Wow – that’s a long title. From here on out, we will refer to the book as simply Dear Fellow Spender.
I wanted to read something that was back to the basics.
I’ve been focusing on books written by women about money and I came across this book that was recently published. The five reviews it has on Amazon are glowing, so I decided to prop my feet up and give it a try.
The Title: Dear Fellow Spender: Enjoy Using Your Money to Get Out of Debt, Build Savings, and Create a Life You Love
The Author: Emily Burnett
The link to Dear Fellow Spender on Amazon.
The majority of the book spent a lot of time motivating you to budget. Looking back, I should have been annoyed with this but I wasn’t one bit. I liked how the author gave a backstory as to why budgeting is important for all of us. It didn’t just jump into “this is how to budget correctly”. Burnett wants us to be completely on board before she jumps into budgeting, which I appreciate.
This is probably one of the best books on budgeting that I have ever read. I should have read it in my twenties.
Quoting from the book, this statement meant a lot to me:
“when I talk about budgeting or having a plan, I am solely referring to the process of proactively planning your spending in accordance with your plans and priorities instead of reacting to everything coming at you”.
I relate to this.
I think so many people are afraid of budgeting because they believe it limits the amount they get to spend. That’s not the case at all. Budgeting is simply making a plan and holding yourself accountable. It isn’t meant to limit your spending or put you in a cage. You do not want to be reacting to surprises down the road – you are planning so there are minimal surprises.
This book is 100% for those that frown when they think about a budget.
It’s for those that want to change their mindset and start putting their financial life in their own hands. It’s for people who earn little or earn a lot.
Honestly, I really enjoyed it Dear Fellow Spender.
I had been reading a few books lately that I felt were put out there with the same information coming from someone who was trying to add selling books to their already huge portfolio of income streams.
I felt this woman speaking to me like she sincerely wanted to help me. She told some very relatable stories about her past and I was never bored.
“Budgeting with a purpose is the best thing I ever did for myself and my life.” – Emily Barnett
She sincerely wants to share what she has accomplished in her life and show others the way she did it.
Burnett writes with compassion. She felt like my own financial advisor.
I read this book in three days – It was an easy read, but a bit longer than some of the other financial books I have been reading lately. It made me felt like I was getting my money’s worth.
There are some quotes from a variety of people listed throughout the book. For example:
“The cheaper you can live, the greater your options” – Mark Cuban
Some things Emily guides us through: (I love when I use author’s first names like we know each other)
- “Taking stock of exactly and very realistically where you are.
- Creating a system for organizing your money.
- Planning your spending.
- Mapping your route to what you want in life.
- Simplifying accounts and priorities where you can.”
The only negative thing that stuck out to me – she didn’t go into detail what to do if you create a budget and you’re negative.
She said to move some things around or make changes to your life. I believe she could have possibly written another book on what to do if you fall short, and this book was concentrating on budgeting, so I left it at that.
Overall, great book!
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