“Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give.” — William A. Ward

That’s right folks. Step right up. Don’t be shy.

I’m about to simplify your life. Your financial life anyway. A one-tweet financial plan is the way to go.

You see that quote at the start of this blog post.

There, I just gave it to you in the quote stated above. The end.

Just kidding. But seriously, it is in the quote above. I will just expand upon it.

Warning this post is full of tweets! But lots of information. Stay with me! 😉

WHAT IS A ONE-TWEET FINANCIAL PLAN?

A financial plan that is 240 characters or less and can be sent out in a tweet.

"Whenever I make a decision, I always try to decide: Would I do this for $1?" – David Blaine @davidblaine

That's how I make my decisions too. 😉

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 23, 2019

I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, right. Well, since seeing is believing I will show you exactly what I mean.

Here is my one-tweet financial plan.

My 1-tweet financial plan

1. Have a 2-month emergency fund
2. Open a Roth IRA
3. Buy a home for 25% less than you can afford
4. Pay off student, personal, and auto loans ASAP
5. Max out your 401(k)

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 27, 2019

I figure that it's like goldilocks. Not too big so ppl won't save money and not too small. 😉 pic.twitter.com/lFVHLGT2U0

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 28, 2019

And due to the recent government shutdown, I have also created a one-tweet financial plan government shutdown edition. 😉 It’s kind of like how they created the Scrabble game deluxe. You take an already good thing and then just expand upon it and make it even better.

My 1-tweet financial plan government #shutdown edition. 😉

1. Save a 9-month emergency fund
2. Instead of maxing Roth IRA use extra funds for your rainy day fund
3. Do not get any student loans
4. Do not buy a new car, home, or go on vacation until rainy day acct 100% funded pic.twitter.com/Xmslbml3qC

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 27, 2019

I also like to think ahead to the future and plan for my taxes. You need to save today because the future gets more expensive. What costs a $1 today will cost $1.25 in the future. Plan ahead.

The committee’s analysis also found that Americans earning $75,000 a year or less would also face large tax increases by 2027 because of the Senate’s plan to allow individual tax cuts to expire at the end of 2025.

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) November 17, 2017

At the heart of the argument is new analysis by congressional number crunchers that finds the plan cuts taxes at first but by 2027 actually raises taxes for anyone making less than $75,000.

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) November 17, 2017

Speaking of Scrabble…

This is my favorite board game.

I always try to find a 7-letter word. It's harder than you think.🤔#scrabble pic.twitter.com/u0TnfYYslC

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

Courage is never giving up. Love that its spelled out here using letters from my favorite game: Scrabble. So never give up on your dreams. https://t.co/b7dQUUpZSZ

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) August 3, 2017

How I feel when someone challenges in word in #scrabble

But I read the book that shows all the 2-letter words!!!! 😏 pic.twitter.com/6lo4JQjzG5

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

How I feel when my word is looked up and found to be legit. 💪🥇🏆

I read. 🤣😄😁 pic.twitter.com/AucETRiMQz

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

LISTEN

It is one of the best qualities you can have. Being a good listener can lead to lasting marriages, better employment, and happier relationships.

Fincon18 lessons:
1. Do not challenge @dreamer_money to a dance-off.
2. Take whatever advice @mjp2520 gives you.
3. Anonymous blogging is only annoying when trying to organize a group photo.
4. If you're too shy to approach people, challenging them to tic tac toe is 1 way to go

— Lisa (@alawyerhermoney) September 30, 2018

You see #2 there. @mjp2520. Yes, that’s me. 😉

I started reading about personal finance and attending seminars or conferences long before I started writing and tweeting about it. Coming from a place of experience and information gives you a different point of view (POV). That POV can make you an expert in your field. Never underestimate the power of just listening and observing.

THINK

I want you to write down your goals, thoughts, wants, needs, and desires. Like I said before, seeing is believing. Think before you act.

My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to be financially independent.

The goal: save $25k per year. 🤔

This tweet will self- destruct in 10 years. 🤣#MissionImpossible I say nope. Challenge accepted!!! pic.twitter.com/jfYbvhNnTC

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

There is nothing wrong with moving slowly or with caution. However, that does not give you the right to move like a turtle. First, think. Then act and move expeditiously once a decision has been made. Move quick. Make haste. Do not overthink it. This can lead to analysis paralysis.

Be careful not to overwhelm yourself, and only follow advice from credible sources, so you don’t fall victim to progress paralysis or unsuitable and potentially dangerous investments.

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) December 1, 2017

Moving slowly does allow you to more clearly see the path ahead. But once you see it, I want you to run toward your goal. Not walk. RUN!

EARN

You have to earn money to save it. It is just that simple.

I was in debt up to my eyeballs. However, I did not toss my hands in the air and say who cares as I will be in debt forever. Nope. Not me. I chipped away at my debt. Then, I slowly started to have savings. I emerged from the debt cocoon I was in and became a soon to be debt-free butterfly.

All the reasons I want you to pursue financial indepence.

1. Freedom
2-100 see number one

That is the answer always, in the illustrious words of #buzzlightyear To infinity and beyond. 😂

Xoxo Greenbacks Magnet 💋

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

I found ways to get rid of my debt. By any means necessary. It didn’t matter if I had to sell items, save my change, get 0% deals on every item I purchased, or stop buying chewing gum just to save a buck.

Once the debt started going away, I had tons of disposable income. Go figure.

I got inspired by @johnlegend to start paying off all my credit card debt from a book by @KSchwarzenegger. thank you. My 🙏 were answered because I needed some inspiration to payoff my debt. Money advice I got from John Legend https://t.co/jZmr1PMgew

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 17, 2019

INVEST

I cannot stress this enough. Investing can be the difference between you being one of the haves or have nots. I hate to break it to you, but the top earners invest.

Investing is a long game.

I read the wealthy invest up to 20 percent or more of their income each and every year.

"On average, millionaires invest 20% of their household income each year. Their wealth isn't measured by the amount they make each year, but by how they've saved and invested over time," writes Ramit Sethi in his New York Times bestseller, "I Will Teach You To Be Rich."

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) November 29, 2017

The 1 percent are making a killing in the stock market. And you can too.

When I decided I was going to be rich, I turned my attention toward investing. If you want to know where Greenbacks Magnet is investing, then check out my post below. 😉

See my post How I turned a $450 car payment into $100,000

How I turned a $450 car payment into $100,000 https://t.co/m22Yhcvcsl pic.twitter.com/M256cd63kX

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) December 14, 2018

Here are some of my tweets on some good investment books to read.

Here are some of the books I have read in the last few months.

Good reads. pic.twitter.com/ryZiZ4t0wC

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

May I recommend the books The Millionaire Next Door, The Automatic Millionaire, and Prince Charming Isn't Coming by Barbara Stanny to add to your growing list 😉

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 10, 2019

The wealthy also read A LOT!!!

According to Grant Cardone, CEO’s read 60 books and attend 6 conferences a year. The average person reads less than one book a year. I read that in the 10X Rule.

Read the 10x rule. Took his advice. Set 10x goals and do 10x more action. It worked. Many thanks! Went from saving $10 to $10k a year. #OBSESSED

Summary: The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone https://t.co/yrUs7SqdV4 via @avilbeckford

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) June 25, 2017

I agree. I got like 11 books on my nightstand right now. Reading taught me how to say no to things and people. Money has to be respected and not just squandered. When I say no I tell people its not personal, it's just business. pic.twitter.com/wBARNSbLJ9

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 6, 2019

WAIT

Yes, like the Maroon 5 song. Wait.

Anything worth having is worth the wait.

$ tip If u want 2 build wealth, go slow. There is no such thing as get rich quick. Anything worth having is worth the wait.

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) March 31, 2017

You know all those overnight success stories you hear? Well, those are garbage. It takes years of hard work, persistence, determination and sacrifice to get anywhere worth going.

According to the book The Millionaire Next Door, 80-86% of millionaires in America are self-made. Most wealth is earned. Meaning less than 20% inherit their wealth. This is down from a high of 50% or more who did so around the early 1900’s.

Therefore, you create your own wealth.

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 17, 2019

All those bands you hear about or people you see on television. They were honing their craft long before records executives starting signing them to deals.

Gene Simmons said he was going from gig to gig in an old van living off hot dogs with his bandmates in KISS.

Gene Simmons On Power https://t.co/NuDa0qq6gq via @mjp2520

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 24, 2019

Pat Benatar left her job as a bank teller to start working as a singing waitress making $4,000 a month before she hit it big.

You know their names now, but there was a time they were broke and unknown.

Success comes from doing not luck. And the toiling to make that success happen, can take years or even decades. So, prepare yourself.

What I have done all in the name of Financial Independence:

Reading a minimum of 2 books a month.
Established a six-figure retirement.
Started saving $15,000 a year in 2019.

See my posts
Money and Life Lessons from The Pirates of Dark Water https://t.co/x5BB1nYIAS via @mjp2520

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 23, 2019

Don’t be like Beetlejuice. Remember that scene in the movie where he took his number and was impatient. It was hilarious. One of Michael Keaton’s most memorable roles.

The point is that you have to be patient. I do not mean wait forever. I just mean that all good things do take some amount of time.

Patience is the key to wealth https://t.co/sYsPDCu7tD via @mjp2520 Anything worth having takes time. #financialfreedom

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) May 14, 2018

Don’t be so quick to judge or criticize others, before you know the full story.

“I praise loudly. I blame softly.” – Catherine II, Catherine the Great

FORGIVE

They say it’s divine.

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” – Oscar Wilde

And I make sure to forgive. I always forgive, once.

Investing is the ability to research, seek answers, make decisions & being patient. You may make mistakes but forgive yourself & move on. pic.twitter.com/BlJl4Smv26

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) May 7, 2017

See my post A Christmas Carol: Lessons in Finance, Business, and Life

A Christmas Carol: Lessons in Finance, Business, and Life https://t.co/2aGvYK9XMM pic.twitter.com/6vQkNMTqy0

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) December 25, 2018

TRY

Don’t be a quitter. Try first. You will never know if you have got the goods to make it, unless you get out there and do it. Do something. Don’t just wait to be discovered. Get out there and meet people. Shake some hands. Knock down some doors. Make some phone calls. Just try.

SAVE

This one thing can change your life. Saving. It is the start of all things to come. The act alone is a reflection of who you are and what you value.

This is how I started, but on an even smaller scale. It took me six years, but I went from saving $1 a day to over $11,000 a year. NEVER give up on your goals. https://t.co/KK1UBABCLx

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 10, 2019

I read it is good to have 25 times your salary in life insurance. This is to protect your loved ones. At the very least I say 10 times. Just a suggestion. That means for 25x your income, if you make:
$20k = $500,000
$40k = $1 million
$50k = $1.25 million
Are you insured enough?

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) May 4, 2018

Dealerships are offering 84 month car loans! Thats 7 years! Forget that. Do you know what you can do in 7 years?
1. Graduate college (twice)
2. Get married
3. Write the next great American novel
4. Learn a new language
5. Start a business
6. Watch all 13 seasons of #Supernatural

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) October 23, 2018

The foundation for all your future wealth is derived from this word and your ability to do it.

Wow! That’s an insane amount to save in a year! Way to stick with it. Goes to show that if you’re dedicated, you can save money for your goals.

— TightFist Finance (@tffinance22) January 23, 2019

One of the top reasons to be financially independent is so you can say this. #Archer 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WdxHBuoeXq

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 23, 2019

Why I work so hard for financial independence? pic.twitter.com/aMPym7gCK1

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 23, 2019

See my post How Millennial Money inspired me to start saving $13,333.06 a year

GIVE

You give as a way to reach back and help those that come after you. It is a way to show your gratitude for all the things those that came before you have done.

There was a time there was no stock market. Or anesthesia. 😮

Let’s take a little walk down Wall Street.

The NYSE celebrated its 200^th anniversary in 1992. Wall Street started under a tree in 1792 with commodities.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was founded in 1896 with only 12 industrial stocks. Those 12 companies: American Cotton Oil, American Sugar, American Tobacco, Chicago Gas, Distilling & Cattle Feeding, General Electric, Laclede Gas, National Lead, North American, Tennessee Coal and Iron, U.S. Leather and U.S. Rubber. 

My how things have changed. None of those stocks are now part of the DJIA.

The good thing about indexes is that unlike individual stocks, when things go south and a business performs badly or goes under, it is culled. That’s right. They remove it from the DJIA and replace it with another business. Usually one that is performing well. That is the reason you invest in indexes. For the protection against a business going out of business and you losing your shirt!

General Electric (GE) is the only member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average that has been in the index since it’s beginning in 1896. It is being taken out and replaced by Walgreens (WBA) as reported of July 2018. That’s a 122-year run.

How #DOW $INDU reacted to various News & Events from 1896-2016(120yrs) #Stockmarket https://t.co/NfowRd8se3 (Link) pic.twitter.com/mGC3ZjKgIR

— Naresh Nambisan 🇮🇳 (@nareshbahrain) July 19, 2018

They have made it easier for you to invest now than 100 years ago.

Dale Carnegie had to ask his mother to mortgage the house so that he could invest the funds in stocks that he knew. That was how he built his fortune. Remember to invest in what you know.  Earn a fortune and then give it away.

Giving is one of the best ways to be philanthropic.

Generosity can go a long way https://t.co/DTL9tDv5Cc pic.twitter.com/9YRWqVJ4Uz

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) May 30, 2018

Remember that part in the movie Troy where Achilles asks his mother if he should go to Troy. And she says to him only if he wants his name to be remembered and live on throughout the ages.

Giving is a way to have immortality.

Case in point, Ms. Oseola McCarty inspired many others to donate to charity as well after she donated her life savings of $150,000 to a college in 1995. How’s that for a swan song? One of the biggest donors she inspired: Media Magnate and Mogul Ted Turner.

So why is it even noteworthy when Oseola McCarty, an elderly woman, donates $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi? In the case of Ms. McCarty, it is the heart behind the gift, and the lifetime of effort that went into it. For her act of kindness, she was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor and got to ring the stock market opening bell.

How about that for recognition in helping others? And she asked nothing for herself or in return. These things were given to her for her charitable contribution to society.

Time on Her Hands at 88 https://t.co/Yiq2EA304w remembering Ms. Oseola McCarty for her act of kindness. #inspiring

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) May 30, 2018

Giving is passed down from generation to generation.

So, if you want to be immortal and have your memory live on forever, one word: give.

Well I've been tweeting for like 5 hours, so I'm going to take a short intermission.

Hope you've had fun hanging out with me today. Me and my lipstick confessions. 🤣And yes I'm this much fun in person. 😉

Xoxo 💋smooches

But don't worry. Cause… pic.twitter.com/P4P4c94Ei8

— Miriam Joy (@mjp2520) January 26, 2019

Want to know more. Tweet me. I’ll be at @mjp2520 

Xoxo Miriam Joy AKA Greenbacks Magnet 💋