Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps to Seven Figures

by Sam Dogen

Becoming a millionaire isn’t just for the lucky few. According to Sam Dogen, the creative force behind the immensely popular Financial Samurai website and newsletter, the vast majority of people who are intentional with their finances can achieve millionaire status.

Millionaire Milestones will change the way you think about money— teaching you a wealth-building mindset and arming you with the facts and figures you need to hit your financial goals, without sacrificing your time and happiness. It’s a progressive strategy that you can adapt for any stage of your journey. In Millionaire Milestones, you'll learn how to —

Set simple, achievable financial goals by age and incomeMaximize earning potential and avoid common pitfallsAllocate your investments and manage riskCreate a lasting legacy of growing wealth
But here’s the Your goal is not to become a millionaire just for its own sake. Your goal is to become a millionaire so you can do more of what you want, when you want, on your own terms. No matter where you are on your financial journey, Millionaire Milestones will teach you the simple steps you need to reach your seven figure dreams.

Now, let’s get growing.

Genres: Finance, Personal Finance, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Harry Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read numerous personal finance books, but Millionaire Milestones stands out for its approachable and actionable advice. Sam Dogen breaks down the journey to financial independence into clear, achievable steps that feel attainable, not overwhelming.

What I appreciate most is the book's emphasis on aligning financial goals with personal values. Dogen doesn't just focus on accumulating wealth for its own sake; he encourages readers to consider what financial freedom means for their individual lives. Whether it's spending more time with family, pursuing a passion, or simply reducing stress, the book highlights the importance of purposeful wealth-building.

The chapters are well-structured, covering topics like setting income-based goals, maximizing earning potential, and managing investments wisely. Dogen also shares insights from his own experience, which adds authenticity and relatability to the advice.

Overall, Millionaire Milestones is a valuable read for anyone looking to take control of their financial future without feeling overwhelmed. It's both informative and motivating, making complex financial concepts accessible to readers at any stage of their journey.

[Arian Saffari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Sam Dogen, packed with practical, experience-based insights. A must-read for anyone serious about personal finance.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad to have read this book. I’m big into pf (personal finance) and have read a lot of pf and wealth-building books over the years. Sam is my favorite author by far and I was quickly hooked from his intro. I found the book really approachable and love his conversational style, which all the fellow fans out there are familiar with.

I also really liked how clearly action-oriented Millionaire Milestones is, unlike so many other books I’ve read where I walk away feeling like “now what?” I really dig Sam’s checklists at the end of each chapter. His writing is very intentional and I really appreciate his strategies for building wealth.

The length is also just right and easy to finish. It’s a great balance of readability without losing depth. And I also appreciated how it doesn’t assume you're already financially savvy or have everything figured out, which made it feel a lot more encouraging. It’s a book you can appreciate and benefit from at different phases of your life. And I plan to come back to my bookmarks to reread certain chapters.

Now that I’ve finished reading it, I feel much more confident and excited about my finances. Highly recommend!

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a theory that these type of books are always written (at least in part) to soothe the voice inside the author that whispers:

“you only made this money because you cashed other people’s hard-earned paychecks to rent a place where they *could* have afforded the mortgage on their own (as proved by the fact that they are ALREADY paying it) if you & your other line-go-up cronies hadn’t sucked up all the housing supply … you’re nothing but a landlording ghoul whose net worth is a direct reflection of the extent to which you’re willing to squeeze the life out of the pracariat that you leech off”

The actually-usable, non-ghoul advice in this book could fit on an index card… and he even explains THAT stuff badly, which is hard to do, because it’s VERY straightforward stuff.

This book (and books like it) simply function to convince you that people who make a profit on their mortgage by essentially garnishing 40-60% of your wages, are just *rational*, normal, non-villains who aren’t simply choosing to cash in the hours that YOU work at a tidy profit to themselves, thereby also maintaining a convenient, perpetual underclass to make them feel even grander… & I guess also make sure their kids can always afford organic blueberries.

Rental income is NOT passive income — this guy wants to make it seem normal to siphon money from your community in order to fund his great-great-great-grandchild’s college fund.

This book was infuriating for many OTHER reasons* but I really can’t cover them all, so I’ll just say that this was yet another disappointing personal finance read, I’ll keep trying.

Thanks for the audiobook ARC, btw
___

*e.g. truly astonishing use of “most people” / “generally it’s true that -” etc. in his justifications

* also his advice to buy property is HEAVILY underpinned by the stats from his personal mid-2008-crisis purchases, which is just a WILD move because he’s gotta PRAY that nobody’s paying too close attention, but I worry about the people who aren’t or wouldn’t be able to spot how insane that is.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Sam Dogen, am an avid FS reader, and would recommend any of his platforms (website, newsletter, podcast, books) to anyone looking for inspiration to better their financial standing. While reading this, I couldnt help but feel like this book summarized a lot of what he habitually writes about, so for avid FS consumers like me, it probably won't feel like fresh content. That said, his voice is sorely needed in this world and he always offers great advice, regardless if you've seen it before.

[Sam Dogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to read Millionaire Milestones! It was a 2.5-year labor of love, writing, re-writing, editing, and more re-writing. I tried to make it as inspiring, practical, and easy to read as possible.

After spending 30 years working in and writing about finance, my primary goal is to help you achieve financial freedom sooner—so you can spend more time doing what you truly want.

Since starting Financial Samurai in July 2009, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum: people who wing it with their money and those who take an intentional, disciplined approach. Sixteen years later, the people who consistently saved, invested, and planned each month have built far more wealth than they ever imagined. Meanwhile, those who winged it often find themselves wondering where all the money went.

I’m not a journalist or a social media personality writing about finance—I’m a finance professional writing from firsthand experience about money. That gives me a different, more fundamental take. Money is too important for me and my family, especially given we no longer have day jobs and rely on our investments to live freely.

I hope Millionaire Milestones will inspire you to go after your dreams!

Best,

Sam

[K · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can tell this book was written by a rich man because no one else would be so out of touch with reality.

His first big idea is to have everyone make an annual salary of $100,000 AFTER TAX, and then save half of it so you can retire at 34 like he did. Jesus christ. He then goes on to say that "billionaires are just like us" and that he worked for 8 whole years before retiring...because he was an investment banker, had $80,000 a year in passive income, and got a severance package of stocks.

He also says that a 25-year-old should be contributing the maximum of $23,000 to their 401(k) every year. (He gives you a pass on ages 22-24 because you needed that time to fully pay off your student loans.) Your employer will also give you a 6% match. (I don't know a single person who gets an employer match.)

Further advice is to work from home and take TWO full-time work from home jobs, to buy investment properties to rent out and keep raising the rent (he never tells us where the money to buy these properties came from), to ask your parents to pay the down payment on all your multiple investment properties and your own home, and own one more house than you have people in your family (so, a family a 4 needs 5 houses). So this man is not only out of touch, he is morally bankrupt.

[ProfessorT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book! I bought a couple of extra copies to give as gifts. Millionaire Milestones is fast-paced, easy to read, and incredibly motivating. I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you're just starting out or well along your journey to financial independence.

What sets this book apart is that it's written by someone who truly walks the talk. Unlike many personal finance books by self-proclaimed "experts" who are more marketers and social media influencersthan practitioners, Millionaire Milestones offers real substance grounded in experience.

The financial insights are next-level, and the chapter on entrepreneurship especially stood out to me. The book is practical, honest, and inspiring.

I've followed Financial Samurai for years, and in my opinion, it’s the best personal finance site out there. Sam is hands-down my favorite writer in the space.

[TMK · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked most about this book was how grounded it felt. There weren't any gimmicks or fluff fillers. It focuses on building habits, making specific smart decisions over time, taking action with each chapter, and understanding how building wealth really works. I also appreciated how it tackled mindset without veering into hype. Dogen clearly knows his stuff and keeps the tone relatable. And to me it's key that you're getting advice from someone who's actually done the work and has the experience and expertise to back it up. I also liked that it didn’t push one-size-fits-all solutions. You can tailor his advice and strategies to fit your own situation. Well worth the read!

[Andy Nott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable practical book written by someone with experience in finance.
As the author points out, there are huge amounts of people offering financial advice but do they have the experience and credibility to provide this advice?

The book sets out a series of milestones to building wealth but also includes tips on doing this while living a good life and building a legacy.

Recommend this book and look forward to applying both the lessons in building wealth but also living a good life.

[Value Investor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much new from Dogen’s last book.

Always max out 401k, saving rate is important.

Date income, marry net worth/wealth. Income doesn’t last forever, government is focused on taxing income but not wealth.

For entrepreneurship, 3 years side hustle, leave at 30% of previous income, 3 years full time. Equity builds wealth

To calculate equity risk exposure, multiply net worth by 35% bear market drop and find number of months of income it takes to cover the shortfall. One year of work to cover drop is moderate risk.

Time and place matter for wealth and networks.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Others found this as a good practical guide, but to me it just seemed the usual fluff finance that could have been more aptly summed up in a few blog posts. I suppose if this was your first foray into finance self help you can get some good introductory coverage of basic themes (e.g., spend smartly, use compounding, invest wisely), but not sure book has added anything that hasn't already been published over the last 10 years.

[Deep Frey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not familiar withe the author, but I do enjoy finance books. some good concepts but a lot of oversimplification and disconnect from reality. he discusses real estate as a good investment but not without challenges. I agree. when he describes creating a real estate empire that includes a property for each family member, he lost me. unless you are already wealthy or have a career with huge salary increases, his advice seem ridiculous.

[Jeremy Burling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some solid points to keep in mind as someone goes through their career to hit certain financial milestones. I feel like it gave me a very solid perspective of what to focus on for financial and personal growth, but could see how this is a pretty specific book that would be primarily useful for a niche group of people and not necessarily helpful for the masses.

Overall relevant to me and I got a couple of good notes from it so I would recommend.

[Miguel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This dude is kind of a known troll and not very well liked on the FIRE blogs for good reason - the book itself is standard issue fare for the topics he covers and he conveniently keeps his more controversial hot takes on the blog and not in the book which was kind of a let down. I would have had a lot more respect if he had gone gonzo for the book as well.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Marcus Batson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on creating a wealth oriented mindset.

[Caitlin Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written well and I thought it was an easy read. I was not satisfied by the many mentions of borrowing money from parents to buy property. This is not helpful information, especially for someone growing up poor and/or older. It seemed very skewed to those in 20s and if you are young, it’s worth a read because there is some sound advice.

[Nebojsa Radovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading Sam’s blog for years more and he is like an older brother who teaches you the ropes of personal finance. This book is personal finance 101 really, it’s a great gift for 20 year olds who are just starting their financial journey. With that being said, it might be a bit basic for most older folks but it’s still an easy and a rewarding read with a lot of easy to follow checklists.