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Review: The 21 Day Financial Fast

January 17, 2014 By

The 21 Day Financial FastAbout the book: “The 21 Day Financial Fast” by Michelle Singletary is “a field-tested financial challenge. For twenty-one days, participants will put away their credit cards and buy only the barest essentials.”

The whole idea is that you do not purchase anything other than necessities for 21 days. Nothing. This allows you to save money and see where you are wasting money. The idea being at the end of the fast you will have learned how to make lasting changes to your financial situation for the better.

My favorite part was the idea of having both an “Emergency Fund” and a “Life Happens Fund.”  The emergency fund is used for 3-6 months or more of household expenses in the case of a loss of income. The life happens fund is for when the car breaks down or the stove goes out and needs replaced and the author recommends $700-$1000 in that account. It allows you to be thoroughly prepared for both situations.

I did not agree with the way the author presented the material in some cases.  There are sections where the text comes off judgmental (such as the chapter on entitlement) or other places where the author seems to be trying to make the reader feel bad in order to make a change.  I would like to believe that the author’s intent was not to come off this way but it certainly changed my mood and opinion of the book in those sections.

Finally, if you have read “The Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey or other similar books you will get very little, if anything, new in this book other than the 21 day concept.  I think this concept is worth taking a look at the book and can be a helpful tool to those who have trouble controlling their spending habits or need help shedding some light on their habits.

All in all it is a great concept with potential that came up short.

For further information or to see other reviews visit the book’s page on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

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Review: Play Your Bigger Game

December 29, 2013 By

Play Your Bigger GamePlay Your Bigger Game by Rick Tamlyn is an interesting way to look at life as a game.  The publisher says it “was created to counteract that self-limiting, fear-based approach to life.”  If you are living your life in this manner then I think this book is for you.

What the book describes is a game board containing nine squares.  Within these squares are different ways to categorize the situation you are in (or season of life if you will).  This gives a person a go to method for interrupting their limiting beliefs/patterns.  Instead of saying “my life is falling apart” you can take a quick look at the game board and decide to say “I need to assess this and check with my friends.”  Doing this helps give clarity and helps you see things as they really are.

While some things feel repetitive in the text I think a person can learn a lot from reading it.  I would recommend it to anyone who wants to keep better track of where they are in life.  This lets you see where you are and decide your next move into the future.

For further information or to see other reviews visit the book’s page on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

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Review: The Total Money Makeover Classic Edition

September 21, 2013 By

TTMM Classic EditionThe Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey is a classic text on how to eliminate debt step by step and why you would want to do such a weird thing.

The book is broken up into the seven baby steps which are:

* $1,000 Starter Emergency Fund
* Paying Off Debt with the Debt Snowball
* 3 to 6 months of Expenses in Savings
* 15% of Household Income to Retirement Accounts
* College Funding
* Pay Your Mortgage Off Early
* Build Wealth and Give

Dave not only give you instructions that work but also explains why he recommends doing things in the order given. There are several examples of families that have gone through the steps woven into the book so you can see that real people have made a real difference in their life.

I can’t say enough good about this book. It is a game changer for many people and I have seen the principles here turn on light bulbs for people through Financial Peace University. It is a common sense approach for managing your money written in a quick and easy to read style. It has budget worksheets in the book that you can use to help you along the way.

With all of that being said I will tell you that even following the plan the journey isn’t always easy. There will be difficulties here and there and when that happens you just have to keep pushing forward. I promise you it is worth the effort! I ordered my first edition of this book in 2010 somewhat by accident. When it arrived I read it anyway and it began a change that has lasted ever since in my family. It taught us how to be much more financially responsible and for that I thank Mr. Ramsey.

Lastly, this book is not for everyone. You really do need to be ready to take charge of your finances before this book will be of help to you. Also, in full disclosure, while I agree with 98% of what is taught there is that 2% that I think people need to make their own judgements on. That being said, his plan does work and I would recommend for anyone to try it and make adjustments where they feel it is needed in their own life.

For more information, other reviews or to purchase check out the book on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

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Book Review: Is College Worth It? by William Bennett and David Wilezol

April 22, 2013 By

Is College Worth It“Is College Worth It?” by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol goes into detail about why college needs to change and the fact that it isn’t the right choice for everyone to go through a 4-year college program.

I have to say this book was amazing.  It talks about many views that I have expressed over the last decade and I think they hit it out of the park with this one.  Bennett and Wilezol backup their findings with statistics including the large amount of unemployment that nags at the recently graduated.  Most importantly they talk about the huge amounts of debt that plague those who don’t even make it as far as graduation.

Higher education does not necessarily mean a 4 year undergraduate program.  For many it may be a trade school, apprenticeship, or certification program.  If these alternatives to a college get you into a job that you enjoy doing then by all means go for it.

Let me stress that this book is not 200 pages of “do not to go to college”.  It is, however, a book that tells you that you need to research going to college in detail including what you are going to study, what schools will prepare you best for that study, and at the best price for the money you are going to put into it.  The college goer also needs to research whether careers are available to them in the field that they are wanting to go to college for.

I highly recommend that every high school student and parent read this book.  You will be much better prepared to make a decision on how you want to pursue higher education.  It shows other options rather than a traditional 4 year program that in many cases can make you more money over your lifetime than a BA.

If you would like to get other peoples point of view or purchase the book you can do so on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

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Book Review: Days Like These by Kristian and Rachel Anderson

March 11, 2013 By

Days Like These book cover“Days Like These: Even in the Darkest Moments, Light Can Shine Through” is a book of collected blog postings by Kristian Anderson and includes insights and information from his wife Rachel.

The book chronicles the journey of a young husband and father who goes to the hospital only to discover that he has liver cancer.  Kristian tells us what he is going through, good and bad, and his struggles with the fact that he could leave his family.

It is a very quick and easy read.  Kristian’s writing makes you feel like he is telling you the story (essentially he is).  If you have had cancer or been side by side with someone who has fought the fight you will see a lot of similarities in this book; things I am sure that you saw or fought with.  It is a first hand account and he doesn’t seem to hold anything back.  I find his truthfulness refreshing as he us up front about various aspects of his life.

My only criticism with the book is that the dates are missing in most of the text.  Since this was a printed version of his blog I would like to have followed everything by date to give me a better sense of where I was in the journey.  While it is possible to do so it is left up to the reader to figure it out with a sprinkling of dates throughout the text.

I enjoyed the book and I think it should be read by anyone who is starting their battle with cancer to see that there can be some positivity in a horrible situation.  Those who need some inspiration can certainly get it from Kristian Anderson.

If you would like to get other peoples point of view or purchase the book you can do so on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*

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Book Review: More Than A Bucket List by Toni Birdsong

November 20, 2012 By

More Than A Bucket ListThis will be my final book review for 2012. As we embark on a new year and a new journey I will be gearing up for things to come in 2013!

“More Than A Bucket List” by Toni Birdsong is a hardcover gift book that runs 278 pages.  It is divided into many different sections to give you various activities/adventures to pursue.  The purpose of the book is to help you get more out of life instead of watching it go by.  My take away from it:  PARTICIPATE!

When I first came across the title of this book it was something I instantly wanted an opportunity to review.  My job is to help people live their life to the fullest and breakthrough the things that are holding them back and this is part of what a “bucket list” is intended to do.

This book contains a lot of different lists including things to do, places to visit, and adventures to pursue.  I really like the variety that is presented and it made me think of some places I would like to visit.  I also like the “Real–Life Challenges” that are presented throughout the book for you to go out and try in real situations.

If you are someone who is in a pursuit to find things to put on your bucket list or to help you generate ideas I think you will get a lot of suggestions and direction from this book.  However, I would not recommend it for someone who is really looking to find or pursue their dreams and passions – I believe there are books better suited for that than this.

Understand this is intended to be a gift book and not something that you would necessarily walk into a book store and look for as a self help item.  It is an excellent little tome to be given as a gift for that someone in your life that is in place to really connect with what is being discussed.

If you would like to read more reviews or purchase the book you can do so from Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Book Review: One Big Thing by Phil Cooke

October 12, 2012 By

One Big Thing by Phil Cooke

The book is about your “One Big Thing” or OBT.  Basically, what is the one thing you were put on the earth to do is the question it seeks to solve.  Why be average at a bunch of things when you can be great at your One Big Thing?  Phil Cooke takes you on a guided tour to discover what your OBT is and how to get out of some of the clutter that is around you.

I found that in this book there was not a lot of new ground covered for me.  Admittedly, I read much more of this genre than what the average person does, however, I found it to be a very easy and enjoyable read.  Phil Cooke has a writing style that is comfortable and makes you feel like you are having a conversation.  The book does accomplish it’s mission which is to help the reader bring focus into their lives.

“One Big Thing” does make you think and challenges you to look at your life and where you are.  What is it that you are passionate about?  What is it that you want to do with your life?  And once you have found those answers it shows you how to focus in on it and take steps in the right direction.

My favorite part of the book was the epilogue titles “You’re Not Crazy.”  I absolutely loved the story of Georg Friedrich Handel.  This part of the book reinforces on of the other chapters and goes to prove that you are never to old to accomplish what you were born to do.

I also highly enjoyed the quotes throughout this book.  I love good quotations and this one is packed full of them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to focus their life or who needs helping finding what to focus on.  Mr. Cooke has written a book that is easy to relax with and is enjoyable to read.  I look forward to reading his previous book “Jolt” in the near future.

To read more customer reviews or purchase the book visit Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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