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Zombie Economics: A Guide to Personal Finance
If financial guides leave you perplexed (or comatose), you should read Zombie Economics instead. It's compelling, it's straightforward, and it can change your life. Zombie Economics is for anyone in the midst of financial uncertainty, a place where carelessness and timidity will cost you. From the creeping spread of unpaid bills to the lumbering advance of creditors, Zombie Economics confronts the biggest threats to your personal economy, takes aim, and then takes them down. Specific chapters •A Basement Full of Saving yourself by saving money •They'll Eat the Fat Ones Using fitness as a financial asset •Shooting Dad in the Ending your relationships with the financially infected With simple, easy-to-use techniques for identifying-and eliminating-your financial weak spots, Zombie Economics turns victims into survivors.Watch a Video
- GenresNonfictionFinance
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2011
23 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 17, 2021
🧟♂️Prepare. Prevent. Persevere.
I finally finished reading another book from my shelf. It feels like it took me back to Economics, a class I took thrice in college as a Business major at San Francisco State, until I changed my major.
It’s a KEEPER.
January 7, 2013
Synopsis:
Approaching personal finance as though it is the zombie apocalypse has to be one of the more unique ways to explaining how to improve your finances. This book assumes that while you may not be on death's door, financially, the fatal blow is not far in coming. This is not a book on how to get rich quick or how to build your financial outlook with sharp tips and clever strategies. No, this book is written for those of us living on the edge of ruin, the paycheck-to-paycheck types only one job loss away from bankruptcy. It gives clear, concise instructions on how to survive, without any sugar-coating. You are fighting off the zombie apocalypse, after all. There are worksheets to help you find your way through the horde, and best of all, each chapter is book-ended by a short story set during a zombie apocalypse, whose imagery is used in wonderful analogy throughout the chapter.
Review:
This book was written for me. It might as well have "To Carissa" written on the first page. I'm living this financial apocalypse and have been for the last few years, managing to keep the horde at bay with creative budgeting techniques and the occasional tax refund. There isn't a chapter in this book that didn't help me in some fashion. The analogy of the zombie horde is also fitting, given some of the books and movies I find amusing. But most importantly, this book has helped me see exactly where my financial short-comings are by showing me how to look for them and then how to shore them up against ruin. I've already used several of the tactics and have begun to implement more. It gave me both the courage to do what I knew needed to be done and the tools for how to do it.
Recommendation:
Unsure where your next rent money is coming from? Read this book.
Like financial books and would love see more of the basics spelled out? Read this book.
Can't afford gas money but seem to always eat out? Read this book.
Living in fear of job loss? Read this book.
Enjoy a good zombie story and could use a little more in your savings account? Read this book.
I think I've made my point.
Approaching personal finance as though it is the zombie apocalypse has to be one of the more unique ways to explaining how to improve your finances. This book assumes that while you may not be on death's door, financially, the fatal blow is not far in coming. This is not a book on how to get rich quick or how to build your financial outlook with sharp tips and clever strategies. No, this book is written for those of us living on the edge of ruin, the paycheck-to-paycheck types only one job loss away from bankruptcy. It gives clear, concise instructions on how to survive, without any sugar-coating. You are fighting off the zombie apocalypse, after all. There are worksheets to help you find your way through the horde, and best of all, each chapter is book-ended by a short story set during a zombie apocalypse, whose imagery is used in wonderful analogy throughout the chapter.
Review:
This book was written for me. It might as well have "To Carissa" written on the first page. I'm living this financial apocalypse and have been for the last few years, managing to keep the horde at bay with creative budgeting techniques and the occasional tax refund. There isn't a chapter in this book that didn't help me in some fashion. The analogy of the zombie horde is also fitting, given some of the books and movies I find amusing. But most importantly, this book has helped me see exactly where my financial short-comings are by showing me how to look for them and then how to shore them up against ruin. I've already used several of the tactics and have begun to implement more. It gave me both the courage to do what I knew needed to be done and the tools for how to do it.
Recommendation:
Unsure where your next rent money is coming from? Read this book.
Like financial books and would love see more of the basics spelled out? Read this book.
Can't afford gas money but seem to always eat out? Read this book.
Living in fear of job loss? Read this book.
Enjoy a good zombie story and could use a little more in your savings account? Read this book.
I think I've made my point.
May 7, 2020
The authors must have had a ball writing this. Practical nonjudgemental advice and helpful worksheets framed as survival tactics within a zombie apocalypse. The book was written in 2011, odd, funny and little awful to read the hyperbolic zombie passages now, in light of the pandemic, but a fun and useful quick read, with worksheets etc. I'll definitely go back to.
September 20, 2013
As a young person with no previous financial guidance, this book helped me immensely with actually learning how to develop good habits! I am not currently interested in generating wealth, I am interesting in getting by on the pay I make as a college student. This method has helped me live AND pay off the interest on my loans! Please do refer young people to this book! Especially college students! It is very helpful.
July 25, 2019
Author comically combines the basics of financial literacy with zombies invading the country, city and finally your house. Author draws interesting correlations between our emotions around money and surviving from zombies. They both need immediate attention, without which you'd draw yourself into deep trouble, struggling to survive, eventually leading to bankruptcy and death. It has all the basics that you'd expect -
Save first and spend next.
Do not consume, save for the future.
Try to build, safeguard against emergencies.
Invest and grow.
Take of the health, you'll definitely need to be fit to runaway and survive from zombies!
Lot more.
Step-by-step plan for teens and readers who are new to personal finance. I'd rate this 3/5 as I had learned nothing new, instead refreshed my thoughts and reinforced my path to FI.
Save first and spend next.
Do not consume, save for the future.
Try to build, safeguard against emergencies.
Invest and grow.
Take of the health, you'll definitely need to be fit to runaway and survive from zombies!
Lot more.
Step-by-step plan for teens and readers who are new to personal finance. I'd rate this 3/5 as I had learned nothing new, instead refreshed my thoughts and reinforced my path to FI.
January 7, 2017
Loved this book! I love how the authors have integrated a zombie apocalypse survival plot into surviving low-income. I don't know why, but mixing the non-fic with pop fiction helped get the point across.
July 23, 2022
Most of the advice was fairly basic (but a lot of people need basic financial advice). How it was told was funny, clever, and very interesting. Would recommend if you are looking for a book on personal finance.
December 12, 2020
This book had a lot of advice I have encountered other places but the “flavor text” was much more engaging and made it much easier to keep going. I highly recommend it!
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March 24, 2025If you need to gamify your finances to stay on track, this is probably a pretty effective strategy
October 7, 2015
This book gets an average of 4 stars.
I would rate it to be 5 stars on its narration, using a zombie apocalypse as a parallel content, to the dry financial content. However, on the financial concepts and content presented, it gets 3 stars as some of the stuff can be rather elementary and doesn't seem to be relevant to the zombie plot (at least to me), making it feel as though they were forced in at times.
Overall, it was an engaging and entertaining read. Make no mistake, the "zombie apocalypse" is real. With inflation hanging over and the individual behavior of reckless credit spending, one can indeed be a candidate to be zombie food. All ammo will be required to fend off the zombie horde that has no end in sight (Inflation is never ending!)
Through the plot, financial concepts, skills and knowledge are introduced as tools to combat the zombie plague.
In personal finance
These lines in the opening sums it up best:
"No-one will save you. You will survive."
I would rate it to be 5 stars on its narration, using a zombie apocalypse as a parallel content, to the dry financial content. However, on the financial concepts and content presented, it gets 3 stars as some of the stuff can be rather elementary and doesn't seem to be relevant to the zombie plot (at least to me), making it feel as though they were forced in at times.
Overall, it was an engaging and entertaining read. Make no mistake, the "zombie apocalypse" is real. With inflation hanging over and the individual behavior of reckless credit spending, one can indeed be a candidate to be zombie food. All ammo will be required to fend off the zombie horde that has no end in sight (Inflation is never ending!)
Through the plot, financial concepts, skills and knowledge are introduced as tools to combat the zombie plague.
In personal finance
These lines in the opening sums it up best:
"No-one will save you. You will survive."
August 27, 2011
I really liked how the author took something as boring and dry as personal finance and dressed it up with trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. There are tips in this book for both (personal finance and zombie apocalypse), but really, it has some very smart ideas, worksheets, and it makes you look at what really is important as far as your finances go.
That being said, I am giving it 4 stars because there were some things I skipped. I thought they focused too heavily on health (like physical health) for a whole chapter, and the chapter on bankruptcy I skipped as well since it will never apply.
This book tells you how to get by when you are unemployed, and when you're really really broke. I can manage money when I have it, but was clueless as to how when I was broke. Very good read.
That being said, I am giving it 4 stars because there were some things I skipped. I thought they focused too heavily on health (like physical health) for a whole chapter, and the chapter on bankruptcy I skipped as well since it will never apply.
This book tells you how to get by when you are unemployed, and when you're really really broke. I can manage money when I have it, but was clueless as to how when I was broke. Very good read.
April 11, 2012
This really didn't work for me but I appreciate their effort. If a shovelful of zombie makes the financial go down--well, that's what it takes. I'm a zombie fan but found myself rushing through the zombie narrative to get back to the financial guidance. I'm probably not the audience this is intended for (I'm older and have no debt) but I did think they included practical 'hard core' guidance well worth reading such as don't quit your job (although do look for a better one for the long run) and handling 'financial zombies' in life. On the other hand, it seemed to brush past a lot of topics--offering sound advice but not really explaining strategies on how to implement although some sound basic worksheets were offered which provide a solid foundation.
June 1, 2014
The financial advice within it is pretty stock standard, but weaving it within a zombie apocalypse narrative and terminology makes it much more engaging to read.
I think it's the perfect platform to introduce the fundamentals of personal finance management to a younger crowd and I recommend it for anyone with teenagers in their lives. A good understanding of these things early on may save them a lot of heartache down the track.
I think it's the perfect platform to introduce the fundamentals of personal finance management to a younger crowd and I recommend it for anyone with teenagers in their lives. A good understanding of these things early on may save them a lot of heartache down the track.
February 1, 2016
A very unique and intriguing way to write about getting one's finances in order. It was enlightening, though it is definitely a starter kit for someone who doesn't know where to start or is in particularly harsh financial straights.
The book's layout is financial advice buried between the passages of a second-person zombie survival story. They relate the story chunks to each chapter fairly well, and become a fast read.
The book's layout is financial advice buried between the passages of a second-person zombie survival story. They relate the story chunks to each chapter fairly well, and become a fast read.
July 12, 2011
Four stars for the narrative sequences, two and a half for the financial advice, so I'm giving this one three stars total. However, I could see how I'm not necessarily the target audience for this book as I pay my bills, don't overdraft, and am not seriously contemplating bankruptcy. For those on the financial skids, however, this seems like a helpful, entertaining resource.
July 3, 2011
Stale and trite financial advice with zombies as a metaphor. (ie. money is like ammo. Since you'll soon be boarding yourself up in your house for the approaching zombie apocalypse, it's important to have lots of bullets stored in the cellar)
It didn't work and I can't understand how any publisher or editor could have thought it would.
It didn't work and I can't understand how any publisher or editor could have thought it would.
October 29, 2012
This book is geared more for folks that struggle with finances and that are in a position of struggle right now but I think it really could be used for young people just getting started.
I wish 30 years ago there had been a fun book like this one to teach about finances. I'll be passing this on to my young people for sure
June 8, 2015
I tried to learn personal finance before and fail. But when i was reading this book, my knowledge about personal finance is getting better and currently tring to implement the lesson from this book. The analogy using zombie apocalypse is very helpful because it make easier for me to understand the concept. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start learn personal finance.
August 5, 2011
Budgeting and saving presented in a fun format. With worksheets and 'what-if' scenarios, I really recommend it for anyone who is trying to figure out how to best spend and save their money for the first time (or needs a refresher!).
May 13, 2012
Anyone who finds themselves in a financial tough spot, or who loves zombies, should get this book. The extended metaphor fits remarkably well, and the process is both easy to follow and seems sound. Definitely worth a read.
June 19, 2014
I have given this book to all of the college kids I know when they graduate. Even if they were an Econ or business major, they seem to get a lot out of it based on the clever writing and zombie analogies.
May 11, 2011
A fantastic guide to personal-finance written in accessible language. Pop-culture god Rick Emerson is awesome!
June 12, 2012
Delightfully nasty and right on the money.
August 11, 2012
While most of the advice is common sense. It's presented in a fun and engaging way.
September 17, 2012
A great book that tries to go against the mainstream financial style of today's life. It has helped me get through a tough time and it's definitely fun to read the parallel story.
September 27, 2012
Read this book and absolutely LOVED IT. I've never seen personal finance and zombies go better together in my entire life.
DEFINITELY not dry, boring, or dull. Haunting. LOVED IT.
DEFINITELY not dry, boring, or dull. Haunting. LOVED IT.
October 21, 2013
Good personal finance advice interspersed with a clever zombie story, keeps you interested.
August 19, 2015
best money self help book ever!!!
April 27, 2025
It was overall a great book and fun to read-kudos on zombie apocalypse survival analogy.
I highly recommend it, especially to those who are struggling with their finances.
I highly recommend it, especially to those who are struggling with their finances.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews