Description
100% Practical, 100% Specific Financial Advice Everyone Can Use: Exactly What to Do and Exactly How to Do It
-Greg Karp makes managing your money as easy as 1-2-3. He offers sensible, time-tested advice to help you make smart decisions and get your finances on track.-
--Liz Pulliam Weston, -The most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet- (Nielsen//NetRatings), author of Easy Money, Your Credit Score, and Deal with Your Debt
-I love this book. Greg-s simple strategies push you to be smart with your dough and act right away.-
--Clark Howard, The Clark Howard Show
-Within one hour of picking up The 1-2-3 Money Plan, I already had a list of easy next steps to save on several of our household expenses.-
--Stephanie Nelson, founder of CouponMom.com
-Greg Karp really knows his stuff, and he lays it out in plain language that will help anyone save money and get financially fit.-
--Jeff Yeager, author of The Ultimate Cheapskate-s Road Map to True Riches
-The money you spend on this book should easily be recouped by the time you-re only several pages into it!-
--Russell Wild, financial advisor, author of Exchange-Traded Funds for Dummies, Bond Investing for Dummies, and Index Investing for Dummies
-Greg Karp is a lifesaver for people worried about stretching their dollars in a tough economy. He-s no Scrooge. Rather, he nudges you into sound decisions and smart spending.-
--Gail MarksJarvis, Chicago Tribune personal finance columnist, author of Saving for Retirement Without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery
"Today everyone is looking for a quick answer to their financial problems. In The 1-2-3 Money Plan, Greg Karp has created an excellent resource. It's well organized and full of great ideas. But, most importantly, it's written in a language that the average consumer can understand and apply. Many people will thank Greg for helping them survive financially tough times."
--Gary Foreman, editor The DollarStretcher Web site, stretcher.com
-Greg Karp tells it like it is, with the specificity and candor busy people need. I am saving money already.-
--Jean Chatzky, author of The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times, blogging at jeanchatzky.com
Today, frugal is the name of the game. But you don-t have to take a vow of poverty: You just have to be smarter about how you spend, save, and invest. Sound hard? Not anymore. In The 1-2-3 Money Plan, top personal finance columnist Greg Karp offers 100% practical, 100% specific financial advice everyone can use...organized into simple three-step plans that tell you exactly what to do and how and where to do it! Discover how to save money by putting your bills on autopilot...which specific brand names to buy in everything from index funds to cellphones...how to improve your credit rating...how to get the right insurance, without wasting money on unn...
Reviews
Fighting a losing battle with your budget? Arm yourself with The 1-2-3 Money Plan by Gregory Karp!
Ever think winning the lottery would solve all your problems? Actually, Mr. Karp tells us spending is more important than earning (or winning, in this case), which explains why most lottery winners end up broke. He tells us to spend our money on things that rise in value, like our homes, businesses, mutual funds, etc. As it turns out, most consumer purchases lose value quickly. Take the purchase of a new car, for instance. On the average, a new car depreciates 30% the first year. If you buy a $30,000 car and sell it after a year, that's a loss of $9,000.00.
The Get FIT chapter tells us how to save money in Food, Insurance and Telephone expenses. The FIT category consumes $14,000.00 per year of the average American family's budget. That's a chunk, isn't it? This chapter is packed with solid, easy-to-make changes which should result in savings of thousands of dollars in these three categories alone. Here are just a few of the many suggestions:
FOOD
*Shop the sales - stock up when things are on sale. You will save about 20% of your annual food spending. At the average family food expense of $7,000.00 per year, you will save $1400.00 per year.
*Try supermarket store brands.
*Redeem coupons.
*Reduce meals out.
*Make your own freezer meals. There are some great books to help you with this, including mine . . . Lunch Buddies: Buddy Up for a Better Diet.
INSURANCE
*Raise deductibles.
*Say no to extended warranties.
*Say no to identity theft insurance.
TELEPHONE
*Cancel your traditional landline phone service.
*Research, review and re-evaluate your cell phone, computer and television packages.
If you're like me, you probably can't account for how your money gets spent. Well, guess what? I found out from Mr. Karp that there are websites making that an easy task, like Mint.com which automatically imports your transactions from banks, credit cards, and investment companies. It even suggests vendors that can save you money.
This review covers just the tip of the iceberg of Mr. Karp's money-saving strategies to get your financial wellness back on track. The 1-2-3 Money Plan includes everything from warranties to websites, online shopping to security, food to phones, and more. If you implement just a few of the strategies in Mr. Karp's book, your initial investment will be returned many times over. So read this book now and reap the rewards as you maneuver your Battleship "Budget" through the rough financial seas. Ahoy, mate!
Informative - Easy to Read
You're not going to find anything new here that you haven't heard or read before but the simplicity (easy as 1-2-3) of this book can help to reinforce your need to save money wisely, spend money wisely and invest money wisely. This isn't the best book that I've ever read on personal finance but it's easy to read, informative, and might just help with your wealth building. Just remember that reading alone won't help you achieve your goals. You'll have to plan your future with realistic and measureable goals. This book is great for the beginning steps of wanting a debt-free life. Invest in yourself before you invest in other vehicles. Stop dreaming and start doing!!!
For Financial Advice Newbies Only!
I am no financial whiz, but I watch a few personal finance shows and read money-saving advice articles in any magazine I can get my hands on, and this book did not cover anything that I had not already learned there. Perhaps the title should have given it away, but this really is the "1,2,3," or " A,B,C" book of financial advice in that it is just the basics. "Introducing" readers to saving for an emergency, using online coupon codes, or finding ways to save money like drinking water instead of soda at restaurants is nothing new ... most of us have heard all of that a hundred times, I'm afraid. I did not take much away from this book except an additional way to stop unwanted junk mail that I was not aware of. It was quite dull and the author used boring examples from his life (e.g. 'my wife and I rented a season of "The Shield"!') . It seemed to me as if it was a way to fill the word count he needed to meet. Not exactly what I was hoping for from a financial "advice" book since I didn't gain much advisement and the author simply rehashes other people's advice.
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