Melissa Browne’s compact tome is targeted to Gen X and Y folk who need to get their finances in order. She offers sage advice about paying off debt, keeping out of debt, and developing a savings plan.
The language used in Browne’s matter-of-fact guide is in your face and not afraid to tell it like it is. She’s confrontational about our spending habits but what she says hits home in an inspiring way. She doesn’t shame. She just faces facts and, what’s more, she seems to understand our plight.
Finance is a dry topic under most hands, but Browne’s writing style and her enthusiasm to help make things right turns this potentially-boring read into a page-turner – and that’s something I never thought I’d hear myself saying about finances!
The language matches her up-front style, as the book’s title forewarns. Chapters include headings like Why are we so financially f*cked up? and You’re going to f*ck up…and that’s OK! Between the crass headlines however, is sound advice that includes the issues that concern most of us: Should I buy a home? Budgeting is a dirty word and Become a conscious consumer.
Browne reaches out to an audience broader than the back cover suggests, highlighting that we can all struggle financially, no matter what age we are. There is a lot of practical advice, including the use of technology, like phone apps and other tools, that can help with our record-keeping or to keep us on track. There’s recommended reading and a swag of other resources and websites listed too.
While avoiding graphs and charts, Browne does provide inspirational quotes at the start of each chapter from Carl Jung to Beyoncé. She injects humour unexpectedly but never at the expense of credibility.
As a columnist for the money section of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age amongst other credits, Melissa Browne knows her stuff. She was listed as one of Westpac’s and the Financial Review’s “100 Most Influential Women” in 2016. Her background is evident in this invaluable guide to changing the thinking and practices of the everyman for a more financially secure future.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 10
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: February 2018
RRP: $24.99 hardcover
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