What do you think?
Rate this book
Get Money
Learn how to live the life you want, not just the life you can afford!
Managing your money is like going to the dentist or standing in line at the DMV. Nobody wants to do it, but at some point, it's inevitable: you need to clean your teeth, renew your license, and manage your personal finances like a grown-up. Whether you're struggling to pay off student loan debt, ready to stop living paycheck to paycheck, or have finally accepted that your Beanie Baby collection will never pay off, tackling your finances may seem immensely intimidating. But it doesn't have to be. By approaching personal finance as a game--something that requires you to set clear goals, as well as face challenges you must "beat"--personal finance can not only be easy to understand, but it can also be fun!
In Get Money, personal finance expert Kristin Wong shows you the exact steps to getting more money in your pocket without letting it rule your life. Through a series of challenges designed to boost your personal finance I.Q., interviews with other leading financial experts, and exercises tailored to help you achieve even your biggest goals, you'll learn valuable skills such as:
Building a budget that (gasp) actually works
Super-charging a debt payoff plan
How to strategically hack your credit score
Negotiating like a shark (or at least a piranha)
Side-hustling to speed up your money goals
Starting a lazy investment portfolio...and many more!
Simply put, with this gamified guide to personal finance, you'll no longer stress about understanding how your finances work--you'll finally "get" money.
Managing your money is like going to the dentist or standing in line at the DMV. Nobody wants to do it, but at some point, it's inevitable: you need to clean your teeth, renew your license, and manage your personal finances like a grown-up. Whether you're struggling to pay off student loan debt, ready to stop living paycheck to paycheck, or have finally accepted that your Beanie Baby collection will never pay off, tackling your finances may seem immensely intimidating. But it doesn't have to be. By approaching personal finance as a game--something that requires you to set clear goals, as well as face challenges you must "beat"--personal finance can not only be easy to understand, but it can also be fun!
In Get Money, personal finance expert Kristin Wong shows you the exact steps to getting more money in your pocket without letting it rule your life. Through a series of challenges designed to boost your personal finance I.Q., interviews with other leading financial experts, and exercises tailored to help you achieve even your biggest goals, you'll learn valuable skills such as:
Building a budget that (gasp) actually works
Super-charging a debt payoff plan
How to strategically hack your credit score
Negotiating like a shark (or at least a piranha)
Side-hustling to speed up your money goals
Starting a lazy investment portfolio...and many more!
Simply put, with this gamified guide to personal finance, you'll no longer stress about understanding how your finances work--you'll finally "get" money.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
121 people are currently reading
1538 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 23, 2018
I can't recommend this book enough. Especially for the millennials who are entering and working through adulthood. Money is a huge part of our lives... usually a struggle for many of us. Money is scary. Money can be depressing. Money can seem like a distant dream belonging to our favorite Instagrammers. Kristin Wong walks the reader through money from the very basic of saving and spending to the more advanced investing and taxes. She never dumbs it down, but she makes it easy, relatable, and understandable. She shares her own struggles and successes. More than anything, she advocates balance: balance between saving and spending, living life and planning for the future.
April 22, 2018
If you’re finding yourself frustrated by the paycheck to paycheck cycle and/or the complicated financial terms that are all around us, I strongly recommend this book. Kristin’s warmth comes off in her writing style and makes understanding money actually attainable. You’ll find reading this book, you’ll feel like the Mario of financial literacy. Leveling up your knowledge at every turn and collecting those coins! Strongly recommend this book for all kinds of people, no matter what level you’re at!
November 30, 2018
I’ve been a follower of Kristin Wong for quite some time now, and I recently found out she published a book, “Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford,” so of course I had to show her some love!
.
Kristin Wong is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles and has been writing about finances for big outlets for years. She writes in a personable, relatable, and humorous style covering a topic that can be intimidating for many, and far from the cringeworthy so-called big name financial gurus many of us know, whom I won’t call out. I can’t stand those people, but that’s a discussion for another time.
.
“Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford” is a friendly, easy-to-understand book about finance & budgeting, offering a nice overview & step-by-step guide to getting your finances in order. I won’t say it’s life-changing, but certainly could be for others. It sits right in the middle of the finance book spectrum, in my opinion — ittle more in-depth than a basic beginners book, but doesn’t delve too far right of the spectrum of the really complicated stuff like investing, tax, and real estate.
.
I think there’s something for everyone in any stage of life, but this could be life-changing and really beneficial for high schoolers, college students, and young adults. This could really help them set foot on the right path at a young age before embarking on the real word. I think we don’t teach young kids enough about finances & budgeting in school, which could save them so much heartaches. Growing up in a working-class family, I had more than enough, but definitely had my struggles, especially in college as I was so ill-prepared with the cost of attending school, working full-time, and often relying on endless cycles of excessive credit card usage. For few years after college, I had two (and one time, even three) trying to pay back everything I’ve used. If you’re a parent raising a teen or young adult and struggling to talk about money, I highly recommend you buy two copies and read it together & have weekly discussions about finance, money, and goals. 🤓✌️📖
.
Kristin Wong is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles and has been writing about finances for big outlets for years. She writes in a personable, relatable, and humorous style covering a topic that can be intimidating for many, and far from the cringeworthy so-called big name financial gurus many of us know, whom I won’t call out. I can’t stand those people, but that’s a discussion for another time.
.
“Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford” is a friendly, easy-to-understand book about finance & budgeting, offering a nice overview & step-by-step guide to getting your finances in order. I won’t say it’s life-changing, but certainly could be for others. It sits right in the middle of the finance book spectrum, in my opinion — ittle more in-depth than a basic beginners book, but doesn’t delve too far right of the spectrum of the really complicated stuff like investing, tax, and real estate.
.
I think there’s something for everyone in any stage of life, but this could be life-changing and really beneficial for high schoolers, college students, and young adults. This could really help them set foot on the right path at a young age before embarking on the real word. I think we don’t teach young kids enough about finances & budgeting in school, which could save them so much heartaches. Growing up in a working-class family, I had more than enough, but definitely had my struggles, especially in college as I was so ill-prepared with the cost of attending school, working full-time, and often relying on endless cycles of excessive credit card usage. For few years after college, I had two (and one time, even three) trying to pay back everything I’ve used. If you’re a parent raising a teen or young adult and struggling to talk about money, I highly recommend you buy two copies and read it together & have weekly discussions about finance, money, and goals. 🤓✌️📖
March 24, 2018
Sometimes life brings you a book exactly when you need it. Get Money by Kristin Wong came at just the right time. Nobody likes to actually think about money or talk about it or do anything about it, and by nobody, I mostly mean me. But at thirty, I need to really start planning for my future and stop being so lazy and inconsequential about my finances.
Most money management books I've flipped through seem condescending and critical to their readers, but Get Money is like having a short, but serious, financial conversation over coffee with a friend who wants to see you succeed in all aspects of your life. The book is divided into chapters after which you "level up" and proceed to the next more challenging, more serious step in getting your money under control. I love that Wong provides no-nonsense advice along with worksheets to track your planning and money. The worksheets are in the book as well as on a website listed in the book so you can print them out to keep yourself organized!
For someone like me, turning something as tedious and boring as money management into a game is what works for me. I'm already applying some of the ideas Wong offers in the book to build up my savings and get a better handle on my goals and how I want to make my money work for me.
If you are wanting to learn some money management skills or just to get a few new ideas to boost your portfolio, check out Kristin Wong's Get Money!
Many thanks to Hachette Books for sending me a free copy to review; all opinions are my own.
Most money management books I've flipped through seem condescending and critical to their readers, but Get Money is like having a short, but serious, financial conversation over coffee with a friend who wants to see you succeed in all aspects of your life. The book is divided into chapters after which you "level up" and proceed to the next more challenging, more serious step in getting your money under control. I love that Wong provides no-nonsense advice along with worksheets to track your planning and money. The worksheets are in the book as well as on a website listed in the book so you can print them out to keep yourself organized!
For someone like me, turning something as tedious and boring as money management into a game is what works for me. I'm already applying some of the ideas Wong offers in the book to build up my savings and get a better handle on my goals and how I want to make my money work for me.
If you are wanting to learn some money management skills or just to get a few new ideas to boost your portfolio, check out Kristin Wong's Get Money!
Many thanks to Hachette Books for sending me a free copy to review; all opinions are my own.
June 11, 2018
Excellent read for a crash course in personal finance 101. Easy to understand, non-judgmental, and interactive - I made a lot of progress in my own personal finance habits while reading this!
November 12, 2018
Good primer on all-things-money.
July 12, 2018
I won this book from GoodReads First Reads in exchange for my honest review.
I've always been pretty good with money and a saver. I'm part of the financial minority...I contribute to my 401K, I have an emergency fund and I've never, ever carried credit card debt. I'm the type of saver/spender that the author describes her mom as....I'm a penny pincher, for sure. Many of these areas didn't naturally come to me, but developed mostly through learning the hard way in my 20's.
I went into reading this book knowing not everything would apply to me, but I was looking for helpful tips and advice for taking things to the next level financially. This book definitely provided some next steps to consider, especially in the realm of investing, taxes and secondary incomes.
One of the pieces of advice Wong suggests is to "gamify" your saving and spending habits, that is to find a way to make a game of it. I've done this very thing with my grocery shopping... I use coupons and like to see if I can beat my last shopping trip total, the percentage of money saved on my receipt, and my yearly totals. Grocery shopping is a game to me...and I actually enjoy it.
This book is clearly written and gives the reader clear directions on how to turn their money situation around. The book is written in levels, instead of chapters, to encourage the reader to make a game of it. I think this book would be great as a financial primer for young adults with little to no financial literacy. Unless you have a background in finance, I think this book can provide helpful insights.
I also like that the Wong has a website and Facebook page set up (and refers to these things in the book) to encourage more interaction.
I've always been pretty good with money and a saver. I'm part of the financial minority...I contribute to my 401K, I have an emergency fund and I've never, ever carried credit card debt. I'm the type of saver/spender that the author describes her mom as....I'm a penny pincher, for sure. Many of these areas didn't naturally come to me, but developed mostly through learning the hard way in my 20's.
I went into reading this book knowing not everything would apply to me, but I was looking for helpful tips and advice for taking things to the next level financially. This book definitely provided some next steps to consider, especially in the realm of investing, taxes and secondary incomes.
One of the pieces of advice Wong suggests is to "gamify" your saving and spending habits, that is to find a way to make a game of it. I've done this very thing with my grocery shopping... I use coupons and like to see if I can beat my last shopping trip total, the percentage of money saved on my receipt, and my yearly totals. Grocery shopping is a game to me...and I actually enjoy it.
This book is clearly written and gives the reader clear directions on how to turn their money situation around. The book is written in levels, instead of chapters, to encourage the reader to make a game of it. I think this book would be great as a financial primer for young adults with little to no financial literacy. Unless you have a background in finance, I think this book can provide helpful insights.
I also like that the Wong has a website and Facebook page set up (and refers to these things in the book) to encourage more interaction.
May 2, 2020
Thank you, Ms. Wong!
This book is great. Best personal finance book I've read yet. I loved Erin Lowry's Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together and recommend it wholeheartedly, but this one amped me up even more.
This book's basic premise is to gamify personal finance to make it more palatable, and to make the rewards more obvious. The book is laid out in levels (chapters) and stages (parts). All it's missing are boss battles where to slaughter your debt with the Hero's Sword. But you can fight those on your own.
The book graduates from basics--budgeting, cutting back, fighting our consumerist tendencies--to intermediate woes--debt payoff being the big one for me--and finally, how to make even more money. You guessed it: Side hustle. I was so sick of hearing about them, too. And then I read this book and made an account on Fivvr.
This is the book for low-earning, confused, angry millennials who hate thinking about money but also can't avoid it because it's (seemingly) destroying our lives. Kristin Wong teaches you in doable steps how to make your money work for you, not against you.
This book is great. Best personal finance book I've read yet. I loved Erin Lowry's Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together and recommend it wholeheartedly, but this one amped me up even more.
This book's basic premise is to gamify personal finance to make it more palatable, and to make the rewards more obvious. The book is laid out in levels (chapters) and stages (parts). All it's missing are boss battles where to slaughter your debt with the Hero's Sword. But you can fight those on your own.
The book graduates from basics--budgeting, cutting back, fighting our consumerist tendencies--to intermediate woes--debt payoff being the big one for me--and finally, how to make even more money. You guessed it: Side hustle. I was so sick of hearing about them, too. And then I read this book and made an account on Fivvr.
This is the book for low-earning, confused, angry millennials who hate thinking about money but also can't avoid it because it's (seemingly) destroying our lives. Kristin Wong teaches you in doable steps how to make your money work for you, not against you.
April 12, 2018
My obsession with reading personal finance books continues, despite never really learning anything new because each book contains the same type of information, just presented in a different manner. This book was really well written--conversational but also explained each topic really well and made it feel quite accessible. The last section of the book was a new one for me as it talked about starting your own side gig/hustle. It was really interesting to read about the different ways people make money on the side and the tax/financial ramifications of that. Overall, a really interesting book with lots of good suggestions about blogs to follow or websites to help with starting a side gig.
Read
December 6, 2018DNF... too much like a workbook. I'm not a huge fan of filling in blanks. I just want to READ, thanks.
Also, I think the concept here is great but a little basic for my tastes, at least in the first few chapters I read.
Maybe I'll revisit someday... But this is crunch time for my reading goal, and I gotta read books I love!
Also, I think the concept here is great but a little basic for my tastes, at least in the first few chapters I read.
Maybe I'll revisit someday... But this is crunch time for my reading goal, and I gotta read books I love!
June 17, 2019
Great book if you have no idea where to begin with personal finance. I’ve known about the contents of this book for some time, but Wong has made it all interesting again and inspired some financial reorganization, so to speak.
October 11, 2019
Financial basics for a millennial audience.
I found some ideas useful, including the inverted pyramid of fixed needs / variable needs / fixed wants / variable wants.
“According to the pyramid, the first place you should look to cut costs are your variable wants. These are expenses you don’t need to survive and that also vary from month to month: restaurants, clothing, makeup, and home goods, for example. These are the easiest expenses to be frugal with because you can simply spend less on them without sacrificing them entirely. Again, you want to cut back gradually and realistically, so start with a little at a time, and focus on one variable expense at a time.
Still not enough? Then target your fixed wants: the nonessential expenses that cost the same amount every month, like cable TV (there’s life beyond House Hunters, I promise), magazine subscriptions, or gym memberships. You can survive without these expenses, but once you give them up, they’ll be gone entirely.
If you’ve cut your wants as much as you realistically can, you’ll have to examine your variable needs: groceries, gas, or your electric bill. Is there any way you can cut costs in these areas? It might mean carpooling or buying generic or turning off the air-conditioning more often. Cuts in this area require a little more sacrifice.
Finally, your fixed needs are last-resort expenses you can try to cut if you’re really desperate. There’s your rent, for example. Can you move to a cheaper apartment? It’s also car payments or registration. Can you get rid of your car and bike to work or take public transportation instead? Again, these are the least ideal cuts you can make, but if you really want to find more money in your budget after exhausting the other areas, you should ask yourself whether these cuts are worth it. Maybe they’re not. But maybe desperate times may call for desperate action.
I found some ideas useful, including the inverted pyramid of fixed needs / variable needs / fixed wants / variable wants.
“According to the pyramid, the first place you should look to cut costs are your variable wants. These are expenses you don’t need to survive and that also vary from month to month: restaurants, clothing, makeup, and home goods, for example. These are the easiest expenses to be frugal with because you can simply spend less on them without sacrificing them entirely. Again, you want to cut back gradually and realistically, so start with a little at a time, and focus on one variable expense at a time.
Still not enough? Then target your fixed wants: the nonessential expenses that cost the same amount every month, like cable TV (there’s life beyond House Hunters, I promise), magazine subscriptions, or gym memberships. You can survive without these expenses, but once you give them up, they’ll be gone entirely.
If you’ve cut your wants as much as you realistically can, you’ll have to examine your variable needs: groceries, gas, or your electric bill. Is there any way you can cut costs in these areas? It might mean carpooling or buying generic or turning off the air-conditioning more often. Cuts in this area require a little more sacrifice.
Finally, your fixed needs are last-resort expenses you can try to cut if you’re really desperate. There’s your rent, for example. Can you move to a cheaper apartment? It’s also car payments or registration. Can you get rid of your car and bike to work or take public transportation instead? Again, these are the least ideal cuts you can make, but if you really want to find more money in your budget after exhausting the other areas, you should ask yourself whether these cuts are worth it. Maybe they’re not. But maybe desperate times may call for desperate action.
December 8, 2021
ActualRating: 3.5 STAR
I first heard about this book by listening to a podcast that Ms. Wong was on. She was very charismatic and I enjoyed what she had to say in the show. It took me a hot minute but I finally made it to her book. And it was good!
There is lots of great practical information in here. A good majority of the stuff I already knew, but that doesn’t make the book not worthwhile, quite the opposite. I just wish I had read this book when I was 20.
There are so many things with finances that just aren’t taught. Whether in school, or by your parents. My mom works in a credit union and and while she did impart knowledge, there was still a lot of stuff I had to figure out on my own. A lot of that stuff is in this book. It’s extremely helpful and written in a way that is (mostly) easily digestible. I feel like I’m sitting down with Ms. Wong and she is talking to me about this stuff rather than opening a textbook. It’s a refreshing way to read about finances.
I’m always trying to do better with money. We spend so much money each and every day in things we don’t need and while you should be able to have some fun money I want to do better on saving so I can eventually retire. This book helped realize some ways I can accomplish that.
An easy read that I recommend for younger people that need to learn about money. If you think you don’t need to learn about money this book is probably for you.
I first heard about this book by listening to a podcast that Ms. Wong was on. She was very charismatic and I enjoyed what she had to say in the show. It took me a hot minute but I finally made it to her book. And it was good!
There is lots of great practical information in here. A good majority of the stuff I already knew, but that doesn’t make the book not worthwhile, quite the opposite. I just wish I had read this book when I was 20.
There are so many things with finances that just aren’t taught. Whether in school, or by your parents. My mom works in a credit union and and while she did impart knowledge, there was still a lot of stuff I had to figure out on my own. A lot of that stuff is in this book. It’s extremely helpful and written in a way that is (mostly) easily digestible. I feel like I’m sitting down with Ms. Wong and she is talking to me about this stuff rather than opening a textbook. It’s a refreshing way to read about finances.
I’m always trying to do better with money. We spend so much money each and every day in things we don’t need and while you should be able to have some fun money I want to do better on saving so I can eventually retire. This book helped realize some ways I can accomplish that.
An easy read that I recommend for younger people that need to learn about money. If you think you don’t need to learn about money this book is probably for you.
June 16, 2021
Not the most original personal finance book out there, but a decent companion read along with 'Invested' (Danielle Town) and 'Recovering Spender' (Lauren Greutman).
Too many in-text "worksheets" bog this book down, making many pages unnecessarily cluttered. Since the correlating website hosts a number of worksheets already, I'm not sure why the editors opted to put so much in the book itself.
Some information is a touch outdated (pre-COVID times), but this is still worth reading. Just didn't learn a ton of new info here.
Too many in-text "worksheets" bog this book down, making many pages unnecessarily cluttered. Since the correlating website hosts a number of worksheets already, I'm not sure why the editors opted to put so much in the book itself.
Some information is a touch outdated (pre-COVID times), but this is still worth reading. Just didn't learn a ton of new info here.
May 16, 2022
I read Kristin Wong's articles for years, but only recently finished her book. My loss! Wong expertly connects money mastery to our behavioral quirks - exactly the secret sauce we all need to achieve financial wellness. And like the experienced journalist she is, she conveys her ideas in clear, accessible language. If you are ready to take charge of your money once and for all, Get Money is a great way to get going.
September 3, 2022
I would recommend this book to all recent college graduates; whether or not you benefitted from POTUS's recent student loan forgiveness largess... but seriously, this was a well written book!!! I learned several things about finance from it, and I'm not usually a fan of self help books. There are helpful lessons to learn from this book, whether you're just starting out or just retiring. A worthy effort!!
January 12, 2022
Of all the finance books I've read so far this year, this is my favorite. Clear, with an easy to read and friendly style, great information, and worksheets that actually make sense.
I love the idea of levels, as I think its very easy to try and run before they can walk, and ignore the fundamentals which will give them a solid base.
I really enjoyed this, and found it very intelligent.
I love the idea of levels, as I think its very easy to try and run before they can walk, and ignore the fundamentals which will give them a solid base.
I really enjoyed this, and found it very intelligent.
July 11, 2022
I mean it's a good book, but I am obviously not the intended audience. I can't think of anything that I took away from it, as it's all basically a recap for someone who has been handling money with any degree of maturity and success for a few decades.
This is basically written for the debt burdened young person. I can definitely see it being useful. Good luck 🤞
This is basically written for the debt burdened young person. I can definitely see it being useful. Good luck 🤞
April 25, 2018
Excellent book! This is one of those books I'd buy for a friend... and I don't do that often. It's easy to read and understand. Kristin Wong's writing style is friendly and conversational and fun. Definitely a book I'll read again in the future!
July 30, 2018
Very engaging writing with lots of smart things to say. I took 3 pages of notes on topics like negotiation, how to switch banks, and choosing money priorities. Great stuff!
November 13, 2021
I didn't read this book the entire way through, but it was all pretty solid advice and information to get started to a healthy financial life.
August 10, 2018
Kristin Wong takes the complication out of personal finance and breaks it down into understandable and easily digestible bits. "Get Money" is aimed at a younger audience, most likely between the ages of 18 to 30 years old, but if you aren't familiar with personal finance concepts, it is a great starting point for anyone wishing to educate themselves.
With money management is often being a struggle, Wong takes topics such as saving for retirement, paying off debts, and budgeting and breaks them down into the essentials and makes them easily understandable form without making the reader feel dumb. She shares many of her own successes and failures and uses these to illustrate the fact that money is a complicated subject, we're all in different situations, and not everyone is an expert or will make the best decisions.
Most importantly, Wong talks about the balance between all of these subjects. She doesn't tell you to stop living life. She doesn't ask you to negate yourself the fruits of your labor completely. She doesn't say to the reader to stop buying cups of coffee and buy the cheapest toilet paper possible. There is equal parts emphasis on saving for the future, paying off debts, and learning how to improve your situation by earning more money in different ways.
"Get Money" isn't a groundbreaking book. Much of the same information can be found from other sources. However, Wong's delivery of the information is what makes this book enjoyable. There is humor, anecdotes, and a sense of empathy which is what makes it unique against all the other personal finance books which attempt to teach lessons through condescension and "tough love."
With money management is often being a struggle, Wong takes topics such as saving for retirement, paying off debts, and budgeting and breaks them down into the essentials and makes them easily understandable form without making the reader feel dumb. She shares many of her own successes and failures and uses these to illustrate the fact that money is a complicated subject, we're all in different situations, and not everyone is an expert or will make the best decisions.
Most importantly, Wong talks about the balance between all of these subjects. She doesn't tell you to stop living life. She doesn't ask you to negate yourself the fruits of your labor completely. She doesn't say to the reader to stop buying cups of coffee and buy the cheapest toilet paper possible. There is equal parts emphasis on saving for the future, paying off debts, and learning how to improve your situation by earning more money in different ways.
"Get Money" isn't a groundbreaking book. Much of the same information can be found from other sources. However, Wong's delivery of the information is what makes this book enjoyable. There is humor, anecdotes, and a sense of empathy which is what makes it unique against all the other personal finance books which attempt to teach lessons through condescension and "tough love."
May 23, 2019
While I am still working my way through the exercises in this book I want to say how much I have (and still am) enjoying it. Yes, not everything is applicable to me (mostly because I'm in my late 50s), but if I could roll back the clock, this is a book I wish I'd been given in my 20s. Financial literacy is so important, yet so many people are horrible at it. Kristin Wong's book allows you to stop making excuses and learn how to be smart about money and your finances.
After getting both versions (the book and audiobook) out of the library I purchased the audiobook for a long car ride my husband and I made earlier this year. Then I bought one copy for each of my kids (24 & 21), one for my goddaughter (20), and one for my nephew (21) because they are the people who will benefit the most from reading -and doing- the things in this book. I think this will be my new gift to all the twenty-somethings in my life.
Full disclosure-recently I received the book version from the author in her birthday giveaway 🍰 (which was in her newsletter). For me listening to the audiobook helped me absorb the concepts, however for actually completing the challenges I find working from the book to be easier.
If your parents didn't teach you this stuff or if you aren't so rich that you can afford to have people manage your money for you, then you need this book. It isn't going to instantly or automatically make you rich (though if you do the challenges & have a job & start young enough it will make it so you can retire someday), but it will definitely make you smarter about how you deal with your money!
After getting both versions (the book and audiobook) out of the library I purchased the audiobook for a long car ride my husband and I made earlier this year. Then I bought one copy for each of my kids (24 & 21), one for my goddaughter (20), and one for my nephew (21) because they are the people who will benefit the most from reading -and doing- the things in this book. I think this will be my new gift to all the twenty-somethings in my life.
Full disclosure-recently I received the book version from the author in her birthday giveaway 🍰 (which was in her newsletter). For me listening to the audiobook helped me absorb the concepts, however for actually completing the challenges I find working from the book to be easier.
If your parents didn't teach you this stuff or if you aren't so rich that you can afford to have people manage your money for you, then you need this book. It isn't going to instantly or automatically make you rich (though if you do the challenges & have a job & start young enough it will make it so you can retire someday), but it will definitely make you smarter about how you deal with your money!
January 7, 2023
Good tune up book kind of like a scrimmage that made you Kobe Bryant ready or an exhibition match up that led to the finals.
What my 👂 heard below 👇
I'm sitting in a bathtub of fear
Your just an asshole who picked favorites
Personal finance has more to do with behavior than anything else
That's an overwhelming thought
Your stuck in the oh shit cycle
Just for nerdy fun..
When do you feel most like yourself
Turn your goal into a full-fledged mission
Instead of the broke financial stereotype you're used to living...
Money solves problems a thousand different ways
Listen ass head give me what I want or else
Complete lack of practicality
Where are people not marketing and story telling that you can
What's the whitespace in your sector that nobody else is filling?
Price drop regret
Face and know your debt down to the penny
You stay away from money bc they think it's bad and greedy money avoiders sent to vilify wealth and romanticize poverty
Cars loans that don't suck
You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube
Deconumerize your mind
Life is pretty good because French fries exist
Get money real estate get money lending
The concepts are highly vague
What's the lending risk
Negative credit situation
There's always a low hum of anxiety in the background that doesn't go away
Earn a steady return over time
Ditch the under-earner mindset
This is buying a status related product
What my 👂 heard below 👇
I'm sitting in a bathtub of fear
Your just an asshole who picked favorites
Personal finance has more to do with behavior than anything else
That's an overwhelming thought
Your stuck in the oh shit cycle
Just for nerdy fun..
When do you feel most like yourself
Turn your goal into a full-fledged mission
Instead of the broke financial stereotype you're used to living...
Money solves problems a thousand different ways
Listen ass head give me what I want or else
Complete lack of practicality
Where are people not marketing and story telling that you can
What's the whitespace in your sector that nobody else is filling?
Price drop regret
Face and know your debt down to the penny
You stay away from money bc they think it's bad and greedy money avoiders sent to vilify wealth and romanticize poverty
Cars loans that don't suck
You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube
Deconumerize your mind
Life is pretty good because French fries exist
Get money real estate get money lending
The concepts are highly vague
What's the lending risk
Negative credit situation
There's always a low hum of anxiety in the background that doesn't go away
Earn a steady return over time
Ditch the under-earner mindset
This is buying a status related product
April 19, 2018
I recently bought the condo I live in, which was not that exciting to me, since I already lived there and didn't have to move (yay!) Even though the actual step itself wasn't all that groundbreaking, it did ultimately make me feel more like an Adult™ and that I should start doing more Adult™ things, like being more competent with my personal finances.
This is the third personal finance book I've read this year (ew, I know,) and I think I've kind of gotten the gist of them for now. I feel a lot more comfortable with the ideas and practices they all seem to advise, and I am *gulp* semi-excited about starting to properly budget and save money. Gross.
"If you really want to be awesome at money, you have to be committed to the long, sometimes boring road it takes to get there." True that, book. True that.
This is the third personal finance book I've read this year (ew, I know,) and I think I've kind of gotten the gist of them for now. I feel a lot more comfortable with the ideas and practices they all seem to advise, and I am *gulp* semi-excited about starting to properly budget and save money. Gross.
"If you really want to be awesome at money, you have to be committed to the long, sometimes boring road it takes to get there." True that, book. True that.
March 31, 2020
Never in my life did I think I would have the time and patience to sit through a personal finance book! But the lockdown happened and there suddenly was no excuses!
Kristen Wong needs to be my personal finance manager, but because that’s not possible at the moment, Get Money is the perfect alternative. Whether you’re just starting to get your stuff together like I am, or reevaluating your finances (also like I am) or even if you need a refresher on investing and retirement, she covers it ALL. I don’t typically say this but I’m definitely going to purchase this book. This will need to be a mainstay on my bookshelf.
Kristen Wong needs to be my personal finance manager, but because that’s not possible at the moment, Get Money is the perfect alternative. Whether you’re just starting to get your stuff together like I am, or reevaluating your finances (also like I am) or even if you need a refresher on investing and retirement, she covers it ALL. I don’t typically say this but I’m definitely going to purchase this book. This will need to be a mainstay on my bookshelf.
April 2, 2023
I think this book is good advice for if you really are starting from zero and need the help to do the most basic things like set a budget to pay off debt.
I mostly just used it for the one chapter on investing because I’m new to the whole American retirement system, and TikTok/IG creators had basically the same advice for everything, but it was all disjointed.
So here’s the key helpful note I needed and got from this book: if you plan on being taxed at a higher rate in the future (either because your earnings are gonna go up or you anticipate changes to the tax code to swing upwards), get a Roth IRA not a traditional one. Sweet.
I mostly just used it for the one chapter on investing because I’m new to the whole American retirement system, and TikTok/IG creators had basically the same advice for everything, but it was all disjointed.
So here’s the key helpful note I needed and got from this book: if you plan on being taxed at a higher rate in the future (either because your earnings are gonna go up or you anticipate changes to the tax code to swing upwards), get a Roth IRA not a traditional one. Sweet.
January 31, 2019
A great book breaking down all the skills and knowledge one needs to get a handle on their personal finance, presented in a digestible, friendly manner! If you’re just starting out on trying to get control of your finances, look no further—this book is perfect for you. If you’re more of an intermediate level and just looking to “level up” your knowledge (where I am), you’ll get less out of this book, but it’s still nice to reaffirm things are going on track and you’ll still likely pick up a few tricks and nuggets along the way. This should be an essential book on everyone’s bookshelf!
February 26, 2021
This book is a good alternative for someone new to getting their money together but who may have qualms with the popular highly conservative evangelical Christian alternative. For someone who wants to aim for long term financial balance rather than full blinders-on money marathon, I recommend this book. I found the tax section to be the most informative as I am not new to the personal finance world and had heard most of the advice in the book before, but there was a lot of information in that section in particular which should be, but doesn’t seem to be, common knowledge.
March 27, 2018
I got an advance copy to read the book. I read a good number of books on money and Kristin has a refreshing take on money. In fact, money advice is all the same and it's more about how it's communicated. Kristin's style is easy to follow and I enjoy the short stories, the financial information, and the actionable advice. Get Money is broken down into four stages making this a very manageable money book to read and get excited about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews