Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Book Review: Getting Good With Money

 Hey... raise your hand if adulting really sucks! Ha! If you are like us, dealing with your financial situation is such a daunting, and stressful, experience and you never really feel like you have any kind idea of what is going on. If you set a goal of being in a better financial position in 2022, this book is for you. 

Getting Good With Money - Jessi Fearon

Certified financial coach and mom Jessi Fearon leads the way for overwhelmed readers struggling to get a handle on their finances and lays out the doable steps her family underwent to pay off all their debts--even their mortgage!--and pursue their dreams, all on a $47,000-a-year salary.

Jessi Fearon vividly remembers the day she broke down, knowing that her family could not pay the bills with a second baby on the way. Like many Americans, they were overwhelmed by debt and living paycheck to paycheck, wondering if it was possible to ever get ahead, or even catch up. But on that day, something changed, and she and her husband decided to make a drastic lifestyle change that would put them back on the path toward their dreams. Their decision not only allowed her to stay home with their children, but in two years, they were able to pay off their consumer debt and, in six years, they paid off their home mortgage--all on their $47,000-a-year income. And now she shares what she's learned with others who are struggling just like she once did.

Getting Good with Moneyis written for the busy, overwhelmed reader who wants to manage the money she does have while still giving her family a good life, even if she doesn't have a finance degree or a six-figure income. With been-there wisdom and step-by-step help, Jessi shows readers how to take control of their finances with practical first steps to budgeting and understanding debt; identify the four different ways people struggle with money and how each one affects the way they manage--or mismanage--their money; replace the lies they've believed about money with the five Money Truths to overcome barriers and better understand how to make their version of the American Dream a reality; and discover various money-saving apps, financial tips, and ideas for generating additional income to pay off debt more quickly.

Getting Good with Money will inspire, encourage, and equip readers to achieve the real-life changes they need. More than just a "how to budget" book, this is a comprehensive roadmap to financial freedom from an average family making things work on a middle-class salary.
The great thing about this book is it came at the absolute perfect time for us. About four months ago Matt and I bit the bullet and decided to switch over to a cash envelope system, which I'm not going to lie, is tough for awhile. Now that we've done it for a little bit, it is not only getting easier, but we're seeing it make a big difference. 

I love that the author talked about how, despite blogging and sharing about their budgeting and financial journey, everyone assumed they had some kind of secret that they were hiding from others. Not just that, but she compares racking up debt to gaining weight, it just happens because it's easy and you're not really thinking about it until oh hey.... the bill comes (or you step on the scale) and you think, oh crap. The rule we still struggle with from time to time? Not using any form of debt. I find that things come up, like Olivia's car needs a repair and we really need to get that fixed, I want to just swipe a credit card and get it done, move onto the next crisis, you know? I know I am that kind of person that I can't have things sitting on a to-do list, just waiting to be done, it makes my anxiety go through the roof. 
I absolutely loved this book so much, it was so easy, it felt like a good friend who knows what she's doing sitting with you at your table and telling you what you're going to do. Do you know how some budgeting and financial books almost sound.... condescending? I don't think they mean to be, but it is what it is. Getting Good With Money is the absolute opposite. Not only is it full of practical information throughout, it has questions that every person is thinking in their head and the answers we need to hear. If you think you don't have what it takes to budget, and slow your roll at Target, I promise that you absolutely do. 

Thank you so much to FSB Associates and Thomas Nelson Books for having me on this tour and sending me a copy for review. I keep referencing this one because it's so easy and concise, we could all use this one. 
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