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Bad with Money: The Imperfect Art of Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together
“Humorous and forthright...[Gaby] Dunn makes facing money issues seem not only palatable but possibly even fun....Dunn’s book delivers.” —Publishers Weekly The beloved writer-comedian expands on his popular podcast with an engaging and empowering financial literacy book for Millennials and Gen Z. In the first episode of his Bad With Money podcast, Gaby Dunn asked patrons at a coffee shop two First, what’s your favorite sex position? Everyone was game to answer, even the barista. Then, she asked how much money was in their bank accounts. People were aghast. “That’s a very personal question,” they insisted. And therein lies the problem. Dunn argues that our inability to speak honestly about money is our #1 barrier to understanding it, leading us to feel alone, ashamed, and anxious, which in turns makes us feel even more overwhelmed by it. In Bad With Money, he reveals the legitimate, systemic reasons behind our feeling of helplessness when it comes to personal finance, demystifying the many signposts on the road to getting our financial sh*t together, like how to choose an insurance plan or buy a car, sign up for a credit card or take out student loans. He speaks directly to her audience, offering advice on how to make that #freelancelyfe work for you, navigate money while you date, and budget without becoming a Nobel-winning economist overnight. Even a topic as notoriously dry as money becomes hilarious and engaging in the hands of Dunn, who weaves his own stories with the perspectives of various comedians, artists, students, and more, arguing that—even without selling our bodies to science or suffering the indignity of snobby thrift shop buyers—we can all start taking control of our financial futures.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
221 people are currently reading
3419 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 396 reviews
February 25, 2019
More entertaining than educational
The book started out with a lot of promise. Dunn talked about her family's relationship with money and how that impacted her life. I thought the book would be an exploration of how to not be bad with money. It was more Dunn talking about how bad she was with money with some bits of advice thrown in. I guess I wanted more educational content.
If you are looking for a hilarious memoir that is centered around money you will enjoy this. If you are looking for practical ways to be better with money, this book might not be it.
The book started out with a lot of promise. Dunn talked about her family's relationship with money and how that impacted her life. I thought the book would be an exploration of how to not be bad with money. It was more Dunn talking about how bad she was with money with some bits of advice thrown in. I guess I wanted more educational content.
If you are looking for a hilarious memoir that is centered around money you will enjoy this. If you are looking for practical ways to be better with money, this book might not be it.
November 28, 2018
While I found this book enjoyable, I was hoping for more instruction than anecdote from it. Gaby Dunn has written a fun book about living the best you can and trying to figure out the personal and societal issue that is money. She talks a lot about herself and her family and friends, in order to put us all at ease, but I wanted just a little more hard facts and info. As a reading book I would definitely pick this, especially as an audiobook or beach read.
September 19, 2019
Every 18 old should read this. The evils of school loans, making emotional decisions on where we go to college, consumer credit wickedness, the truth about credit, saving and budgeting.
February 6, 2019
*Received a review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I'm so sad that I didn't LOVE this, because I do love Gaby Dunn (or at least I thought I did).
Firstly, do not read this if you are actually looking for financial advice. She covers topics so broadly that I found most of the tips to be so superficial that I can only imagine them being helpful if you have literally 0 knowledge of anything financial. Like 0. Maybe even negative knowledge. Even then I feel that there are better books out there to help you learn these things & that go more in depth while still being readable.
This was much more memoir/anecdote than I thought it would be as well, which might not have been a problem except for the fact that I just didn't like a lot of the anecdotes she shared. For example at one point she writes about a discussion she had with her mom about the student loans she was allowed to take so she could go to school out of state. It almost seemed like she was mad at her mom for letting her do that for her mental health? But in the next paragraph she writes about her old journal entries which state that she was seriously considering suicide if she had to stay in state. I don't know, it seems a little bit ridiculous to me that she would be mad at her parents for that when she was in such a state...
Finally there were a decent amount of "social justice-y" (for lack of a better term) thoughts shared. Even though she was technically preaching to the choir I still felt it was pretty heavy handed and not done as well as it could've been. I also think that a book where she's trying to encourage people to take control of their financial problems didn't benefit from constant reminding about how "the system wasn't made for you". While this might be true, unless you are ready to somehow overthrow the government right now you have to learn how to work within it and I would've appreciated a little more focus on that.
Overall this was just not as good as I wanted it to be and that was pretty disappointing to me.
I'm so sad that I didn't LOVE this, because I do love Gaby Dunn (or at least I thought I did).
Firstly, do not read this if you are actually looking for financial advice. She covers topics so broadly that I found most of the tips to be so superficial that I can only imagine them being helpful if you have literally 0 knowledge of anything financial. Like 0. Maybe even negative knowledge. Even then I feel that there are better books out there to help you learn these things & that go more in depth while still being readable.
This was much more memoir/anecdote than I thought it would be as well, which might not have been a problem except for the fact that I just didn't like a lot of the anecdotes she shared. For example at one point she writes about a discussion she had with her mom about the student loans she was allowed to take so she could go to school out of state. It almost seemed like she was mad at her mom for letting her do that for her mental health? But in the next paragraph she writes about her old journal entries which state that she was seriously considering suicide if she had to stay in state. I don't know, it seems a little bit ridiculous to me that she would be mad at her parents for that when she was in such a state...
Finally there were a decent amount of "social justice-y" (for lack of a better term) thoughts shared. Even though she was technically preaching to the choir I still felt it was pretty heavy handed and not done as well as it could've been. I also think that a book where she's trying to encourage people to take control of their financial problems didn't benefit from constant reminding about how "the system wasn't made for you". While this might be true, unless you are ready to somehow overthrow the government right now you have to learn how to work within it and I would've appreciated a little more focus on that.
Overall this was just not as good as I wanted it to be and that was pretty disappointing to me.
January 23, 2021
Honestly, I skimmed a LOT of this book. Not because it was bad, but because a lot of it simply wasn’t for me. I’m not necessarily the target audience. Oh, I’m definitely bad with money, but this book is really better designed for someone much younger. The menoir bits I loved.
September 3, 2019
I contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
A book that breaks down the culture of money, finance, wealth & more. I need this book in my life!
PAIRS WELL WITH THE PODCAST
Since seeing this book on Instagram, I’ve listened to several episodes of Gaby’s podcast of the same name. Through the episodes, listeners get to know Gaby. We learn a bit about her financial history & it makes her more relatable. We also learn a bit about what drives her financial decisions. For instance, she donates money to charities she cares about. She also breaks down finances in a way that represents regular working people. I love it.
LET’S BE HONEST ABOUT MONEY
In the Bad With Money book, Gaby displays a vulnerability I truly respect. She outlines her family’s monetary history & how it influences her decisions even today. I also love she shares her experiences with mental health & how it impacts her finances. Throughout the book, Gaby encourages us all to talk about money. Through sharing our experiences, our mistakes & our triumphs with each other we can navigate the complicated financial world. Working together, this financial journey won’t be as isolating & scary. I love it because people can be so weird about money. It shouldn’t be this way & Gaby tries to bring so many financial discussions into the light.
SOME TAKEAWAYS
One thing I love about this book are the takeaways. At the end of each chapter, Gaby places a few bullet points. Each bullet details, you guessed it, the takeaways. These are great for all readers. This way it’s so easy to go back & refresh your mind as needed. Yes, I read the chapters about W-2s, 1099’s & other tax forms. Could I use a refresher? You bet your ass.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Bad With Money is a resourceful book that breaks down finances in a hilarious, honest & meaningful way. Buy this book for every high school or college graduate you know. While you’re at it, buy yourself a copy!
Special thanks to Gaby Dunn & Atria Books for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
A book that breaks down the culture of money, finance, wealth & more. I need this book in my life!
PAIRS WELL WITH THE PODCAST
Since seeing this book on Instagram, I’ve listened to several episodes of Gaby’s podcast of the same name. Through the episodes, listeners get to know Gaby. We learn a bit about her financial history & it makes her more relatable. We also learn a bit about what drives her financial decisions. For instance, she donates money to charities she cares about. She also breaks down finances in a way that represents regular working people. I love it.
LET’S BE HONEST ABOUT MONEY
In the Bad With Money book, Gaby displays a vulnerability I truly respect. She outlines her family’s monetary history & how it influences her decisions even today. I also love she shares her experiences with mental health & how it impacts her finances. Throughout the book, Gaby encourages us all to talk about money. Through sharing our experiences, our mistakes & our triumphs with each other we can navigate the complicated financial world. Working together, this financial journey won’t be as isolating & scary. I love it because people can be so weird about money. It shouldn’t be this way & Gaby tries to bring so many financial discussions into the light.
SOME TAKEAWAYS
One thing I love about this book are the takeaways. At the end of each chapter, Gaby places a few bullet points. Each bullet details, you guessed it, the takeaways. These are great for all readers. This way it’s so easy to go back & refresh your mind as needed. Yes, I read the chapters about W-2s, 1099’s & other tax forms. Could I use a refresher? You bet your ass.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Bad With Money is a resourceful book that breaks down finances in a hilarious, honest & meaningful way. Buy this book for every high school or college graduate you know. While you’re at it, buy yourself a copy!
Special thanks to Gaby Dunn & Atria Books for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
January 22, 2019
Some of it is very American focused and doesn’t work in the Canadian context.
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May 5, 2022I think the best way to describe this book would be “enjoyable but completely useless.” Also, I think an owl totally could have caused the injuries that the woman in true crime documentary series “The Staircase” died from. Not that they ever mentioned that possibility in the documentary—not sure why Gaby threw that in this book. She’s like, “No way an owl did that!” But since they never suggested that as an option, anyone who watched that series would be like WTF. I didn’t even know that was a thing people said about that case, but I mentioned to my partner while we watched it, “It could have been a bird that did that.” Now I’ve googled it and it turns out I’m not the only one who thought that, so thanks Gaby Dunn. Also, you are delightful and I love you even though this book doesn’t do anything for me.
January 1, 2019
Wow. So, Gaby is Bad with Money. This book is more memoir than how to so if you're looking for a straightforward how to get out of debt or how to handle money book, this isn't the best choice. There are financial tips throughout, but they are connected to lessons she's learned and not set up as a straight how to. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a funny, honest memoir about money troubles and learning how to not be bad with money, this is your book. Gaby writes with honesty and humor about her past monetary foibles and complete lack of financial knowledge and I know there are those who will greatly identify with her. My first roommate would simply stop writing down the checks she wrote in her checking account ledger when she was getting close to $0. Not stop spending... just stopped writing it down. Yeah, sure, that's how that works. I made plenty of my own mistakes with money over the years. At this point, in my mid-40s, I've learned to budget and my only debt is my mortgage which I've happily gotten paid down by nearly half over the past 5 years (I'm so looking forward to the day I make that last payment!). But it's been a journey rewriting the money scripts I learned growing up. Throughout the book, she tells not only her own story, but inserts what she's learned from interviewing experts and talking to friends and family along the way. Don't keep waiting, hoping for some windfall to save the day and fix all your money problems, get on a budget.
This book would be especially useful to a younger person - teens and 20s - as a warning what not to do and how to get a good start on handling money. I would also recommend checking out her podcast, also titled Bad with Money. I've started from the beginning and am really enjoying the interviews she does with experts and people in her life talking about money.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book would be especially useful to a younger person - teens and 20s - as a warning what not to do and how to get a good start on handling money. I would also recommend checking out her podcast, also titled Bad with Money. I've started from the beginning and am really enjoying the interviews she does with experts and people in her life talking about money.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 26, 2019
Bad with Money by Gaby Dunn is a 60-40 split between a memoir and financial advice book, which offered just enough self-help and just enough self-loathing for my tastes. One of my favorite things about this book is that she admittedly acknowledges that financial advice is sort of foolish in our current economy—throughout the book, whenever you may start to feel too down on your spending habits, Dunn is there to offer the helpful disclaimer that the ultimate problem is that you probably aren’t paid enough money for the ever-growing expenses of American life.
This leads to several chapters of financial advice that don’t require you to turn your conscience off before reading (before you say I am so clever, this phrase is stolen from my Episcopal uncle, who succinctly describes his denomination as “church where you don’t have to turn your brain off.”) Dunn doesn’t shy away from the “racial, classist, ableist, transphobic, homophobic, and misogynistic tints to money that can’t be ignored.” Instead of ignoring them, she sees them as all the MORE reason why we shouldn’t experience shame about our money issues, and should communicate these challenges honestly and openly, so that we can resolve as many as possible. She’s arguing for the middle ground in a way that’s inherently logical, by calling for systemic and individual accountability : “we can prepare for future medical debts while still calling our congressional representatives to put universal health care in place.”
In addition to the strong ethical grounding of Bad with Money, Dunn is also a hilarious commentator and master conversationalist, which makes sense given the frequent interviews on her podcast. She also speaks to a number of financial experts here, but their insights appear alongside #relatable, meme-like asides:
Finally, I really enjoyed her accounts of how our early life experiences lead us to develop money scripts, which is right on time for me, given my own therapy visits and obsessive consumption of Esther Perel podcasts. This is another helpful way Dun encourages her readers to arrive at a more empathetic rationalization of their spending habits, and to ensure that we are learning more than a bunch of fad diets (I mean budgeting tricks.)
TLDR: Kudos to Gaby Dunn, and please read this if you are looking for common-sense financial self-help alongside an enjoyable memoir of an “LA creative.”
This leads to several chapters of financial advice that don’t require you to turn your conscience off before reading (before you say I am so clever, this phrase is stolen from my Episcopal uncle, who succinctly describes his denomination as “church where you don’t have to turn your brain off.”) Dunn doesn’t shy away from the “racial, classist, ableist, transphobic, homophobic, and misogynistic tints to money that can’t be ignored.” Instead of ignoring them, she sees them as all the MORE reason why we shouldn’t experience shame about our money issues, and should communicate these challenges honestly and openly, so that we can resolve as many as possible. She’s arguing for the middle ground in a way that’s inherently logical, by calling for systemic and individual accountability : “we can prepare for future medical debts while still calling our congressional representatives to put universal health care in place.”
In addition to the strong ethical grounding of Bad with Money, Dunn is also a hilarious commentator and master conversationalist, which makes sense given the frequent interviews on her podcast. She also speaks to a number of financial experts here, but their insights appear alongside #relatable, meme-like asides:
“It’s an unsolvable catch 22: how can I make sure I have what I need to exist and succeed within a broken system without supporting that system? To borrow from my own tweet: ‘me on Twitter: burn the capitalist system/Me on Amazon: check out my wish list’.”
Finally, I really enjoyed her accounts of how our early life experiences lead us to develop money scripts, which is right on time for me, given my own therapy visits and obsessive consumption of Esther Perel podcasts. This is another helpful way Dun encourages her readers to arrive at a more empathetic rationalization of their spending habits, and to ensure that we are learning more than a bunch of fad diets (I mean budgeting tricks.)
TLDR: Kudos to Gaby Dunn, and please read this if you are looking for common-sense financial self-help alongside an enjoyable memoir of an “LA creative.”
May 15, 2019
I liked it! I do like Gaby Dunn's "Bad With Money" podcast, and this book seemed like an extended podcast episode with no guests. It is very 101, so someone with a good grasp of basic financial literacy likely will not learn anything. Other reviews mention being disappointed that the book was primarily anecdotes from Dunn's life and the lives of her friends, but I liked the anecdotes! I already love reading Refinery29's Money Diaries series and The Financial Diet's Financial Confessions, so I knew this book would entertain me. I admittedly don't know much about Gaby Dunn, I just listen to her podcast and see her pop up every once in a while on YouTube or TV. It's been fun listening to her learn about money, and frankly, it's also reassuring to know that I'm not totally alone in my confusion about what I assumed were basic financial concepts.
December 6, 2021
this book is definitely not meant for me. even though i’m relatively young, it’s seems to be geared towards someone even younger than i am. and also someone in debt. i am not in debt, so much of the stuff about debt didn’t apply to me.
this book is also definitely at least half memoir. while gaby does give some good advice, this book is more entertaining than it is informative.
props for it being easy to read, and for being the first ever finance-related book i’ve ever read. definitely didn’t hate it as much as i thought i would.
3 stars.
this book is also definitely at least half memoir. while gaby does give some good advice, this book is more entertaining than it is informative.
props for it being easy to read, and for being the first ever finance-related book i’ve ever read. definitely didn’t hate it as much as i thought i would.
3 stars.
February 17, 2019
Some interesting stats and definitely gives you something to think about. But it just wasn't what I was expecting.
March 8, 2021
This book is probably perfect for a college freshman who is figuring out their money (or who hasn’t thought about it yet). Most of the advice and knowledge in this book is pretty basic, although I did enjoy Gaby’s stories. The main take away from this book for me was to find another book to read about money.
August 4, 2019
gaby skillfully weaves memoir-type stories, personal finance tips, and intersectional analysis of predatory and capitalistic structures together to create this incredibly insightful book. tons of resources, diverse perspectives.
May 5, 2025
Super accessible overview of all the confusing pieces of finances, told with complete empathy by someone who was "bad" with money. This actually did help me sort out some of my own shit and made it all a bit less scary. Really appreciate this, my guy!
I wish there was a further reading section, but this felt like a pretty good starting point, with the podcast being my next stop.
I wish there was a further reading section, but this felt like a pretty good starting point, with the podcast being my next stop.
Read
November 15, 2021I'm not sure what to make of this. I'm like a year older than the author, so maybe I am the wrong audience for this? If I had a book like this when I was 21, I think it would have been great, but as it is, this waffled too much between memoir and prescriptive nonfiction and cultural critique and didn't land on anything. I like the voice, and I agree with pretty much everything Dunn says, but like....I'm not sure I needed to read this.
dnf
January 10, 2020Doesn't feel like there's anything new if you've already listened to the podcast, but probably a good read if you haven't or if you'd like to read through what you'd already heard.
August 14, 2022
Love their JBU podcast, so I had to check this out. It's not a budgeting book, but more of a "here's what you should have learned in home ec that they don't teach you." Wish I had read it 20 years ago. Highly recommend as a high school or college grad gift.
September 27, 2023
Part financial tips, part memoir, part political - this book gave me a wider perspective of money and the System. Dunn encourages friends to be more open about their financial situations, and was refreshingly open themselves. At first it starts out with tips for students in high school and college but then ages along into adulthood/retirement saving. Overall, I'm glad I read it.
January 4, 2019
I loved the writing and style of this book, but wish I'd known it would regurgitate the whole podcast series before I bought it. The author brings up several good ideas and the personal narrative makes it easier to follow. I especially like the "Key Takeaways" at the end of each chapter. For a reader that identifies as young, broke, and unaware of the systems related to money, this book would be a great introduction.
Read
March 20, 2019I highly recommend the "Bad With Money" podcast by Gaby Dunn. The book is fine, but you could get the same message/ideas from the podcast. Would be a great book for a high school or college-aged kid heading out for the first time into the world to help them steer clear of common money pitfalls.
May 24, 2020
This book is very interesting for anecdotes but doesn’t seem to actually come down to cold hard facts. Additionally she talks a lot about marginalized books but doesn’t seem to acknowledge her privilege so her anecdotes made me more frustrated than connecting with her.
March 5, 2024
This book is great if you’re 15 years old and trying to get a grasp on your financial future. But as an adult it’s useless. More of a memoir on her life than a self-help finance book. Total waste of money.
September 3, 2019
Sarah contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
A book that breaks down the culture of money, finance, wealth & more. I need this book in my life!
PAIRS WELL WITH THE PODCAST
Since seeing this book on Instagram, I’ve listened to several episodes of Gaby’s podcast of the same name. Through the episodes, listeners get to know Gaby. We learn a bit about her financial history & it makes her more relatable. We also learn a bit about what drives her financial decisions. For instance, she donates money to charities she cares about. She also breaks down finances in a way that represents regular working people. I love it.
LET’S BE HONEST ABOUT MONEY
In the Bad With Money book, Gaby displays a vulnerability I truly respect. She outlines her family’s monetary history & how it influences her decisions even today. I also love she shares her experiences with mental health & how it impacts her finances. Throughout the book, Gaby encourages us all to talk about money. Through sharing our experiences, our mistakes & our triumphs with each other we can navigate the complicated financial world. Working together, this financial journey won’t be as isolating & scary. I love it because people can be so weird about money. It shouldn’t be this way & Gaby tries to bring so many financial discussions into the light.
SOME TAKEAWAYS
One thing I love about this book are the takeaways. At the end of each chapter, Gaby places a few bullet points. Each bullet details, you guessed it, the takeaways. These are great for all readers. This way it’s so easy to go back & refresh your mind as needed. Yes, I read the chapters about W-2s, 1099’s & other tax forms. Could I use a refresher? You bet your ass.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Bad With Money is a resourceful book that breaks down finances in a hilarious, honest & meaningful way. Buy this book for every high school or college graduate you know. While you’re at it, buy yourself a copy!
Special thanks to Gaby Dunn & Atria Books for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
A book that breaks down the culture of money, finance, wealth & more. I need this book in my life!
PAIRS WELL WITH THE PODCAST
Since seeing this book on Instagram, I’ve listened to several episodes of Gaby’s podcast of the same name. Through the episodes, listeners get to know Gaby. We learn a bit about her financial history & it makes her more relatable. We also learn a bit about what drives her financial decisions. For instance, she donates money to charities she cares about. She also breaks down finances in a way that represents regular working people. I love it.
LET’S BE HONEST ABOUT MONEY
In the Bad With Money book, Gaby displays a vulnerability I truly respect. She outlines her family’s monetary history & how it influences her decisions even today. I also love she shares her experiences with mental health & how it impacts her finances. Throughout the book, Gaby encourages us all to talk about money. Through sharing our experiences, our mistakes & our triumphs with each other we can navigate the complicated financial world. Working together, this financial journey won’t be as isolating & scary. I love it because people can be so weird about money. It shouldn’t be this way & Gaby tries to bring so many financial discussions into the light.
SOME TAKEAWAYS
One thing I love about this book are the takeaways. At the end of each chapter, Gaby places a few bullet points. Each bullet details, you guessed it, the takeaways. These are great for all readers. This way it’s so easy to go back & refresh your mind as needed. Yes, I read the chapters about W-2s, 1099’s & other tax forms. Could I use a refresher? You bet your ass.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book! Bad With Money is a resourceful book that breaks down finances in a hilarious, honest & meaningful way. Buy this book for every high school or college graduate you know. While you’re at it, buy yourself a copy!
Special thanks to Gaby Dunn & Atria Books for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
January 8, 2020
I've gotten out of the habit of writing reviews in recent months, so this is my attempt to remedy that. #NewYearNewMe.
I've been a fan of Gaby Dunn's work for a while, though I've only sporadically listened to the Bad With Money podcast. I put the book on my TBR shelf almost a year ago and I don't remember what compelled me to put it on hold at the library (this was only two weeks ago; in my defense, I was writing a paper). At 265 breezy pages, BMW is a quick read chock-full of useful information.
As a young adult striving to improve my financial literacy in a crumbling capitalist society, this book was perfect for me. Even if you know the difference between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA (I didn't before reading this book and to be honest I'd still have to consult the book in order to explain the difference), Dunn provides invaluable evidence for the intersection between finance and race-/sexuality-/gender-/ability-based discrimination. She also critiques the moralistic tone of other financial "gurus" and utterly decimates the condescending idea that poor people can avoid the burdens of intergenerational poverty and crushing debt by skipping their morning coffee.
As other reviewers have noted, this is not an advice book; however, this is a great place to start. The Financial Diet--comprised of a website, a book, and a YouTube channel--focus more on personal finance and specific budgeting strategies. Just as a side note: I would love to see Chelsea Fagan and Gaby Dunn work together in some capacity (and hey, they both wrote for ThoughtCatalog at some point! Maybe there's a story there...)
The conversational tone bugged me at times and I felt like the book could have used more careful line editing, but the good information and accessible presentation cancel out my personal thoughts about the language.
I've been a fan of Gaby Dunn's work for a while, though I've only sporadically listened to the Bad With Money podcast. I put the book on my TBR shelf almost a year ago and I don't remember what compelled me to put it on hold at the library (this was only two weeks ago; in my defense, I was writing a paper). At 265 breezy pages, BMW is a quick read chock-full of useful information.
As a young adult striving to improve my financial literacy in a crumbling capitalist society, this book was perfect for me. Even if you know the difference between a 401(k) and a Roth IRA (I didn't before reading this book and to be honest I'd still have to consult the book in order to explain the difference), Dunn provides invaluable evidence for the intersection between finance and race-/sexuality-/gender-/ability-based discrimination. She also critiques the moralistic tone of other financial "gurus" and utterly decimates the condescending idea that poor people can avoid the burdens of intergenerational poverty and crushing debt by skipping their morning coffee.
As other reviewers have noted, this is not an advice book; however, this is a great place to start. The Financial Diet--comprised of a website, a book, and a YouTube channel--focus more on personal finance and specific budgeting strategies. Just as a side note: I would love to see Chelsea Fagan and Gaby Dunn work together in some capacity (and hey, they both wrote for ThoughtCatalog at some point! Maybe there's a story there...)
The conversational tone bugged me at times and I felt like the book could have used more careful line editing, but the good information and accessible presentation cancel out my personal thoughts about the language.
September 8, 2019
Ok. I'm a SUPER into reading other people's financial stories. It's why I follow like 20 financial planning Youtubers - there's nothing like hearing other people's money stories!
I really liked Gaby Dunn's book, even though most of it isn't applicable to my personal situation. I've always had a pretty good relationship with money - most of it aided by the fact that I grew up in an upper-middle class household and graduated with almost no student loan debt. My parents were always good at talking about money, and I was the kid who saved most of her allowance. Mostly, spending money gives me anxiety.
But Gaby's book - part memoir, part self-help guide - is a breath of fresh air. Not only is it very funny, but she's honest about the lengths people can actually go to make themselves financially sustatinable. It's easy for me to set money aside for savings because I have a good salary, no medical debt (thank u Canadian taxpayers!) and a safety net called "my parents like me and won't let me be homeless." Gaby is honest, especially about mental health and financial challenges - something that is almost NEVER talked about.
I really liked Gaby Dunn's book, even though most of it isn't applicable to my personal situation. I've always had a pretty good relationship with money - most of it aided by the fact that I grew up in an upper-middle class household and graduated with almost no student loan debt. My parents were always good at talking about money, and I was the kid who saved most of her allowance. Mostly, spending money gives me anxiety.
But Gaby's book - part memoir, part self-help guide - is a breath of fresh air. Not only is it very funny, but she's honest about the lengths people can actually go to make themselves financially sustatinable. It's easy for me to set money aside for savings because I have a good salary, no medical debt (thank u Canadian taxpayers!) and a safety net called "my parents like me and won't let me be homeless." Gaby is honest, especially about mental health and financial challenges - something that is almost NEVER talked about.
May 12, 2019
I heard Gaby Dunn interviewed on a podcast, and then realized she had her own podcast (“Bad with money”). I love the topic of personal finance and was curious to read her “financial memoir” as a way to learn where she was coming from, since I can’t really relate to her history or struggles.
I started this book worried that it was geared towards a much younger audience than me- Dunn spends a few early chapters talking about how and why to get a job as a high school student and the college application process. But then she tackles topics like mental health and finances, marginalized groups and finances, dealing with family deaths and financial consequences, medical bills and our healthcare system, and the capitalistic society we live in.
I ended up being kind of blown away- she made me think about things in a way that I haven’t before, frankly due to my privilege. I consider myself a progressive and liberal democrat, but there are still issues that I found myself blind to. Thank you, Gaby Dunn, for opening my eyes a bit!
I started this book worried that it was geared towards a much younger audience than me- Dunn spends a few early chapters talking about how and why to get a job as a high school student and the college application process. But then she tackles topics like mental health and finances, marginalized groups and finances, dealing with family deaths and financial consequences, medical bills and our healthcare system, and the capitalistic society we live in.
I ended up being kind of blown away- she made me think about things in a way that I haven’t before, frankly due to my privilege. I consider myself a progressive and liberal democrat, but there are still issues that I found myself blind to. Thank you, Gaby Dunn, for opening my eyes a bit!
Want to read
November 17, 2018This book was part memoir and part very basic financial advice. It is an honest story of what she has learned about money...from her childhood, from her experiences in her career and from being a millennial. I appreciated the parts where she talked about how important it is to recognize that early experiences you had with money (how it was discussed in your home as a child) can have a big impact on how you were formed as an adult today.
I liked the basic recap at the end of each chapter and found many of her ideas to be very helpful to someone who was just starting out in their financial education journey. She has a relatable voice and she is able to share what she has learned without sounding sanctimonious which I think will help other millennials connect with this book. There were some chapters that were more helpful than others but all in all, I appreciate that there is a book that shares an underrepresented voice in the financial education field.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the basic recap at the end of each chapter and found many of her ideas to be very helpful to someone who was just starting out in their financial education journey. She has a relatable voice and she is able to share what she has learned without sounding sanctimonious which I think will help other millennials connect with this book. There were some chapters that were more helpful than others but all in all, I appreciate that there is a book that shares an underrepresented voice in the financial education field.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2019
I read perhaps too many personal finance books, but this one surprised and impressed me from the very beginning. (I'm passingly familiar with the some of the author's YouTube work, but not with her podcast, which is also titled Bad with Money.)
From the introduction, in which the author talks about her father's addiction and how it financially impacted her family as well as her Holocaust-survivor grandmother, Dunn doesn't pull her punches or gloss over her own mistakes. This book reads less like a guide than a money-focused autobiography of Dunn, which I think worked very well (there are some bullet points and tips at the end of each chapter if you like that sort of thing). I especially liked the last chapter ("The System") and the way that Dunn consistently brings up how pre-existing structures make it hard for there to be a level playing field in finance, especially for marginalized groups.
From the introduction, in which the author talks about her father's addiction and how it financially impacted her family as well as her Holocaust-survivor grandmother, Dunn doesn't pull her punches or gloss over her own mistakes. This book reads less like a guide than a money-focused autobiography of Dunn, which I think worked very well (there are some bullet points and tips at the end of each chapter if you like that sort of thing). I especially liked the last chapter ("The System") and the way that Dunn consistently brings up how pre-existing structures make it hard for there to be a level playing field in finance, especially for marginalized groups.
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