Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

The Recovering Spender – Book Review

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As personal finance bloggers, Lauren Greutman and I travel in a few similar circles on Facebook. So, when she announced on one of the groups that I am a part of that she was releasing The Recovering Spender, and that she was looking for some bloggers to read and review the book, I jumped at the opportunity. I don’t do a whole lot of book reviews on here.  I should probably do more, but especially lately, most of my reading time is taken up by textbooks. I do a few reviews here and there of fiction books, but I tend to keep those isolated to my author/book blog, Novelnaut.

Shortly before the official launch date of the book, Lauren and her team sent me an advanced copy of the book in one of the best book review packages I’ve ever seen.  Lauren really knows how to make a person feel special! But, you likely aren’t reading this to find out about the confetti and handwritten thank you note she sent with the book. So, let’s get to the review.

What is the Recovering Spender about?

The Recovering Spender Cover
Must Read for Spenders

As you can imagine, I’ve read a few books on the subject of personal finance. One of the first, and most influential in my personal finance journey was Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. Reading that book change a lot of the ideas I had about money, and how it should be handled. The Recovering Spender has the capability to be that book for a lot of people.

Every one of us knows a spender. They’re the people in our lives that are always spending their money. And spending money they don’t have. Maybe it’s your spouse (it was for Lauren’s husband), or maybe it’s a close friend. You know at least one. You do.

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In The Recovering Spender, Lauren shares her own story of coming to the realization that she was a spender. She writes candidly about the deep hole of debt that she created through her spending habits, and how crushing it was. She then talks about the decision to come clean, and the grace that her husband had in not only handling the situation, but joining with her in trying to find ways to pay the debt off. If you’ve ever struggled with your personal finances, even if you’re not a spender, you’re going to see some parallels in Lauren’s story.

Becoming a Recovering Spender

Instead of crumbling under the debt, Lauren and her husband decided to beat it. And beat it they did. Through a whole lot of trial and error, and some pretty creative saving, they eventually reached a debt free life! Like some of the other addiction programs, the Recovering Spender program has 12 steps that you can follow to overcome your spending habits, save money, and pay off your debt.

She’s really condensed all her own work down into a set of tools (worksheets and other resources) and advice that should give the spender in your life (even if it’s you!) a real sense of hope that it can be done, and a push to start doing it.

The Recovering Spender, by Lauren Greutman, has earned itself a spot on my book recommendation list right next to Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. If you struggle with spending, debt, and personal finance, you owe it to yourself to find a copy of The Recovering Spender and read it.

Confessions of a Professional Blogger – Book Review

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Confessions of a Professional Blogger

By: Miranda Marquit

Confessions of a Professional BloggerDisclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Miranda.  My policy on books I receive free copies of is that I don’t review them unless I like them.

How many of us, myself included, don’t jump at the chance to get a little insight into how someone who does something that we want to do for a living, for a living?  I know that when Miranda asked me back at the end of 2013 if I would read her book that I immediately said yes.  It’s been a little while since she first sent over a copy, but that’s totally on me.  I read a lot of books, and somehow hers got lost in the shuffle and ended up at the bottom of the to-read pile.  I wish it hadn’t, but it did.

On to the book.  It’s a short read at just over 100 pages, but it’s chock full of excellent information on becoming a professional blogger.  Miranda leads the reader through the steps of starting out and gaining fans for your blog, or for gaining customers for your freelance writing.  Throughout the book, Miranda focuses quite a bit on the details on how she manages her freelance clients, the way she’s created the “package” of services that she provides, and how she structures it all to the benefit of all involved.

If you’re looking to test the freelance writer waters, Confessions is a quick read that’s loaded up with information on where to start, what you need to do, and how to keep it rolling.  You’ll find the book to read like a lot of Miranda’s articles, smooth and concise.  And who better to learn from than someone who used her freelance writing to become the primary breadwinner for her household?

You can pick up a copy of Confessions of a Professional Blogger at her site, MirandaMarquit.com.

The Walgreens Drugstore Game by Amanda Grossman – A Review

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If one of your resolutions for the new year is to save money, you’ll want to check out Amanda Grossman’s new ebook, The Walgreens Drugstore Game:  Strategies to Turn Pocket Change Into Thousands of Dollars’ Worth of Free Stuff.

Grossman is a penny pincher who blogs at Frugal Confessions.  She and her husband knocked out student loan debt when they married and are now living debt free (except their mortgage).  She also quit her job and is now living the dream of working at home.  A look through her blog shows she knows how to save money and get the best deals.

Now, she wants to share those deals with others.

I’ll confess that a few years ago, I played the CVS drugstore game with a fair amount of success.  However, I never conquered the Walgreens drugstore game.  It was just too complicated for me.  In the years since I stopped playing the drugstore game at all, Walgreens has only gotten more complicated (or so it seemed to me) by adding in a new rewards incentive.

However, after reading Grossman’s book, even I feel like I could tackle Walgreens drugstore game.

If you’re paying full price for toiletries and personal care items, you’re simply paying too much.  Grossman will show you how to pay less than a few dollars to get $20 or more worth of merchandise.

A Primer For Those Who Don’t Use Coupons

If you’re not much of a couponer, don’t worry.  Grossman explains in detail the many different kinds of coupons that are available.  She also explains where to find them, including how to get a steep discount when buying the Sunday paper for the coupons and advertisements.

If you’re an experienced couponer, don’t worry.  Simply skip over this section.

Clear Explanations and Examples

Once you understand the basics about coupons, Grossman delves into how to find the best deals for the Walgreens drugstore game.  What I like most about this book is that Grossman doesn’t just explain how to score the deal, she also provides real life examples from her own shopping trips.

In fact, she makes the process seem so manageable, that even I registered for a Walgreens Balance Rewards Cards and signed up for discounted Sunday papers to be delivered to my house.  I’m tired of paying full price for toiletries, and even if I’m only half as successful as Grossman at the Walgreen’s game, I’ll be saving a lot of money.

Advanced Savings Strategies

If you already save a fair amount with coupons, don’t worry.  At the end of the book, Grossman includes advanced savings strategies.  Frankly, at my current coupon skill, these strategies went over my head, but for others who are used to couponing, they could be very helpful.

At only $4.99, Grossman’s book, The Walgreen’s Drugstore Game, should save you enough money that you’ll recoup the money you spent to buy the book on your first trip to Walgreens using her tips.  Everything you save after that in the weeks to come will be extra money in your pocket, which we all can appreciate.