Book Talk: The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Dave Ramsey wasn't a name that I was familiar with until I started to get into personal finance. Now, it's a name that I see everywhere, so when The Money Answer Book became available at my library, I checked it out. It took me a little over an hour to read, and I feel like I learned quite a bit. I'm by no means suddenly Team Ramsey, but I do think he a good well of knowledge. This was an interesting taste of his financial opinions, and I'd recommend it to see if his values and goals line up with yours.

Book Talk: Meet the Frugalwoods by Elizabeth Willard Thames

Photo by adam morse on Unsplash

I'm sure you all know about The Frugalwoods' blog if you're part of the Financial Independence/Early Retirement realm. It's one of the first ones that I found when I started my research and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mrs. FW had recently written a book! I immediately requested it from my library, and when it finally came in, I started reading it right at the bus stop (which is right outside my library). Needless to say, I was hooked.

I got the job (and a $0.15 raise)!

Photo by Fab Lentz on Unsplash

I mentioned last month that I had an interview. Well, I didn't get it. I know the title of this post says otherwise, but I did get it! Just not at that time. The position was posted again earlier this month, so I applied again (after laughing when I saw it listed again!).

Book Talk: Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Another title which has shown up on almost every personal finance reading list is Early Retirement Extreme by Jacob Lund Fisker. I can certainly see why that is, although it's very different than I was expecting. If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to financial independence, this book is not it. Instead, if you want to learn more about how our society really works and the thinking behind financial freedom, absolutely pick this one up.

July 2018 Spending and Saving

Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash

My first month of getting serious about my finances has come to an end. I learned a lot over the last few weeks, and discovered some surprising things about myself and my spending habits. But I vowed to do better and put my new-found knowledge into practice. I showed you all my starting point, so let's see how July changed those numbers.