On Becoming Rich - Book review: Your Money or Your Life

One of the most influential books on Money and Finance

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicky Robin

Of the books I have read, this one is the one, that I have gifted the most people with. It is absolutely magnificent on changing your relationship with money.

Its advice was not to create a budget, get a better job, go to college or any of the other inane recommendation that plague get rich books. In fact, this is not a get rich book.

The core premise is know yourself, and know your relationship with money.

First it starts off with something that seems insanely difficult, but is quite easily doable. Keep track of everything you spend money on for an entire month.

You are probably thinking this is so you can see where you can cut costs, but it isn't. After you get a month's worth of financial data, you add up the totals into (self determined) groups. Then, you ask yourself, do I feel good about the stuff I got for the money I spent?

In each column you put a happy face on the ones that brought you joy, and a sad face on ones that didn't.

So many of us have, what the authors call, a Gazingus Pin. A bright shiny bauble that you buy continuously to try to make yourself feel better for living such a financially painful existence. So, it is important to find things that do not bring us joy, and to cut them, or lower their cost each month.

Over time, you will find that you are regulating your spending habits far better than any list or budget ever did.

Next, they have you make a chart, showing your

Your income each month
Your expenses each month
Your passive income each month.

The book taught ways to spend less than you earned. And then to invest that savings into passive income producing assets. Also, since you could see your position bettering each month you were more inclined and motivated to find side hustles are get a better job.

And each time you plotted things on your chart, you could see your passive income increasing and increasing, until one day it would cross over the expense line. At which point, you are free. You could retire. Your expenses are covered whether you do any more work or not. You are financially independent.

The only poor thing about the book is what they suggest you invest in. They suggested govern-cement bonds. But this was back in the days when you could buy a 30yr T.Bond with a 12% return.

Today, we have cryptos. Which are paying even higher yields.

I highly recommend this book to all people. It truly is what all the "make a budget" self-help books are missing. I used to give a money back guarantee (I would buy it off you and give it to someone else.) It is just that good of a book!