The Money Manual: Everything You Actually Need to Know About Personal Finance

by Abigail Foster

The practical, no-nonsense guide to expertly managing your personal finances.

From mortgages and pensions to tax codes and ISAs, money can be a mystery. But, personal finance expert and Accountant Abigail Foster is here to answer your questions and help you navigate any challenge you may face.

Packed with expert advice, real-life examples and practical takeaways, The Money Manual will help you

What your tax code really meansHow the UK’s economy impacts youWhat to expect when buying your first homeHow to beat the exchange rate when travelling abroadWhen to access your pension and how best to save for your retirementHow to pass financial information on to others, and much more!By demystifying obscure economic processes and complex financial language, The Money Manual empowers you to learn everything you wish you knew about personal finance. With clarity and confidence, you can radically improve your financial wellbeing.

Genres: Finance, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Nonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant! wish I'd had this as a teenager!

[Ella Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely essential if you want to understand how to get your finances to work for you. Through explaining ISAs, taxes, pensions, savings… it provides all the knowledge you need to know (+ in such an easy way to understand and implement).

I always struggle to recommend personal finance books to my family/ friends but this book gives you all the tools, knowledge, guidance you need- especially for those with no previous finance exposure and wish this book had been written years ago

100% worth the read and one I will always keep on my bookshelf to keep coming back to!! (and the fact this has been written by a UK based woman in such a male dominated field, that truly pushed it to over 5⭐️) xx

[Hilary Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

UK specific. Easy to read, good summaries at the end of each chapter, currently up to date. I found the chapter on investing the most useful to me. The format is chatty (the author’s USP is that she is young and has great hair). It is written for younger people than me and covers student loans and cryptocurrency which weren’t around when I was maturing. I will recommend it to the generation below me with the caveat that the principles may be superseded by changes in government policy within a couple of years. The behaviour of individual companies and their boards, influenced by government policy, cannot be taken for granted either.

Abigail Foster also has a YouTube channel which covers additional information such as the gender pay gap.

[TJ Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent primer for those looking to wrap their heads around everything from basic taxes to investing! While there are only a few deep dives, this book is like an introduction to the world of personal finance and should be a class everyone has to take at school!

My only complaint is it is UK oriented, but even for Australia it still got me thinking about my own finances and questions to ask. An easy recommendation for those in the UK, and while less so for those outside the UK, much of it is still very relevant!

[Toowee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book after hearing the author speak on a recent podcast and glad I did. It’s a great easy read with lots of useful information (uk specific). They really need to teach the contents of this in every school!

[Steph Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read this!!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have read a number of personal finance books but they are often US centric. So nice to read a UK specific one that breaks everything down into manageable and accessible bits!

[Natalie Kasongo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is soo good the only reason it took me so long to finish it is because I left it at my parents house 🏡 learnt so much about finances I feel a lot smarter than before so that’s a bonus 😂

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good level of detail and explains things well.