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The Joy of Money: the Australian woman's guide to financial independence

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Money isn't just about money. It's about security. It's about choices - to live our lives the way we want. It's about everything money enables you to do and just as importantly what it allows you not to do.

Money is complex. Women know that they need to be smart about money, but are often stopped short- they don't know where to go, how to start, or who to trust. They feel that most material on money is skin-deep - it's either about budgeting or investing in the share market. They want expert guidance about money that explains the detail and the big picture, which is the genesis of the Joy of Money.

The Joy of Money starts with the personal foundations of money - what matters most to us, our values, goals and priorities. It then covers the practical elements at the intersection of money and life- creating a system for managing money, career, family, relationships, investment, superannuation, insurance, wills and estate planning and retirement planning.

This comprehensive money guide is designed to bring money to life - to put the joy back into money. You can read it cover to cover or dip in and out of the more pertinent chapters. We can't guarantee you instant financial freedom - we can give you financial knowledge and step-by-step guides to set you well on your way.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

4 people are currently reading
131 people want to read

About the author

Julia Newbould

2 books2 followers

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5 stars
20 (32%)
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22 (35%)
3 stars
12 (19%)
2 stars
7 (11%)
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1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Laura.
5 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2021
I loved the idea of this book but really didn't live up to expectations. It was definitely geared towards average to high earning career women in the 35-55 age range. It really didn't show a lot of diversity in lifestyle, even housing examples used were for the range of $750 000 to $1 000 000. It mentioned some interesting ideas like using super for buying a first home but then didn't elaborate any further, it essentially just assumed the reader already had a house and an income around $90 000+ as a single woman and extra with a spouse.

I liked that it talked in detail about super and insurance but again a lot of it was geared towards having children in high school or adult children, and expenses related to a large home using examples like downsizing to lower costs ect.

Would recommend if you want a more complex understanding of super and maybe insurance, plus info for retirement if you are a long term planner but not if you want to learn the basics like budgeting or paying down debt.
174 reviews2 followers
September 13, 2020
I found this an easy read, but didn't find it as useful as other money books I have read like The Barefoot Investor. I don't think I would recommend it.
1 review
May 1, 2020
Packed with valuable advice, not just for women, but men too, this book tackles the hard questions faced by Australians making their way through the maze of how to make money work, in a practical, commonsense way. It's no dry financial text, but rather brilliantly written, easy to read and comprehensible across all ages and backgrounds. It's that conversation you always wanted to have with a family member or friend whose career success has begun ahead of an effective personal financial strategy - a perfect gift for one's adult children. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Kimberley.
190 reviews8 followers
January 18, 2022
It was an easy read. Went into detail about each section but I prefer other finance books to this one.

All the case studies have people earning high incomes like $80-$100k but nobody with an average income like $40-$50k. Having some realistic studies would’ve been nice to compare to as it was easy to talk about them saving good amounts to invest and all that but I would’ve like to seen more on a low income and trials and tribulations with that.

The advice about wills, insurances and death was quite good, especially talking about planning it early rather than waiting until the last minute to organise it.

Not bad, but probably won’t read again
1 review
November 27, 2022
Very glad I borrowed this from the library instead of buying. Some good tips but definitely geared for high earners. Some assumed knowledge and not really up to date. For instance, they don’t mention all kinds of investing apps that exist and say you need $500 to start investing which is just not true.
Definitely not as simple and easy as many other finance books.
If you’re over 40, already have money behind you and want extra tips to make that grow, give this a read.
If you don’t already own a home and make $80k+ a year, stick to Barefoot investor or Jessica Irvine type books.
1 review3 followers
May 7, 2020
This book covers all the essential topics for financial literacy and is a great tool for making choices about all those scary money matters - saving, borrowing, investing, superannuation. Easy to ready and understand it is good for women (and men) of all ages and life stages. I’m going to lend it to my teenage daughter so she can be savvy.
Profile Image for Shannon Hood.
10 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2020
I loved this! Short, sharp and punchy with advice that's both easy to digest and immediately useful. As a woman in my late-twenties planning to purchase my first property, this book took my knowledge from a starting point of near-zero to a place where I feel confident to make decisions and ask questions (the right questions!) about money and investing. Can't recommend enough!
1 review
May 6, 2020
Essential reading at any (and every) financial stage of life. Not just for women but all Australians. Would highly recommend for young women with little or no economic background, as it is easy to read and covers all topics.

I am passing my copy on ...
Profile Image for Julia.
217 reviews22 followers
April 9, 2023
File that under: Books from my mum
This book is right book, wrong time. Very sage advice that I will keep and refer back to. For someone who has just quit their job to go travelling for six months, I cannot apply any of this advice but I will keep it in mind !
1 review
May 21, 2020
The Joy of Money is a great read, full of practical money info for anyone, not just women. I'm recommending it to my sons and their partners.
Profile Image for Rachael Corby.
4 reviews
September 27, 2020
Loved it! Great tips for all stages of life. Ive written lots of notes and have started to put things into action.
Profile Image for Sommer.
756 reviews16 followers
November 3, 2023
While this is focussed on people who already have established careers and are past the point of starting out, there are some valuable tools here.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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