Reader Debra wins my review copy of Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
I would love to read this book. I have been looking for work since the end of April – it is very emotionally draining.
I hope this book helps you get through this difficult time, Debra. If you missed my review of the book, author Harlan Kidwell Jr. focuses on the emotional journey that follows getting laid off. One thing that comes up often – even when you have a job – is how to talk about money with friends who want to spend more than you do. Socializing can be a minefield when you are cutting back!
To reduce spending, go over your budget again or attend a totally free swap meet.
Have you ever been laid off? Then you know what a blow it can be financially and emotionally. On BargainBabe.com I mostly deal with surviving financially, so I welcomed Harlan Kidwell, Jr.’s book on the emotional fallout of job loss. Harlan’s self-published Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
With so many personal stories, Creative Unemployment is cathartic.
This book offers a positive look at the potentially damaging psychological aspects of underemployment. This book is not about finding a job. It is a book about finding yourself…When you find yourself, you will find employment – a vocation – a life purpose. The issues in this book can also be useful to people who are aware or alive and still employed who want to gain the benefits of increased self-awareness before the trauma of rejection and loss of income.
Each chapter of the 284-page book begins with a 1-3 sentence description of what you’ll get out of that chapter and ends with a 1-3 page review of the major points. Chapters 1-8 are about recognizing and accepting the emotional journey that follows unemployment. Chapters 9-15 are about moving forward and taking action.
In chapter 10, Harlan breaks down the emotional journey of unemployment into six practical steps you can take to move forward.
1. Become self-aware.
2. Decide what you want.
3. Write your goals down.
4. Imagine or visualize your achieved goal. (emphasis his)
5. Take action.
6. Reflect and select.
The book’s introduction lacks sources for the statistics cited, which makes me uncomfortable. However, the point of the book is to help one heal emotionally, not provide economic figures. The nut of this touchy-feely (and I don’t mean that in a bad way) book is that it is okay to to feel how you feel, you should believe in yourself, and definitely go for it!
Leave a comment on this post by the end of Thursday, March 4 to win my review copy of Creative Unemployment: How To Transcend Job Loss
Amazon.com
Reader Katie wins my review copy of Life or Debt 2010: A New Path to Financial Freedom, which I wrote about earlier this week, for her comment:
I would love to read this book! Hubby and I are reccent college graduates and want to pay off our student loans/live debt free as quickly as possible but could sure use direction!
With early guidance I hope Katie and her husband live debt-free! If you didn’t win, Amazon has paperback copies of Life or Debt 2010 for $8.50 (orig. $15). And remember to try your library!
I met Stacy Johnson at a work event in San Francisco months ago and was pleased to hear he had a new book coming out (actually, a re-do of a book he published 10 years ago.) Stacy, who is a CPA, shows in Life or Debt 2010: A New Path to Financial Freedom that he knows what he is talking about.
The book begins with a 5-page rant on why personal and national debt is damaging. Then Stacy puts our current fiscal mess it into perspective:
In the 1930s, unemployment approached 25 percent, more than twice what it is now, and there were no unemployment checks. The stock market declined 80 percent. When banks failed, and hundreds did, there was no FDIC to insure deposits, you simply lost your money. So if you think it’s tough these days, imagine what that was like. But there was a silver lining to that dark cloud: The Greatest Generation became tough…They learned that their only protection was to save a dime every time they earned a dollar and not to trust their employer or their government for their financial security…
They also got behind legislation that changed the financial system so it would be tilted more to the benefit of the have-nots. They created Social Security, a means to help people when they become too old or sick to work. They created the FDIC, which guarantees that nobody would lose money in a bank failure again, at last within the insured limits. They created unemployment insurance at both the federal and state levels…
In short, the Greatest Generation harnessed their collective power and changed the United States in major ways in an attempt to ensure that a tragedy like the Great Depression couldn’t devastate their children the way it had devastated them.
Many of us are re-learning the hard lessons of the Great Depression now. To prosper Stacy recommends:
- Stop whining and start acting
- Reconsider the relationship between material possessions and happiness
- Create financial freedom by living below your means
In seven chapters Stacy explains how to get out of debt as quickly as possible, how to stop creating more debt, and how to rank your debts to determine which one to payoff first. There are also three chapters at the end with 250 tips to save, how to repair your credit, and resources for getting help.
Many chapters have charts and worksheets so you can crunch your numbers. Stacy ends each chapter with a handful of key points so you remember the lessons. The book is 223 pages. Life or Debt is sensible, occasionally funny, and very down to earth. I highly recommend it!
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my review copy. Or buy Life or Debt 2010 from Amazon for $8.50 (orig. $15).
Money is a great way to get close to your sweetie. That’s the premise behind “Get Financially Naked,” by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar.
The book is meant for women in a committed relationship who want to find out if they are financially compatible with their mate. “Get Financially Naked” also aims to help women gain and maintain control over their finances in a relationship.
Dealing with money can bring women closer to their partners and strengthen their relationships.
First, this book will help you and your partner get on the same financial page, which means your relationship is much less likely to get torpedoed by financial stress. Second, by learning to talk about money with your honey in a constructive way, the odds are high that you will dramatically strengthen your relationship.
The 148-page book is divided into three sections to help you:
1. Get the upper hand of your finances
2. Learn how to talk to your partner about money
3. Get tools to save and invest so you can turn your financial dreams into reality
There is also a 30-question quiz to take with your partner and worksheets to help you get “financially naked” because when it comes to money you want to know exactly what you’re dealing with.
Comment on this post for a chance to win my review copy. If you can’t wait, Amazon has it for $9.32 (orig $12. 95).
Reader Amy B won my review copy of “Bitches on a Budget” with her sassy comment on my book review. Congrats, Amy!
I’ve always been a bitch (thank you my female dog is beautiful)and I’ve always tried to work within a reasonable budget. However having 3 boys, ok 4 with husband, it is sometimes trying. Cant wait to read! Woo hoo!
If you didn’t win, no worries. Amazon has it for $10.20 (orig. $15).
Readers who have previously chided my ocassionally crass language, hold back. This post is not intended for minors or the faint at heart.
I couldn’t resist grabbing “Bitches on a Budget” from my patient stack of books waiting for a review. But does the book has as much sass as the title? Yes.
Rosalyn Hoffman opens her 322-page book with this essential question. How do you live a stylish life during the greatest economic downturn of your generation? No matter that the recession is technically over. Budget woes continue. And women rule the pocketbook. Here’s how Chapter 1 starts:
Bitches, we’re going to let you in on a secret: Women might only make $.78 for every $1 men make, but we’re the ones who drive the economy. We’re the ones who decide what to buy and when to buy it. You think we’re kidding? Just turn on the television. It’s talking to you, bitch. And even when it’s not – Rogaine and boner pills – it’s still about you!
Rosalyn gives budgeting a good name (it’s just another way to say edit, really), and attempts to do the same for what seems to be her favorite b-word. She writes about shopping, grooming, staying healthy, mental health, travel, cars, entertainment, entertaining and home decorating, food, and pets in her over-the-top girlfriend no you di-ent hand-waving, finger-snapping voice.
In other words, she makes saving money really entertaining. What more can you ask for?
Comment on this post for a chance to win my review copy. Or, you can pick it up at Amazon for $10.20 (orig. $15).
The reader who left the comment that won my review copy of Strategic Eating, a book that pairs healthy eating with money-saving strategies, has been looking for this type of book for some time. Congrats, Emi Onishi Ruzzin!
What a great idea – eat nutritionally AND save money. I’ve been trying to do that by using coupons, buying fresh ingredients, avoiding the processed and frozen food sections, etc., for years, but I haven’t seen a book specifically about having a strategy for eating right. With my first baby about to be born next month, I’d love to find out ways on how I can do more to eat nutritionally and cut costs. Also, the “Why coupons may end up costing you more” intrigues me a lot! Thanks.
An honorable mention goes to Mary:
Boy, I need this book! My husband and I have tracked our spending, and we spend far more on eating out that we realized. We’ve resolved to eat more at home, and to eat healthier, in the new year.
If you didn’t win, no worries. Buy it from Amazon now for $13.25.
Elise Cooke, author of Strategic Eating, is a like-minded soul. In 19 quick and fun chapters, Elise spells out how to be the “weird shopper” who snags all the grocery deals, how to substitute ingredients to save, and helpful websites that have low-budget recipes.
She learned the tips and strategies she shares in her book by necessity. Now, she just has a very “lucrative (food) hobby.” I love it!
Elise is focused on eating right. “There’s more to this food finesse thing than saving money,” she writes. “Shoot, you could eat dirt and save bucks of money. The challenge is to eat nutritiously; otherwise, what’s the point?” My thoughts exactly!
In the 109-page book Elise shares:
- Common grocery store practices that trick you into paying too much, and how you can avoid them
- 3 ways to get food for free
- Why coupons may end up costing you more
- 4 easy methods of making perfectly portable meals, for families on-the-go
- Time savers that can let you put food on the table faster than ordering take-out
Leave a comment about why you should win my review copy by Sunday night. The winner will be announced Monday. Can’t wait? Buy it from Amazon now for $13.25.
This post is brought to you by Overstock, offering great deals on your next mattress topper.
Reader Kathleen won my review copy of Return to Beauty: old world recipes for great radiant skin with her comment:
I love the idea of homemade products. Our world is so filled with chemicals. A friend of mine uses sugar as a facial scrub and I would love to learn some other ideas.
If you didn’t see my review of the book, click here. It’s amazing some of the things you can make with basic ingredients from your kitchen.
If you didn’t win, buy a hardback copy of Return to Beauty from Amazon for $16.50 (orig. $25). The book makes a great gift – and it’s a bargain!
The passion for homemade beauty recipes is clear from the first page of Return to Beauty: old world recipes for great radiant skin. Author and celebrity aesthetician Narine Nikogosian learned from her grandmother to make treatments with whatever she had on hand, even pats of butter!
Many of Narine’s recipes have just three ingredients, including stuff you already have in your kitchen, like eggs, milk, honey, baking soda, lemon juice, and various fruits. The directions are incredibly simple and Narine explains how and why each recipe works.
Here’s her bee sweet moisturizer:
Hydrating and softening, these three ingredients will leave your skin baby soft.
1 tsp honey
1 tsp almond oil
1/2 egg yolk
In a small bowl, mix the ingredients together. Apply to your face every morning and evening after cleansing. Splash with warm water and pat dry.
Return to Beauty is 262-pages divided into six sections. The first has simple recipes by season for each of the four skin types, dry, normal to dry, normal to oily, and oily. The second section has recipes by zodiac sign and the third has “simple solutions” for pimples, fine lines, problematic hair and nails, feet, and dark spots.
The final three sections, which are much shorter, cover pregnancy, how to give yourself a facial, and skin care for men. Here’s another recipe that sounds great.
Baby Mama’s Beautiful Body Cream
When you’re pregnant, it might seem as if all of the moisture has left your body! This lotion will infuse hydration and healthiness into your dry skin, keeping it soft and supple.
2 small cucumbers
2 tsps olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp flour
Peel and chop the cucumbers. In a blender, combine the cucumbers, oil, egg yolk, and flour. Mix well. After showering, apply this cream generously all over your body.
This book would also make an awesome Christmas gift! Leave a comment on this post by 5 p.m. PST Thursday for a chance to win my review copy! You can always buy a copy of Return to Beauty from Amazon for $16.50 (orig. $25). That’s a bargain for a beautifully styled, hardcover book.
Buying this book supports BargainBabe.com!
The commenting competition to win my review copy of How to Survive (and perhaps thrive) on a Teacher’s Salary was HOT with 31 comments the last time I checked.
Secondhand Shopaholic said:
I like how he gives actual specific things you can do i.e. the exact amount of $$ they wanted to live on, so they started an account. Very inspirational. I would love, and use, this book. It’s all about choices….
Tamara has a true need for the book:
This is something I *need* my sister, and most of my close friends are teachers. I am not, but I do work for a non-profit, so my salary is even lower. I am looking for real tips on how to save, pay off my car, and still be able to do some things for fun. This sounds like it is right up my alley.
In the end I picked Kathy as the winner because of how many people she plans to share the book with:
I am always intrigued by how people manage their money. It seems that no matter how much I make, I live week to week. I am a school librarian at a Christian school, I know my co-workers work because they love to teach. I would love to have this book in my library for them to read!
If you didn’t win, check back next Tuesday for another book review and giveaway contest. Or, buy this book from Amazon for $10. Purchasing a copy supports BargainBabe.com!
Talk about concise. Danny Kofke’s How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher’s Salary
Kofke’s basic philosophy towards money – be sensible – is one I like. He spends a reasonable amount of time crunching the numbers so he can live comfortably within his means and reach his financial goals, thereby providing peace of mind and security. Here’s how he starts Chapter 3.
Upon arriving in Poland, Tracy and I decided how much money we wanted to have when we returned to the States. Now a lot of people do not plan ahead, and thus, wind up living paycheck to paycheck. We knew that we would be moving back home in two years and decided that $20,000 was a good amount to start with. We divided $20,000 by 24 months (the number of months we would earn a salary teaching in Poland) and came up with $834. We then set up a plan with the secretary at our school to deposit this amount into our savings account every time we got paid at the end of each month.
Kofke also writes about how he managed his finances so he and his family could travel, have a second child, buy a home, build a retirement fun, and get out of debt. How to Survive on a Teacher’s Salary is a welcome reminder that it is possible to live well on a relatively meager salary.
Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win my review copy! The winner will be announced Friday.
If you can’t wait, buy it now from Amazon for $10. Buying this book through Amazon supports BargainBabe.com.
theritters/Flickr
Reader Patricia wins a copy of America, Welcome to the Poorhouse with her comment on my book review earlier this week.
If “we have to get a lot poorer ” means not having a 62 inch plasma tv, or the brand new I-phone (with contract) the day it’s released, or a McMansion with Rooms To Go furniture stuffed in every room and bought on a 5 yr. payment plan, then so be it. It’s about time people stopped with the hedonistic, gluttonous buy-buy-buy EVERYTHING NOW, even when they have to put it on credit, and get back to reality. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. Save (invest) at least 10% of your paycheck for retirement. Live within your means. Maybe this economic meltdown will cause a return to individual fiscal responsibility?
Like Patricia, many readers dismissed government reform in favor of individual responsibility. I agree that it would be great if we all lived within our means and saved so we could retire at a not-so-old age. If we all bought reasonably-priced houses and read the fine print to secure a fair mortgage. If we all practiced self-restraint and paid off our credit card bill in full.
The problem is, as a country, WE ARE VERY IRRESPONSIBLE WITH OUR MONEY. Do I even need to provide proof?
Which is why I think government reform could be the answer, perhaps on an educational level so that individuals are empowered to make savvy financial decisions. How about requiring high school students to take a class in personal finance, retirement planning, or budgeting 101? Teaching the next generation about money will spur financial change. No pun intended!
Prepared to be scared if you crack open America, Welcome to the Poorhouse by Jane White. The headlines and chapter titles gave me a fright:
- 80 percent of Americans can’t afford to retire
- the median 401 (k) balance for workers 60-65 (i.e., near retirement) was a paltry $43,000
- mortgage mess: it ain’t just subprime, it’s half of Americans in overpriced homes
- 35 million Americans are drowning in credit card debt
White makes the case that a “retirement crisis” is set to hit in 2011. “The first wave of Baby Boomers, those born in 1946, is scheduled to retire in 2011 and can’t afford to — at the same time my daughter’s generation, one of the largest in history, is scheduled to graduate from college,” she writes. “Will a big percentage of the 4 million graduates wind up jobless because my generation’s 3.4 million Boomers can’t afford to retire?”
I’m almost too scared to keep reading. But the book also offers solutions:
- require employers to contribute to employee 401 (k) programs no matter what
- save wisely until retirement reform happens
- buy an home in an affordable community, like Portland, Denver, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, or Raleigh (the book has pricing, education, and crime stats on each of these cities)
White advocates major reform via a taxpayer lobbying group that will match the power of big business. “We need a national citizens’ PAC that not only issues “report cards” on Congresspeople,” she writes, “but also encourages honest candidates to run for office and replace them…We need a new American revolution against the business lobby and those in Washington who enable it and do its bidding.” One such PAC is called the Accountability Now group and it is backed by a major union and MoveOn.org, a Democratic political group.
I’d like to believe in White’s optimism that positive reform will financially empower many Americans, but I’m not convinced it will happen in the next decade. As a country we have to get a lot poorer before people will be moved to act. What do you think?
Leave a comment on this post by Friday and you could win my review copy! If you can’t wait, buy it from amazon for $16.55 (orig. $22.99).
