The $1 Million Destination

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Allow me to introduce myself. It’s your blog hostess with the mostest here… Miriam Joy. I’m the blogger behind this site. 

When I started this website, it was just to keep a scorecard of my progress toward $1 million dollars! A lofty goal indeed. But I was determined to succeed.

However, since that time, this blog has become so much more. This is my dear fiscal diary to myself. A financial diary. Every post is a diary entry that you have the privilege to be able to read. A digital diary that I have made public in hopes of inspiring others to dream big and set goals.

This is my money playbook of my journey from starting at $0 to eventually $500,000 and then my ultimate destination of millionaire. I am slowly crossing the halfway point of $500,000 in investable assets in my portfolio. A million dollars has never been closer.

I am 500 days away from $500,000.

I am 2,000 days away from $1 million.

Here is some background information on me.

  • I am just over 5 feet tall with brown eyes.
  • I started college at an HBCU and graduated with a bachelor’s and Master’ from a college in the University System of Maryland.
  • I have been a background actor in a Hollywood movie! 😉
  • I adore reading comic strips and comic books as I feel you can learn a lot from cartoon characters such as multi-millionaire Scrooge McDuck
  • I am a huge fan of Betty and Veronica Comics!
  • I enjoy re-watching episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls and Gossip Girl. xoxo 😘💋
  • I grew up in the DC metro area.
  • A television show called Supergirl inspired me to buy a property
  • Decided to start my millionaire journey by first getting to $500,000 in investable assets.
  • I found myself going further Down the Financial Freedom rabbit hole: $303,980.45 down {$196,019.55 to go}
  • Then I hit the money milestone of $400,000
  • I still re-read the book The Automatic Millionaire like once every couple of years as motivation.
  • Have learned to negotiate contracts and salaries by reading books on personal finance.
  • I have been featured on Business Insider and Yahoo! Finance

I knew that if I wanted to become a MILLIONAIRE that I had to get to work and put in my time paying my dues. I worked my way through college and then found a job at Georgetown University that helped push me toward my goal of investing my way to $1 million.

What am I doing to get to the coveted title of millionaire?

I try to keep a minimum of $5,000+ in cash in my savings and brokerage accounts at all times as a rainy day fund.

I started a blog and monetized it. I didn’t think it was possible, but when I received a direct deposit from Google from my Adsense account, I saw that this was real and that you can make money from having content online. I even got money from Paypal from selling my ebook!

I negotiated a higher salary with every new job. Even just asking for a few thousand dollars more can make a difference.

Going from a waitress in my teens to having a $100,000 total compensation package has helped! Getting an education and always taking on new assignments, willing to work overtime and learn new skills also contributed to getting paid more.

I was able to get a Master’s degree with very little money out of pocket by working for a university and getting tuition assistance.

I always research the HR benefits section of every company I apply to in order to maximize any benefits package such as paid leave, 401k matching, HSA, FSA, tuition benefits, and healthcare.

I invest over $1,000 per month in my retirement accounts. Therefore, I invest a minimum of $12,000+ per year.

I always rollover old 401k accounts into my new one or into a Traditional IRA and I always make sure I get a match by researching companies to see if they offer matching contributions.

I went from having $50,000 to $400,000 in investments in a decade by investing windfalls, tax refunds, and extra income into stocks and index funds.

I increase my investment contributions by one percent or more each year.

Paying off debt ASAP! I paid off a $20,000 personal loan with a $333 monthly payment. Ialso paid off a $450 car payment in 2009 and have not a car payment since. I then redirected those funds in order to invest that money into my retirement accounts.

I ignore FOMO (fear of missing out).

I pay cash for cars and appliances.

Every birthday and holiday, I invest money into my Roth IRA.

I believe in actionable SMART goals with timelines. I have a goal of reaching $500,000 in my investment portfolio by May 1, 2025. I have a goal of being a millionaire in five years or 2,000 days.

Diary of a Blogger

This is my version of Diary of a CEO, but instead it’s Diary of a Blogger. I will share with you all the money mishaps and adventures of a blogger on a mission to get that million dollar brass ring!

Let’s go!!

[blog time capsule: snapshot of my blog circa 2024]

More about the blog:

  • Launched 2016
  • over 200 blog posts written and 38 pending (at this point, I have probably written a million words about money 😉)
  • Over 55,000 comments submitted from thousands of readers!
  • According to Google Analytics my blog has been viewed all over the world as far away as China, Thailand, Japan and Australia! 😲🤯
  • Have a section just for blogger interviews that I scored with personal finance Rockstar’s in the community such as Get Rich Slowly
  • Have over 23K tweets and counting (@mjp2520)
  • Featured in the media – online: Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, AOL.com

Investing over $400,000 in the market has been no easy feat. Starting from $0 with no inheritance or trust fund and having nothing but my wits, work ethic and a desire to become wealthy and financially independent.

Whew! It has been one helluva ride.

I have been through the 2008-2009 Great Recession, numerous presidential elections, tax law changes, battled student loans, credit card debt, auto loans, personal loans, job loss, and a pandemic!

However, I know my money would be better served earning interest than paying it.

I chose the road less traveled. I rejected buying new cars and instead bought shares in Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft. I decided that I want to own a $500,000 retirement portfolio instead of owning a $500,000 home. I rolled the dice on investing my money in stocks instead of spending my money on shopping sprees. I gambled on me. I bet on myself. And my bet has paid off.

I am 2,000 days away from $1 million. Two…thousand…days.

This is me taking a virtual bow.

Your finance hostess with the mostest,

Greenbacks Magnet

About The Author

Miriam started Greenbacks Magnet in 2016 to keep a scorecard of her goal of $1M in investable assets. Armed with a Master in Management (MiM) and a calculator, she teaches readers how to achieve financial independence while also helping them learn how to smell the roses along the way. The palpable response she got from sharing her personal finance goal in a public speaking course at Georgetown University encouraged her to share her story and teach finance on her website. She invests in AI companies as artificial intelligence is the new iPhone of the moment as she likes to invest in companies that are disruptive.

Financial Freedom built attracting one dollar at a time