The Debt-Free Graduate: How to Survive College Without Going Broke

by Murray Baker

Do you know how to get the best summer job; how to negotiate with a bank -- and win; how to afford holidays on a student budget; how to eat, drink, and be merry on a budget; how to reduce the amount of tax you pay; how to find affordable student housing; how to graduate from college or university without a staggering $15,000-$25,000 debt load? Murray Baker does and he tells all in this witty and accessible book geared exclusively to Canadian post-secondary students. With tuition fees across Canada set to skyrocket, it has never been more important for university and college students to take control of their own finances -- and The Debt-Free Graduate will show them how.

Genres: Reference

319 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 1998

Reviews

[Sabrina Smith]

I am now debt free! Kidding, it was a very informative book though.

[Elijah Ford]

I enjoyed the read but found it quite outdated as it was written in the mid-*90s and spoke a lot about topics such as landlines and simple technology that is far outdated now. But even with this, I found it to be quite useful in what it taught: it had a great chapter on taxes (254-264), a recipe for Irish cream liqueur (224), a job search tips section (59-61), some recipes for general cleaning solutions (155-156), stain removal guide (159), food storage guide (171-173). As well as many other useful things to know.

[Herminia Chow]

About the book: It’s a guide on saving money for students pursuing higher education.

First impressions: I’ve had this book for so long, but I never got around to reading it until now. I figured I would before I graduate from university in June.

Content: The book is divided into several chapters focusing on different aspects of life from eating to traveling and everything in between. It was published over a decade ago, so some of the information isn’t as up to date anymore. That said, I found it fascinating to see how much the world has changed, especially in regards to technology. Baker offers some good tips on how to save money nonetheless.

“The good news is that you can still spend wisely, and save, without giving up your pleasures and passions.”

Writing: The author adds humour and funny anecdotes to make the read more interesting. He makes topics like taxes and investments accessible, even easy to understand for the average reader. The book is a little over 300 pages. The chapters aren’t too long, and sometimes Baker gives a brief summary at the end of them. He isn’t too general or specific either.

Final thoughts: Nowadays you could probably find a lot of tips about money online, but The Debt Free Graduate is still a solid resource for those in school. I recommend the book to high school, college, university students and even parents with kids in academia.

[Gurm]

Great book with awesome tips on how to save money!

[Another Steph]

Useful book for post-secondary students, albeit tedious and long, with bits of humour to lighten the read.

[Melanie]

Gave some helpful advice, but mostly it was just common sense.