Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together (Broke Millennial Series)

Find great financial info in everyday language - including a few F-bombs. Too many personal finance books are written by people who don't have true expertise. Lowry has done her homework and lived with financial truths. A fun and factual read.

I recently finished this book after putting it off for a few months (hey, I'm a millennial!) and absolutely loved it. There are certain chapters I skipped because they weren't relevant but I appreciated that the book was designed with that in mind. There were actionable tips on every page, and each section was summarized with "key takeaways" that were helpful. As someone who has no financial literacy, I left this book feeling much more confident and aware. For those like me who have no background in personal finance, it might be worthwhile to re-read certain chapters to make sure you retain it. The book completed its promise of paying for itself with some of the tips around savings accounts interest that I've started to implement. Her writing style is laid back and consumable, and the example stories were relatable! This would make a great gift for college (or even high school) graduates who don't know much about money, especially about the importance of building credit and smart ways to do that.

Kudos to Erin Lowry! As graduation rapidly approaches the lives of my peers and myself, I understand that life is quickly going to change. For me, I am excited for the day of financial independence, and understand the responsibility it brings. This book provides a solid outline for a variety of 20-something-year-olds who are about to take a financial leap. It even breaks up the millennial demographic in three different categories of money handlers: Team YOLOFOMO (showing no care of finances), Team Guarded Optimist (aware of the future, but not worried at all about it), and Team Dreaming about Retirement (penny pincher and savings heavy). Purchasing this book was a smart investment!

I bought this book because I’m graduating from college this spring and need to start thinking seriously about my future. From job hunting to apartment hunting and student loans to monthly bills, the prospect of adulting was terrifying. Asking my parents was out of the question. As much as I love them, they’re not what I would consider to be great financial role models. (Not to say they aren’t great role models, but finance isn’t one of their biggest strengths!) I scoured the internet for advice and tips and eventually found Broke Millennial. What makes Broke Millennial so different and the reason why I chose to buy the book was because it’s aimed at people like me (aka twenty/thirty-something’s with little to no financial expertise). The topics Lowry covers are relevant to those in all walks of life. Her writing style is fun, witty, and personable while also being very informative. It’s like talking to the mom-friend who has her life together: you can ask her anything and she’s nonjudgmental. I also loved the way the book was set up. You don’t have to read the book chapter-by-chapter to understand what she talks about. All of the chapters cover different topics and only reference each other once in a while; you can read the chapters in any order you please. Overall, Lowry’s advice is relevant and laid out in an easy to understand format. I’ve already implemented some of her advice and it definitely works! I’ve already ordered her other book and will be reading it as soon as I’m done writing this review! Cheers!

I highly recommend this book to any financially struggling twenty-something. I'm in my late 20's and have never quite found my footing financially - it always seemed like it was one thing after another whenever I tried to start saving money. After reading this book, I made some major changes and finally feel like I can breathe and like I can afford my car payment, groceries, and fun dinners out with friends and family (I no longer have to pretend like I'm more anti-social than I actually am). I still have a lot of work to do, but I truly appreciated the way this book laid everything out. It was easy to understand with good references to being a millennial. I appreciated when the author laid out the best way to do something, but recognized that as a millennial, we'd probably rather do it a different way - she encourages you to go about solving and saving the way that you'll succeed best at it. I learned a lot about myself through reading this book and feel like financial goals are finally in my horizon.

I typically have a hard time finishing any book I start. NOT THIS ONE. I couldn't put it down, and while it called me out on some really poor habits that have put my finances in a really bad place, it did so kindly and I left it feeling really empowered. Not empty, "You can do it, yay! Go you!" empowered, but more "I can do this because I actually have an idea how to now, or at least where to start." It helped too that I was grinning and laughing out loud at least once or twice a page. A little of my story: I grew up with parents who'd been disabled since birth, barely able to support our small 3-person family on nothing but welfare, about $900-$1100 a month. I started working at 13, sometimes pulling three part-time jobs while in school, because the only way we could afford anything for me as I became a teenager is if I went out and earned the money. Now a 27-year-old, in seven short years since starting school I've amassed over $54,000 in debt, most of that in student loans but some in credit card debt - and that debt feels CRIPPLING. I've been focusing on MAKING things happen in life, literally no matter the cost and realize now thanks to this book that if I don't want to slip into bankruptcy I have to switch gears a little bit. I don't make a whole lot, have no familial support and live in a very expensive city, so despite starting to gain traction in my career this debt seemed like this inevitable, immovable beast I'd be forced to live with, forever holding me back from building any kind of wealth or breaking the cycle of poverty. This book makes those factors seem a little less heavy and a little more workable. The strategies listed in this book are incredibly helpful and attainable, just about regardless of where you're starting, and I find myself inspired and ready to slay the debt dragon and start making real progress toward my financial goals. Please read this book whether you are buried in debt, just have a few thousand dollars worth, or are completely debt free. You'll never look at your paycheck(s) the same way again!

Nothing new, yet another book i was so excited to read, but ended up being disappointed. Its not a bad read, everything she writes was sort of meant for a teenager who has never been in a real world. The writing is ok, in part a little entertaining but nothing really worth reading for me. I guess i was expecting something else. I would not recommend this book unless its a first financial book for you or maybe you like this author, or its free in the library, otherwise i would not bother buying it.

This book is a top notch intro to personal finance. If you're a young(ish) person, I want to start getting control of your money this book is for you. The book has a hefty focus on the mental aspect of finances, which I personally think is the most important. So I really appreciated that. But here's a quick overview of what you can expect. It covers - The mindset and mental blocks you may have around money (based on how you grew up) - How to overcome bad financial mindsets and how to create a good financial mindset - Different situations you might be in and how to handle them (allows different people to relate in different ways) - Ideal benchmarks for you to hit in order to be "on track" with your money at certain ages - Different financial products (investment accounts, bank accounts, credit cards) and how to look for the best ones - Basics of investing and retirement planning - Basics of buying a house vs renting - Info about credit cards and credit reports Basically, this book covers all things personal finance in a really approachable and digestible way. I've been studying finance for years, and rarely come across something this comprehensive that still holds my attention. There's a good balance of storytelling and practical advice. It's not an investment book or advanced level retirement planning guide or hardcore tax strategy book. It's a solid book on how to go from not knowing much about your money to totally killing it. It would be comparable to Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich, if you like that book, you'll love this one too. Highly recommend.