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We Need to Talk About Money
In this unforgettable blend of memoir and cultural commentary, Otegha Uwagba explores her own complicated relationship with money, and what her wide-ranging experiences say about the world around us.
An extraordinarily candid personal account of the ups and downs wrought by money, We Need To Talk About Money is a vital exploration of stories and issues that will be familiar to most. This is a book about toxic workplaces and misogynist men, about getting payrises and getting evicted. About class and privilege and racism and beauty. About shame and pride, compulsion and fear.
In unpicking the shroud of secrecy surrounding money – who has it, how they got it, and how it shapes our lives – this boldly honest account of one woman’s journey upturns countless social conventions, and uncovers some startling truths about our complex relationships with money in the process.
‘A beautiful, searingly personal account of a world defined by money, full of courage and truth telling.’ Owen Jones
‘In this compelling book, Otegha confronts the British aversion to discussing money and in doing so reveals she is one of the most original and talented young writers we have.’ Sathnam Sanghera
‘A brilliant book that moved, amused, challenged and made me re-evaluate my own relationship with money. Otegha Uwagba writes with real intelligence and insight about the things many of us suspect but leave unsaid. A must-read.’ Elizabeth Day
‘This brilliant book has made me re-evaluate my money privileges, past and present. A must-read for anyone who thinks their money is just their monthly cash flow.’ Raven Smith
‘A riveting, confronting memoir – as beautifully written as it is provocative and thoughtful.’ Pandora Sykes
‘Refreshingly honest – Otegha captures the creeping realisation in your twenties that your feelings about what you earn defines so much, from self-image to who we date, who we are friends with to what we will – or won’t – put up with at the office.’ Laura Whateley
‘Personal but universal, Uwagba’s story of navigating university and the world of work while dealing with the pressures of class, lack of privilege and misogyny, is illuminating, eye-opening and reassuring.’ The Bookseller
An extraordinarily candid personal account of the ups and downs wrought by money, We Need To Talk About Money is a vital exploration of stories and issues that will be familiar to most. This is a book about toxic workplaces and misogynist men, about getting payrises and getting evicted. About class and privilege and racism and beauty. About shame and pride, compulsion and fear.
In unpicking the shroud of secrecy surrounding money – who has it, how they got it, and how it shapes our lives – this boldly honest account of one woman’s journey upturns countless social conventions, and uncovers some startling truths about our complex relationships with money in the process.
‘A beautiful, searingly personal account of a world defined by money, full of courage and truth telling.’ Owen Jones
‘In this compelling book, Otegha confronts the British aversion to discussing money and in doing so reveals she is one of the most original and talented young writers we have.’ Sathnam Sanghera
‘A brilliant book that moved, amused, challenged and made me re-evaluate my own relationship with money. Otegha Uwagba writes with real intelligence and insight about the things many of us suspect but leave unsaid. A must-read.’ Elizabeth Day
‘This brilliant book has made me re-evaluate my money privileges, past and present. A must-read for anyone who thinks their money is just their monthly cash flow.’ Raven Smith
‘A riveting, confronting memoir – as beautifully written as it is provocative and thoughtful.’ Pandora Sykes
‘Refreshingly honest – Otegha captures the creeping realisation in your twenties that your feelings about what you earn defines so much, from self-image to who we date, who we are friends with to what we will – or won’t – put up with at the office.’ Laura Whateley
‘Personal but universal, Uwagba’s story of navigating university and the world of work while dealing with the pressures of class, lack of privilege and misogyny, is illuminating, eye-opening and reassuring.’ The Bookseller
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2021
80 people are currently reading
3966 people want to read
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June 19, 2021
*3.5 stars *
Imagine, as a mum, leaving all you’ve ever known behind, and starting a new life in a strange country with three young children - your husband still in Nigeria, to follow later. This is how it was for Otegha Uwagba’s mum. Leaving sunny Nigeria, for a grey depressing London - grey weather, grey buildings everywhere, to new customs and cultures, in a class obsessed society - trying to find work and lodgings, discovering how everything works. This was a family that had love in abundance, but were not so secure financially. So, right from a young age, Otegha was aware of the importance of money, and the need to manage one’s finances.
Though the family was of modest means, one thing they did have plenty of, was books - books of every description, along with educational visits to museums and galleries, as Otegha’s parents were both educated to degree standard, they wanted the same for their children, and Otegha being an exceptionally gifted child, gained a scholarship to a private school, with a prized place at Oxford to follow.
This is a searingly honest and personal memoir, about how money (or the lack of it) affects lives, and it also gives an insight into office politics, highlighting issues such as ‘lads’ culture, race and gender, and how all these issues can affect your promotional prospects, and therefore potential earnings. Interesting read.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Fourth Estate, for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Imagine, as a mum, leaving all you’ve ever known behind, and starting a new life in a strange country with three young children - your husband still in Nigeria, to follow later. This is how it was for Otegha Uwagba’s mum. Leaving sunny Nigeria, for a grey depressing London - grey weather, grey buildings everywhere, to new customs and cultures, in a class obsessed society - trying to find work and lodgings, discovering how everything works. This was a family that had love in abundance, but were not so secure financially. So, right from a young age, Otegha was aware of the importance of money, and the need to manage one’s finances.
Though the family was of modest means, one thing they did have plenty of, was books - books of every description, along with educational visits to museums and galleries, as Otegha’s parents were both educated to degree standard, they wanted the same for their children, and Otegha being an exceptionally gifted child, gained a scholarship to a private school, with a prized place at Oxford to follow.
This is a searingly honest and personal memoir, about how money (or the lack of it) affects lives, and it also gives an insight into office politics, highlighting issues such as ‘lads’ culture, race and gender, and how all these issues can affect your promotional prospects, and therefore potential earnings. Interesting read.
*Thank you to Netgalley and Fourth Estate, for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
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July 28, 2021Caution: this is a mixed review, sadly. So no star rating as I can’t decide.
I went for this book as Otegha Uwagba is consistently my favourite person on Twitter. She really has some of the best commentary on modern life that’s out there.
I absolutely loved this book when it was the authors original thought and writing. By this, I don’t mean the laying bare of her personal life story (though that was of course very interesting, as she rightly says, no one should have to sell and trade off their most private experiences in order to sell books and articles. Especially not women, black peoples..), but I mean, for example, the sections where she quantifies her beauty toll, in time and money. This kind of original thought is where Uwagba shines. I think she’s such an original thinker and I just love her style. Especially in the audiobook, you really get to benefit from her amazing reading; I would absolutely love to see her speak live.
Where the book fell flat for me were the feminism-lite bits. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree and should stick to reading just feminist scholars and not complaining, but I often found that the author would make a standard fourth wave feminism point (I.e. Internet feminism), but then the references were shoe horned in after. It reminds me of my more rushed essays at university. I don’t think she really needed to do this - the ideas weren’t so complex that they needed citing - a reading list at the back of the book would have sufficed and would read more smoothly.
Finally, I found the multiple passages deriding the kardashians to be low hanging fruit. They didn’t need to be there, even once. The book is plenty as it is….It’s like sticking a plaster over a chicken pox scar. They’re just the symptom - patriarchal society which means women must reinvent themselves physically, not mentally, to be relevant is the underlying virus! I’m honestly so tired of this. Even the attack, specifically, on the curvaceous bodies of the kardashians - do we all really have collective amnesia over Kate Moss’ popularisation of anorexia in the 90s/00s? Again, here, the point I’m making is it’s not the women actors that are the problem. It’s the underlying agents. No matter how rich these women are, and all the future women will be, I can assure you that their agents, their business managers, all of the satellite men around them, their merchandise manufacturers- THEY are the ones making the real money!
In conclusion, my review is similar to that of Nell Frizzell’s ‘Panic Years’, which I also recently read and enjoyed. Good book! But not one to read if in search of brand new feminist ideas. It’s a hybrid of guardian articles and memoir.
I went for this book as Otegha Uwagba is consistently my favourite person on Twitter. She really has some of the best commentary on modern life that’s out there.
I absolutely loved this book when it was the authors original thought and writing. By this, I don’t mean the laying bare of her personal life story (though that was of course very interesting, as she rightly says, no one should have to sell and trade off their most private experiences in order to sell books and articles. Especially not women, black peoples..), but I mean, for example, the sections where she quantifies her beauty toll, in time and money. This kind of original thought is where Uwagba shines. I think she’s such an original thinker and I just love her style. Especially in the audiobook, you really get to benefit from her amazing reading; I would absolutely love to see her speak live.
Where the book fell flat for me were the feminism-lite bits. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree and should stick to reading just feminist scholars and not complaining, but I often found that the author would make a standard fourth wave feminism point (I.e. Internet feminism), but then the references were shoe horned in after. It reminds me of my more rushed essays at university. I don’t think she really needed to do this - the ideas weren’t so complex that they needed citing - a reading list at the back of the book would have sufficed and would read more smoothly.
Finally, I found the multiple passages deriding the kardashians to be low hanging fruit. They didn’t need to be there, even once. The book is plenty as it is….It’s like sticking a plaster over a chicken pox scar. They’re just the symptom - patriarchal society which means women must reinvent themselves physically, not mentally, to be relevant is the underlying virus! I’m honestly so tired of this. Even the attack, specifically, on the curvaceous bodies of the kardashians - do we all really have collective amnesia over Kate Moss’ popularisation of anorexia in the 90s/00s? Again, here, the point I’m making is it’s not the women actors that are the problem. It’s the underlying agents. No matter how rich these women are, and all the future women will be, I can assure you that their agents, their business managers, all of the satellite men around them, their merchandise manufacturers- THEY are the ones making the real money!
In conclusion, my review is similar to that of Nell Frizzell’s ‘Panic Years’, which I also recently read and enjoyed. Good book! But not one to read if in search of brand new feminist ideas. It’s a hybrid of guardian articles and memoir.
August 2, 2021
I went into this book expecting a guide on how to better manage my money and, while that isn't exactly what I got, I came away with something even more valuable. This memoir from Otegha Uwagba was a wonderful read which covered issues including getting into the world of work, (the woes of) house buying, generational wealth and that time in your life (late 20s, early 30s) when your future and that of your friends start to diverge as you forge your own path.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.
December 7, 2021
The best parts of the book were Otegha's own personal reflections of experiences in her own life. Even when I didn't always agree with what she concluded, they were always thought provoking and well written. The essay parts of this were weaker and felt unnecessary. Would recommend the audiobook version! 3.75 stars (yes 0.25 increments are very much needed).
September 19, 2021
So, I didn’t realise this was supposed to be a memoir until I was finished with the book… That sure didn’t help.
This was a mixture of personal anecdotes and histories, the author complaining about how all her friends are more rich and privileged than her (get new friends if it’s such a problem?) and facts and figures about money, gender, etc. I liked the less personal content more, as I felt like Uwagba failed to account for her own relative privileges — posh education, being able to quit her job and live at home to figure her career out, the fact that she could buy a home at 30 — whenever she talked about how everyone else is better off than her. Race, gender and class all of course account for a lot when it comes to money, but I feel like a lot of the more essay-style content here failed to make that last 10% push that would’ve turned it great instead of simply stating facts already familiar.
Still, there was some good stuff, too, and the commentary, when not too ‘woe is me’ was sharp and witty, so it wasn’t all bad.
This was a mixture of personal anecdotes and histories, the author complaining about how all her friends are more rich and privileged than her (get new friends if it’s such a problem?) and facts and figures about money, gender, etc. I liked the less personal content more, as I felt like Uwagba failed to account for her own relative privileges — posh education, being able to quit her job and live at home to figure her career out, the fact that she could buy a home at 30 — whenever she talked about how everyone else is better off than her. Race, gender and class all of course account for a lot when it comes to money, but I feel like a lot of the more essay-style content here failed to make that last 10% push that would’ve turned it great instead of simply stating facts already familiar.
Still, there was some good stuff, too, and the commentary, when not too ‘woe is me’ was sharp and witty, so it wasn’t all bad.
May 23, 2021
We Need to Talk About Money is a personal memoir about money, as the title suggests, but also class, race, and gender, as Otegha Uwagba explores how has impacted her life so far. From her parents moving to the UK and her getting a scholarship to a private school to the current housing market and how to afford to buy a house without having parental help, the book covers a lot of stories about topics like toxic workplaces, beauty, and friendships, and how money affects these.
This book is combination of personal memoir and reflection on things relating to money and privilege in society, especially in relation to gender and race. A lot of the anecdotes and experiences are very interesting (for example, as someone slightly younger than the author who got into Mad Men but thankfully wasn't at the stage to want to therefore go into advertising, I enjoyed the insight about how bad it actually can be to work in advertising) and it is well-written, feeling both personal and also informative. There was also some engaging discussions and critiques of particular issues like 'girlboss' culture and how the term 'emotional labour' has come to be used which were nuanced and focused on things like intersectionality and the effects of capitalism and how we view it.
One thing that did throw me out of the narrative a bit was the fact that one of the chapters quotes Naomi Wolf a lot, and seeing as she's now particularly known for sharing a lot of pandemic conspiracy theories and having huge interpretive gaps in her recent book, that did put me off the chapter in question. Otherwise the book is also useful for the fact it does cite and discuss some famous writers like Kimberlé Crenshaw, meaning that despite perhaps seeming at first to just be about money in the modern world, it also provides people with some further reading on areas around topics like feminism, race, and class.
A memoir about how money rules individual lives, We Need to Talk About Money is an engaging book that questions the secrecy and shame that can surround talking about it. As the title suggests, it's more about opening up discussions and sharing a personal take on money rather than offering any deep answers or critiques, making it perfect for people who like more personal non-fiction.
This book is combination of personal memoir and reflection on things relating to money and privilege in society, especially in relation to gender and race. A lot of the anecdotes and experiences are very interesting (for example, as someone slightly younger than the author who got into Mad Men but thankfully wasn't at the stage to want to therefore go into advertising, I enjoyed the insight about how bad it actually can be to work in advertising) and it is well-written, feeling both personal and also informative. There was also some engaging discussions and critiques of particular issues like 'girlboss' culture and how the term 'emotional labour' has come to be used which were nuanced and focused on things like intersectionality and the effects of capitalism and how we view it.
One thing that did throw me out of the narrative a bit was the fact that one of the chapters quotes Naomi Wolf a lot, and seeing as she's now particularly known for sharing a lot of pandemic conspiracy theories and having huge interpretive gaps in her recent book, that did put me off the chapter in question. Otherwise the book is also useful for the fact it does cite and discuss some famous writers like Kimberlé Crenshaw, meaning that despite perhaps seeming at first to just be about money in the modern world, it also provides people with some further reading on areas around topics like feminism, race, and class.
A memoir about how money rules individual lives, We Need to Talk About Money is an engaging book that questions the secrecy and shame that can surround talking about it. As the title suggests, it's more about opening up discussions and sharing a personal take on money rather than offering any deep answers or critiques, making it perfect for people who like more personal non-fiction.
September 6, 2021
i struggled to decide what to rate this. i loved it but it is a bit flawed i think. there's just this kind of break in the middle where the memoir elements stop and the book instead jut becomes essays. these essays were still really thought provoking and intelligent but they felt like a jarring departure from the rest of the book at times and the writing wasn't as strong as the more personal chapters. i wouldn't be surprised if this is one of my top books of the year because the personal chapters made me emotional and made me laugh so much and really made me think. but i struggle to give it 5 stars because those couple of chapters in the middle weren't quite as good.
October 19, 2022
Although this book was an excellent and necessary insight into the world through the eyes of someone who has had to deal with so much inequality, disappointingly, it didn't have much to offer in terms of Money advice or financial conversation.
August 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. The author reflects on her own experiences like attending a private school on a scholarship as the child of immigrants, her time at Oxford and the start of her career after uni. She discusses what it was like to start working during the 2008 recession and leaving a stable corporate job to start freelancing while covering everything from pay raises to salary expectations and negotiations. These chapters really highlighted how crucial it is for us to be having conversations about money and how not having doesn't benefit anyone except the corporations that profit from this.
Besides reflecting on her own experiences surrounding money, there were a couple of essays on being a woman and being black and how that intertwines with money. Even though these were extremely interesting and definitely conversations worth having, they felt a bit out of place as they didn't follow the flow of the rest of the book - which was written as a memoir.
Besides reflecting on her own experiences surrounding money, there were a couple of essays on being a woman and being black and how that intertwines with money. Even though these were extremely interesting and definitely conversations worth having, they felt a bit out of place as they didn't follow the flow of the rest of the book - which was written as a memoir.
June 4, 2021
4.5 stars!
What a wonderful memoir. Otegha tells the story of her life around her money memories: from being the scholarship kid in a private school to the class differences at Oxford, being a Millenial woman in the workplace, and affording to buy your first home in London. It's a confronting exploration of our relationship with money, of how race impacts your financial situation, and of how money can sometimes ruin relationships. I couldn't stop reading it, I learned so much from it!
What a wonderful memoir. Otegha tells the story of her life around her money memories: from being the scholarship kid in a private school to the class differences at Oxford, being a Millenial woman in the workplace, and affording to buy your first home in London. It's a confronting exploration of our relationship with money, of how race impacts your financial situation, and of how money can sometimes ruin relationships. I couldn't stop reading it, I learned so much from it!
July 25, 2021
4.5 - a memoir x assessment of the current state of class, housing, education and so much more in our broken society in the UK. I couldn’t have more respect for Otegha, I love her honesty, her tweets, podcast and this book just solidified that, with personal anecdotes peppered with statistics and analysis about modern money woes, many of which are all too familiar for many of us. Ultimately an accessible and very readable piece of non-fic.
January 17, 2024
Never read anything like this: part memoir, part personal finance manifesto, I enjoyed it immensely but found some of the sociological critiques a bit much. Still worth a read and one for the Refinery29 Money Diary girlies.
September 18, 2024
La tesi é tutta concentrata nel titolo (e mi trova molto allineata), ma lo sviluppo é tutto sull’esperienza e sulla vita dell’autrice e non offre strumenti come mi sarei aspettata. Sicuramente interessante, una lettura piacevole ma senza essere straordinaria.
February 12, 2025
I raced through this in a way I never do with non fiction - found it really compelling and the perfect mix of memoir and social commentary. Made me reflect on my own relationship with money and class.
The author's own view of money is clearly (and she acknowledges this) influenced by going to a private school then Oxford so having incredibly privileged social circles that didn't reflect her own upbringing. This means examples of extreme wealth (friends buying houses outright in their early 20s, a flatmate being in society magazines??) are compared with her own very normal experiences (e.g. not wanting to work for free) in a way that I found frustrating at points and seemed to underestimate how unusual the former situations are.
Having said that this was a good read and would recommend
The author's own view of money is clearly (and she acknowledges this) influenced by going to a private school then Oxford so having incredibly privileged social circles that didn't reflect her own upbringing. This means examples of extreme wealth (friends buying houses outright in their early 20s, a flatmate being in society magazines??) are compared with her own very normal experiences (e.g. not wanting to work for free) in a way that I found frustrating at points and seemed to underestimate how unusual the former situations are.
Having said that this was a good read and would recommend
May 15, 2021
Miestami už trochu otravné čítanie z inej feministickej literatúry o tom, že ženy zarábajú menej a robia viac domácich prác, čo sme už vedeli, ale prevažne výborne napísaný osobný príbeh o tom, aké je to byť ženou v práci, pri ktorom mužský čitateľ rozmýšľa, čo všetko nenápadne hrozné kedy urobil a neuvedomil si to, až teraz. Fajn.
May 15, 2024
It was a good book in the sense of providing soo much evidence based research with the fact that women are obviously treated differently when it comes to being paid and the struggle of trying to get your own place if today’s economic status. I think it’s just a reminder that we’ll have bad and good experiences with money, but it’s the experiences we have that allows us to deal with our finances better and build our knowledge on it
November 29, 2022
Just now realized that this one fits the bill for Nonfiction November!
This was good, in parts (first few and last few chapters) even very good, but I was hoping for less feminist topics and more financial ones…
The feminist themes I‘ve read countless times and they weren‘t what I was looking for in this, so that was a bit of a slow reading patch for me.
I liked her recounting her personal experiences way more.
This was good, in parts (first few and last few chapters) even very good, but I was hoping for less feminist topics and more financial ones…
The feminist themes I‘ve read countless times and they weren‘t what I was looking for in this, so that was a bit of a slow reading patch for me.
I liked her recounting her personal experiences way more.
August 8, 2021
This was a good book but I feel I was mis-sold a bit by the title. This was, in my opinion, The Other Black Girl as non-fiction. A very readable, interesting and enticing book,thought provoking and full of good conversations and talking points.
December 9, 2021
Meh.
Not sure why this was mentioned at least twice in The Guardian newspapers books of 2021???
I do think that talking about money honestly could be a good thing to help everyone understand it better, but this didn't paerticularly.
So, meh.
Not sure why this was mentioned at least twice in The Guardian newspapers books of 2021???
I do think that talking about money honestly could be a good thing to help everyone understand it better, but this didn't paerticularly.
So, meh.
January 2, 2022
I picked this book up thinking it was going to be a typical financial self-help book full of useful tips for saving and getting your foot on the property ladder – the perfect read to kickstart a brand-new year.
We Need to Talk About Money (WNTTAM) is excellently written and a really valuable read. Whilst it does not offer a step-by-step guide on how to better manage your finances, it does provide insightful commentary about the effects of capitalism on women and women of colour specifically.
From generational wealth and entering the world of work, to navigating the housing market for the first time and how our money scripts are influenced by our parents, Uwagba beautifully articulates these commonly discussed themes by intertwining them with the taboo subject of money and for the reader, it is truly enlightening.
Statistics around the gender pay gap, the amount of ‘unpaid work’ women do in comparison to men alongside their jobs, and the ‘pink tax’, were not surprising to me, but something I’d never previously considered was the other emotional labour women are often faced with (in and outside of the workplace), as well as the time (not just the cost) spent each month to look a certain way.
Uwagba’s personal anecdotes and analysis of modern money woes, will no doubt resonate with many but for me, this book made me feel more consciously aware of my own relationship with money and my approach moving forward. I’d say this is a must read for any millennial wanting a somewhat candid and non-judgmental discussion around money, but also some food for thought on the barriers presented by class and race when it comes to changing your financial situation.
We Need to Talk About Money (WNTTAM) is excellently written and a really valuable read. Whilst it does not offer a step-by-step guide on how to better manage your finances, it does provide insightful commentary about the effects of capitalism on women and women of colour specifically.
From generational wealth and entering the world of work, to navigating the housing market for the first time and how our money scripts are influenced by our parents, Uwagba beautifully articulates these commonly discussed themes by intertwining them with the taboo subject of money and for the reader, it is truly enlightening.
Statistics around the gender pay gap, the amount of ‘unpaid work’ women do in comparison to men alongside their jobs, and the ‘pink tax’, were not surprising to me, but something I’d never previously considered was the other emotional labour women are often faced with (in and outside of the workplace), as well as the time (not just the cost) spent each month to look a certain way.
Uwagba’s personal anecdotes and analysis of modern money woes, will no doubt resonate with many but for me, this book made me feel more consciously aware of my own relationship with money and my approach moving forward. I’d say this is a must read for any millennial wanting a somewhat candid and non-judgmental discussion around money, but also some food for thought on the barriers presented by class and race when it comes to changing your financial situation.
August 16, 2022
I'm really unsure how to review this because while I'm not sure I would call this a good memoir (I would argue it's more like a good essay collection) I really enjoyed all the stats and studies Otegha Uwagba mentions in the book and she makes them easy to digest and understand by weaving in her own experiences. She mostly focuses on women's experiences with money specifically which meant that I did resonate a lot with she was saying. A few of her experiences mirrored mine exactly and it was really freeing and validating to know that I'm not alone!
While there is a lot in here that, if you're into this sort of thing, you will probably already know about but she expands really well on existing theories, like with the beauty tax, and I felt like she spoke about things I've never seen mentioned in other similar feminist texts, like mortgages and rent. I feel like I learned a lot from this, even in the subjects I thought I had a good understanding of.
I do think, though, that she does sometimes lose sight of just how privileged she is (financially and in an educational sense) and has been for a lot of her life, which sometimes makes it hard to relate to her as someone who has a lot less than she does/did. I appreciated her speaking about the move from working class to middle class during her teen years, though much more briefly than I was hoping. I can imagine being around rich friends a lot can also skew your view of how well off you are too, though I can't say I feel sorry for her. It's not a bad position to be in!
I would definitely recommend this to all the women in my life. It was a really interesting read and has given me a lot to think about and consider.
While there is a lot in here that, if you're into this sort of thing, you will probably already know about but she expands really well on existing theories, like with the beauty tax, and I felt like she spoke about things I've never seen mentioned in other similar feminist texts, like mortgages and rent. I feel like I learned a lot from this, even in the subjects I thought I had a good understanding of.
I do think, though, that she does sometimes lose sight of just how privileged she is (financially and in an educational sense) and has been for a lot of her life, which sometimes makes it hard to relate to her as someone who has a lot less than she does/did. I appreciated her speaking about the move from working class to middle class during her teen years, though much more briefly than I was hoping. I can imagine being around rich friends a lot can also skew your view of how well off you are too, though I can't say I feel sorry for her. It's not a bad position to be in!
I would definitely recommend this to all the women in my life. It was a really interesting read and has given me a lot to think about and consider.
January 16, 2022
I went into this knowing so little about the book that I didn’t even know it was a memoir. I picked it up because one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to read at least 3 personal finance books and I expected this to be more of a reference book (like her previous book, Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women). Instead I was met with a mix of Otegha Uwagba’s nuanced personal reflections on privilege and inequality as well as and researched essays — all of which were insightful, relatable (and unrelatable), and full of shrewd critique and life learnings openly told from a unique perspective.
February 17, 2023
Such an easy book to read with useful insights but I don’t think I fully appreciated this was a memoir when I started it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but I found that it did occasionally go a bit off piste at times - more of a general social commentary on what she wanted to write and then chose the title later.
However, really interesting topics discussed ranged from the psychology of spending (financial anxiety for no apparent reason), the beauty tax to more general insights on the impact of class/gender/race.
However, really interesting topics discussed ranged from the psychology of spending (financial anxiety for no apparent reason), the beauty tax to more general insights on the impact of class/gender/race.
January 30, 2025
One of the best books about money I've read (and I seem to read a lot!). Otegha is a talented writer and her honesty is compelling and refreshing. I enjoyed reading her memoir alongside the horror stories of office life and renting, and loved the chapters on the cost of beauty and the members club. Definitely worth a read especially if you are lucky enough to be in your 20s. It's not a comprehensive manual of money as it is directly related to the author's lived experience, but there are other books that cover investments and psychology, if that's what you need.
August 10, 2021
Brilliant book that is part memoir and part cultural text/commentary.. Money, London, education, privilege, racism and toxic work places and misogynistic men and housing issues. It was a fantastic read and so relatable. I think everyone should read this.
August 27, 2021
While Otegha's writing style isn't my favourite (why are her sentences so long), I found her descriptions of work/money refreshingly honest.
Some of her other essays surrounding beauty/etc were quite repetitive -- but as this is a memoir I can't really say what is/isn't valid for her to share from her experiences.
+ she seems like a cool lady
Some of her other essays surrounding beauty/etc were quite repetitive -- but as this is a memoir I can't really say what is/isn't valid for her to share from her experiences.
+ she seems like a cool lady
November 6, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed, well written. Couldn’t put down.
Insightful journey about navigating through elite universities as an outsider, inequitable and sexist workplaces and finding your footing on the property ladder.
Speaks about classism through a humorous lens and one which too many can relate to.
Insightful journey about navigating through elite universities as an outsider, inequitable and sexist workplaces and finding your footing on the property ladder.
Speaks about classism through a humorous lens and one which too many can relate to.
January 7, 2023
Listened to Otegha on Venetia La Manna's podcast and thoroughly enjoyed the episode so gave this book a read.
It's incredibly well written and consisted of thought-provoking concepts on social inequalities and her experience in education and the workplace.
Towards the end of the book, I found Otegha's cynical perspective on certain matters quite jarring, an example being her dismay at her friends owning property before her- which in turn made me lack empathy for her.
Will definitely give her other books a chance and continue to listen to podcasts she does.
It's incredibly well written and consisted of thought-provoking concepts on social inequalities and her experience in education and the workplace.
Towards the end of the book, I found Otegha's cynical perspective on certain matters quite jarring, an example being her dismay at her friends owning property before her- which in turn made me lack empathy for her.
Will definitely give her other books a chance and continue to listen to podcasts she does.
July 24, 2021
Really moving memoir with thoughtful commentary on class strewn in
June 12, 2022
Molto bello questo libro, dal titolo pensavo fosse una sorta di “life coaching” ma per fortuna mi sbagliavo. È una bella raccolta di storie personali sul tema del denaro, attraversando tanti temi diversi, dal razzismo, al sessismo, al classiamo, alla società inglese.
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