Think Like a Breadwinner: A Wealth-Building Manifesto for Women Who Want to Earn More

by Jennifer Barrett

A new kind of manifesto for the working woman, with tips on building wealth and finding balance, as well as inspiration for harnessing the freedom and power that comes from a breadwinning mindset.

Nearly half of working women in the United States are now their household's main breadwinner. And yet, the majority of women still aren't being brought up to think like breadwinners. In fact, they're actually discouraged--by institutional bias and subconscious beliefs--from building their own wealth, pursuing their full earning potential, and providing for themselves and others financially. The result is that women earn less, owe more, and have significantly less money saved and invested for the future than men do. And if women do end up the main breadwinners, they've been conditioned to feel reluctant and unprepared to manage the role.

In Think Like a Breadwinner, financial expert Jennifer Barrett reframes what it really means to be a breadwinner. By dismantling the narrative that women don't--and shouldn't--take full financial responsibility to create the lives they want, she reveals not only the importance of women building their own wealth, but also the freedom and power that comes with it. With concrete practical tools, as well as examples from her own journey, Barrett encourages women to reclaim, rejoice in, and aspire to the role of breadwinner like never before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Self Help, Money, Personal Finance, Business, Feminism

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2021

Reviews

[Sydney Doidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. I have a new list of investment strategies and other job things to consider. The first section about how women don't see themselves as breadwinners really resonated with me. Often (subconsciously or not) we assume we will end up with a partner who will make more than us, or we will dial back our careers when kids come, and we will be taken care of in some way. So we don't think about the long term trajectories of our careers as much or about whether our career will enable to have the lifestyle (including type of job, job balance, income, vacation etc) we want. I sort of realized I had been doing this, and it made me want to be more active in thinking about what I want in my career, how I will invest (retire early?) and how to get there.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good gift to give the young woman in your life even if you have already impressed on her the importance of financial self reliance and investing. As I read this I had to chuckle a bit at the clearly slanted approach taught to females, even if it has lost some grip, there is much that is still stuck in old mindsets. While the women in this book were all more of an urban location, the advice is applicable to all locales.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and easy to read, thought provoking and I took away many good points and things that I actually thought about. I will make some changes in my work life and finances because of this book.

I do not like the idea that we need to take control because our husbands will one day come home and divorce us, which seemed to be a very common theme (or at least was in many of the stories) in this book.

[EricheBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ask me about my complex thoughts in person. Three stars.

[Shayla Poindexter · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audiobook 🎧)

[Alyssa Foll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had existed when I was in college or had been given to me as a college graduation present. This contains so much vital information on women, wealth-building, and the workforce.

[Rae Slezak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it gives some very solid advice about building wealth, and pointed out some disturbing differences in the ways men and women are taught to think about money.

I was worried this book would be another rendition of Lean In, but was thankful that Jennifer did talk about systemic inequalities and recognized that things are not always up to the individual to change.

This book does not contain any critiques of capitalism (and I wasn't expecting it to); it is another finance book that shows people how to exist under capitalism and does not talk about how these systemic inequalities she talks about relate to capitalism at all, which to me is an important thing to recognize. This is unsurprising but disappointing nontheless, and it's why I'm giving the book four stars.

Overall I recommend this book to any non-man because I think it is important we know how to take care of ourselves!

[SairaBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have read Lean In by Sheyrl Sandburg this is better and more relevant to current times. Where Lean In missed the mark on some topics Think like a Breadwinner hits the nail on the head and many women would find more relatable.

Part memoir, part evidence based research. This book acknowledges the history of women in the work force along with other hot topics- finance, investing, career building, unpaid work in terms of household chores, family life, work-life imbalances.

And answers the age old question can women have it all? Which has plagued women for decades.

After reading this book I feel more knowlegable, confident and empowered to take the reins.

[Vicki Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best chapter is 7, at least for me. It provides actionable answers to "how to invest," and teaches the vocabulary of what to do and what to look for. Chapter 6 teaches a healthy attitude towards credit; previously, avoiding credit like the plague has served me well, but now I know what it's useful for when I'm ready for a change.

A bit of a warning that this book assumes a certain level of enfranchisement in its audience members. But it made me think hard about the circumstances founding my personal history and forgive myself, so I can use the parts that apply to me.

[Abigail Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book spent far too much time trying to convince you that women are worse off than men financially. I am very familiar with a lot of the studies that were cited in the book, and most of them were either exaggerated or plain untrue. Barrett's point is valid in that women need to have more of a breadwinner mindset, but the way she went about saying it felt more like a bitter rant than stating facts. However, the book gave very valuable advice on what to do with your finances when it came to it.

[The Lexington Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

HIGHLY Recommend! If you are looking for the motivation to change your financial mindset, grab a copy of this book. Barrett has targeted female breadwinners and their path to understanding how providing for their future, families, and financial security can be done. There is a lot to digest in this book- I took my time reading it over the course of December, and will be keeping the hardcopy on my personal bookshelf for reference- and share with my close friends! Those friends are the only ones I have felt comfortable enough to discuss my financials with, but I love that Barrett has provided a manifesto that helps encourage the dialog regarding women and finances. Specifically, to discuss the gender pay gap, women who earn more than their partners, and single women with children. Growing up in a traditional household, I have had to learn to question my bias regarding finances, and to realize that I could be the breadwinner. Reading Think Like a Breadwinner was the exact encouragement I needed, and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Haley Stocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the title is a bit of a misnomer, although the book talks a fair amount about “breadwinning” the true focus on the book is taking ownership over how you both make and manage your money, time, and resources. I appreciated the questions that she asked in order to write the book and they definitely made me think about my financial and social values but I didn’t agree with a lot of the conclusions she came to regarding them. She did have some statistics and interviews sprinkled throughout the book but most of the “meat” came from her life and her experience (which is a valid albeit limited point of view). Overall if you’re looking for a financial or career advice book I’d look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for something along the lines of you go girl book or a book to just start thinking about what it means to be a woman in the workforce this would be a book to check out.

[Jessica Gutierrez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This was a lot different than what I thought it was going to be. I was hoping for more strategy/tips/knowledge on growing wealth. And while I agree with her argument that women need to earn money for themselves and not just expect/hope to be taken care of someday (because what if that never happens? Or does but is cut short?) but I felt like the majority of the book was blaming our culture/systems too much with a “keeping women down” mindset, rather than just teaching me how to grow and build wealth. I ended up skipping over a lot, but I did appreciate that even though this book was very feminist leaning, she didn’t spend her time putting men down. I just felt like I could have gotten a lot more out of it if she would have shared more tips on how to invest/manage money/etc.

[Sana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It is a good book about motivating women to change their mindset around making money and provides a clear view of how history and social setups, both at home and at office, have kept women back until recently. The financial advice itself, which was the promise made again and again in the book, although opened up new ideas, didn't really go into much details. The book had a lot of repetition which was another turn off. Overall it's a very good read if u focus on what it provides (the reason why a book with such a title be written in the first place) as opposed to what it promises to teach you.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the concept but this is one of the most anxiety provoking financial books I’ve read in a long time and Inkind of wanted to give it a 3. What if I don’t want a high flying powerful career?? No I don’t want to be dependent on a husband but y’all I am tired of doing all the things.

This book is much more geared towards women who a)are super ambitious and need a permission slip to feel that way and b)have kids, bonus of you c)have a lower earning husband but not totally necessary. Overall there are much better books that really dive into it’s main topics: investing, splitting household responsibilities, and career growth

[Elia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The concept that woman need to have a mindset of being able to take care of themselves, their families and the lifestyle they want is important. No matter if you have a partner or not being able to provide shelter, food & comforts of life should be further up on the list of things being taught to girls.

Even though this book is "somewhat" geared towards people who work for an employer, I believe as an entrepreneur that there are a tremendous amount that any woman should be considering when thinking about her life plan.

What do you you want? How you are going to get it? And how are you going to keep it?

[Isabelle Babson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️ the first and last few chapters were what made this book worth the time for me. I enjoyed the authors perspective about the mindset surrounding what has to change to think like a breadwinner. I wish she would’ve focused more on that as opposed to explaining what a credit card is and what the stock market is in the middle of the book because 1. that’s not what the book was really selling from the description and 2. there are much shorter ways to learn about those things than reading what felt like a lot of fluff in this book

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very solid theme with some great takeaways and insights. Finance is an intimidating topic for me and I found this read approachable and easy to follow. I feel like parts of it, mainly the third section, became too repetitive. My only other criticism is the author chose anecdotes that many can't relate to. All in all I feel this is definitely a great book for a beginner looking to understand personal wealth in a greater capacity.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Rather than the typical finance book that harps on budgets, debt payoff, or investments, this takes a look at the psychological and social factors for women as breadwinners. It’s well-organized and presents a good overview of the steps and thinking to address for a breadwinner mindset and lifestyle. This is a fairly broad view of things, and covers many areas, so some readers may later want to pursue other books specific to the facets which interest them most.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a practical book. It was an easy read for the first main chapters, and I only slowed down towards the end. I took a long break in between my readings, but it wasn’t hard at all to get right back into it. I recommend reading this and taking notes, as it’s full of useful resources written specifically for women. I am thankful for this as a reminder that, even if the system wasn’t made for us, we can still make our way through it and thrive.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is at the center of many similar books I've read but I did appreciate the walk about values.

"I told myself I was also negotiating for the sisterhood. I didn't want to be another female who was undervaluing herself."

"Beneath many of the arguments we had, I realized, was a nagging fear that my husband and I may not share the same values."

[Keely Dayak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I started this book as part of a selection for a book club at work. This book is very engaging. It points out some obvious observations that most know but maybe not all do not understand. I like the format and the reference throughout the book and plan on using this as a reference guide as I continue to Think Like a Breadwinner.

[Stephanie Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the discussion on the breadwinner mindset and practical applications in the workplace and home. Thought the actual investing advice could have been a little bit better - she did not mention back door Roth, seemed to over-recommend roboadvisors even though she also recommended finding the lowest fee funds.

[Diane Faulkner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting.

I enjoyed the finance part of the book. Some very good suggestions, but there was nothing new or different. The rest of the book was a subtle recitation of the author's political leanings, which I could have done without. Storytelling style made the book an easy read, and arguments were laid out well.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easy to read, helpful to learn the divides in how we teach women versus men about finances, and gave practical tips on how to get started growing your wealth. Jennifer Barrett was engaging, inspirational, and helpful in my own life and journey toward financial freedom. There is so much I learned and put into practice from this book! Five stars!

[Guinevere Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lifeline for a girl who’s religious culture had her assuming a husband was a sufficient financial plan. As I navigate life after my divorce, this is giving me a roadmap for a journey (I’m ashamed to admit) I never thought I’d need to take. I’m sure there’s pearls of wisdom I’ll glean the second time through, as well!

[Irina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good advice for women early in their careers. I think there is something to be said about “nature” in the nature vs nurture debate, though, and the author paints it as more of a “nurture” issue. “Women are conditioned/raised to believe XYZ..” This may be the case sometimes. It may also be the case that some women naturally gravitate toward certain areas of interest.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read for millennial women. Especially fantastic and helpful when paired with the queens Vicki Robin and Jean Chatzky. Loved this book all around!! Very timely and up-to-date at the time of publication.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good things to consider. Much of the book is statistics about women in the workplace, which is informative but not really what I was looking for. There are some very good nuggets about making your money work for you. I would recommend it to a friend.

[Dil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read if you’re looking to get ahead as a woman leader but some concepts are just too technical for me which took me so long to finish. Some concepts are outdated too as this version was written during the pandemic.