When I was a little girl, I used to sit on my bed and count the money I had saved in my piggy bank. My father always laughed and told me how I had more money than he did. Despite the fact that I remember the past due bills on the kitchen counter and how we got pulled out of extracurricular activies due to lack of money, I never quite believed what my dad said. Now I'm an adult with a family of my own. Now I know that my dad was not kidding.
Although I still love to count money, balance my checkbook to the penny, and monitor my finances better than most people I know, my husband and I still wound up with a big pile of debt. We have excellent credit and we know how to use it! We somehow manage to pay all of our minimum payments on time, but those days are coming to an end. It is past time to take action.
Over the years, I've read (or skimmed) several financial books. Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey are familiar names to me, but whenever I read one of their books, I always found myself commenting out loud, "yea, right". Either the book was over my head or just didn't sound like a plan I could follow. They didn't speak to me and they certainly didn't speak to my husband.
Then I found a book in the local library that caught my eye. I brought it home and put it on the kitchen counter. My husband, who is always looking for something to read, picked up the book and held on to it for the next two days. Then he started talking about it! (My husband doesn't talk about money unless he's asking for permission to spend it.) "Debt-Proof Your Marriage" by Mary Hunt became a topic of conversation before I even had a chance to read it myself.
Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Well, except to take notes. There are sticky notes all through the book. I knew even before I finished the second section that I would be writing a review of this book and that I would be buying my own copy. As soon as I'm done, I will be implementing all of her suggestions, beginning with the "balance sheet" and following the "80 percent solution".
What makes this book so readable for me is that Mary actually speaks to the reader. She shares her personal story of debt and revival, but realizes that everyone's situation is not the same as hers. She tells it like it is, but in a real, practical way, with no lectures. Secured debt becomes "intelligent debt". Unsecured debt is "stupid debt". The plans are easy to follow and actually make sense.
"Debt-Proof Your Marriage" is not just a money management book either. The book is special in the fact that it emphasises that everything must work together to create balance. Financial management is not a stand-alone project. It affects every aspect of your life, especially your marriage. Couples need to become effective money partners in order to achieve financial harmony. The religious aspect is even included in this book for those who need that connection, but it is done in such a way as to not intimidate the non-religious reader.
If money has ever been a source of conflict in your marriage, or you are having difficulty managing your finances, I highly recommend that you get your own copy of "Debt-Proof Your Marriage" by Mary Hunt.
