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Laura rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Money Saving Mom's Budget by Crystal Paine

The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year
by Crystal Paine

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When you're trying to reach a financial goal, there are basically two ways to meet it: increase your income and/or cut your expenses. In reality, you have to do both. If you just increase your income, your expenses could increase at the same time, le...more

Laura rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing
by Rachel Singer Gordon

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I've read many books about couponing, and I have to say that many of them have left me wanting. They cover some couponing topics, but they can leave a reader new to couponing with more questions.

I recently had the chance to read The Complete Idiot's ...more I've read many books about couponing, and I have to say that many of them have left me wanting. They cover some couponing topics, but they can leave a reader new to couponing with more questions.

I recently had the chance to read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing by Rachel Singer Gordon, founder of MashupMom.com, and if I had to describe it in one word, that word would be thorough. And it's great not only for new couponers, but for long-time couponers as well.

The author covers pretty much any couponing topic you can think of. Interested in learning more about online printable coupons, electronic coupons, or money-back coupons? It's here. Want to find out more about daily deal sites, restaurant saving sites, or mobile coupon apps? Here too.

I was really happy to see detailed information about the drugstore savings programs. Too often, books about couponing mention that you can save a lot at drug stores, but they don't go into any detail about how to make that happen. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing goes into fine detail about the specifics of saving at CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. These programs can be confusing to new couponers - particularly the differences between each store's policies - so I think this would be very helpful! The only caveat is that these programs are subject to change, so the book might possibly be outdated quickly.

As a veteran couponer, I found lots to learn about in this book. I really enjoyed the chapters about organizing and donating your stockpiled items bought with coupons, and I found fascinating the chapter about the future of couponing. It's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in couponing!

The only very, very small quibble I have with the book is that I would have liked to read more personal stories about how couponing helped the author manage her budget. Although there is one small story in the introduction, I find personal examples help make books like these more fun to read and show that the tips really do work!(less)

Laura rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Big Retirement Risk by Erin Botsford

The Big Retirement Risk: Running Out of Money Before You Run Out of Time
by Erin Botsford

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Standard retirement advice often is based on your "magic number." This is how much of a nest egg you need to save. It's usually a big, big, big number, one that seems almost unrealistic.

And then, standard retirement advice says that you remove some p...more Standard retirement advice often is based on your "magic number." This is how much of a nest egg you need to save. It's usually a big, big, big number, one that seems almost unrealistic.

And then, standard retirement advice says that you remove some percentage of your nest egg for your living expenses. Depending on the advice, this could be 4% or 5% or even 8-10%. The idea is that your nest egg will continue to grow more than you are removing from it, so that you (hopefully) won't run out of money.

In her book The Big Retirement Risk: Running Out of Money Before You Run Out of Time (Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2012), author and financial planner Erin Botsford says that this strategy is fatally flawed.

Botsford shows examples in the book that show how the standard strategy can go completely wrong. For instance, she gives the hypothetical example of two investors, one who retired in December 1972 and the other retired in December 1973 - only one year later. Both retired with $250,000 in a stock fund and withdrew 5% per year. Using this strategy, the one who retired in December 1972 ended up running out of money in 1989, but the one who retired in 1973 still had $859,000 in the account in 2006.

Why? Because December 1972 was just before a huge stock drop, so the first investor lost much of the value of their account right there. The second investor retired after the huge stock drop.

Botsford describes many of the myths of Wall Street and the economy to make her point: No one knows what will happen to the stock market, so how do you make sure that your retirement is safe - that you won't run out of money too early?

Botsford suggests a strategy that she calls "Lifestyle Driven Investing." She asks her clients and readers to figure out what they want out of retirement - their needs such as food and electricity; their wants such as travel and hobbies, likes such as a vacation home, and wishes such as gifts to charity or an inheritance.

She then suggests different types of investments for each of the categories. Investments for needs are cash-flow driven and very safe; as the categories become less necessary, the suggested investments become more risky but also allow for capital appreciation.

This book really changed my view on retirement investments. It showed me that the investments necessary to create your nest egg are not the same as those necessary to keep you comfortable and worry-free during retirement. Although I have many, many years until retirement, I'll keep these ideas in mind as I create my retirement plans. If you're closer to retirement, this is a must-read for you!(less)

Laura rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life by Judith A. Belmont

The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life: How to Get Through Life's Holes Without Getting Stuck in Them!
by Judith A. Belmont (Goodreads Author)

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Laura is now friends with Lisa Smith
Nov 08, 2012 04:37pm
Laura rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
When you're trying to reach a financial goal, there are basically two ways to meet it: increase your income and/or cut your expenses. In reality, you have to do both. If you just increase your income, your expenses could increase at the same time, le...more
Jun 03, 2012 05:05pm · see review
Laura rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing by Rachel Singer Gordon	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I've read many books about couponing, and I have to say that many of them have left me wanting. They cover some couponing topics, but they can leave a reader new to couponing with more questions. I recently had the chance to read The Complete Idiot's ...more
Jun 03, 2012 05:02pm · see review
Laura rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Big Retirement Risk: Running Out of Money Before You Run Out of Time by Erin Botsford	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Standard retirement advice often is based on your "magic number." This is how much of a nest egg you need to save. It's usually a big, big, big number, one that seems almost unrealistic. And then, standard retirement advice says that you remove some p...more
Mar 01, 2012 09:20am · see review
Laura rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Swiss Cheese Theory of Life: How to Get Through Life's Holes Without Getting Stuck in Them! by Judith A. Belmont (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 07, 2012 10:19am

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