education-investments

"A Woman's Guide to Family Finances" is a "must have" for any serious home library. Only Ellie Kay can strike to the heart of family finances with such humor and insight. This book is not just for the women in your life, but the men as well! How can such a young woman have such financial wisdom? This is truely a five-star, must have!

I was given this book as a gift. After reading the title "A Woman's Guide to Family Finances" I figured my friend made a mistake and meant it for my wife.

But as I browsed the pages I dicovered something I had never thought about before. I'M THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE!!! I keep the budget, the checkbook. I pay the bills and do the shopping. I always have my eagle eye out for that amazing deal to swoop down and grab before it's gone.

The financial advice here is sound, practical, and extremely useful. There is a spiritual component here too, but it is not so overwhelming as to deter someone not-so-inclined from pursuing and benefitting from Ms. Kaye's tips.

Even though I got this one free, I expect to save 40 to 50 times the book's retail price this year alone by following the bread crumbed path of Ellie Kaye's frugal wisdom.

Ably written by magazine columnist and international speaker Ellie Kay (best known for her regular guest appearances on CNBC's "Power Lunch"), A Woman's Guide To Family Finances is a no-nonsense guide to keeping the family out of debt, ready to weather financial setbacks, and with an eye always vigilant toward future financially relevant plans. Do's and Don'ts of spending; various investments; saving; and planning simplify the complex task of managing money while minimizing risk (especially in today's unpredictable and volatile era), A Woman's Guide To Family Finances is strongly commended and highly recommended reading.

I love this book! It's so easy (and fun) to read. It's got chapters for buying new products as well as buying "Secondhand Rose" stuff at auctions and estate sales and a very detailed index, perfect for looking up an area I want to concentrate on. I just looked up holiday gifts and found some terrific ideas for bargain buying now, instead of waiting until December. This book is full of practical information on how to make your money go further while having fun at the same time.

A excellent primer on getting great deals on all kinds of products, from clothing to computers to cars. Besides the great advice (which really does work!), the book is a fun read, with lots of tip boxes and sidebars that share the authors' own experiences.

Collaboratively written by Art Beroff (a professional investment banker and member of the Small Business Administration National Advisory Council), with the collaborative assistance of Rob Adams and Terry Adams (real estate development and property management experts who buy distressed properties and then remodels and furnishes them for a profit), The Bargain Hunter's & Smart Consumer's Field Guide is a solid and accessibly presented money-saving guide to getting discounts when shopping or utilizing service providers; using the Internet for finding bargain prices; negotiate like a professional over real estate; and much, much more. The text is comprised of motivational, down-to-earth language, showcasing accessible and practical strategies for getting the best possible deal, while avoiding scams. The Bargain Hunter's & Smart Consumer's Field Guide is a thoroughly "user friendly" how-to guide that will literally pay for itself over and over again.

Teaching kids about money is a challenge Joline Godfrey tackles beautifully. Do we share our budgets with them or shield them from the harsh reality of adult life? How much is too much - allowance, birthday money, "fun" money? Can we keep our kids from ammassing unmanageable credit card debt when they get older? Joline Godfrey offers practical advice that is reasonable and accessible for people of average, above average and below average means alike. Let's teach our kids more effectively than we were taught!

How exciting to see the lessons of financial responsibility presented in a family friendly manner! The icing on the cake is the attention to sharing financial resources and taking seriously the welfare of those outside your immeidate family. In a time when kids, and adults, are attracted by How To Be A Millionaire or Homes of the Rich and Famous, the message that financial know how can be used for more than our own personal gain is sorely needed. This book would be good not only for families, but in classrooms and club settings. Well done!

If you're like me and millions of other parents, aunts, uncles, etc. you don't feel equipped to teach the kids in your life about money because of your own issues. Raising Financially Fit Kids helped me get beyond my money paralysis by encouraging me to realize that it's important to start somewhere, even if it's just with baby steps. The author, Joline Godfrey, reminds us that money is a tool, not an end into itself, to be used to impart the type of values we hope our children will develop during their financial apprenticeship. The content is first rate and the design easy to navigate. I highly recommend it.

Two words sum this book up .. Par Excellence . I got Andy Dappen's book from the library and hated to part with it when its renewal limit was reached . I would strongly recommend this book for newly weds , single income families and people who are knee deep in debt and want to get out of the money trap.

When will this book come into print again ???

This guy is a frugal maniac and proud of it. Some of his ideas are really batty, but most make a lot of good sense. I read an excerpt in Reader's Digest and then got his book from the library. Don't let his crazy ideas like using old bread as a frisbee distract you from his main concept that you can be happy with less, and even have fun trying to find ways to save. I would think Mr. Dappen would prefer you don't spend your money on this book though. Check the book out of the library instead!

Andy Dappen's book, "Shattering the Two Income Myth," critically examines the idea that two incomes are a requirement for family life in the modern world. He draws some interesting conclusions. Dappen refers to a U.S. Labor Department study that has shown the average dual-career family loses up to two-thirds of its second paycheck to work-related expenses, and if children needing daycare or after school supervision are in the picture, the percentage of work-related expenses is even higher. To truthfully calculate the earnings from a family's second set of wages, they would need to subtract all work-related expenses from their income. Dappen asserts that many second income-earners are "spending big bucks for the privilege of joining the nine-to-five parade."

Dappen also takes the view that one of the main reasons people feel unable to live on a single income is due to inflated expectations of what a family truly "needs" to live well. He calls it "our love affair with consumerism." Trophy houses, sport utitlity vehicles, new mini vans, designer clothes, big screen TV's and $100 running shoes are just some of the so-called "needs" many parents are working to supply for their families.

Dappen encourages a change of attitude---a refocusing to a mindset that embraces contentedness and fullfillment rather than following after consumer-driven forces. Dappen says, "Making your life happier, more directed, and less stressful distills down to the acceptance of five simple words: You can't have it all."

"Shattering the Two Income Myth" would be an ideal book for any family contemplating the change from two incomes to a single income situation. The book offers practical suggestions for preparing for, and actually making the switch to, living on one income. There are also numerous personal inventory questions to help with the decision making process.

David Speck's "Investment Prescriptions for a Healthy College Fund" is packed with sound advice--and not just for anxious parents and grandparents trying to plan for the college education of children and grandchildren--but for any investor seeking to reach a long-term goal.

For example, Mr. Speck's introductory advice to "buy good stuff and leave it alone" along with his admonition against gambling with one or two stocks, rather than investing in stock mutual funds (e.g. ". . . do not buy individual stocks until you are ready to invest enough money to create your own 'mutual fund' . . .) ring especially true in today's "Internet-Crazed" market.

His book is well written and offers excellent tools for calculating what one must do today to meet the objectives of tomorrow. Yet he manages to take this otherwise dull topic and lighten it with just enough humor to keep the reader's interest flowing.

If you are a "day trader" you probably will not appreciate the sound advice and assistance offered by Mr. Speck. But, then if you are a day trader you most likely are not interested in a college fund for your child or grandchild, and this book is not really written for you in the first place. In short, this is an excellent addition to the series of college planning guides from the publisher, Octameron. If you are neither day trader not concerned parent or grand parent, you may still find this book useful as an excellent primer and compact source on investing and many of the confusing terms found in the world of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

This book is the simplest information about a variety of financial areas. The author uses the scriptures to support the financial principals. Then Mr. Paris teaches us how to do what we are suppose to do. Most books teach us what we need to do the information is out there for us to use. But this book teaches us how to do it not just what to do. I'm a personal financial analyst and I am so impressed with the format of this book I've started to give this book away free to some of my needy clients. Also, I've designed Financial Wisdom Seminars for the Christian community. These seminars are free and educational in nature; free books are given away at the seminars as well. All this has been inspired from this book. Buy it, read it and put it to pracitce. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Thank you H. Lynn Massey

Rasul comes across as personable and learned without being too preachy. He uses real life examples that we can all relate to and leaves the reader with a very upbeat feeling. A very enjoyable read for all, but parents will gain the most from reading this book.

This book, the third edition of a worthy effort, has been superseded by Howard's GET CLARK SMART (2000), which is the fourth edition, with numerous changes and updates. The more recent book is published with no reference to the earlier editions and under a different title, so the unwary consumer is liable to buy either the outdated edition, or (as in my case) both editions, without realizing that he's getting two versions of the same book. This is ironic, given the author's reputation as a consumer advisor.

This book has saved me major $ from the sale of my home to the purchase of a new one. Mr. Howard cover it all from credit cards, credit reports, buying cars etc..... This book was written for me (the consumer)and I will recomend that all my friends buy, plus I have bought serveral copies for Christmas gifts...

Clark takes his talk show and puts it into book form for those who can't hear him. This geek can speak, and his simple tips will save you money, time, aggrevation and embarassment. Buy it for someone who needs tips but is too lazy or shy too ask! He has a crack staff behind him, and while they differ on saving money, they all know they owe Clark a huge thanx for taking them to Italy for $200 apiece. One money-saving idea will pay for the book, and your friends will literally start calling you "Clark".

I enjoyed reading this book. Ellie Kay has a unique sense of humor. Wacky, might be a good word. (She calls herself the Coupon Queen and even has a nice tiara to wear.) She stresses coupons highly, so if you live in a rural area or hate coupons, then you might want another book. She tells A LOT of humorous type stories, mostly about her family. Her lovey nicknames for her husband Bob might be irritating if you're single or just want a less nonsense- more tips type approach. She does have a lot of references towards Christianity, although I didn't find it objectionable. I was impressed with the gardening section, and the holiday section. (Christmas is about Christ anyway, so the religious overtone feels like it "belongs" there.)The book was entertaining, and could be helpful, particularly if you need help with coupons and meal planning. The last self-serving chapter, (fan letters) was odd I thought. Overall it was a good read.

With four children 10 and under, I am always trying to find ways to save money. I have just recently bought both of Ellie Kay's books and enjoy both of them tremendously! I can't wait to share what I've learned with my family and friends. I am going to recommend to everyone I know to go out and get these books. These suggestions will help out so much, especially with only one income( my husband is a SGT in the US Army) and seven people in our house. Ellie, thank you so much for sharing with others what you know about saving money!

Once again, Ellie Kay helps us learn the art of saving money. She is a
master at it! Thankfully, she helps us thru the tricks of saving money and
having fun at the same time! Her tried and true cost saving methods make
saving cash fun for all involved. You'll want to ready this book again and
again--and share it with your family and friends alike!

This is one of the easiest to read and understadn investment books I've ever found. Teaching children the value of long-term investment and money is a wonderful gift to give anyone. Adults will find the clear explanations, sound advice, and tips on getting started no matter how much you have to be valuable as well.

This and Jason Kelly's "Neatest Little Guide..." series are my favorite introductory investment books.

This is the type of book I wish I had when I first became interested in investing. It is so elementary that I can actually understand what the stock market is all about, and how I personally can benefit from getting myself educated about investing. What's more my teenage daughter is learning about investing and investment clubs and students from her class are getting together weekly to talk about the stock market, using this book as a guide. This is a wonderful book to introduce kids and teenagers to investing.

I found this book to be extremely helpful in decoding a very intimidating topic. The forum in which the book was layed out made for an easy and exciting read. I finally feel comfortable and adept to invest, in addition to having various resources for doing research. I highly recommend this book and have bought several copies for friends and family with and without children.