A few years ago – after reporting on money for fifteen years – I finally cracked the code. If you want to get rich, you need only do four things:
1. Make a decent living
2. Spend less than you make
3. Invest the money you don’t spend
4. Protect the financial world you build so that a disaster doesn’t take it all away from you
Sounds easy, I know. So why, then, is it so hard, particularly for women?
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This was the first book where I used survey results to help people get a grip on their personal finances. In The Ten Commandments of Financial Happiness (which was published in hardcover as You Don’t Have to Be Rich), I analyzed the results of a unique survey in which we questioned 1,500 Americans about their financial attitudes and behaviors.
The goal was to see how much money people actually do need to guarantee a happy, comfortable life. We got down to the nitty-gritty, looking for specific behaviors that – if you really adopt them – can significantly improve a life. The results of this proprietary survey – conducted with the help of the Roper Center – were pretty remarkable. More…
In Talking Money, I offered a detailed guide on how to get personal finances in order.
I already knew firsthand that, once minor money problems are under control, the big picture falls quickly into place.
The idea was to talk frankly and clearly about the need to take control – and offer clear and doable ways of actually getting there.
Some bits of practical advice included: More…