What is this strange new world called financial freedom? The more I watched her show, the more I wanted it.
Essentially, do I take the blue pill or the red pill?
As the title of this post implies, I took the red pill.
Financial Independence. I wanted the ability to do what I wanted, whenever I wanted without being tied down to a 9-to-5. But how would I do it? I needed a plan.
Much like the Scooby gang needed a Scooby trap, I was going to have to plan my way out of the rat race and into financial freedom. A financial road map. That’s what I needed.
It was like what Gail Vaz-Oxlade of Til Debt Do Us Part would always say in the intro of her show, I needed to go from red to black. My investment picture of over more than a decade is listed below.
Here’s a sneak peak behind Greenbacks Magnet financial magic curtain. Up first, from red. Then fade to black. Or in my blogs case, green.
Financial chaos bleeds. Here’s the red.
Oct, 2023: -$16,000 (market + house value ↓ )
Sep, 2022: -$22,000 (market crash + loss of 2nd income)
Feb, 2020: -$19,000 (market crash; where the bleeding really starts)
May, 2019: -$10,000 (market crash)
Dec, 2018: -$14,000 (market crash)
Oct, 2018: -$10,000 (market crash)
Feb 2018: -$4,900 (market crash)
Jan, 2016: -$4,000 (market crash)
Aug, 2015: -$5,000 (market crash)
Jun, 2013: -$4,000 (market crash)
Sept, 2012: -$14,000 (market crash + cash crash + got a new home!)
Feb, 2010 -$1,000 (market crash + got a new job!)
May 2009: -$3,000 (market crash + laid off)
Financial triage has prevailed. Here’s the black.
Nov, 2023: +$27,000(market rebound + 2nd job + house value ⬆)
Oct, 2022: +$17,000 (market up + mad hustlin’ 2nd job)
Mar, 2022: +18,000 (market up + bought condo)
May, 2020: +27,000 (market rebound; the green starts rollin’ in)
Jun, 2019: +$9,800 (market rebound)
Jan, 2019: +$10,000 (market rebound)
Aug, 2018: +$6,300 (market up)
Feb, 2017: +3,900 (market rebound)
Mar, 2016: +$5,000 (market rebound + tax refund)
Oct, 2015: +$6,000 (market rebound)
Feb, 2015: +3,300 (market up)
Aug, 2014: +$2,000 (market up)
Jun, 2010: : +$4,000 (market rebound)
May 2008: +$2,000 (market up)
Dec, 2006: +$1,000 (got a new job!)
First, I got rid of any payday loans and made a promise to myself to not ever sign up for them or any car title loans. Done.
Second, I needed tp pay off my car loan and stay away from car payments. So I paid off my SUV and freed up that monthly payment of $448.65 in 2009. I have not had a car payment since. Done.
I needed to get rid of the $20,000 personal loan I took out for $333 monthly. Done.
I needed to increase my income. So I finished my bachelor’s and got a higher paying job. Done.
I needed a goal to aim for. I decided upon one short-term and one long-term and one sensational dream goal.
Short-term I needed a $10,000 savings emergency fund. Done.
Long-term I wanted to retire a multi-millionaire. So I needed at least $2 million. Sensational dream goal is $10 million. I decided to break this all up into smaller goals. Therefore, I would start by having investable assets of $100,000. Done.
Then $250,000. Done.
Next was $300,000. Done.
Although, having over a quarter of a million-dollars is an incredible feat in itself, I had no time to rest on my laurels. I must keep going.
Then I started to press on toward my next goal of $500,000. After that is accomplished, I will set my sights on $750,000. The next leg in the journey would be $1 million.
At that point, I would be a 401k millionaire.
The next goal is to double my money. I would get to my next several money milestones by increasing my 401k contributions by 1-2% every year.
No vacations unless they were paid for with cash.
I also got a second job to bring in more income.
I signed up for credit card and checking account bonus offers that brought in thousands.
I invested my old car payments in index funds like the VTSAX and individual stocks like Apple, Google and Amazon.
And every time I got paid I would put a small portion in my Roth IRA.
I also make sure to keep track of my investments every month.
I’ll breakdown more of my behavior on how I went from $0 to over $300,000 in my next post.
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.
Once you start getting interested in finances, it is inevitable that you will eventually start researching individual stocks.
All the financial pundits and mathematical experts will tell you not to invest in individual stocks. I get it. It’s the age old active versus passive investing argument.
If you buy one stock and it goes under, you have lost all your money in that stock.
However, if you buy a passively managed index fund, then if one company fails, it is replaced by another and your money is still out there working for you.
Although most of my stock portfolio is invested in index funds like the VFINX, I too own single stocks.
It’s the thrill of the chase that gets be going after these companies. I love researching companies. Some of these businesses have more drama behind the scenes and among the management than Gossip Girl!
So sit back and relax while I bring you some stock gossip. You can stop flipping through that latest Cosmo or Barron’s article for just one second, put down that New York Times crossword puzzle, pause that rerun of Billions, book mark your spot in The Wall Street Journal, while Greenbacks Magnet presents to you Stock Splits and Misfits.
Cause you know, everyone just loves juicy gossip. XOXO 💋
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DECIDE TO GO ROGUE
Just between you and me, I am especially fond of these two stock holdings. I will let you in on which two stocks I enjoy individually owning: Apple and Berkshire Hathaway. The year was 2013. I wanted to have a little fun and invest some money. Therefore, I decided to buy shares of Apple and Berkshire.
For those who may not know, Berkshire Hathaway is the most expensive stock in the world priced at 321,600 as of 01:56 EDT PM 07/02/2019. For some added perspective on this stock, in 2011 it was priced for the low, low cost of $115,750; therefore, this one stock has almost tripled in price. That is incredible!
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) is the holding company of famed investor, Warren Buffett. Notable companies under the Berkshire umbrella include Geico Auto Insurance, Helzberg Diamonds and The Pampered Chef. Buffett, long a critic of short-term trading, has kept the A shares at a high valuation in order to decrease the volatility that comes from short-term trading.
Unless you have over $300,000 lying around in your personal bank vault, then you will have to stick with buying the B shares of this stock.
In January 2010, Berkshire’s B shares (NYSE:BRK.B) underwent a 50 to 1 stock split, bringing its price down from around $3,476 to about $69.50 per share. That is a huge discount! To get a piece of the Buffet pie, I will gladly pay this price. Unfortunately, I bought when prices were higher; I paid about $75-$100 bucks a share. However, I still came out ahead as now the stock is going for $213 a share. Not bad. That’s a pretty good haul for just pressing the buy button.
A stock split or stock divide increases the number of shares in a company. A stock split is an issue of new shares in a company to existing shareholders in proportion to their current holdings. The price is adjusted such that the before and after market capitalization of the company remains the same and dilution does not occur.
IS A STOCK SPLIT GOOD OR BAD
According to Nerdwallet, when you had to split something as a kid, that generally didn’t feel like a perk. But when you’re an investor, splitting can be a good thing. Stock splits are a way a company’s board of directors can increase the number of shares outstanding while lowering the share price.
WHY WOULD A COMPANY SPLIT ITS STOCK
A stock split is used primarily by companies that have seen their share prices increase substantially and although the number of outstanding shares increases and price per share decreases, the market capitalization (and the value of the company) does not change. Simply put, just like the value of the $100 bill does not change if it is exchanged for two $50s.
However, not all stocks are created equal. That is why I do my homework first before buying ANY STOCK. There are some misfits out there that you do not want to buy. Basically, you get what you pay for. It kind of reminds me of The Misfits from the Jem and the Holograms cartoons.
If you read my Meet Miriam page, then you know it’s one of my favorite cartoons.
And because July fourth is around the corner, here is a shout out from The Misfits themselves!!!
SPLITTING THE APPLE
And last but most certainly not least, I give you Apple! I purchased stock in Apple (APPL) in 2013, when it was going for around $60 a share. Fast forward to 2019, and the stock is over $200 a share! I got in just in time.
It just so happens that the year after I purchased 5 shares for my birthday, in 2014, Apple split the stock. It all went down on 06/09/2014 as Apple did a 7 for 1 split.
My 5 shares turned into 35 shares overnight!
All this happened simply because I did some homework and took action. Calculated risks can pay off. Remember that fortune favors the bold. In the illustrious words of Jem, “outrageous!”
For those of you out there that grew up in the in the 90’s, then you may remember a video game by the name of Maniac Mansion.
It was released on October 5, 1987 on multiple platforms such as Apple II, Atari and Nintendo to much fanfare and critical acclaim and was developed by the man who created Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas, through Lucasfilm Games.
This was long before the iphone was released to worldwide sensation back in 2007, which was developed by another pioneer, Steve Jobs of Apple.
What I absolutely loved about this game was the character development. They were so much fun. Interacting with Weird Ed and Edna and the tentacles was a riot!
Even how the characters spoke to each other was hilarious. Let me provide you with this example.
However, as with anything, you have to look below the surface and take a deeper look. Therefore, I wrote this post focusing on the financial aspects of this game in regards to how you can relate money to the world around you. Even a video game.
And do not even get me started on the price of games today! Growing up we thought $60 a pop for one game was outrageous! Boy, were we wrong.
Today, you can spend $80 or more for a subscription to play your Playstation or Xbox console. Another subscription! Come off it marketing departments across America! You know people can’t afford to barely buy toilet paper out here, let alone video game subscriptions!
Don’t believe me?
When the longest government shutdown in United Sates history, it lasted 35 days, happened people were in line at soup kitchens!
Missing one check caused people absolute panic. And I don’t mean at the disco! One lady said that she was down to $1.26 in her checking account; that was all the money she had and she didn’t know what she was going to do.
You see back in the good old days, you would go to the store, buy an item, do the transaction one time, and like Cinderella’s fairy Godmother’s would say, “bibbidi-bobbidi-boo” and you owed the thing free and clear as the transaction was done, over, finito.
This post will show you how to save money, get rich, and maybe decide to put a down payment on some property, but it doesn’t have to be a mansion. So here we go.
5 Money and Life Lessons from Maniac Mansion
But first… What is Maniac Mansion?
Maniac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games.
It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend from a mad scientist, whose mind has been enslaved by a sentient meteor. The player uses a point-and-click interface to guide Dave and two of his six playable friends through the scientist’s mansion while solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. Gameplay is non-linear, and the game must be completed in different ways based on the player’s choice of characters.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON ONE: MANSIONS COST MONEY
It has been over twenty years since a mysterious purple meteor came hurtling out of the sky and made a large crater in the front lawn of a large Victorian mansion belonging to the Edison family. Dr. Fred, his wife Nurse Edna, and their son Weird Ed were reclusive people who left the house very rarely, but the meteor’s arrival brought about a strange change in Dr. Fred. Now, a local cheerleader has vanished without a trace. Dave, her boyfriend, has gathered a few of his close comrades on a mission to invade the mansion and save Sandy!
However, if we just focus on the part about the mansion…basically, big homes costs big bucks! For fun, I looked up the cost of Victorian homes.
The Main House at Skywalker Ranch inspired the design of Maniac Mansion‘s setting, which is reported to have cost self-made millionaire George Lucas around $100 million dollars.
The Skywalker Ranch
So unless you are onstage with your two friends Kelly and Michelle or creating the next new franchise, you may want to stick with buying a home you can afford.
Let’s not forget that property taxes are forever! If you can’t pay your taxes, you can still lose your home, even if you own it free and clear.
Taxes are an ongoing expense to owning a home.
Let us not forget that even celebrities have to sell homes for unforeseen reasons and sometimes at a loss.
It was reported that Johnny Depp was suing his management company for $25 million and in the court filing it detailed his spending at at $2 million- a-month! He had considerable property holdings and it was also reported that he was advised to sell a family home located in Paris, France or something along those lines and possibly at a loss at that!
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was also recently in the news as his Connecticut manse was costing him $70,000-a-month to maintain. That basically is the cost of running a small boutique hotel or miniature bed-and-breakfast. He ended up selling the property at a loss, he paid $4.1 million and sold at $2.3 million, to stop paying the exorbitant cost of owning the place.
Lastly, Mary J. Blige was reported to own a couple mansion-style properties in New Jersey that were unable to be rented. You read that right. She is paying for properties that are uninhabitable, costing her money every single month night and day, and collecting no rent on the properties. In her divorce filing, she was reported to make over $300,000 a month so it is unclear why exactly these properties are unable to be renovated and sold without a closer look at her financial records and proper accounting.
The reason I refuse to buy a big home is because they along with cars can be wealth suckers.
Doing the math, if you buy a $350,000 at a 5% interest rate and take 30 years to pay it off it will cost you around $700,000! Or a $500,000 home could cost you $1,000,000. Yes, twice what you bought the home for.
And most people are working to pay for this behemoth, fancy vacations, and expensive nights on the town with bottle service meaning they are not even home enough to enjoy paying double the cost of it!
All good things come in time. Building wealth is no exception to the rule.
I started out with a toothbrush, a bag of clothes, and some books.
Now I have a home, paid off vehicle, stocks, investments, and even more books. The point I’m trying to make here is that you accumulate money and things over time. You may not have everything you want right now, but keep working.
Never let yesterday use up too much of today. – Will Rogers
If you are working towards something, the don’t stop or quit for anything. I turned a $450 car payment into $100,000. It took like a decade.
Come to think of it, it usually takes people 10 years or more to perfect whatever it is their doing so you may as well chill out.
The humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) once told a young John Wayne some sound and simple advice. I will share it with you here.
After John Wayne (1907-1979) complained for a full 10-15 minutes of why he wasn’t being paid more to act on film, he asked Will Rogers what he should do? Will Rogers replied, “Well kid, are you working?” To which, John Wayne replied, “yes.” Then Will Rogers says, “keep working.” And then proceeds to walk away.
So my reply to anyone who wants something NOW, “have patience.” This is me NOW moving on to the next paragraph and lesson in this post, which is my equivalent to Will Rogers walking away. I have given you all the advice you need on that topic. Moving on.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON THREE: MAKE FRIENDS NOT ENEMIES
One of the best things about the game are the characters. Each have different looks, mannerisms, ways of speaking, talents and abilities. This is part of what makes the game so much fun.
Dave is on a mission. To save his girlfriend Sandy. But he can’t do it alone. He brings along his friends to help him out and watch his back.
This is also sound advice if you want to build a fortune and an empire. Nobody does it alone. Eventually you will need to work with bankers, lawyers, businesses, investment professional, and tax attorneys.
It is always best to make friends than enemies as you never know when it is the next time you will see someone again.
When you are climbing that corporate ladder, those same people you tried to step on on the way up, you may see them again on the way down.
Hopefully, you offered them a piece of the pie instead of one to the face.
Mark Cuban said some great business advice in that if you start a company, then make sure your employees have some stock options invested in it as part of their compensation. That way if the company is successful and gets sold then the employees make money too.
This does two things: 1) eliminates wealth inequality (many of Mark Cuban’s former employees, 300 out of 330, became millions); and 2) encourages people to pay it forward through philanthropy and spend money that gets circulated back into the economy.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON FOUR: RESCUE THE GIRL OR GUY FROM FINANCIALDUNGEONS
In the game, if you get caught snooping around the mansion, then you are sen t to the dungeon.
The game is notorious for constantly getting you thrown in the dungeon by almost every member of the household if you are seen.
Fortunately, the game has a cheat in which you can get the dungeon key and let yourself and others that have been captured out of the dungeon. Without this trick in the game, you are toast.
Speaking of toast, avocado toast is not causing millennial’s to be broke. It is the ever escalating cost of education, housing, and healthcare that makes it harder to save.
All wealth building starts with saving. Period. A good cash reserves is a must. Here is a tip for you. Pros have cash. Amateurs do not. Pros are not under any kind of financial pressure. They remove the pressure and make rational decisions because they have money in the bank. Only amateurs allow pressure to get to them. Remove much of the pressure in your life by having cash reserves.
I recommend that being $10,000 or more in savings. That is how you are able to rescue yourself from being trapped in a financial dungeon. Just have cash.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON FIVE: ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN
The video game Maniac Mansion has 5 possible endings. Depending on what players you chose to play and what actions you take.
The game allows you to have 3 characters for game play out of about 6. These are the people that have your back in case things should go wrong.
In addition, their different talents and unique abilities allow each kid to be an asset to the team. You must too do this in life. You must have back up…plans that is.
For example, I try to keep a minimum of 2-3 months or more of savings in the bank at ALL TIMES! Then I ramped it up to a goal of $10,000.
In addition, if you can save $233,000 in your 401(k), then you do not have to add another cent! After 20 years, with a return rate of 8 percent, you will have $1,001,857.35 in your retirement account. That’s Plan A. Cant’t envision making that happen? Then go to plan B. Save $168,000 in your 401(k), then do not add another penny. After 25 years, with a return rate of 8 percent, you will have $1,001,358.03 in your retirement account.
Are you starting to get the idea?
You can move the finish line and change your actions according to what is happening in your life, but keep the goal. If necessary, you can have a Plan A, B, C, D, etc. The point is to make it so that you are always moving forward by planning ahead.
Just like you have to do when playing Maniac Mansion.
So let’s get out there, have some fun, and start saving!
Not Confessions of a Teenage DRAMA QUEEN. Even though I was a teenager, but of a TEENAGE WAITRESS!
Being a waitress was a humbling experience.
After reading about Financial Samurai working for $3.50 an hour at McDonald’s, I was inspired to share my story of making $2.39 an hour + tips while waiting tables at Shoney’s.
It was early experiences like that that shaped my attitudes
toward money and work today.
It is also a reason why I try to tip well.
I believe in being a good tipper because that is how people make their living. My father always says tip well enough for people to feel it. I concur.
A waitress is a pretty grueling job.
You are on your feet for hours on end. You must constantly be moving and taking orders or picking up food. Then there’s the nonstop cleaning, folding of napkins, packaging silverware, putting ketchup, salt and pepper and other condiments out and etc.
That early job experience was enough to make me want to work and study so hard while I was young, so that I would not have to when I was older.
This job and other hardships are what drove me to dig my way out of debt and start saving over 40% of my after-tax income.
I have always been thrifty and a saver.
It is because of that, I knew I could not marry someone that is fiscally irresponsible and stay married to them. It just wouldn’t work.
I have never had the urge to go rent a Mercedes-Benz, drive
down to Vegas, buy lottery tickets at every 7-eleven along the way, buy a $4,000
Cartier wrist watch just cause you know bosses gotta be on time, visit a
psychic who says my lucky numbers are 4,5, and 6, and then bet it all on black.
Nope. I have not given any of that any thought at all.
Except maybe that the color of the S-Class Mercedes with a 3-layer fabric top is impeccably crafted for coupelike comfort, sleekness and outward views when it’s up, or vanishes in under 20 seconds, even as you accelerate to 30 mph should be silver.
After reading the book Nickel and Dimed, I felt that the author expressed my views on how she and I observed the treatment of low-wage workers was pretty spot on!
The job: take orders, greet customers, keep the restaurant
clean, and serve food.
Sounds simple right. Wrong.
We had a busy body manager. Chaotic shifts. And lulls in
customers.
Shoney’s was an eat-in restaurant (mostly was a buffet place) that started in Tennessee, but had restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic region.
So many people opted for the breakfast mostly leaving
afternoons and dinner times pretty sparse inside.
That means little to no tips!
Not something I was told upon being hired.
Some of the food on the menu looked better than it actually
was in-person, but all the food was at least good.
And no matter how hard I worked, it never felt good enough
to our nitpicking manager who was always so concerned about how she looked in
the eyes of the suits at corporate.
She was too busy kissing their a$$ to worry about us lower
employees on the totem poll.
Little good it did her.
She was a ball of constant worry and stress, a chain smoker, and overweight. This was our manager. Our fearless leader?
Is this what management is supposed to look like in America or was this just her issue?
There has to be better ways for her to almost be eligible
for food stamps and make a buck, but what do I know.
My lunch break was the only thing I looked forward to
because it was the one-time no one could give you any orders and you could get
off your feet and rest.
I usually ate a Philly cheesesteak because it was just so good. Calories be damned!
Even some of the cooks seemed disgruntled. They liked to flirt with waitresses and I think one was dating one of them! Whatever.
I just needed the cooks to be happy so that I could get food
out piping hot and fast so I could make this money.
I need those tips!
After calculating the $2.39 an hour, working 40 hours a week
would only get me $95.60! And that’s gross not net!
Anyway, I now had to deal with the situation.
The goal was to have spending money to hang out with my friends and buy all the cool stuff I always wanted but could never afford.
To be so young and naïve. If I would have been thinking, I should have started tucking money into a Roth IRA. I would probably have had less anxiety when I got my first REAL job!
If I would have saved just $2,000 a year from ages 16-26, without adding another penny, in 40 years that money could have turned into $1,586,894.95 at a 10% return with compound interest! That would have required me to only stash away $22,000!
Just some food for thought right there. Start investing young!
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TIPPING
Like the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” I was welcomed to how cheap people really are.
Tipping is the holy grail of waitressing and bartending.
One of the smallest tips I ever got was from 2 girls I went to high school with. We were not friends but I didn’t expect to only get a $1.17 tip! That was basically the change from the meal they just ate and paid for. Maybe they should have put in an application to work here too!
I remember one time in college when I got a ride home from a
weekend class I was taking (I was doing 6 classes that semester), telling me
she worked at her brother’s restaurant and she made sure to be on point in
order to get that $20 tip!
My days at Shoney’s was long gone by then, but I remember
thinking it is far better to work at a higher end restaurant like her because
you can make more money.
Lesson Learned: Focus working or catering to high-end clientele that can afford to pay for your services.
SAVE LIKE YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER
Have you ever heard the saying “Live like tomorrow is your
last day on earth?”
Well, I like to save like I am going to live forever.
I learned this lesson, like James Brown said, you have to Pay the Cost to be the Boss.
That song and The Payback made me want to get my act together.
I put a plan into action. I was going to save money out of
every paycheck.
It took years to make happen, but I went from saving nothing to putting aside 9% of my income. Then from saving $1 a day to $13,000 a year!
The plan had been to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck.
That was okay, but I needed a goal. Something to aim at.
So I picked a number. $13,333 was that number.
I chose it for a few reasons: 1) The number 3 is my favorite number; 2) I saw that another blogger was saving that amount per month so I aimed to duplicate that, but started smaller; and 3) I did the math and discovered I could have over $100,000 cash if I did this for about 7.5 years.
I also knew it was possible that if I invested $100k in the
stock market that after 30 years without adding another dime, I could have $1
million shored up for retirement.
Considering that about 20% of Americans have $0 saved for
retirement, I knew that I better prepare because tomorrow does come.
The future is going to happen.
If I was going to bet on anything, I would bet on that.
Forget Vegas. You can bet the farm the future is coming. And it’s coming fast!
Remember that 9% I mentioned earlier. Well that small sum turned
into a small nest egg of $25,000!
And most of that sum is invested in just a few stocks!
The power of compound interest baby!
Pro Blogger IRA # 1 of 3 (Personal Finance) Traffic Estimate: 50,000 pageviews Pinterest Estimate: 48,000 monthly viewers
Stock
Price
Stock Quantity
Current Balance
AAPL
$201.35
37.256
$7,501.50
AMZN
$1866.86
5.000
$9,334.30
Total
$16,835.80
Source: GreenbacksMagnet.com
I hope this post inspires people to understand the value of a dollar and that paying off debt and saving are far better than blowing all your money on things.
“Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about
consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” –
Dwayne Johnson
Well unless you have been living under a Rock, then you have
heard of the name Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
One of the most successful wrestlers to come out of the WWE of all time.
The Rock is an inspiration to millions with his good
attitude, humility, and great sense of humor. One of the hardest working men in
show business today.
If there is a movies coming out, then The Rock either
auditioned for, saw the script, produced, or is starring in it. I mean the guy
has a movie coming out like every two weeks!
He recently made headlines in January 2019 for not getting
cast in Crazy Rich Asians?!!
As he worked with the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, in the 2013 sci-fi action film “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” with Bruce Willis.
Regardless, The Rock isn’t low on cash by any means.
He has an estimated net worth of over $150 Million.
On my continued journey toward studying the self-made, the
man du jour is Dwayne Johnson.
Full Disclosure: I located numerous interviews, read magazine articles, and reporting on The Rock. One of the best came from Wonderwall.
So here we go.
Get your popcorn ready cause this is a long one.
I’m about to open up The Rock’s wallet and give you a peek
inside.
Let’s smell what The Rock is cookin’ in his bank books shall we?
THE ROCK BEGINS: CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
Dwayne Johnson, was born in California on May 2, 1972. Although he grew up poor in Hawaii, he is now one of the richest men in Hollywood, but the poverty he faced during his childhood is never far from his mind.
Case in point, On Thanksgiving 2017, The Rock revealed in a lengthy Instagram post that “there was a time back in ’87 when we couldn’t even afford Thanksgiving dinner and [were] praying someone would invite us over their house to eat.”
Due to his father’s work as a professional wrestler, the
family was constantly in flux and bouncing around from place to place.
Wrestling is in The Rock’s blood.
Wrestling is actually the Johnson family business — his
father Rocky Johnson was a star in the 1970s and ’80s, while his Samoan
grandfather Peter Maivia was famous in the 1960s.
As his mother was unable to keep a steady job because of this, they went through hard times.
HARD KNOCK LIFE
In another IG post, in May 2015, the wrestler-actor revealed on Instagram that “when I was 14yrs old we were evicted out of our apartment in Hawaii ’cause we couldn’t afford the $180 per week rent.”
In 2014, he told The Hollywood Reporter that a week before
they were evicted, he watched his mother’s car get repossessed. He reportedly
added to her troubles by joining a theft ring that targeted affluent stores in
Waikiki.
In addition, he stated in another interview that they were
so broke that his mother doesn’t remember walking out into incoming traffic
before he pushed her out of the way.
It was at that moment he decided to make changes in his life. He said to himself, “What can I do with these two hands?” That is when he decided to start working out.
“The successful men I knew were men who built their bodies.” – The Rock
He also stated while growing up people thought he was a girl and that they referred to him as one “all the time.”
KICK ROCKS
“I’ll never, ever be full. I’ll always be hungry. Obviously,
I’m not talking about food.
Growing up, I had nothing for such a long time.” – The Rock
The Rock is now one the biggest movie stars in the world.
But before the A-list super-stardom and even before his WWE debut, Dwayne
Johnson was just a guy that was down on his luck.
He decided that he wanted to play football. He worked
tirelessly and gave everything he had to the sport. His hard work paid off.
Johnson was a promising football prospect and received
offers from many Division I collegiate programs. After finishing high school in
Pennsylvania, he went on to play college football. He decided on a full
scholarship from the University of Miami, playing defensive tackle. In 1991, he
was on the Miami Hurricanes’ national championship team.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Johnson started only once, appearing
in 39 games with a total of 77 tackles and 4.25 sacks. With muscles on top of
muscles, he was a sight to behold. He was a physical specimen from Day 1.
It was once quoted about The Rock, “He was a
jack-of-all-trades, but only a master at wrasslin’.
Ed Orgeron, University of Miami defensive line coach
(1989-1992), once had this to say about The Rock.
“His uncle was Jimmy Snuka, he came from a wrestling
family. So we knew about that.
“I remember one-day walking off the field, he hadn’t
had a good day and I said something like, ‘You know, Dwayne, you should just
become a wrestler.'”
Warren Sapp, NFL pro football 2013 Hall of Famer, said this of
playing football with The Rock.
“So we used to joke with him by saying, ‘When you get
done with football, you’re going to go into wrestling, right?’
“And he’d say: ‘Damn right, bitch.’
Everyone always had the same thing to say about Johnson, he
was charismatic, humble, and down-to-earth.
The Rock would go on to complete a bachelor of general studies degree. But his football career was coming to an end around the same time his academic career did.
WRESTLING WITH $7 BUCKS
“1995. $7 Bucks In My Pocket. I Knew Two Things: I’m Broke
As Hell and One Day I Won’t Be” – The Rock
In 1995, Dwayne Johnson signed with the Canadian Football
League’s Calgary Stampeders at a yearly salary of $35,000. According to The
Hollywood Reporter, after just two months, he got knocked down to the practice
team, which paid just $250 a week.
That had to hurt!
During that time, he reportedly shared a two-bedroom
apartment with three other players, “eating ramen noodles and spaghetti
and sleeping on a filthy mattress he had found ditched outside a
pay-by-the-hour sex motel,” wrote THR. When he was cut from the team not
long after that, he had just $7 to his name.
This is when he decided to become a wrestler. He begged his
father to show him the ropes. Get it 😉
Dwayne Johnson made his WWE debut in 1996, becoming the first third-generation wrestler in the league. (His father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, were both professional wrestlers.) He quickly became one of the sport’s biggest stars. According to Fortune, during his second year in the WWE, The Rock made enough money to accomplish a childhood dream: He bought his first Rolex. (He smashed the $35,000 timepiece in the ring just a week later.)
I mean, wow!
“When You Walk Up To Opportunity’s Door: Don’t Knock It.
Kick That Bitch In, Smile and Introduce Yourself” – The Rock
Dwayne Johnson officially transitioned to Hollywood in 1999,
the year he played a version of his father, wrestler Rocky Johnson, on
“That ’70s Show,” where he got to act out with Topher Grace as Eric
Forman.
The following year, he channeled his wrestling alter ego
(complete with cocked eyebrow) to portray an alien gladiator on an episode of
“Star Trek: Voyager.” A month later, he hosted “Saturday Night
Live” for the first time. Each of these television appearances — as well
as a few others — helped him prove his acting chops and win fans outside of
the wrestling world.
The people’s champ was becoming the acting champ.
Things started really moving steadily from there for The
Rock.
In 2000, Dwayne Johnson released his memoir “The Rock Says…,” which debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
Keep in mind, Writing isn’t generally a high-paying
gig—unless you happen to be the top-selling author.
Fun Fact: While this gains the coveted “NYT BESTSELLER” status for the authors, it doesn’t net a lot of money. There are weeks in the year where you can make the NYT list with as few as a couple of thousand sales.
According to Career Trend, Given the royalties of a standard
contract, an author selling 20,000 books priced at $25 would earn $65,625 the
first week on the “New York Times” best-seller list. This is not
quite the millions superstar authors bank, but if the book continues to sell,
these earnings add up to an impressive income.
Then The Rock hit pay dirt. He booked a starring role in a major Hollywood film.
In 2001, Dwayne Johnson made his feature-film debut as The Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns.” He reportedly banked $500K for his brief appearance in the action-adventure sequel to 1999’s “The Mummy.” His work in the film was so popular, he scored his own spinoff.
THE BUSINESS OF BEING THE ROCK
The Road To Success and Greatness Is Always Paved With
Consistent Hard Work. Outwork Your Competitors, Be Authentic And Above All
Else. Chase Your Greatness” – The Rock
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson rose to fame thanks to his exploits in the pro wrestling ring and got his first big break in the movie business as the Scorpion King in 2001’s “The Mummy Returns.”
He holds the Guinness World Record for highest paid for a
movie debut, as he received a $5 million-dollar paycheck for his role.
In 2004, Dwayne Johnson left the WWE to focus on his Hollywood acting career. The following year, he earned raves for his performance as a gay cowboy bodyguard and aspiring actor in “Be Cool.” Further signaling his transition from professional wrestler to serious actor, he was credited as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson instead of just “The Rock” for his work in 2006’s “Gridiron Gang.” With 2008’s “Get Smart” — at the urging of his agents at CAA — he officially changed his stage name to Dwayne Johnson.
CAA, short for Creative Artists Agency, is also one of the
biggest entertainment agencies in the world.
GIVING BACK
“I Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me
Today” – The Rock
In 2006, Dwayne Johnson and then-wife Dany Garcia, who fell
in love while they were students at the University of Miami, donated $2 million
to their alma mater to help fund a renovation to the school’s alumni center. In
2007, they donated $1 million to the college’s Football Facilities Renovation
Fund, which was reportedly the largest donation ever from a former student to
the university’s athletic department. The University of Miami renamed their
football locker room in his honor: It’s now the Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson Football Locker Room.
If that is not karma coming full circle, then I do not know what is! From getting cut from a football team to having a university athletic department named after you. Totally badass!!!
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
In 2008, Dwayne Johnson and college sweetheart Dany Garcia
divorced after 10 years of marriage and one daughter, Simone. The same year
they split romantically, Dany became her ex’s manager. “I was already
deeply involved with his agents, I was already commenting on scripts. It was a
very natural conversation, where he just said to me, ‘I would love for you to
do this full-time,'” she told Marie Claire in 2017.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES ASIDE, KEEP ON TRUCKING…ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
In 2010, Dwyane Johnson portrayed star police officer Christopher Danson in “The Other Guys.” He reportedly earned $9 million for his role in the action-comedy…. even though (spoiler alert!) his character gets killed off just 15 minutes into the movie.
Dwayne Johnson executive produced the 2010 documentary
“Racing Dreams.” The film, which centers around young drivers chasing
the kart racing championship title, marked The Rock’s debut as a producer.
I mean, does this guy ever stop working?!!! Now he’s a
producer.
In 2011, Dwayne Johnson parted ways with CAA, whose agents
had urged him to distance himself from the wrestling world. He signed with WME
and legendary agent Ari Emanuel (on whom Jeremy Piven’s “Entourage”
alter ego, Ari Gold, is based), and officially returned to the WWE that
February.
You see that. He trusted his instincts and listed to himself, not just the advice of his management team. Others may help you along your journey, but ultimately you make the final decision. ALWAYS!!!
He appeared in a number of big WWE events over the course of
the next few years and, according to some reports, banked $3.5 million per year
for his efforts. Apparently, he was worth every penny: “We set
pay-per-view buy-rate records and attendance records each time,” he gushed
to Fortune of his big return to the WWE. In April 2016, the league confirmed
that WrestleMania 32 set a new attendance record for the WWE with 101,763 fans
in the crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Would you look at that?
Setting records. Smacking down candy asses. Being eye candy.
Raising eyebrows and rising paychecks.
That is my description of The Rock!!
FAST AND FURIOUS MONEY
“Let Actions Do Your Talkin For You, (Unless You’re Telling A Good Dirty Joke)”
In an Essence magazine article, he was asked what he was wearing while talking over the phone. His answer: A thong. Backwards. 🤣Your boy has got jokes!!!
The Rock is now taking life a quarter mile at a time.
In April 2011, Dwayne Johnson made his film-franchise debut as Luke Hobbs in “Fast Five.” At the time, the fifth installment in the “Fast & Furious” franchise had the top opening weekend of any film ever to open in the month of April, though that record has since been beat. He went on to appear in the next three films in the series and has become such a fan favorite that he and Jason Statham scored their very own spin-off movie, “Hobbs and Shaw,” which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2019.
SEVEN BUCKS PRODUCTIONS
In 2012, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia co-founded their own production company, Seven Bucks Productions — a nod to that time the wrestler-actor found himself with just $7 to his name after getting the boot from the Canadian Football League. The company has produced several of The Rock’s recent films including “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Baywatch,” “Rampage” and “Skyscraper” as well as the TV shows “Ballers,” “The Hero” and “Wake Up Call.”
One of my personal favorite television shows I have ever
seen The Rock do was the show “Wake Up Call.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson: At 23, I Had Only $7 In My Pocket
— Then I Turned My Life Around
According to Business Insider, “In TNT’s new show “Wake Up Call,” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson lends a helping hand to everyday people who are facing enormous challenges in their lives. From dysfunctional homes and dead-beat dads to sports teams that don’t gel and businesses struggling to survive.”
MILK DOES A BODY GOOD
Dwayne Johnson starred in a commercial for the “Got Milk?” campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2013. He appeared in more advertisements for the campaign later that year.
He’s steady cashing them checks!!!💰 Cha ching! 😂
Dwayne Johnson made his reality TV debut on the TNT
competition series “The Hero” in June 2013. He hosted all eight
episodes of the short-lived show. The following year, The Rock returned to the
network with the eight-episode series “Wake Up Call,” which tracked
his efforts to help average Americans transform their lives. His third stab at
reality TV, “The Titan Games,” is scheduled to debut on NBC in
January 2019. According to an official synopsis, the competition series (which
is in the vein of “American Gladiatiors”) is inspired by the
wrestler-actor’s “desire to motivate global audiences to reach their potential
both mentally and physically.” Hopefully it fares better than its
predecessors!
You can say that again. He’s been cancelled more times than checks!
BLOOD, SWEAT, AND RESPECT
“Blood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You
Earn” – The Rock
According to Fortune, movies in which Dwayne Johnson appeared made $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office in 2013 — more than any other actor that year. To be fair, he starred in four movies that debuted in 2013: “Snitch,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Pain & Gain” and “Fast & Furious 6” (pictured).
My absolute favorite film in The Fast and The Furious franchise is Fast Five. It earned over $500 million in box office receipts. It set the stage for the billion-dollar franchise. This was a huge record at the time in 2011 for the film and The Rock most certainly helped put butts in those theater seats!
In 2014, The Rock starred in Hercules. It was a big budget film that cost $100 million USD to make. It grossed over $244 million at the box office, but was not the money maker studios would have liked.
To be fair, I saw the film. I thought it was excellent.
Solid performances by The Rock and the whole cast. My absolute favorite was Ingrid
Bolsø Berdal. She was outstanding in the film. She was the Legolas of the film.
You know the role that made Orlando Bloom famous in The Lord of the Rings
franchise.
You know how it goes: “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.”
Or DC Comic Universe’s The Arrow.
Like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, she too uses a bow and arrow. You know it is always the coolest party people that use the infamous bow and arrow and that is because it takes REAL skill.
“With Drive And A Bit Of Talent, You Can Move Mountains” –
The Rock
In May 2015, Dwayne Johnson starred as a rescue helicopter pilot in “San Andreas.” He reportedly banked $25 million — the biggest paycheck of his career so far — for his role in the disaster flick. There are reports that the box office hit will get a sequel, though no moves have been made yet on the project.
Alas, as of this writing, it doesn’t look like the movie
pulled in enough dough to make that happen.
“Ballers” debuted on HBO in June 2015. According
to Variety, Dwayne Johnson makes $650K per episode of the series — more than
any other actor makes on TV aside from the five main stars of “The Big
Bang Theory,” who each bank $900K per episode of the CBS sitcom.
As of this writing, The Big Bang Theory (TBBT), will be
ending and going off the air in Spring 2019. This stems from Jim Parsons’
decision to leave the series at the end of the season if the show were to be
renewed for a thirteenth season. The series will conclude with an hour long
finale consisting of two back-to-back episodes on May 16, 2019.
In October 2015, Dwayne Johnson announced that he’d signed on to promote Ford’s service departments. Since then, he’s appeared in several ad campaigns for the motor company.
In November 2015, Dwayne Johnson reportedly donated $1,500 to a shelter puppy who’d been named after him. The 4-month-old pooch required expensive medical treatment for a heart murmur.
THE BRAHMA BULL GETS INK AND INKS A DEAL WITH UNDER ARMOUR
“Success at anything will always come down to this: Focus &
Effort, and we control both.” – The Rock
The tattoos are beliefs of his ancestors from his father’s side and mothers sides. His black culture, his Samoan culture, all cumulates in a belief that the spirit of his ancestors is protecting his family. These tattoos represent great struggle and about overcoming them.
The tattoo on his body comes down to 3 things; his family, protection of his family, and about having a true warrior spirit forever.
Dwayne Johnson launched his partnership with Under Armour in January 2016. The first item from his collaboration with the athletic brand, a duffle bag, sold out within 24 hours. Since then, he’s released everything from clothes and wireless headphones to sneakers through his Project Rock collection for Under Armour. On May 28, 2018, The Rock’s Project Rock 1 shoes for Under Armour sold out in 30 minutes.
NO FREE APPLE iPHONES OR APPS
Remember in my last post, when I talked about Taylor Swift putting Apple iTunes on blast about free music? No? That’s ok. Here’s the link 😉
Well, now The Rock is working with Apple.
In May 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched an iPhone app, The Rock Clock, that’s essentially an alarm clock that wakes up users with exclusive inspirational video messages from the actor-wrestler. Users can also sync their alarms with The Rock’s so that they too can rise and shine at 4 a.m. every day to start their daily fitness routines. “Our goal was create a free, direct, uncomplicated, cool, motivating app to help us all get after our goals every morning,” the superstar explained on Instagram.
And remember this? iPhone 7 | The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day | Apple. If you look closely, you will see that fannie pack pic of him while he ‘s driving the Lyft car!!! 😂And in the video his manager calls him DJ. I would love an uncle DJ that can treat me to an ice cream anytime!
AND YOUTUBE
In July 2016, Dwayne Johnson launched his own YouTube
channel. Original series on the channel include the cooking show “What The
Rock Is Cooking” and “Millennials: The Musical,” a collaboration
with “Moana” co-star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In January 2017, Dwayne Johnson launched Seven Bucks Digital
Studios, a branch of his Seven Bucks Productions focusing on developing new
original online content.
In April 2017, Dwayne Johnson returned to the role of Luke Hobbs in “The Fate of the Furious.” The eighth installment in the beloved “Fast & Furious” franchise opened worldwide to more than $541 million. At the time, it was the largest global opening of any film ever. (“Avengers: Infinity War” broke the record the following year.)
In July 2017, Dwayne Johnson starred in an ad campaign for
Apple’s iPhone 7 and Siri titled “The Rock x Siri Dominate The Day.”
In September 2017, Dwayne Johnson and ex-wife Dany Garcia
launched Seven Bucks Creative, a creative ad agency within their production
company, Seven Bucks Productions. In March 2018, the company released its first
campaign: two videos promoting The Rock’s Project Rock collection for Under
Armour, naturally!
In December 2017, Dwayne Johnson headlined “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” The reboot of the original 1995 family action flick “Jumanji” was a surprise sleeper hit, becoming Sony’s highest grossing film of all time domestically. It trucked along at the box office for months, becoming the first movie since 1998’s “Titanic” to open in December and top the box office in February. All in all, the film was so successful, Sony ordered another installment in the series for late 2019.
RAKING IN THE DOUGH BY THE TRUCKLOADS
In February 2018, before writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber had even penned a script, Universal and Legendary teamed up to win a bidding war for “Red Notice,” which Rawson describes as “a big international heist picture, that is tonally in the vein of ‘Ocean’s 11’ meets ‘True Lies’ by the way of ‘Thomas Crown Affair.'” The two studios agreed to finance the film at $160 million based on a pitch meeting and the fact that Dwayne Johnson is attached to star. (According to Deadline, the deal is the largest for a studio movie in Hollywood so far this year.) The Rock will reportedly bank $22 million plus backend to play “an Interpol agent who is tasked with catching the most wanted art thief in the world.”
In mid-July 2018, Forbes released its list of the world’s 100 highest paid entertainers. Dwayne Johnson came in at No. 5 behind Floyd Mayweather, George Clooney, Kylie Jenner and Judge Judy. “The former wrestler tallied the highest ever acting take-home in Celebrity 100 history, thanks to giant upfront paychecks and a cut of profits on blockbusters including ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.’ A huge social following allows him to negotiate an extra seven figures atop his standard contract for promotion, helping nearly double his 2017 earnings,” wrote Forbes. So how much exactly he is taking home in 2018? A whopping $124 million.
At this point, he is making money hand over fist. Just genius right there with his negotiations. I have no words.
Dwayne Johnson’s generosity is practically legendary. In
late July 2018, he took to Instagram to share a video of himself surprising his
longtime stunt double (and cousin) Tanoai Reed with a new truck. “Not only
does Tanoai represent our family and my career with relentless commitment and passion.
He also represents an entire Hollywood stunt community that is truly the
backbone of our business,” The Rock wrote in the caption. Giving thanks
where it’s due? That’s good business! Over the years, the wrestler-actor also
bought a Lamborghini Gallardo for one of his cousins, a Cadillac Escalade for
his dad, a Cadillac truck for his mom, a Honda Civic for another cousin, a
Lexus SUV for yet another cousin, a Ford F-150 for an uncle and another Ford
pickup truck for his longtime housekeeper.
As of August 2018, Dwayne Johnson is the most followed male
entertainer on Instagram with 112 million followers.
As of this writing, he now has over 136 million followers on
Instagram. He is the king of Insta!!!! He is the undisputed, follower for
follower, heavyweight champ of IG!
Two snaps for you Dwayne!!! You Rock!!
He’s the seventh-most
followed celebrity behind Selena Gomez, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, Ariana
Grande, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian West and Kylie Jenner. According to Forbes, The
Rock “insists on a separate seven-figure social media fee” for every
movie in which he appears.” Basically, his social media accounts are worth
millions in marketing and advertising dollars.
And that ladies and gentleman is how The Rock built his empire.
Here is his formula: Blood, Sweat, and Respect + Hard work and Consistency = Success.
![Official Discussion Series] Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (Oct. 31) : r/Scoobydoo](https://i2.wp.com/25.media.tumblr.com/ae2c58b4995b416b6a974ccc9e8c8c90/tumblr_muhvr25eL61qgjo5ao8_250.gif?resize=474%2C339&ssl=1)
