – Jennifer Lopez

After wrapping the film, Jennifer Lopez decided her next ambition would be recording an album. She set her sights on making this goal happen.

She got a record deal and worked with music super producer Tommy Mottola of Sony.

In an interview she said that people did not believe in her project; therefore, she had to put some of her own money into it.

You get what you give. What you put into things is what you get out of them. – Jennifer Lopez

That pet project would become her first album: On the 6.  

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As reported by Insider, Lopez’s debut single “If You Had My Love” was released in May 1999, and it immediately landed on the Billboard charts. In fact, “If You Had My Love” became the first debut single to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” a mere four months earlier.

One month later in June, her debut album “On the 6” was released, effectively solidifying Lopez’s status as a Latin pop artist. Certified by the RIAA, “On the 6” is 3x platinum, selling 3.42 million units worldwide.

She never looked back.

AIN’T IT FUNNY HOW THINGS WORK OUT

When Jennifer Lopez was at her peak, in 1999-2002, she was deigning clothes, singing, dancing, performing, acting, starring in hit films, on the cover of magazines, and putting out perfume fragrances.

The iconic green Versace dress! GRAMMYs 1999.

Caused a sensation and put her on the top of the map. Every news outlet had a picture of THAT dress! A great way to get people talking about you, if they weren’t already.

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Caused a sensation

One of the things that sticks out was when she started going by the name J. LO. She put out an L.P. of the same name. She said her mother loved that name and would say it over and over…J. LO J. LO.

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However, what made her a household name was the infamous video with Ja Rule “I’m Real” that was in constant rotation on MTV and BET Total Request Live (TRL).

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Fun Fact: Jennifer Lopez Says She Personally Chose That Juicy Couture Tracksuit for Her 2001 “I’m Real” Video with Ja Rule

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I’m Real video

Here is the video just in case you have not seen it.

She also did the song “Ain’t it Funny.” Again featuring her partner in crime (of making sweet music that is) Ja Rule. Together this pair made magic happen. They just had great chemistry when working together.

Ain’t it funny dropped off the J. LO album on June 20, 2001.

Here are some lyrics for you.

J to the L-O

Hello

Well now you know where I got that from, which I state at the beginning of this post. 😉

Here is the chorus

Ain’t it funny

Baby that you want me, when you had me

Love is crazy, I’m glad I can smile and say

Ain’t it funny

Then came “Jenny from the Block.” This song dropped on September 26, 2002.  One of her HOTTEST music videos! If you had no idea what she was capable or of who she was, then this video stopped all doubts.

The lyrics go like this.

Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got

I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the block

Love my life and my public

Put God first

Then can’t forget to stay real

To me it’s like breathing

Ah yes, she says to stay real or I’m real in this song. An obvious reference to her song I’m real with Ja Rule. 😉

Here is the chorus.

Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got

I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the block

Used to have a little, now I have a lot

No matter where I go, I know where I came from (from the Bronx!)

Check it out here.



JLo pictured in her 2002 music video Jenny from the Block

Unlike her previous studio albums: On the 6 (1999) and J.Lo (2001), Lopez had a more “hands-on” role on This Is Me… Then. The 2002 album also had more of an adult-R&B sound. Musically, majority of the songs on This Is Me… Then were lyrically “dedicated” to her relationship with then-fiancé, actor Ben Affleck.

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All I have video 2002 featuring LL Cool J

The Age newspaper said the album was a “declaration” of love for Affleck.

The many looks of J. LO.

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J. LO is Pretty in Pink.

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 During an interview, Lopez said “I wrote a lot of songs inspired, in a way, by what I was going through at the time that this album was being made, and he [Affleck] was definitely a big part of that.”

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MTV VMA 2002

Magazine Covers of Jennifer Lopez.

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JLO $100 Million Woman
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ON A WORLD TOUR WITH A MIC IN HER HAND

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“I have to work, for my soul.” – Jennifer Lopez

Nearly two decades since the release of “On the Six,” Lopez has dropped seven more albums, and has a ninth album slated for release this year.

Lopez has embarked on five tours, and that has undoubtedly added to her net worth. Her first tour, aptly titled “Let’s Get Loud” was in 2001 and she walked away with a reported $765,000 in earnings, according to Money Nation.

The bank balances keep rising as her star does.

Lopez has earned an estimated $90 million for appearing on the big screen, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

She was also a judge on “American Idol” for three years. At a reported $12 million per season, according to Billboard, that’s an impressive $36 million for serving as a mentor to well, the next Jennifer Lopez.

J. Lo is also a business maven.

Just like Rihanna.

See my post Rihanna from music maven to mogul

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Aside from her musical and acting talents, Lopez is also a savy businesswoman. In 1998, she founded her clothing line that currently sells swimwear, eyewear, and fragrances. In 2004, her brand earned $300 million in revenue, making J. Lo the 19th richest person under 40, according to Fortune.

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A decade later, in 2012, J. Lo set out for her first worldwide tour, the Dance Again World Tour. After 78 shows, this would be Lopez’s highest-earning tour, and she pocketed $50,362,300, according to Money Nation.

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If you look at the difference in her first tour in 2001 and her one in 2012 ($765,000 to $50,362,300), you will notice it took over a decade to earn this type of money.

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Angel Eyes 2002

What does that tell me?

That building wealth TAKES TIME.

It took me 6 years to go from saving $1 a day to $50 a month to $15,000 a year!

I make a goal and then chart a course to get there no matter how long it takes.

Just like Jennifer Lopez.

Between her current residency in Las Vegas and worldwide clothing line, J. Lo is hardly short on funds.

On January 20, 2016, she debuted at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino her “All I Have” residency, dazzling fans with sequined pieces and elaborate sets.

On August 13, her shows reached an incredible milestone: $1 million in ticket sales, the highest grossing show in Planet Hollywood’s history, according to Billboard.

Between June 2016-June 2017, Lopez made $38 million dollars, consequently landing her at the #11 spot on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Female Celebrities of 2017. She’s also already made an estimated $47 million in 2018, according to Forbes.

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Jennifer Lopez performing with Pitbull
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Given her newly announced acting project, anticipated 9th album and a just-released makeup line, Jennifer Lopez will likely only see her cash flow increase.

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All I have to say about JLO is this: Veni, vidi, vici. Latin translation: “I came; I saw; I conquered.”

Well Jennifer Lopez came, saw, and conquered show business.

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In the illustrious words, and famous favorite saying of Selena: “You go girl.”

I have learned a lot from Jennifer Lopez. That with hard work, drive, passion, determination, consistency, and persistence you can achieve great things.

However, what I have learned most of all…is that she is still Jenny from the Block. 😉

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For more posts I have written about the self-made you can check out my other posts

Dwayne Johnson: The Rock Solid and The Fast and The Furious Way To Make Millions

Halle Berry on success and failure: Why She and I Continue To Save So Much

Halle Berry on success and failure: Why She and I Continue To Save So Much

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Beauty is not just physical. – Halle Berry

I agree that beauty is not just physical. Beauty has many forms, and I feel that confidence, self-respect, and loving yourself are some of them.

These are some other beautiful things to behold:

  • A child at play; while living in a safe neighborhood.
  • Reading a book on a beach at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.
  • Taking a nap in a hammock.
  • Walking in Central Park.
  • Seeing the sun come up while vacationing on the lake.
  • Seeing the sunset on the beach.

However, all of those beautiful things, albeit free; still cost money to be able to do and enjoy them.

Many of these things require that you have some form of prosperity or relative financial cushion to enjoy creature comforts that can easily be taken for granted such as taking a nap in the afternoon beyond the age of five.

Instead of having some semblance of wealth, you will need to actually have a few coins in the bank in order to have any sort of comfort EVER.

That being said, I had to stop and think. Why Do I Save So Much?

I remember reading an article in which they decided to pose this similar type of question to Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry who is worth an estimated $80 million.

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She answered that the reason she saves is because she knows the business she is in (showbiz) this Hollywood stint may all come to an end one day. Specifically, she says that she saves because she never knows “when this trip will end.” And that she wants to have enough savings to make sure she is secure, comfortable, and financially independent when the paychecks stop pouring in and the fame starts to wane. In addition, she carries tons of life insurance.

I too carry tons of life insurance!

If it’s good enough for Halle, then it’s good enough for me.

Halle is a saver.

Here is why I am a saver too.

WELCOME TO THE GOOD LIFE

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When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there’s no way you could be a good winner. – Halle Berry

There’s a place in me that can really relate to being the underdog. – Halle Berry

I always had to prove myself through my actions. Be a cheerleader. Be class president. Be the editor of the newspaper. – Halle Berry

By the time I left school, I had a lot of tenacity. – Halle Berry

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If you think money will change who you are, then think again. Money just gives us a bigger stage to project who we already are.

Will Smith said it best: “Money and success don’t change people; they merely amplify what is already there.”

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Many people may not know this but Halle Berry was elected Homecoming or Prom Queen at her high school. It was predominantly white. Not believing that she had won, the other contestant asked for a recount. Halle agreed. Halle won again. She demanded another recount. Halle refused. Halle then graciously accepted her crown.

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If you think about that, you can see from a young age that Halle has always had to work for what she’s got. Being PRETTY is not enough!

I actually was on my school newspaper. It was one of the only times in high school that I did not feel like I was being judged and I had some say in what was going on around me. I too have always had to prove MYSELF!

I get it. No one believes what they can’t see. Seeing is believing.

However, I was actually working towards my goals – buying a home, getting a bachelor’s, finishing a Master’s – all tangible things that people can observe my actions and see me doing such as studying, house shopping, and walking across the stage to accept my diploma.

It was not until AFTER I had done all those things that people started to take me more seriously and show me SOME RESPECT!!

It just would have been nice to get a little more of it while I was the UNDERDOG and working towards MY GOALS with people around me that had WAY MORE PRIVILEGE.

I paid WAY LESS than $50,000 for a degree.

I paid WAY LESS than $1 million for a home.

I did that because I knew what I could afford and that I didn’t want to be in debt forever.

I wanted freedom. And that doesn’t come cheap. You have to EARN your freedom through work.

CAREER IS IMPORTANT

Career is important, but nothing really supersedes my roles as a mother. – Halle Berry

I never wanted to be a model. My modelling career was nothing but a stepping stone to my acting career and that’s all I ever saw it as. A pointless rock in the river that has to be stepped on in order to get to the meaningful oasis of acting. – Halle Berry

Throughout my career I have been talked out of things I wanted to do, and when I look back, I think I should have followed my instincts. – Halle Berry

What’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t do well I can put on my big girl panties, deal with it and move on. – Halle Berry

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I have learned that having a CAREER and not just a JOB is important.

A job is what you do to pay the bills.

A career is what you do when you have passion for something and can skip to work.

I decided at the age of 15 to get my degree as a STEPPING STONE towards a career. I ended up working in Financial services which is right up my alley as you can tell from this blog. 😉

However, I have mostly done the things I wanted to do and rarely let myself get talked out of those things. Maybe that is why I am so happy.

The secret to happiness: Do the things that make you happy and don’t do the things that make you unhappy. The End.

No matter what. Good or Bad. MOVE ON. Keep moving forward. It’s like Ariana Grande says, “thank you, next.”

I knew if I wanted to make more than minimum wage that I had to get some skills or education. Not knowing what trade to do I went for the degree. I knew not to just drift or stand still.

I didn’t want to end up at 35 with no savings, no home, no family, and no decent job.

I had no shame working as waitress to make ends meet until I could do better. I was making about $2.39 an hour plus tips.  

Now I’m making and saving more than 40% of my income.

All things come in time.

BEAUTY FADES

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Let me tell you something – being thought of as a beautiful woman has spared me nothing in life. No heartache, no trouble. Love has been difficult. Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory. – Halle Berry

While being called beautiful is extremely flattering, I would much rather be noticed for my work as an actress. – Halle Berry

A person’s self-esteem has nothing to do with how she looks. – Halle Berry

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Your preaching to the choir. Tell me something I don’t know. Beauty is transitory alright meaning it is not permanent. CORRECT.

As you age, you will change. It is inevitable. So you need to be able to do something more than stand still, look pretty, and to quote Miss Congeniality, “be on stage with nothing to do but convert oxygen into carbon dioxide.” Haha

So enjoy your life! And pass me some more pizza 😂

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INNER PEACE

The first step is clearly defining what it is you’re after, because without knowing that, you’ll never get it. – Halle Berry

If you set out to do something and you give it your all and it doesn’t work out, be willing to modify your goal slightly. Have the ability to look in another direction. A small shift could guide you to the real purposes of your life. – Halle Berry

There have been so many people who have said to me, ‘You can’t do that,’ but I’ve had an innate belief that they were wrong. Be unwavering and relentless in your approach. – Halle Berry

I’m not afraid of portraying anything on-screen. – Halle Berry

I’m just going to live my life and be who I am. – Halle Berry

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If you are a wrestling fan, then you have heard of the moniker BE FEARLESS from the Bella Twins.

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And that is how you should live your life. Be fearless. Be relentless in your pursuits. But always try to do the right thing.

During an interview for the cover of the April issue of InStyle, which hit the Internet on March 12, Ciara said, “If you want to get somewhere in life, you’ve got to have a compass. You’ve got to know where you really want to get to.”

I have a pretty strong professional and Morale Compass. I try to, like Spike Lee says, “Do the right thing.”

If you read my last post on The Rock, then you know that being who you are can get you far in this world, but nothing happens without a dint of hard work.

See my post on The Rock

Academy Award winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones said in the book Rise and Grind that she informed her parents at a young age she wanted to be an actress. They did not approve until she got them an appointment with her school guidance counselor.

They informed her parents that Catherine would never be satisfied with being an accountant as she is too artsy. Let her PURSUE her passion. Since Catherine was a good child and student, they agreed to let her pursue her dreams and would support her!

At that point my mouth drops open. You could hear crickets and a pen drop. I could not believe it. All that from a conversation. WELL DONE! Never underestimate the power of your words.

AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER

I see women in their 30s getting plastic surgery, pulling this up and tucking that back. It’s like a slippery slope – once you start you pull one thing one way and then you think, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to do the other side.’ – Halle Berry

I’m not sad at all about turning 40. – Halle Berry

I’m not a fanatic about exercising. For me, it’s about moderation and balance. – Halle Berry

I think I am at my best when my hair is short. It’s easier to take care of and more of who I am. Women are conditioned to think we need long hair. – Halle Berry

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I think it’s always best to be who you are. – Halle Berry

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Be who you are.

If you ever saw the 1997 movie Selena starring Jennifer Lopez, then you may remember the scene where Abraham Quintanilla (played by James Edward Olmos) says that he learned a very important lesson in life, which is that you have to be who you are.

That is not just wisdom in old age talk. That is the TRUTH.

Everything  have that was GOOD came from me being WHO I AM. Whatever you do or whomever you are…OWN IT!!!!

SUCCESS AT LAST OR IS IT?

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Know when to laugh at yourself, and find a way to laugh at obstacles that inevitably present themselves. – Halle Berry

I know I’m only one human being and I’m only making one tiny contribution and it’s nothing more than that. – Halle Berry

I think there’s a certain level of trust that I have with women. I’ve always been honest, even when I haven’t had good times in my life or my movie bombed or I’ve had great success. I’ve owned up to all of it. – Halle Berry

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People win Oscars, and then it seems like they fall off the planet. And that’s partly because a huge expectation walks in the room and sits right down on top of your head. The moment I won the Oscar, I felt the teardown the very next day. – Halle Berry

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I repeat, whatever you do…OWN IT!

I’m told that I am sassy and dominating. I take that as the compliment I know it is supposed to be. 😉

Well this sassy Miss started doing the following with her money:

Savings Year Monthly Savings Amount End of Year Total Savings
2013 $50 $600
2014 $100 $1200
2015 $150 $1800
2016 $250 $3000
2017 $333 $3996
2018 $1,111.04 $13,333.06
2019* $1,211.09 $14,533.06

As of this writing, I am on track to save $15,000 for 2019.

I have already set a saving goal of $16,000 for 2020.

I always look to the future because it is coming one day after all. So I set savings goals for the coming years of 2021-2025 of $17,000+ each and every year. My ultimate goal is to save $20,000-$25,000 each year. That would allow me to save $100,000 every 4 to 5 years.

I also believe in donating money to good and charitable causes like Halle.  

This is what Halle told MainStreet: ‘Many people utilize charitable giving as a great tax write off, and it is. But more than that, for me, charitable giving is a financial investment in the human spirit. When we invest in each other, we invest in ourselves. There is no single investment that I have pursued that has brought a greater return, than helping someone who needs it.’

Well said, Ms. Berry.

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So now you know why I save so much and how much I save.

And why you should too.