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Readable and inspiring. I need to go back through it. Highly recommend to anyone needing to break a bad spending cycle. I haven't put much into action yet, but soon!
Listening to the audiobook. Too many references to websites in which the addresses are spoken out one . and \ at a time. Just put that stuff in the enhanced part. I also don't need the name of her blog over and over again. I think a lot of the material was rehashed in later chapters.
I'm doing this in 2023, officially for 6 months, but I'm honestly hoping to do it for the whole year... I can't freakin wait. I'll update this review when I'm done!
I don't think the no budget, no spending life is for me, unfortunately. I need way more restriction. However, I love Jones's voice and she offers some great tips (and relatable moments, for better or worse!). Also, this is the book that officially convinced me to do the scariest thing: a
k.a. pulling three months of bank and credit card statements and see the truth, up front and personal. So four stars from me!
k.a. pulling three months of bank and credit card statements and see the truth, up front and personal. So four stars from me!
Not long ago, I sat down and had a chat with the financial advisor we have access to through work. I’ve always been wary of financial advisors because they oftentimes give advice based on what will make them money but because ours has a fiduciary responsibility, I decided to see what he had to say. The conversation was a bit worrisome because although I’m on the right track with regard to retirement, I’m also well-versed in the changing retirement landscape and know that today’s money won’t go as far as it will later. So while I’m doing all of the right things, I left thinking that I could be doing more to secure a better financial future.
Also not that long ago, I listened to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and it started me on a path of being better about my stuff. So in my quest to do better, overall, particularly after that harrowing conversation about my financial future, The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living: How a Spending Fast Helped Me Get from Broke to Badass in Record Time by Anna Newell was a logical next listen. The book is part memoir and part how-to and chronicles how Newell went from being in $24,000 in debt to not having any. Now, I had double open hip surgeries in undergrad and went to a private grad school, not to mention some credit card debt, a car payment, and a nasty habit of spending money on useless items (which I’m better at after Kondo’s book), so I assumed there was no way Newell could encompass the entire spectrum of debt that people have. I was, of course, wrong.
Newell is the founder of AndThenWeSaved.com, a savvy website helping those who want to get out of debt to do just that. It’s very interactive and her followers can garner support from other followers by joining the Facebook group and pledging themselves to get out of debt. She also keeps a running tally on her site of the debt people have paid off, in part, from following her advice.
Her advice is actually quite simple – go on a spending fast. Whether it’s one month or one year (but the longer the better), don’t buy anything unless you need it. That means downgrading or cancelling cable, giving up the pumpkin spice lattes, and skipping dinners out. Of course, not everyone in your life will be onboard with this new habit, so she spends a good bit of time explaining how you can explain it to others – and it all makes sense! Whether it’s how to get out of those awkward social events where everyone splits the check evenly when you only had a salad or how to explain to your coworkers why you can’t go out to lunch every Friday, Newell has an answer at the ready. She also avoids giving specifics for what qualifies as a want or a need, acknowledging that what is a want for some is a need for others (like books and a personal trainer).
So if you, like me, are looking to save money but feel that it’s too hard or that you have to give up too much, then you should definitely give this book a listen or a read. Because she also gives advice for ongoing maintenance (the spending diet), you may hear from me again about this in a year when I start phase 2.
Originally reviewed at The Book Wheel.
Also not that long ago, I listened to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, and it started me on a path of being better about my stuff. So in my quest to do better, overall, particularly after that harrowing conversation about my financial future, The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living: How a Spending Fast Helped Me Get from Broke to Badass in Record Time by Anna Newell was a logical next listen. The book is part memoir and part how-to and chronicles how Newell went from being in $24,000 in debt to not having any. Now, I had double open hip surgeries in undergrad and went to a private grad school, not to mention some credit card debt, a car payment, and a nasty habit of spending money on useless items (which I’m better at after Kondo’s book), so I assumed there was no way Newell could encompass the entire spectrum of debt that people have. I was, of course, wrong.
Newell is the founder of AndThenWeSaved.com, a savvy website helping those who want to get out of debt to do just that. It’s very interactive and her followers can garner support from other followers by joining the Facebook group and pledging themselves to get out of debt. She also keeps a running tally on her site of the debt people have paid off, in part, from following her advice.
Her advice is actually quite simple – go on a spending fast. Whether it’s one month or one year (but the longer the better), don’t buy anything unless you need it. That means downgrading or cancelling cable, giving up the pumpkin spice lattes, and skipping dinners out. Of course, not everyone in your life will be onboard with this new habit, so she spends a good bit of time explaining how you can explain it to others – and it all makes sense! Whether it’s how to get out of those awkward social events where everyone splits the check evenly when you only had a salad or how to explain to your coworkers why you can’t go out to lunch every Friday, Newell has an answer at the ready. She also avoids giving specifics for what qualifies as a want or a need, acknowledging that what is a want for some is a need for others (like books and a personal trainer).
So if you, like me, are looking to save money but feel that it’s too hard or that you have to give up too much, then you should definitely give this book a listen or a read. Because she also gives advice for ongoing maintenance (the spending diet), you may hear from me again about this in a year when I start phase 2.
Originally reviewed at The Book Wheel.
Helpful for those that actually want to do a spending freeze. Chock full of good information, just not for me at this point in my life.
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I would say 2 1/2 stars, maybe 3. There are some good practical tips, many of which aren't new, but much of what Newell Jones advocates is not practical. For singles or independently-banking couples it might work, but for those with merged finances, it seems unrealistic. That being said, I think that this book would be very appealing / helpful for those who are all-or-nothing about things (which Newell Jones acknowledges she is).
I don't think the no budget, no spending life is for me, unfortunately. I need way more restriction. However, I love Jones's voice and she offers some great tips (and relatable moments, for better or worse!). Also, this is the book that officially convinced me to do the scariest thing: a
k.a. pulling three months of bank and credit card statements and see the truth, up front and personal. So four stars from me!
k.a. pulling three months of bank and credit card statements and see the truth, up front and personal. So four stars from me!
This book has lots of great tips on how to get out of debt. I think it's a book I might have to own.