On-the-money

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to start investing, or especially just start straightening out their personal finances. I've taken a class with Mr. Gabriel, and his excellent teaching style comes through in the book. He has a wonderful way of presenting the emotional roadblocks to solving financial problems -- and how to get past them. Based on my own experiences, and those of family and friends, the emotional lessons we learned about money are the most obstructive and can over-rule the best advice and practical knowledge. Learn how to view money differently, and finances suddenly become very easy. This book can help you do it!

Wealth On Any Income is a God-send. Like most Americans I was drowning in a money crisis because I was spending more money than I was making. I didn't know how to get out of this vicious cycle. I bought Wealth On Any Income and it showed me easy to follow techniques that helped me keep track of my money. It also helped me organize my spending so I could stop wasting money on useless things. I'm not rich, but because of this book I've climbed out of debt and I'm actually saving money every month. It's easy to read and easy to understand. Buying this book is the best money I've ever spent.

My great discovery for 2002! A book that helped me fit into my own budget! I was a haphazard spender, spontaneously altering my budget according to what I saw that I wanted with no specific plan in mind before I attended a seminar with Rennie Gabriel and purchased his book.

This book is life changing! Get it today!

In Life Matters: Creating a Dynamic Balance of Work, Family, Time, and Money, Rebecca and Roger have linked the resources of time and money. The connections are so self-evident that I am surprised it hasn't been done before. In the case of both resources, we can have a consumption or an investment paradigm. The first leads to being overextended and having no margin in our lives, the latter to freedom. Life Matters is full of practical advice on how to break the downward consumption spiral.

Two years ago I attended a seminar where Roger Merrill spoke on some of the ideas in this book. After that day, I began to shift my thinking. For years I had wanted to live on the Upper West Side in New York City. The question I had been asking myself was, "Would I rather live on the Upper West Side or in a 'boring' neighborhood in Queens"? Well, the Upper West Side won hands down. My husband resisted, saying the higher expenses would be a trap and would virtually chain us to our high-paying, high-pressure jobs. Still, I liked the fancy neighborhood. (Life Matters points out how most spouses have different views on money matters). After listening to Roger I began to ask the question differently. "Would I rather have an apartment on the Upper West Side or freedom"?

By staying in our non-flashy neighborhood, we have been able to make some terrific changes in our lives. My husband quit his job to study cooking and music. I have reduced my time on the road and am now writing a book. If the price of freedom is giving up a little flash, I'm persuaded. Maybe Life Matters will persuade you too.

For readers committed to lifelong learning, this book is a must. The seven components or chapters, encourage readers to question and to challenge their traditional understanding of these so-called "matters" in order to design a sense of overall well being and purpose. Money can often be traced to the origin of discord in people's lives - The Merrill's chapter on Money Matters is about the best I have seen.

Congratulations to the authors! They had written an excellent, practical, and realistic book on Life Balancing.Probably the best book on life leadership since 7 Habits and First Things First (actually even better than "F£ÔF", since the writing style and selection of ancedotes and examples are even more mature and veteran).

Congratulations to the readers! We have a chance to read an excellent book on personal/family development, well presented in the 7 Habits/Covey's tradition, but in a less wordy, theoretical, and jargons-filled way.

Both authors are very sincere, writing and sharing usefulideas
from their hearts. They talked about Money Matrix, See Do Get Model, and many useful skillsets for balancing.

They didn't just repeat old ideas from First Things First. Instead, they injected a lot of new ideas and useful wisdoms about life into the book. Very unlike Stephen R. Covey, who is very idle in using new materials and new ideas in his so called new books. He is just so repetitive and wordy sometimes that readers can be turned off by his lack of inventiveness in terms of both form and substance in his new books.

Of course, Life Matters also has its weaknesses . It deals with Work, Family, Time, Money, and Wisdom Literature on Life Balancing. But it didn't mention the word, Health in the book even once, or didn't even mention the importance of Spirituality, by which both are essential elements in human life.

Since health is wealth, there will be no Work, Family, Time, Money, Wisdom, or Spirituality, when people fail to prioritize Health in their life.

In an overall sense, this is a great book that I cannot put down. If more personal development books can be written with Life Matter's type of quality, the readers will benefit-- the society will ultimately be benefited.

My sincere thanks and salute to the authors! This book will be a Mega best-seller, just like 7 Habits or First Things First...
Just wait and see!

My wife and I recently returned from a vacation overseas. Like most tourists, we found our guidebook to be an invaluable resource that helped us to understand the sights we saw. Charles and Lynn understand that most investors are overwhelmed with information that is important to them, but at the same time confusing. First, they reccommend working with a financial advisor to set up a plan. Second, they offer this great book as a "guidebook." The book can be used as a refernce tool that will prove to be an invaluable resource for people that are striving to meet life's most important goals. Thank you Charles and Lynn!!

It's a very straightforward guidebook to encourage you to start to plan for your financial real dreams. A must read and true value add roadmap for your road to wealth!

As an inspiring investor coming out of college, learning about investments is an essential part to planning for my life. I can effectively diversify my portfolio by investing in mutual funds to capture many types of investment vehicles whether they are growth funds, global equity funds, or even precious metals funds. I want stability and growth for my future and Zhang's book really helped me to understand every aspect of the Mutual fund. I have recommended this book to many of my friends graduating college and looking to plan ahead with investments to secure their future. In uncertain times, Charles and Lynn Zhang have helped me to become a knowledgeable and confident investor.

I absolutely LOVE this book. Sunny Hersh just has a way of "putting" it out there...plain, simple, from the heart. Reading her book is like getting together and having a girly talk with your best friend. Her witty sense of humor keeps you laughing, and makes you reflect on your own life. I would recommend that every woman read this book. I keep it on my nightstand, and refer to it often for certain life situations.
Thank you Sunny!!

Looking for a way to take control? This humorous, information-filled book is a great start to doing just that. It's a terrific book to be enjoyed in its entirety, and it's an easy and breezy read. It also works as a quick reference for individual topics of interest. The author has done an exceptional job of formatting and consolidating a vast amount of research. I am happy to say as a medical professional, family counselor, and Midlife Mama, that her data is accurate, approvable, and valuable. It also makes for insightful reading for significant others who share your life, both male and female. Every household should have Midlife Mamas on the shelf. It has the power to inspire you to take control and change your life.

Sunny Hersh is like my best buddy, sister, grandmother, gynocologist and advisor, all in one comfortable living room just chatting away. I haven't even finnished it yet and I find it intensely sincere, fun, authentic, very informative and encouraging.
One feels hugged, stroked, pinched, informed and curious. I will definately refer back to the book when health or finances or career need an injection of freshness. Perfect Midlife counterpoint. I keep wanting to share it with some else. It deals with our lives in such an upbeat way. I love it!

Not the most insightful financial book I've read. It contains a fair amount of fluff. It does point out some major trends based on demographics and the concept of sector investing.

Dr. Bob Froehich's plain-speak way of describing and explaining investing in the markets is refreshing. I've seen Bob on CNBC which is how I recognized him on the cover of this book. Dr Bob also teaches you how to think and recognize bigger picure market trends. I thought the chapters on Sectornomics and his guarantee that if you invest, you will lose money (at some point) were particularly valuable. This is a great read for any investor in today's market.

If you want to educate yourself in the principles of stock market, and learn how to optimize the value of your money for years to come, this is the book to pick up. Bob Froelich gives you a new perspective on how to look at the market, and overall is a terrific book to read, while being an invaluable tool for guidance in investing.

Why wasn't "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" around when I was growing up? Sure, I heard the expression plenty of times, but I didn't learn the practical values behind the words. Now thanks to Ellie Kay's wonderful new book, this fortysomething kid is finally learning the value of a buck! Although this book is geared to parents and kids, you don't have to be a parent OR a kid to glean valuable--and practical--monetary lessons from it. Thanks, Ellie, for showing me it's never too late (or too early) to learn how to handle money wisely. And thanks for making it so much fun in the process! Gotta run go set up my budget now...

Ellie Kay offers practical, creative ideas for building financial responsibility and generosity into kids. With topics like delayed gratification, discretion-building, choices and natural consequences, Money Doesn't Grow On Trees is a home-based Finance 101 course, taught the fun way! Jam packed with great quotes, age-appropriate guidelines for chores and choices, I highly recommend this book.

Brenda Waggoner, Licensed Professional Counselor

Ellie Kay has done it again. In this book Ellie lays everything out on the table when it comes to teaching your child about finances. Funny thing though, I learned a thing or two myself! Every aspect is broken down from age zero to eighteen and beyond!
I immediately applied what I had learned on my children and saw a dramatic change within one week. You must get this book along with her other books, "Shop, Save and Share" and "A Womans Guide to Family Finance". Your family will thank you later!

I ordered this book last week and I read it in one sitting. I have a dozen other home management books and I was very pleased to find some new ideas in this book. I'm not an overly religious person so I had some doubts about how much I'd get out of the book but I was very pleased with the suggestions. Some of the organizational strategies for meal planning are excellent and I'm using them now. They're very helpful. This book is the second most useful book on home mangement I've read. I do prefer Kathy Peel's Home Manager based on the sheer number of valuable management tips, like the hit list. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to be more organized. It's an easy read and it's saved me a few hours already!

I read this book the summer of 2000. In January of 2001 I am teaching an organization class and this book was a part of the inspiration for me to organize my life in all aspects, then go on to teach others these principles with a GOD foundation. This book is great, I suggest that it is read with an "open mind" and be inspired by GOD to be impacted. It is a great source to get organized.

I love to read books about organizing and planning my home. My library boasts dozens of them! Some are good, some are not so good, but this book by Lane Jordan was GREAT. It is inspiring and motivating. As a Christian, I enjoyed the Biblical principles applied; but I don't think it would be a book to shy away from for the non-believer.

The advice is practical, the application is logical and the outcome has been wonderful. Even small changes in the home make a big difference. And like it or not, it is the wife and mother in the family who makes or breaks the home. I would recommend for any woman.

This refers to the audio cassette version. I really enjoyed this little book. I have read dozens of books on self help, manifesting, New Thought, sprirituality, quantum physics, etc (you know what I mean) but this one pulls everything together. It is simply-stated, enlightening, inspirational, and fun! Wilde reads it with enthusiasm and a charming accent. This is my first Wilde book but I plan to read or listen to all the others.

Treat yourself to listening to this during your commutes and I guarantee, your attitude toward money will increase in the positive and you WILL see an increase in cash flow!

In this valuable little book, Wilde reveals the psychological aspects of the money game, as well as the deeper metaphysical secrets of prosperity. Understanding the flow of money in our lives is one of the great spiritual lessons, as is a thorough understanding of the dynamics of love and interpersonal relationships. Many of the great teachers of mankind have taught that abundance is spiritual - that it is one's feelings and the power of one's thought that create wealth, and Wilde casts new light on these ideas in his witty and engaging style as he discusses the ten laws of abundance. He refers to the works of other great writers like John Randolph Price, Catherine Ponder, Ernest Holmes and Deepak Chopra and has some very interesting views of how manifestation takes place by the power of thought out of the quantum possibility into our three-dimensional reality. Ultimately, it's all about energy and how to cultivate a prosperity consciousness. Wilde is a brilliant writer and this work of his is no exception. As he says: "There's no reason why you can't be very rich and still be an extremely spiritual and wonderfully generous person." I highly recommend this excellent guide to bring those streams of plenty into your life. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

This book was good to read. It is very informative for young adults. I know that this will be very helpful to me next year at college. I liked this book because it was very helpful in demonstrating what should not be done when creating personal financing. The only reason I did not give this book five stars was because while it did say what not to do, I only noticed four instances of when the book mentioned a person doing something correct from the start. Throughout the book the author, Dara Duguay, would tell a person's tale of how they screwed up their financing. Then she would explain how that particular situation could have been better handled. In each of the four instances of someone handling their finances well, it was merely to compare that person to another that didn't do so well.
Overall I liked the book. It gives good advice and is rather easy to read. The lessons the book tries to convey are understood quite well by its target audience (teens). I am glad that I read this book, I will take to heart most of the lessons it teaches.

With the new creation of the information age, money management has taken on new meaning for young people. "Please Send Money" is the example where kids at camp and college once had to rely on their parents for money but now via the Internet credit card companies have taken away this burden and placed the problem with young adults who have endless access to financial resources and thus begin their early credit problems. Ms. Duguay does an excellent job pointing out the difficulty for young people in managing their money and how it affects their ability to have access to credit in the future. Additionaly, most educational institutions do not address this necessary life skill and therefore young adults are unprepared to make sound financial decisions when it comes to credit cards, investments, retirement accounts and day to day budgeting. Its nice to know that someone is trying to bring this important issue to the national forefront and help show young adults the way to financial independence, otherwise it will fall onto the public sector one way or another. Every parent should buy this book for their children.

Moving out on your own for the first time is stressful enough, without having to constantly worry about money. However, as Dara Duguay says in her book, Please Send Money: A Financial Survival Guide for Young Adults on Their Own, money is a huge problem amoung young people. I was surprised to learn how many college students accumulate thousands of dollars in debt, often getting in over their head by using credit cards irresponibly. Although personal finance can be confusing and full of dangers for young people, this book shows readers how to avoid common problems and set up and manage a budget. Duguay teaches about the dangers of credit cards, loans, and how to deal with bankruptcy. Through many real-life stories, she illustrates that financial problems can effect anyone. However, by creating a budget for yourself, learning about loans and credit cards, and overcoming the temptation to spend too much, young people can learn to handle their money responsibly. I would definitely recommend this helpful, easy-to-read book to anyone, especially young people, who want to learn more about personal finance.

Jean Chatzky believes that the economic bust of the late 1990s caused many investors to question their previously held beliefs. People questioned the role money played in their lives and what exactly constitutes happiness. To investigate these questions Chatzky hired RoperASW to conduct research into the habits, attitudes, and behaviors of people who are happy and unhappy. The working definition of happiness that the author uses belongs to psychology researcher Ed Diener who defined happiness as "the process of enjoying what you're doing" (22).

RoperASW found that money was only one of several factors that affected overall happiness. In addition to your genetic disposition toward happiness, the most crucial factors listed in order of importance include relationships, self-esteem, job satisfaction, health, and money. According to Chatzky these distinctions are important, "...when we chase money, we lose the opportunity to focus on the [other factors] that could reward us with a huge upward swing in happiness" (20).

Money seems to have a much higher potential downside than upside relative to happiness. The research shows that an individual's overall happiness is significantly affected by money only when that individual's income jumps from $25,000 to $50,000 per year. There exists little improvement in overall happiness when comparing different income groups who make $50,000 per year or more.

Chatzky downplays the role that money plays in achieving happiness by relating the law of diminishing returns, "Once you've achieved life's basic comforts and necessities, more money doesn't necessarily buy more happiness" (15). The rest of the book studies the financial habits of happy people in regards to financial organization, bill paying, record keeping, saving, spending, and setting goals.

Communication and organization serve as the key toward achieving overall happiness. Chatzky recommends investing in mutual funds, and protecting yourself and your family with adequate insurance coverage. She prefers you invest in either index funds or exchange-traded funds (EFTs), such as the "SPY" (S&P 500) and "VPI" (Wilshire 5000) that trade on the American Stock Exchange, depending on how much money you have to invest. Finally, concerning insurance, Chatzky believes that if you have a family you must have life insurance, and if you are single you must purchase "own-occupation" disability insurance.

Once again, Jean provides practical advice that we can all use. I have watched her on the Today Show for years and am struck by her uncanny ability to keep it simple. Here, Jean offers a path to happiness that everyone can follow. Her suggestions make sense, and the anecdotal examples make this a fast read that's well worth the investment.

The only problem for me is that the Roper research is based on a national survey. For those of us living in New York City, it's hard to swallow that $50,000 is the threshold amount that a person might need to be happy, unless she means "after taxes." I have friends who pay that much in yearly rent.

Still, if you can imagine the audience for this book is wider than those of us stuck in the most expensive city in the world, her points all make sense. Her thoughts about controlling spending by examining your real needs could have come from a psychologist, not an expert on money. The step-by-step advice is applicable to everyone, no matter how much you have in the bank.

It's a far reaching book that can help anyone become happier with what they have.

Jean Chatzky's new book on personal finance is unlike any that has come before. I know becaue I've read dozens of books on personal finance and getting rich. Chatzky's book includes an abundance of valuable advice and information necessary to manage your money in today's economy but what makes this book unique is the 'bigger picture' approach Ms. Chatzky takes on money's relevance to the whole of your life. After reading the book and doing the exercises I have a new awarness of my perceptions about money, its value and place in my life and I'm taking steps to do more of what brings me satisfaction instead of obsessing about how much money I have, what my investments are doing and so on. As if all that is ever going to make me happy. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and enjoying life more. And my money is doing just fine.