Financial First Aid: Essential Tools for Confident, Secure Money Management

by Alyssa Davies

A practical guide for handling life's financial emergencies for the cash-strapped, the meticulous budgeter, and everyone in between.
What do a layoff, a medical emergency, a broken appliance, and a natural disaster have in common? Each scenario has the potential to upend your personal finances, no matter your financial situation. Money can be an intense source of stress, especially when you suddenly don't have enough of it. This handy and accessible reference from Alyssa Davies, founder of the popular finance blog Mixed Up Money, is here to help you navigate these financial ups and downs with a judgment-free approach. It offers actionable advice for different types of emergencies, short- and long-term solutions, resources, and tips from well-known financial experts who have been there before. You'll find scripts for negotiating payments for large bills, and learn how to revise a budget if you need to care for a loved one who is sick, recognize financial abuse, and much more. Charming illustrations by the author add a touch of humor to her expert advice. Best practices for building a robust emergency fund and road maps for recovering from a financial emergency will help you face your next rainy day.

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

240 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2022

Reviews

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of the financial advice books I've come across lately have focused on shutting down negative self-talk around prior money mistakes and going forward with a growth mindset. This book was actually a pretty fun read. I enjoyed the advice on the necessity of having multiple savings accounts, recognizing signs of financial abuse, and what to do in case of mass debt accumulation.

Really simple advice to follow with specific references for those in the USA or Canada. Recommended for anyone interested in getting their finances on track without losing their sanity.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic resource and helped me feel more financially prepared and confident about things like my emergency funds, retirement savings, budget etc. Alyssa is my favourite finance influencer and this book reads like your smart friend is telling you all the things. It's also a very visually pleasing book with illustrations and colored pages. I will definitely be coming back to it as a reference in the future but I learned a lot from the initial read. Highly recommend if you want to feel more confident about your money management!

[Marian Dorsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approachable, encouraging and filled with practical tips for making money work YOUR way. Unlike authors of many other financial books I’ve read, the author doesn’t chastise readers for what they don’t know about finance. Instead, she empowers readers to explore areas of curiosity and understand that it’s never too late to make financial decisions. She offers advice and also acknowledges the barriers that can exist for those with less opportunity and power. Truly a book that I could read multiple times a year and glean wisdom from.

[Mélissa Frenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Money really does have lots a feels related to it - so important to be aware of our money feels and where our habits/stress/confidence about money comes from.

Not a lot of math in the book, but def a good read for a strong foundation before getting to know more about investing and good financial habits.

[Miki Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lori Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible not great.

[Gabriella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alyssa does an amazing job of walking the reader through many of life’s emergencies and how to save for them. I love all her real life examples from herself and others and how she shows the readers to be prepared for all life throws at you. This is such an excellent book and should be a must read for anyone on their financial journey.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for more information about money-life planning with specific details...such as the best resources for self-estate planning, etc. But if a person has a lot of debt, this might be a good resource for them.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no information about Alyssa Davies or Mixed Up Money when I picked up this book from my library. I simply want to learn more about finances as a twenty something with student loan debt living in an expensive city.

This book, unfortunately, didn't really help.

I don't know if I need to be older, more experienced, or have more money problems to read this book, but I was certainly missing something. Davies makes finance and money conversations approachable, which is fantastic, but I needed more specifics. How do I open a high yield savings account and what financial institutions have them? My parents aren't even close to retirement age and I don't want kids any time soon, I just need to get by, so how do I save for that? Where do I invest? I don't have credit card debt, so what are good financial moves for people with good credit?

Approaching money is hard, Davies is right, and she is trying to make it less hard. However, this book didn't work for me. That's not to say it won't work for someone else or give them the perfect pep talk to keep looking for more resources. It might work for you, but I needed more scenarios, more details, and more how-to's.

[Amanie Johal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably biased since I follow Alyssa on social media, but I liked the way the information was presented and the empathy given to the reader. It happens often that you can hear the same financial advice over and over again online, but it doesn't really click until you can read a more fulsome explanation of it in a book.

My favourite tip is having multiple emergency funds by considering what you need to protect:
1. Protect yourself — a personal (or "fuck off") fund that allows you to leave an abusive relationship or toxic workplace without worrying about your bills
2. Protect you future — a general fund to cover major unexpected expenses without pulling from savings, credit, or investments
3. Protect your shelter — for homeowners, a fund that covers the breakdown of the most expensive appliance (or two) to avoid another household bill

[McKayla]

I don’t think I’m going to give a star rating to my financial nonfiction reads, but this was super solid!

I love Alyssa’s podcast with Bridget Casey and I get a lot of value from her IG and her website so deciding to read this was a no brainer. As a newbie to financial literacy this was a fantastic starting point full of useful info, great suggestions, and lots of “hmm I never thought of that” moments. (Also, this book was just aesthetically adorable which ngl was a motivating factor to reading it haha can more finance books please cater to the creative side of my brain pls and thanks?)

[Coreyann Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really nervous picking this book up because it means examining my relationship with money, but I am so glad I did! This is a fantastic entry to managing your money that is presented with a welcoming, non-judgmental and colorful approach. After reading this I feel motivated and energized to not only fix my finances but talk about money worries more with friends and family.

[Jalyce Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really welcoming and accepting this super insightful notes and ways to save money. The book has a really fun aesthetic and you don’t need to read the chapters in order, or the whole book, to learn a thing or two. Definitely would recommend

[tasha.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book for educational and personal reasons. This is a great resource for someone just starting who has zero financial knowledge or direction. However, I was personally beyond this in my skillset so I didn't get much out of it.

[PM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything in this book is put forward in a really clear way. It can be a bit awkward to read at times, but I really appreciate the compassion I feel from the author.

[melissa Kamy Ramirez · Rating 3 out of 5]

es un libro que me gusto mucho porque la manera de quwe esta escrita es muy interesante y muy ligera que me dio la informacion que necesitaba

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for anybody with not much experience in regards to finances. Very easy to read and follow.

[El W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read that provides a comforting perspective and very helpful and realistic tools/advice !

[Maggie Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, great tips.

[Corinne Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential tools for confident, secure money management.

[Pocky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick overview that explains how to cover yourself in many financial emergencies and how to prioritize financial security above all. I really enjoyed the more lighthearted narrative aswell.