No Worries: How to live a stress-free financial life

by Jared Dillian

No Worries shows how anyone can live a stress-free financial life and build wealth for the long term.

This is not about millions of tiny decisions that drain the joy from life, like skipping daily coffee to save a few bucks. And it’s not simply about having more money.

The secret lies in adopting the right attitude to money and getting a small number of big things right.

In his unique style, drawing on decades of expertise, finance expert Jared Dillian tells the truths about essential personal finance topics and helps you to see things as you never have before.

Jared

- how the right kind of abundance mindset works wonders
- how to purge the urge to splurge (without making life a drag)
- the most effective ways to use credit cards that no one tells you about
- the smart ways to buy big-ticket items, from houses to cars
- what’s gone wrong with student loans and how to use them sensibly
- how to ace investing with the set-and-forget Awesome Portfolio.

No matter where you’re at, Jared can help you get your finances in better shape than 99% of other people – so that you can get on with your life as your wealth builds.

Do that and you’ll have no financial stress, and no worries.

Genres: Finance, Money, Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Finance, Psychology, Business

240 pages, Hardcover

Published January 23, 2024

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

War is over

[ashleigh b · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems like everyone is reading boring books these days (self help/finance/NOT fantasy 😢) so I figured I would give it a shot. Thank you to my dad for the book rec.

I very much enjoyed Jared’s perspective on personal finance I’ll be real. Some key takeaways:
-nobody likes a cheap fu**
-spend on small luxuries, a 5$ coffee isn’t going to break the bank (or a couple redbulls from 7/11)
-perhaps I have more anxiety than the average person… jury is still out on this one… maybe.
-I am stuck w the nissan rogue for quite a while I fear
-money is temporary who CARES spend it how you want (within your means)
-20 is the magic number for everything
-tip well. for the love of god.
-maybe I don’t need to buy generic Kroger brand foods that taste like shit. the $10 Rao’s pasta sauce won’t send me spiraling into debt.

Thank you for reading. If you need me I’ll be on my grind to pay off my student loans before the age of 25. will pick this book back up when I am ready to buy a new car and a house in 10 years.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is different from other books about money. Usually, I feel like finance books are written as if you’re an idiot or for people with investment degrees. This book is written for normal people who can think for themselves. It’s got an easy going, funny tone but doesn’t try too hard- it really comes off like a conversation. Gives you advice in small chunks but isn’t preachy or didactic. Offers options and looks at multiple sides of spending and saving. What I like the most is that it’s not about money it’s about being happy and money not be a source of unhappiness. Quick, interesting read.

[Winston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read quite a few personal finance books during my relatively short life so far, and this is one of the best ones out there.

Jared writes in a way that is accessible, and he has a unique voice and perspective. This book sets itself apart from other personal finance books in that most books of this kind tells you what you should do with money, like how to quickly pay down your debt and invest it in various asset classes. For some, it might be a good cure for insomnia.

Most personal finance books tries to drill down the philosophy that little savings add up to big savings. Giving up a cup of coffee everyday and investing it will save you $20,000 in ten years' time. Sure, that might be the case, but embarking on that journey will guarantee a life filled with misery.

The theme of this book isn't what you should do with your money, but rather how you think about your relationship with money. Amassing the largest wealth you can is nice, but not if you end up miserable and stressed all the time. True to the title, this book is about how to live an stress-free financial life. Hint: thinking about money is stressful, and money is the last thing you want to be stressed about. There are much more important things in life to worry about. So how can you stop thinking about money all the time? Well, turns out if you get the big things right, you won't have to worry about the little things!

The target audience are Americans, as some of the content covered relate specifically to products and situations in the Land of the Free, but the principles apply in any country where the individual has significant influence over their personal financial and capital decisions.

If I could recommend one personal finance book to anyone, this would be this one.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jared is a sharp guy and has interesting views on all things financial. I dont necessarily agree with everything in here, and if I had taken his advice to the letter when I was younger my life would be much different (probbaly not for the better, but who knows). But I agree with him on the big issues (college, house, car) and will definitely think about his views on reducing risk to reduce stress. Recommended.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a lot of practical advice on how to manage money in order to minimize anxiety and increase happiness. Key premise is that there are two sources of stress with regards to money: Debt and uncertainty. He refers frequently to two different extremes of money spenders: High rollers and cheapskates.

[Carri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of personal finance books and they all more or less say something similar. This one is different. It challenged some assumptions, made me think twice and was also easy and enjoyable to read.

[Megan Schacht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some common sense info but worthwhile read with some interesting ways to think through spending habits. Will give this to my daughter to read.

[Gavin Slo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's okay. Jared Dillian spends a fair amount of time tooting his own horn, claiming that he won't get into rigorous math or glossing over explanations entirely because they're simply "too complicated for this book" despite occasionally using strange ass words that could have easily been substituted with common synonyms, and preaching his own portfolio as if it's this highly innovative thing that will change the personal finance game. There are also a few things that he says that just don't make a whole lot of sense and almost seem like grammatical errors, whereas in other parts he'll explain different aspects of the stock industry without much thorough explanation for what the different terms mean. I don't think Dillian fully understands who his target demographic with this book is.

That being said, I do think it has a solid message and some good moments. Basically, don't worry about money, because there is plenty of more important stuff to worry about. Don't stress about the small, petty financial decisions you make on a daily basis in hopes of getting rich, since you'll be miserable in the moment and it's much more conducive to have an abundance mindset and simply bring more money in. On the other hand, don't spend so much that you find yourself in debt and stressing about how you're going to make ends' meet, since that will give an insane amount of stress too. Don't live below or above your means: live at them. It also taught me some new things about paying for college tuition, car salesmen, and paying for houses. Can't act like I didn't get any value from the book, but Jared's not on my good side

2/5 i'm worrying about finding a better personal finance book

[Serhii Kushchenko · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book does offer some valuable insights, I must admit to feeling somewhat let down by its content.

This book offers practical advice for anyone considering buying a car on credit or a house with a mortgage. It might dissuade you from purchasing something beyond your means. Excessive debt from mortgages or car loans can lead to profound suffering, potentially ruining one's life irreparably. I wholeheartedly agree with Jared Dillian on this point.

However, I hold a differing opinion regarding college or university selection. While the author advocates for enrolling in the most prestigious institutions regardless of cost, I believe this perspective is misguided. Prestigious university brands may seem valuable. However, success and high salaries aren't guaranteed solely by attending them. When choosing a college or university, it's essential to consider individual interests, career goals, and financial circumstances.

Recent events suggest that many employers might start favoring graduates from lesser-known universities over those from prestigious institutions like Harvard. Jared Dillian seems to underestimate the risk that a degree from a top university might not yield the expected returns. Such a diploma could even hinder career progression rather than facilitate it.

The book's author consistently advises against scrimping on small expenses, arguing that it's not worth the effort. It can detract you from more productive endeavors aimed at increasing income. Jared Dillian uses the example of buying a daily cup of coffee to illustrate this point, suggesting that such penny-pinching isn't worth the mental energy. Instead, he advocates for avoiding major financial mistakes when choosing a spouse, a house, a college, or a car.

I think this approach is not optimal for most people. Jared Dillian is one of those rare people who genuinely enjoy expensive toys. In the book, he boasts about his costly clothes, tattoos, luxurious car, and huge house. However, most people find little satisfaction in such purchases. Buying luxury items to impress others is often misguided. Unless societal pressures dictate otherwise, living frugally and avoiding unnecessary expenditures can lead to a simpler and more fulfilling life.

Jared Dillian explicitly advises you to spend money to save yourself from even the slightest physical discomfort. Following such advice could lead to significant trouble in the long run. Instead, I believe it's necessary to occasionally embrace various forms of physical and mental discomfort to maintain overall well-being and resilience. This practice is beneficial regardless of one's financial status. For further insights on this topic, refer to the book "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by William B. Irvine.

For many years, Jared Dillian indulged himself daily in purchasing the morning cup of coffee. He looked down on those poor souls who attempted to save a mere $3.50. However, the substantial sugar intake from these caffeinated beverages likely contributed to the development of his obesity and atherosclerosis. Recently, he announced on Twitter that he has embarked on a weight loss journey. It will be difficult for him to succeed in this because, over the years, he has become lazy and accustomed to excessive comfort.

As for investments, this book does not contain any breakthrough discoveries. Its 14th chapter describes something similar to the well-known all-weather portfolio. The difference is that Jared Dillian recommends adding some real estate in the form of VNQ ETF at the expense of equally reducing the share of all other categories.

It seems to me that currently, there is no point in accumulating capital, investing in real estate, and fretting over pension savings amidst the looming specter of the Third World War. The scale of impending conflict dwarfs even the Second World War. It renders owning financial assets insignificant in the face of potential global upheaval. In such tumultuous times, the value of money in one's account diminishes to irrelevance. Precious metal bars will only help if you can protect them from robbers. I'll contemplate the personal finance matters only in the event of surviving the coming violent times.

[Netri Alia Rahmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

aku sadar aku manusia. setidaknya itulah yang mengantarkanku selalu tertarik untuk menjawab pertanyaan “sebenarnya apa si yang aku inginkan?”. Salah satu caraku untuk merevisi niatku adalah dengan membawa kembali motivasi dan meluruskan kembali idealismeku lewat membaca buku.

dan buku ini salah satu yang menjawab pertanyaanku. Pernah gasi pengen hidup sederhana aja kek ya mudah-mudah aja, kalo bisa ya tidur-makan-buang air gitu-gitu ga muluk-muluk deh, tapi kalo gitu hidupnya pasti kena “stress-financial life” yang kek FOMO orang” udah punya jet atau kek punya samsung s24.

Ada satu kutipan yang bikin aku mikir dan lumayan relate untukku, “Time is more important than money—always. If you have the relationship between time and money backwards, you will never succeed in accumulating wealth. You can always make more money. You can’t make more time.”

Aku pernah di posisi dimana merasa berkumpul dan menghabiskan waktu bersama orang-orang terdekat adalah bentuk dari “wasting time”, pernah juga merasa stress karena sibuk mulu. namun jika aku gali lebih dalam lagi, productivity aku itu untuk apasi? bukankah untuk mencapai kebahagiaan? bukankah karena aku ingin membahagiakan orang-orang terdekatku? lalu apa bedanya dengan sekarang? disitu aku mikir lagi tuh. mulai menikmati semua momen-momen yang diberikan tuhan ke aku. lama-lama sekali dua bisa aku dapatkan productivity sekaligus kebahagiaan. dan guess what? tuhan juga ngedukung hal tersebut.

Dillian nggak cuma berbicara teori, dia juga kasih banyak contoh konkret yang sangat relatable dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Bayangin deh, daripada pusing mikirin cicilan rumah yang mahal, mending tinggal di rumah sederhana yang nyaman dan nggak bikin stres tiap bulan.

Dillian mengajarkan bahwa pada akhirnya, uang hanyalah alat. Yang penting adalah bagaimana kita menggunakan alat tersebut untuk menjalani hidup yang lebih bermakna dan bebas dari kekhawatiran.

[Saumya · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Worries by Jared Dillian offers a refreshing take on personal finance, focusing on what truly matters for long-term financial health. Rather than advising on cutting out small pleasures like a daily coffee, Dillian delves into how a few key financial principles can lead to a stress-free life. The book is divided into five insightful parts—Attitude, Balance, Debt Stress, Risk Stress, and Relief—each addressing crucial aspects of our relationship with money and how to manage financial stress.

Dillian emphasises the importance of developing the right mindset on approaching wealth, avoiding the extremes of either scarcity or abundance philosophies, both of which can harm financial stability. He also tackles two major sources of financial stress—debt and risk—in great detail, making the book especially useful for those who struggle with managing loans or credit cards. His advice on using credit cards wisely, buying big-ticket items, and navigating student loans is practical and straightforward and written in a way that a beginner can easily understand and not get overwhelmed.

What sets No Worries apart is Dillian’s ability to make complex financial concepts accessible. Using anecdotes and bite-sized information, he breaks down each topic, making it easy to understand and apply to everyday life. The book offers actionable advice to help you build wealth over time while reducing the constant stress. Dillian’s unique, down-to-earth approach makes it a must-read for anyone looking to improve their finances for every 20-year-old starting out and even experienced people trying to learn and improve their financial knowledge.

[The Indian Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Worries by Jared Dillian offers a refreshing take on personal finance, focusing on what truly matters for long-term financial health. Rather than advising on cutting out small pleasures like a daily coffee, Dillian delves into how a few key financial principles can lead to a stress-free life. The book is divided into five insightful parts—Attitude, Balance, Debt Stress, Risk Stress, and Relief—each addressing crucial aspects of our relationship with money and how to manage financial stress.

Dillian emphasises the importance of developing the right mindset on approaching wealth, avoiding the extremes of either scarcity or abundance philosophies, both of which can harm financial stability. He also tackles two major sources of financial stress—debt and risk—in great detail, making the book especially useful for those who struggle with managing loans or credit cards. His advice on using credit cards wisely, buying big-ticket items, and navigating student loans is practical and straightforward and written in a way that a beginner can easily understand and not get overwhelmed.

What sets No Worries apart is Dillian’s ability to make complex financial concepts accessible. Using anecdotes and bite-sized information, he breaks down each topic, making it easy to understand and apply to everyday life. The book offers actionable advice to help you build wealth over time while reducing the constant stress.

Dillian’s unique, down-to-earth approach makes it a must-read for anyone looking to improve their finances for every 20-year-old starting out and even experienced people trying to learn and improve their financial knowledge.

Happy Reading!

[JT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Financial management is a major source of stress for any individual.

This book takes a panoramic view of the various facets of finance which induce stress in our lives.
The book is distributed into five parts namely Attitude , Balance , Debt Stress ,Risk Stress and Relief. From the importance of appropriate mindset to having a healthy relationship with money and managing debt , the different parts deal with the relation of finance and stress. Ending with relief , the author discusses the need to have balance while dealing with money. Tipping the scale in any one way ( scarcity philosophy or abundance philosophy) can be detrimental to your overall financial stability.

While discussing each of these topics the author uses anecdotes to reinforce his concepts as well as provides structured bit sized information making it easy to understand. Elaborately focusing on debt and risk , the author has explored the two main reasons for any financial stress. The chapter on debt is especially well documented and discusses the various reasons for debt like education , buying a car or a house etc. The management of credit cards effectively so as to optimize their benefits is also an important topic discussed in this book.

In a casual tone , the author has discussed a universally important idea of stress free financial management. Though the examples are mostly set in the US , they can be easily extrapolated for any economy.

A path towards detaching stress from your finances stated in a lucid and comprehensible way.

[Manomay Datar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 3.5 stars from my side.

The book delivers exactly what it promises and those are the things we need to remember for living a stress free financial life. The chapters are a mix of what a person should do along with relevant incidents related to the author's personal financial life. As a college student, my personal favorite part of the book was how easily it explained how and why certain things work in the financial world.

The downside of this book are the last three chapters which are completely irrelevant here. These chapters take a complete detour from the purpose of the book and tend towards certain strategies the author wants us to adopt and that too without any proper reasoning (apparently some of these would be too complicated to explain in the book). I would suggest that rather than talking too little about the investing path the author wants us to follow in these chapters, he publishes a separate book solely about the investing strategies and a little mathematical reasoning behind it.

Another downside about this book were certain inconsistent and repetitive chapters but it was not that bothersome.

[Kiersten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives sound advice on investing and spending money. There are quality explanations about investment choices and what makes the most sense. We will be giving copies to our kids. I love the middle path goal with spending between cheap folks and high rollers. The only audience that won't appreciate Dillian's attitude on "you can always hustle and make more money" are the folks who truly don't have the circumstances to do better. The single mom who has preschool kids to care for, illiterate folks, people who are disabled or are carers for aging parents or special needs kids. This book isn't for those people really. Those people don't have time to read or money to buy books, so I guess they won't read it anyway. But I did bristle a bit thinking of some people I know who are truly struggling to make ends meet and have to live a life of austerity because they truly cannot earn more money. Earning more money isn't always an option sadly.

[Mark Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read that simplifies a lot of personal finance advice with a new view, Jared being an outsider to the typical personal finance writer, previous was an ETF trader on Wall Street earning $600k+ a year. I appreciated his simplification of personal finance being just two things: (1) debt and (2) risk, and his insistence that if you can manage three big purchases in your life; students loans, your car, and your home, you can significantly reduce the drag that debt will play in your life and get great results without having to worry about $5 coffees that make little different in the grand scheme of things. His definition of a great financial life being one where you don’t think about money also really stuck with me. It’s about getting to a point where you can save and spend appropriately without money dominating your thoughts and actions.

[Ken Nikula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read, I liked the book. I'm a retired CF, so I borrowed it from the interlibrary loan system.
Now that I've returned it, I kinda wished I bought it. It would make a great Christmas gift to a young person just starting out in life.
The Awesome portfolio description alone is worth many times the price of the book. I made some adjustments to how I look at asset classes as a result.
The four things: picking the right mate, buying the right house, the right student loan and the right car loan .... subjects that folks usually just stumble into based on emotion... all hit a chord with me.

You won't learn how to daytrade 0DTE options with this book, so I guess that's a downside....
Nice job here, Jared...

[Chitrranshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jared Dilian is the editor of The Dirty Dirtnap, a financial expert who now brings a fresh perspective to personal finance with his book "No Worries: How to Live a Stress-Free Financial Life." I know there are many books written over the years on financing and one might ask what is special about this book. The book focuses on saving every penny and on the importance of right decisions to relieve one from financial stress.

The book discusses about the mindset shift rather than just financial tactics. Author also encourages readers to understand the psychology of money and to focus on major financial decisions. The book is divided into 5 sections:
1. Attitude
2. Balance
3. Debt Stress
4. Risk Stress
5. Relief

The chapter which I liked most is "The two sources of financial stress." It discusses the concept and impact of debt or risk and I could resonate so much with it.
Although, I also felt that one advice might not suit everyone as everyone has a different hustle and limited income but a different thought process can help readers to focus on options.

If you liked my review, you can follow me at :
https://www.instagram.com/_booksagsm/

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

While much of the advice in this book is probably well known to finance people, I think the focus on reducing stress around money and investing will be well-received by anyone. I'll listen to this again with my teenagers.

Although the narrator's voice works well with Dillian's writing style, I would have preferred the author to read it himself. The author at times comes across as needlessly abrasive and angry. I am a fan but will concede that his charmingly grumpy style is an acquired taste.

[Richel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, Dillian's concepts of finding the correct balance in life through emotionally responsible financial decisions aren't completely new. But sometimes, it's easy to lose common sense and nice to have someone with experience remind you of it.

Also, telling that I finished the first couple chapters and was inspired to go straight to Etsy to spend some bucks. I clearly learned something.

[Yadira A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m working on building my personal finance knowledge (novice) and this book was for the most part an easy read. It did get a little dense for me in some sections, but a google search helped out with that.

I enjoyed how short the sections were. It encouraged me to make good progress and finish the book within a few weeks. I tend to give up on reading if the chapters gets too long.

Overall a good read for someone starting a personal finance journey and aiming not to be governed by their money.

[Matt G · Rating 5 out of 5]

great view of how to have a healthy relationship with money. Its more important to focus on the bigger payments (house, car) than dwell on the daily coffee, especially if it brings you joy. Also mentioned the awesome portfolio to just add money to and adjust once a year (20% of each stocks (VTI), bonds (BND), Cash (money markets fund), Gold (GLD or SPDR Gold Trust), Real Estate (VNQ)).

[Blaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply love this book. I feel that I can closely relate to the author and the divergence from the usual personal finance books that I read. Too addicted and enjoyed the content that I finished it in a day. Shall keep an eye out for future beneficial wisdom that the author gives.

Definitely a book to reread!

[Erin Cassell · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a fresh take on personal finance, and there were things that I definitely liked. However, he talks about the "big" three...one of which is a college education. He contradicts himself on this point and clearly hasn't spent any time researching higher education in the United States. I got so annoyed that I had to skip the rest of the chapter.

[Yossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I don't agree with some of the points he makes (and his clear anti FIRE movement), Jared take on the basics are important and simple to understand.
And he presents a way of not living frugally if you are avoiding the potential big mistakes.
The portfolio he is advocating "Awesome Portfolio" is far from what I think is awesome (especially the 20% gold and 20% cash).

[Emre Güneş · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel super close to the author. My aim is the same: I don’t want to think about money. Book covers simple but practical suggestions to make it happen. If you want the stress out in your relationship with money, read the book.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

The goal is not be a billionaire, the goal is to be happy.
Frugality is not the key, focus on increasing the revenue or income, not the expenses.
Awesome Portfolio 20% cash, 20 % bond, 20% stock, 20% gold, 20% real estate
Cheap f..cks (CFs) vs. High rollers. You need to find the middle.
Have your 6-12 month expenses ready in the bank as emergency fund.
by awesome portfolio, rather then thinking about the money all the time, think about your hobbies, your profession and ordinary income.

[Katherine Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I think his expectations of people without money just making money are unrealistic. However, I do think he gives good advice and makes everything pretty understandable. I’m interested in implementing the awesome portfolio and striving towards happiness.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

An approach to personal finance with a focus on on simplicity and freedom from financial stress. Dillian outlines both a financial plan and investment strategy that should form part of a school curriculum. He teaches how to get the big things right, so you can live free of money worries.