OMG Becky, Look at Her Budget

I recently had the pleasure of reading Shannon’s (aka Financially Blonde) book, Train Your Way to Financial Fitness. I was so excited to read it as I’ve been a fan of Shannon’s for a long time — and now I can officially call her a friend.

Shannon is so likeable and personable – and she really wants to help people too. In the book, she recalls feeling restricted in her old job where she had to manage clients who had a certain amount of wealth. After realizing there’s a whole group of people (raises hand) that aren’t wealthy, but desperately need financial guidance, she decided to go out on her own and help people of all financial backgrounds. And that is why she rocks.

So, who is this book for?

The book is a great guide for people looking to assess their financial fitness. It’s jam-packed with personal stories, including Shannon revealing her struggle with her weight a few years back, as well as actionable tips to help you overcome your budget woes.

The best part of the book? There is a quiz to help determine if you are financially fit, financially skinny, or financially fat. Don’t worry, you can’t fail!

Where do I end up? Well, I’m financially skinny. I’m doing alright, and in Shannon’s words, this is where most people are at, but I could be doing better. I’m not saving enough and my retirement is at laughable levels.

In the book, Shannon describes financially skinny people like myself: “At first, you were probably excited to see your type; after all, who doesn’t want to be skinny? From a financial perspective, though, Skinny people have a number of challenges. I call this type “Skinny” because you liter­ally live paycheck to paycheck, and you are barely getting by financially. Just as it is not good for your body to be deprived of food, it is not good to deprive your bank account of cash. You have a difficult time saving and getting ahead because of various challenges in your financial life.”

Um, hello student loans! You suck!

Anyway, I loved the metaphor between financial wealth and physical health. They both require a lot of care and maintenance – and it’s important to find balance.

I have never been very good at balance. I’m a highly emotional creature and this book has reminded me of some of my spending triggers that I need to be aware of, so that I can stay on track and rock my budget.

I highly recommend the book for everyone. It’s a fun and engaging read.

For more information, check out Financially Blonde, or buy the book!

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Melanie

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.

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