Top of the morning to you! Happy Monday! On this sunny day in December, Christmas is a mere 13 days away. Some people are already receiving excellent Christmas gifts in the form of overtime pay.
And I thought having that in my retirement accounts was good news. That is a Merry Christmas present indeed. Let’s get right to it!
I know some of you out there haven’t heard from me in the blogosphere for some time now. But you know what, I feel like Dr. Dre in Forgot About Dre.
I’ve been busy behind the scenes trying to get this blog off and my finances to newer heights! I never left you.
And to prove that I’m still here back better and stronger than ever, I will be posting some new articles here in the near future about climbing that millionaire ladder and moving on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky.
The stock market is minting millionaires every day. Let Mr. Market make you richer whilst you sit back and sip Mojitos letting your hard earned dollars work for you. Let the money flock to you like ducks to water or a moth to a flame.
Thanks to the IRS tax code, you can now contribute $20,500 in 2022 to your 401k. I’m going to ride that pony into the million-dollar sunset. TE-HEY! You should do the same. Save until it hurts. Invest until you owe so little in taxes you rival the tax returns of Jeff Bezos and Amazon for the last few year paying $0 in taxes.
That is because the more you invest, the less you pay in income taxes. But enough about all that. Let’s talk about these $300,000 sanitation workers shall we?
That was 2016. Many were left scratching their heads wondering just how could someone sign up for overtime almost every day, work 361 days in the year, and earn $162,000 in overtime pay. Not me. The system allowed no limit on overtime, so he got it. End of story.
Let’s say that after taxes was able to bank enough to max out his 401k for the next five years. In 2016, the IRS contribution limit was $18,000.
So, hypothetically speaking, if you invested that same amount annually for five years would invest that would be $90,000 cash in the market. During that time, $18,000 per year could grow into $124,431.47. If he let that money sit in the market without adding another dime of his base pay or overtime, that could turn into $1,003,205 over 20 years. He would become a millionaire based on one year of overtime pay.
Now let’s fast forward to 2021. Sanitation workers in NYC have earned upwards of $300,000 and receiving $153,000 in overtime pay. Cha-ching! Bank that money baby! They too can turn this windfall into riches by simply investing this money.
The NASDAQ has gone up 750% since 2009. No time like the present to invest. Brokerages have not only gone to $0 trade commissions, but companies have also recorded record high turnout in 2020 and 2021 of new customers entering the market and signing up on their platforms.
If these overtime kings put that money to work, they can make a fortune.
All this from one year of overtime pay. With many companies not even offering overtime, that is awesome that these guys are able to not only make a living but even build wealth off of it. Therefore, college admissions counselors everywhere beware! Haha! No $100,000 MBA required!
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was just starting out and knew I needed to look into saving for my future. I was beginning at ground zero with $0 saved for retirement.
This was in line with the average 401(k) balance for a young person starting out in their 20s. My employer was offering 50% for every dollar we contributed up to 6% of our salary. I was all set to start making some moves into investing for my future so I got started right away. Then boom! Barely into starting out on my journey, the housing market crashed in 2008.
The Great Recession rolled in and people were losing homes and jobs left and right. I got my pink slip in 2009. I felt like I had just put $2 in my account. Not only did I lose my job, but also my employer contributions including thousands of dollars due to the fact you had to be an employee for 5 years to be fully vested. I was discouraged, but not defeated.
I always keep an up to date resume so I started sending it out. It took months, but I finally got a new gig that allowed me to be 100% vested from Day 1. This has helped me grow my nest age from $6,500 in 2010 to past a quarter of a million ($250,000) over a fairly short time later thanks to a raging stock market!
Total Vanguard Assets beginning from 2010
After I read a Fidelity report that stated 401(k) millionaires are on the rise, I figured I could be one of them too.
According to numerous financial pundits, it is recommended that you even need a minimum of $1 million to retire.
First, I had to get to $100k and that put me on the path to eventually passing the $250,000 mark. So you see, you have to have a goal. This is what I did to make it happen.
1) Set a goal
You can’t get anywhere without first knowing where you want to go. Therefore, I set a goal for myself of $100,000. I did this because after doing some research, I found that the first $100k is the hardest.
However, once you reach this milestone you can stop contributing completely to your 401(k) and still become a millionaire in 30 years without adding another penny.
As long as the stock market continues what it has done over the last 40 years (1980-2020), then you can expect returns of 10% a year. This will get you where you want to go over the long term. I’ll show you.
In 2012, I had $25,000 invested and by 2015, I reached my goal of $100,000. I have more than doubled my money since that time. You see how much faster your retirement accounts go up once you reach $100k. That money is doing all the heavy lifting for me.
It can take 5-10 years to reach the first $100k, but the next $100k may take only 3 years. Therefore, every year the next $100k takes less time.
Fourpillarfreedom.com
2) Cut expenses
I learned about house hacking from listening to a podcast on Bigger Pockets years ago. House hacking allows you to cut your housing expenses by 25% or more. Basically, you rent out your property and decrease your mortgage payment by having renters and becoming a landlord.
The other thing you can do is move to a less expensive location in order to save and invest the difference. You can also do this with a partner or roommate as you will have shared expenses that lower your living expenses.
I got my expenses down very low which allowed me to go from a savings rate of $1 to $5 dollars a day or 3% of my income to eventually working my way up to saving and investing 40% of my income.
Around 2013, my savings rate was 15%. Then it went to 25% in 2015. And I got it to around 40% by 2018.
I would incrementally increase my savings rate by 1% a month or a year depending on what I had going on. This is one of the best ways to give yourself a raise without feeling like you are being deprived.
Sacrificing when you are young and loose like a mongoose is best. Limiting your expenses during the lean years are well worth it.
Consider this. According to Vanguard, while the average 401(k) savings balance is over $100,000, the median account balance is much less at $25,775.
There was a time I was paying $448.65 a month for a car payment. I also had a $20,000 personal loan at $333 a month. Talk about a money suck!
This was draining my ability to save more. Once I got those items paid off, I started redirecting that money to my savings and investments.
That allowed me to put money into an emergency fund, brokerage account, 401(k) and my Roth IRA.
4) Start an emergency fund
The only way to stay out of debt is to have money in the bank so you will not need credit in the first place. Access to credit can become a nightmare when you have to start paying a large percentage of your income toward managing it. Therefore, I found a good number to start with is $1,000.
Then I worked my way up to $5,000. Again, I moved this number up to $10,000.
My personal suggestion is for people to have at least a minimum 3-6 month emergency fund. You can keep the credit card debt off you, if you can have money set aside for car and home repairs that tend to pop up at exactly the wrong time.
5) Be consistent
No matter what, I made sure to put money in my retirement accounts . If the choice was between having fun on a vacation or saving $10,000 first, I choose to save. Responsibility first, fun later. That is what my dad always used to say.
I save and pay myself first before doing anything else. That includes paying the rent! After my 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions are made, then I pay the bills.
6) Keep increasing your income
I increased my income through both annual cost of living increases, asking for and receiving pay raises, or getting a promotion. I was able to increase my income by 50% from my early 20s.
Every time I earned more money, I increased my contributions. However, please know that income is not enough alone to build wealth. It’s what you save. Notice the Vanguard chart below shows that higher income does not correlate with a higher 401(k) balance.
Annual income
Average 401(k) balance
Median 401(k) balance
Less than $15,000
$8,260
$1,356
$15,000 to $29,999
$13,069
$4,020
$30,000 to $49,999
$29,740
$10,439
$50,000 to $74,999
$66,033
$27,630
$75,000 to $99,999
$113,143
$54,020
$100,000 to $149,999
$177,597
$91,470
$150,000 and above
$298,851
$154,989
7) Live on cash
I know you hear this all the time, but cash is king and it is best to stay away from plastic. Debt just weighs you down. That money could be put to work for you in Mr. Market.
America likes to reward investors and shareholders by paying dividends. The more you invest the more you earn. Without doing any additional work, you are making money from income you already earned years ago. That is truly how you work smarter and not harder.
8) Invest in growth stocks
I started with a few thousand bucks and put it into Amazon and Apple back in May 2013. You can see from below that was the prices they were selling for back then. Amazon was going for $258 a share.
AMAZON.COM INC
Buy
5.0000
$258.84
APPLE INC
Buy
3.0000
$463.66
After investing more with both companies, as you should not only buy the product but the stock as well, the stock splits and appreciation has caused my investments to go up. I remember being amazed that Amazon had gone up to almost $2k a share. I even took a picture of it. Cause you know, seeing is believing. Back then it was going for $1,897 a share.
Amazon is now $3,300 a share! That is inching closer to the S&P 500 price of $4,000. Keep in mind the S&P 500 is made up of over 500 stocks.
Amazon is just one company. Its evaluation is pushing closer to what the evaluation is for 500 companies. Amazing! That is when I learned growth stocks can make you rich.
9) Invest in index funds
I invest with Vanguard because they have the lowest expense ratios I have seen. You can invest in the VITSX or VTSAX and get a low expense ration of around 0.003% and 0.04%, respectively.
The goal is to keep maintenance costs low as this will eat into your money later when you take those required monthly distributions (RMD) .
That is a good reason open up a Roth.
10) Have a Roth IRA
The Roth has no RMDs. You can let it ride forever or whenever you do take money out it is tax-free. Instead of paying interest on distributions with your 401(k), you could get access to them for free with a Roth.
If you are unable to do a Roth due to income limitations, then you can do a backdoor Roth. This allows you to convert your 401(k) into a Roth with a conversion ladder. Due to the Roth allowing you to make after-tax contributions, this is the superior investment vehicle.
Find a way to get one and watch that money go in after-tax and come out tax-free because you have already paid taxes on it.
And there you have it folks.
As of this writing, I have continued to watch my investments go up and continue to invest regularly. It has been awesome to watch my money grow. It has been very rewarding making those early sacrifices in exchange for building more wealth.
I have more money and freedom than I have ever had. All the sacrifice was worth it in the end.
My next money goal is 401(k) millionaire.
Keeping track of my net worth, investment portfolio, spending habits and increasing my savings have all helped me get here.
So my advice to you all is to keep stacking that dough.
Had to take a break to batten down the hatches and get things under control at the home front.
Like many other folks out here, I had to stop everything and readjust to life in the pandemic.
March 13, 2020 will go down as a day in infamy.
It went from getting up and going about my day to lock everything down, close up shop, HIDE the wife, HIDE the kids, and LOCK THE DOORS!
Who would have thought that this would still be wreaking havoc on so many of our daily lives almost a year later?
The year 2020 sink into the abyss.
While the fat cats on Wall Street got richer, many of the regular working stiff got the shaft. I ain’t here to put anyone down. I’m here to lift people up.
I want to get you to the places where you want to go. So I am going to show you how the rich are doing it. I know that talking about building wealth during a pandemic may seem callous, but know this, one day the pandemic will end.
And if you are tired of living hand-to-mouth and paycheck-to-paycheck, then you better listen up. I’m trying to change your money mindset to one of sheer hope and abundance dammit!
I feel like Kanye and his song Jesus Walks when he rapped the lyrics,” I ain’t here to argue about his facial features. I’m here to convert atheist’s into believers.” Many will doubt me. But some will listen. And to those that do, your life will change.
I have so many posts on ice that I didn’t even know where to start. So I figured I would just dive right in.
My 5-step plan for surviving COVID.
Number One you need shelter.
If you are beefing or in any type of conflict with your roommates or partner, now is the time to kiss and make up.
This cannot be over-stressed that you need a roof over you head. I saw a ton of chatter online about people not knowing they need to sign a form and submit it to their landlord to stop any possible eviction due to limited funds or no income.
Reach out to local housing authorities, neighbors, 7 on your side or even your Congressman if it will help you. If you can’t afford an apartment, see if you can rent a room. This is top priority. You cannot stay safe without 4 walls and a roof.
Number Two you need food.
Whether it is a local grocery store, Instacart, or a food pantry, doesn’t really matter. You must have food to live.
Stock up on fruits, veggies, milk, bread, and eggs. Anything that helps you make a quick meal. You just need to survive this.
This too shall pass.
Number three you get the household in order.
Forget putting water in the pool, watering the grass, or landscaping.
You have to conserve everything.
You never know when a freak storm or accident could make things more difficult. So limit and cut any unnecessary spending and home maintenance.
Number four you need an emergency fund.
Don’t kid yourself into thinking the government or unemployment is going to save you. It’s not.
Any place you can pull resources from do it!
Even if you do cash advances on a credit card, a cash-out home refinance, or personal loan.
You need MONEY IN THE BANK!
Money is the only legal tender with which to pay bills.
My suggestion is to have a minimum of $5k at all times just in case.
Number five keep stacking that dough.
If you are one of the lucky ones that still have a job or are working from home (about 30 million Americans lost jobs), then you have something to work with.
Keep contributing to your retirement and savings accounts. Do not stop. This fund will be what allows you to one day retire.
Don’t slack now, if you do not have to.
I’ll leave you with this tidbit.
The stock market has averaged over 11 percent from 1975 to 2015.
Over those 40 years, the stock market has minted many millionaires. You could be one of them, as long as you keep stacking and stay the course.
And if you need motivation, tweet me. I’ll be @mjp2520 on twitter.
I like sports. Watching sports. Playing sports. It’s great exercise and a way to encourage team building, leadership, and character.
However, going to an actual sporting event is a whole other matter entirely. I did some research and found out that regularly going to sporting events can make you BROKE!
Going to see your favorite sports team could put your bank account on empty faster than a housewife with all-access to your credit cards!
I’m not talking $50 tickets here. Oh no. We are talking thousand of dollars to watch Brady, LeBron, and Bryce Harper do what they do best live and in person. It will cost you.
This year’s Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday and if you want to get into the stadium, you better be prepared to give up a couple mortgage payments.
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming Super Bowl and how it can really cost you $2 million bucks!
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUPER BOWL LIV
Super Bowl LIV: San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, FL on Sun Feb 2 at 630 PM. 347 Don Shula Drive Miami Gardens, FL 33056
After doing some research on Super Bowl ticket pricing, I found a comprehensive listing of the event on vividseats.com. This information comes straight from their website.
Super Bowl Ticket Information
Your Super Bowl tickets are available at Vivid Seats – the football fan’s top destination for tickets to the biggest game in American sports. Buy Super Bowl 54 tickets for the grand finale taking place on Feb. 2, 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. Vivid Seats has long been a trusted partner of football fans attending the NFL’s marquee game. Featuring an industry-best customer service center and flexible delivery methods, you can rely on our ticket marketplace as your hassle-free connection to great Super Bowl 2020 tickets. Call 866.827.7094 for personalized order assistance today with Super Bowl LIV tickets today.
Super Bowl Ticket Prices 2020
How Much Are Super Bowl Tickets for 2020? No matter what you’re looking to spend, Vivid Seats has Super Bowl 2020 tickets to fit your budget. Super Bowl tickets cost $7655 this year on average.
How much is a Super Bowl ticket for 2020? At Vivid Seats, we have tickets to the 2020 Super Bowl starting at $4815 with an average price of $7655.
Cheapest Super Bowl Tickets While even cheap 2020 Super Bowl tickets are going to be more expensive than most NFL games, there are still great deals to be found. Prices will fluctuate based on many factors such as inventory and demand, so be sure to get your cheap Super Bowl tickets before it’s too late! The cheapest Super Bowl tickets cost $4815.
How do you get tickets to the Super Bowl? Snagging tickets to the Super Bowl can be tricky, but at Vivid Seats, we make it easy to find your perfect tickets to the 2020 Super Bowl. Browse our wide selection of Super Bowl tickets today!
Who is performing at the Super Bowl 2020 halftime show? On Sept. 26, the NFL announced that Jennifer Lopez (JLo) and Shakira would perform at the Super Bowl 54 halftime show. Demi Lovato will sing the national anthem.
When Is the Super Bowl? Super Bowl 54 will take place on Sunday, February 2, 2020.
Future Super Bowl Locations Super Bowl 2021: Tampa, Fla. Super Bowl 2022: Inglewood, Calif. Super Bowl 2023: Glendale, Ariz. Super Bowl 2024: New Orleans
YOU HAVE TO PAY THE COST TO BE THE BOSS OR SIT NEAR THEM
What really jumped out at me was the average ticket price of $7,655. This is an insane amount of money to spend on one day for a few hours of entertainment. I would rather invest that money.
Matter of fact, I could invest in all the companies that are sponsoring the Super Bowl such as Frito Lay, Bud-light, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Delta Airlines, Marriott Hotel, and Fox. All these companies have a stake in the game and are making a mint off all those SB parties and tailgating. Let me get in on the action too!
According to Marketwatch, tickets purchased through Ticketmaster LYV, -2.30%, the official ticketing partner of the NFL, is higher than any other year in the past six years, the company said Tuesday.
TICKET PRICES ON ALL THE MAJOR TICKETING SITES
It would be safe to say that there is a monopoly going on with where you can purchase tickets. Much like healthcare in the America, buying event tickets is starting to become a racket.
I know folks that say healthcare will cost their families $1,100 to $1,800 or more per month. That is outrageous!
It is eye-popping prices like that which case people to forgo getting teeth pulled and limping around on crutches for a month before finally getting that sprained ACL looked at.
Ticket gouging is all the rage and I feel the general public is being taken advantage of. However, if you do not agree with me that’s cool. I can only speak for myself in saying I am not willing to pay $5,000 on one event unless I had that much income or more coming in off my passive investments every month.
That being said, I am taking you behind the curtain of Super Bowl ticket prices.
Prepare yourself and gird your loins.
Ticketmaster prices ranged from $4,950 to $26,125 for VIP. That is what some colleges are charges for anywhere between one semester and four years of college!
Vivid Seats prices ranged from $4,900 to $14,136. And unless this was a typo, a 11-person suite would cost $327,020 each. Are you freaking kidding me?! That is the cost of a house! If you invest that money and let it ride, you could be a millionaire in like 12 years!
StubHub prices ranged from $4,945 to $49,000. Again, investing this money and letting it ride would make you a multimillionaire.
Over 40 years with a 10% interest rate, you could have $2,217,703.52 in your retirement account and be a 401(k) multimillionaire!
Granted most people are not willing or able to cough up this dough, but for those thinking able maxing out 10 credit cards to be treated like a VIP for like six hours you are giving up $2 million.
SeatGeek prices ranged from $4,448 to $17,425. You could send you kid to college or on a European immersive education endeavor to learn different cultures and languages.
Fun Fact: The late great NBA legend Kobe Bryant spoke Italian fluently as he lived abroad with his family as a kid while his father played in the NBA. May he forever rest in peace.
Super Bowl LII: New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles
2018-02-04
$5,373
Super Bowl LI: Atlanta Falcons vs New England Patriots
2017-02-05
$3,976
Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers
2016-02-07
$4,531
Super Bowl XLIX: New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks
2015-02-01
$4,268
Super Bowl XLVIII: Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks
2014-02-02
$2,598
According to CBS, $40,000 Super Bowl tickets could get you admitted to the “72 Club,” so-named after the Miami Dolphins’ perfect 1972 season.
Their $40,000 ticket includes black car service to and from Hard Rock Stadium, a private lane on stadium grounds to bypass traffic, a private concert from an A-list performer, high-end food and booze, and even access to the field for the post-game celebration.
And if you want more luxury and exclusiveness there’s an even higher level for the V-VIPs: Nine open-air living room suites that Walls says feel “like sitting in the back of a yacht, only at the 50-yard line.” Priced at $750,000 per suite, it’ll cost about as much as a yacht, too.
Again, investing this money could make you a millionaire in like three years. Obviously, you have to be a high roller with a net worth of like $25 million to even consider this kind of excess IMO.
Here’s where most millennial’s are investing. You could do the same instead of going to sports events.
Heck, that $750,000 swanky VIP suite cost is my FIRE number as that amount spits off investment enough income for me to live off of and not have to work again.
I put my money into index funds and let it ride. You could put it into 500 index funds like me. The S&P 500 is up 200%! Get in on this market!
Especially, considering that 50% of Americans are not invested in the stock market and have $0 in savings and investments.
But this is your life. You decide. You want to spend $40,000 to watch football live or let that money ride in Mr. Market for 40 years and have $2 million in net worth?
Invest your money into you and your family instead of sports teams and their billionaire owners.
My two biggest influences are Archie comics and Dennis the Menace.- Gilberto Hernandez Guerrero
I have always been a huge fan of Archie Comics.
Archie Comics is a owned by Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. The company’s many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, and Josie and the Pussycats.
Growing up an Archie comics fan or Archiekins fan, as I like to call it, was a lot of fun. Loved the stories. The comedy was top notch. The drawings were colorful. The stories were insightful. And even though the star was Archie Andrews, my favorites were best friends and worst enemies – Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Their love triangle and rivalry over Archie goes back over 70 years! Since about 1942. They been fighting over this red-headed punk since the 50’s! Call it what you want. Madness or chaos or for better or worse, Betty & Veronica are in it to the very end to fight over the affections of Mr. Andrews.
The comics are still popular. So much so that The CW show Riverdale was created for television.
“Don’t underestimate her and don’t bet against her.” – Archie Andrews, KJ Apa in Riverdale
However, this post is going to focus on their financial lives. Here are 3 money tips I learned from Betty & Veronica!
MONEY TIP ONE: SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY WILL NOT EVER LEAVE YOU SATISFIED
You think blowing tons of dough on shopping sprees will make you happier? Then think again.
If you have ever seen Uninterrupted Kenading Dough, pun intended, then you know even millionaire NBA players are watching their finances. In an episode with Draymond John, The Golden State Warrior talks his first big check, how he learned how to manage his finances and more.
He is trying to create generational wealth for his family. Mighty important in my money playbook! In addition, that he wants to be a billionaire by age 40. That is not a typo. I did not stutter. He said billionaire with a B and not millionaire with an M.
How is that possible? Well, if you invest instead of spend, you can make your wildest dreams come true.
Think of it like this. If you have a $1,000,000 invested with an 8 percent return over 40 years, it would net you $10 million. So imagine if you have that $10 million from the start. You could have over $200 million in that same 40 year time period by just letting it ride.
Therefore, when you think of life, money, saving, and investing: Think Bigger!
MONEY TIP TWO: ONLY HIRE A PROFESSIONAL IF YOU DO NOT THINK YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF
Some of you may not know it out there, but where you invest your money matters. One of the reasons many bloggers like myself prefer Vanguard are the fees.
Many other brokerages may charge anywhere from 1 percent or higher. Vanguard typically charges less that 1% for all of its funds. It’s admiral funds are among the cheapest!
Saving 1% in fees can mean the difference of having an additional 10 years of retirement income.
Therefore, my suggestion is that you focus on limiting the amount of fees you pay for your investments, if you want to get and stay rich; pay less in fees.
Betty was always the rational, cool and level-headed one of the trio. She was good-natured and down to earth compared to the glamorous vamp Veronica.
Mature beyond her years and nice, Betty, was the calm in the otherwise hectic dating storm that was between the girls and Archie.
Veronica was rich and spoiled, but Betty was middle-income and demure. If you want to live lavish, then be my guest.
However, if you are unprepared when the credit card bills arrive, then you are in trouble. Being sued by your land lord because you spent all your money at the mall looking cute is just plain idiotic.
Worse yet, living in your parents basement with maxed out credit cards while you pay $0 in rent!
Focus on keeping your housing, transportation, and food bills low so you can keep your savings high.
It was a great feeling when I was able to start saving and investing over $10,000 a year. My goal was financial independence.
That would mean I saved and invested $100,000 in 10 years! That does not include any earned interest. With compound interest, I was able to save, invest and earn $50,000 in only 2 additional years!
Forget spending and shopping. Keep your eye on the prize.
Forget Vegas baby! It’s all about Financial Freedom baby!
So those are my 3 tips from Betty & Veronica. I’m signing off now.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fun Fact: People Espanol was started because of Selena.
The real J. LO. She too likes to wear white.
Jennifer Lopez as Selena.
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.
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.
The real Selena Quintanilla Tejano singer and superstar
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.
Always smiling, laughing, and joking around. That was Selena.
So full of life and light
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Fun Fact: Jennifer Lopez Says She Personally Chose That Juicy Couture Tracksuit for Her 2001 “I’m Real” Video with Ja Rule
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.
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.
J. LO is Pretty in Pink.
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.”
MTV VMA 2002
Magazine Covers of Jennifer Lopez.
JLO $100 Million Woman
ON A WORLD TOUR WITH A MIC IN HER HAND
“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.
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.
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.
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.
Jennifer Lopez performing with Pitbull
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.
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.
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. 😉
For more posts I have written about the self-made you can
check out my other posts
