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Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life

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Zero Debts – Break the Debt Cycle and Re-Claim Your Life, is about the author's ten-year long journey from going neck deep into debt to being absolutely debt-free.


In this book you will learn:


 How the author got into debt (circumstances)
 How being in debt paralysed cognitive decision making
 How even simple day to day life became complicated
 The thought process applied by the author to analyse his situation rationally
 Systematic steps taken by the author to become and stay debt-free and the dilemmas faced during execution
 Further actions taken to simplify life and plan for a better life

This book seeks to inspire the reader to become debt-free, which eventually leads them to total freedom, be it, financial freedom, emotional freedom or freedom from stress.


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168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2017

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Rajan.
626 reviews30 followers
December 2, 2017
Indian kids don’t understand finance till they marry. Till the time they are in college they are provided money by their parents and they don’t know how to manage it. Even after getting ot of college they do not handle and the parents usually do this for them. So naturally we are not very wise in making decisions regarding money management.

The same thing happened with our author Sh Neeraj Denigal. He married and incurred a lot of debt. He had three credit cards, 3 housing loans and one car loan. This became so stressful that he had a nervous breakdown. Then he managed his finances better and became debt free and stress free.

The book give tips about managing finances, time, health, work life balance and nost importantly valuing the things which matter.

However the way author paid his loan after taking interest free loans from his elder brother is not a path breaking advice. Everyone does this. But some tips in book are good and we should read it once. Word of caution though; it will not make you debt free. Just tell you the dangers of running into that trap.



Profile Image for Niyati Gogna.
133 reviews14 followers
September 30, 2017
Zero Debt : Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life" by Neeraj Deginal is a remarkably well written book!

It's a wonderful guide to manage personal finances and lead a stress free life on account of financial outcomes.
The book deals with various experiences of the author throughout his life and the lessons learned from them thereby, guiding the readers about practical and effective ways to manage personal finances.

The author talks about why and how modernization is leading to increasing debt cycles, more and more credit to maintain social status and methodologies to overcome it.

It's a fine book, written in an easy and lucid language, with an appropriate sequencing of his experiences and lessons learned and ways to deal with debt and live a life free from worries about financial expenses.

Overall, I would like to rate it as 4.2 out of 5. Certainly recommend to everyone who would like to learn financial management from a basic level!
Profile Image for Katie.
534 reviews11 followers
July 10, 2017
It's not horrible...

As the author states, this is based on his experiences. The steps he took may not work for everyone, but he wants to inspire people to rethink their situations.

I can admire that and get behind that idea. But I think it could have been communicated better. The writing style the author prefers often omits small words such as "the" or "a" or "of," has some odd comma and semicolon placement, and uses the passive voice extensively. It becomes very distracting. In addition, some topics are covered in depth more than once. Redundancy can be effective for short bullet points, but not for pages of material.

The tips offered are not unique, really. They are common enough to have been tried and tested. So the author is sharing useful information, at least.
Profile Image for Mahesh Sowani.
Author 9 books6 followers
September 22, 2017
Zero Debt, Break the debt cycle and reclaim your life is wonderfully simple and simply wonderful book by Neeraj Deginal. This is the real life story of a man who was crushed under endless EMIs. It narrates us how he was neck deep in debts and how he came out of it to become cent percent debt free. I am sure most of us, who bought a home to save tax, bought second home as an investment, purchased a car because it was on EMIs and are left with paltry salary after all the deductions, will be able to relate to his case. The book states how real estate investment is not always a profitable proposition. The author has incurred losses in all his real estate investments. ‘Buying was always easy; however it is very difficult to sell a real estate property.’ He says.

The book highlights how both the schools and families fail to impart any sort of financial education, and how as earning adults we have to pay the price for it.

The book is extremely well written. The language is simple, yet riveting. The editing is superb. The book is divided into several short chapters. Apart from finance it also covers health and simplification of life. In the words of the author, ‘the overall objective is to celebrate life, enjoy life’. The book is interspersed with quotes like ‘If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will end up working until you die – Warren Buffet’ and ‘The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates and monthly salary – Nicholas Taleb.’ However I wasn’t able to digest one particular averment in the book. ‘Fixed Deposit attracts 30% tax on the interest earned, irrespective of years deposited.’ This cannot be a blanket statement and the tax on fixed deposits depends upon in which tax bracket you fall.

Another startling fact about this book is that it is a copyright free book. Though the book is based on the personal experiences of the author, according to him the ideas are not original. The objective of this book is to offer help and hence the readers are free to copy or reprint any content from it.

So if are struggling on the financial front this book could be your saviour.
Profile Image for Alceste.
378 reviews
July 3, 2022
The modernisation is leading to an increase in debt cycles of an individual. We have seen that in the last decade, and what may the future holds. This is the core foundation of Neeraj Deginal's latest book Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life, a part memoir and other half of the book is full of some pragmatic advice.

The book starts by discussing author's life and how he started his career. It leads to cover up the most important decade of his life which includes settling in job and getting married. Often these two aspects of one's life are enough to analyse anyone's situation rationally since an individual daily activities are bind to them. He then comes to a partial conclusion on how he started a self-movement and came up to a realisation to lead a life without credit cards and finding effective ways to manage personal finances.

The second half of the book discusses these effective, pragmatic, experiences from author's own life. His emphasis on mental peace, especially conveyed through a beautiful dialogue between a Harvard graduate and a fisherman, clearly put in me wonders on why realising that financial freedom is a big aspect of overall freedom an individual intends to possess.

It is non-fiction work and the narrative voice is smooth, moves in a flow and understandable. The writing style is good. Divided in several short chapters, a reader will be able to grasp the message the writer wants to convey in short period of time. I do feel if some chapters from the first and the second half of the book could have a coexistence or presented simultaneously, this context of the book would be better for a reader to be intrigued by.

I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about ways financial independence can work for an individual with some pragmatic tips that one can easily adapt.

3 out of 5
Profile Image for Aayesha Hakim.
144 reviews27 followers
June 10, 2020
When I received this book, I thought it must be boring and based on accounts and finances, which honestly I have least interest in! My father handles and advises me on money related matters, with me being clueless! This book exactly highlights how both the schools and families fail to impart any sort of financial education, and how as earning adults we have to pay the price for it. I could so relate to it after a few pages!

This book seeks to inspire the reader to become debt-free, which eventually leads them to total freedom - financial freedom, emotional freedom or freedom from stress. As the author states, this is based on his experiences and the problems he faced. The steps he took may not work for everyone, but he wants to inspire people to rethink their situations.

Neeraj in his book has precisely articulated on the various phases of life in relevance with the financial preparations required, backed up with real-world experiences connecting both parts of life. The book certainly highlights the Dos & Don'ts of the practical life with emphasis on planning for the future and making educated decisions on even small money matters.

The book is extremely well written. The language is simple, yet riveting. The editing is superb. The book is divided into several short chapters which make it super easy to read. The book is interspersed with wonderful quotes.

Must read for some great financial awareness. If are struggling on the financial front, this book could be your ultimate saviour.

Full review here: https://intheclassroomoflife.blogspot...
Profile Image for Shilpi Chaklanobis.
Author 6 books24 followers
September 28, 2017
Life of rather I should say urban life especially in Metros and bigger cities is full of chaos now a days. Everyone is runner after name, fame and most importantly money. But little do they realise that where this chase of theirs would land them. Aspiring for a big house, luxurious car and other luxuries of life, we don’t even realise when we are entangled in the clutches of debt. Debt destroys lives, communities, and civilizations. Unmanaged and inefficient debt destroys wealth building. That's the truth. If you want to make your money life successful now and in the future, you must get a handle on debt. And this is exactly what the writer Neeraj Deginal has said and shown in the book Zero Debt with his personal experiences and practical solutions.
Loans are not bad always. It is almost impossible for middle class people to buy a house without a home loan. What is more important is how you manage your finances and keep a check on the loan amount.
No doubt this book is very helpful for managing finances. To have mental peace, spending a debt free life is important. The author has done a good job in describing the situations along with probable solutions. The narration style is very good and everyone who reads the book can very well connect to it.
To lead a happy life, it is more important to be free, free from all worries. And this book teaches one aspect of freedom, financial freedom.
The book is recommended for everyone looking to lead a debt free life. The inspirational quotes mentioned after every chapter are also wonderful.
Profile Image for Kavita.
351 reviews23 followers
December 7, 2017
The author has done a good job in bringing the topic that’s plaguing lot of young people. Societal expectations, lifestyle an relentless advertising leads to making debt cool. Lack of understanding about money and finances especially of how to manage finances is one of the main reasons.
This book is a very easy read, written very lucidly using simple language which makes understanding of the concepts easier.
Personally as I have read a lot of personal finance books which sometimes feel dry to learn the concepts, this work helps in removing that barrier because it’s a personal story of the author which lends it more credibility and relatability.
Personally I loved the inclusion of the quotes in the book.
This book is a very good resource for beginners in their personal finance journey.
The things that could be improved upon would be to have been little bit more specific in the strategies. That could take the work a notch higher.
I highly recommend this book as a primer to understand how to become free of debt . Especially useful to people who re starting off in their professional lives.
Profile Image for Aparna Prabhu.
240 reviews20 followers
December 15, 2017
Zero Debt' is an ideal handbook on how to manage finances and also to maintain a fine balance in personal and professional level.

The book is broken down into chapters that dwell on author's early years, his financial and health woes, his advice for a better life and finally, the conclusion.The language used is simple and easy to comprehend. The author has meticulously penned down his initial struggles in understanding the financial ball game and also offered practical solutions to various problems. He has also enunciated the importance of living life free from stress and debt.

Highly recommend for youngsters who are on the verge of becoming working professionals.
April 19, 2020
Overall, a good read. Moreover, it also has a holistic approach.

What I really liked about this book was that not only did it describe about how to deal with finances (debt as well as investment) , it also teaches you about how to manage your life. Like the importance of : taking care of health, staying away from gadgets, connect with family and relatives, etc to name a few. If followed wisely, the book can go to help you achieve your goals without committing the mistakes which the author had committed. I would recommend this book to the youth especially who have just joined job. Others can read it too for knowledge. Worth reading atleast once.
38 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2017
In this book, Author narrates his own experiences in dealing with financial journey in his life..He speaks about how he fell in to a debt trap and what he did to rectify his mistakes…

I feel that this book is interesting and good to read!!! It is not preachy – Some of us may connect with the experiences of Author!!

My rating for this book is 3.5/5

You can read my full review of this book here - https://sadhuvi.wordpress.com/2017/09...
8 reviews
January 10, 2020
A very nice practical book for starters on financial education explaining the demons of a common man and how to overcome them. I would definitely recommend this to my friends. Delighted to have read this book.
April 7, 2020
Very relevant and relatable.

A very impactful read that drives home the importance of leading a debt free life. More importantly, the author's expirential narrative inspires and motivates that it can be done, no matter how deep the doldrums.
Profile Image for Christopher.
137 reviews
January 18, 2023
Offers Some Good Advice

This book offers some sound life advice. I gave it three stars because the publisher failed to translate the text well.
Profile Image for Aman Mittal.
Author 1 book66 followers
November 17, 2017
The modernisation is leading to an increase in debt cycles of an individual. We have seen that in the last decade, and what may the future holds. This is the core foundation of Neeraj Deginal's latest book Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life, a part memoir and other half of the book is full of some pragmatic advice.

The book starts by discussing author's life and how he started his career. It leads to cover up the most important decade of his life which includes settling in job and getting married. Often these two aspects of one's life are enough to analyse anyone's situation rationally since an individual daily activities are bind to them. He then comes to a partial conclusion on how he started a self-movement and came up to a realisation to lead a life without credit cards and finding effective ways to manage personal finances.

The second half of the book discusses these effective, pragmatic, experiences from author's own life. His emphasis on mental peace, especially conveyed through a beautiful dialogue between a Harvard graduate and a fisherman, clearly put in me wonders on why realising that financial freedom is a big aspect of overall freedom an individual intends to possess.

It is non-fiction work and the narrative voice is smooth, moves in a flow and understandable. The writing style is good. Divided in several short chapters, a reader will be able to grasp the message the writer wants to convey in short period of time. I do feel if some chapters from the first and the second half of the book could have a coexistence or presented simultaneously, this context of the book would be better for a reader to be intrigued by.

I will recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about ways financial independence can work for an individual with some pragmatic tips that one can easily adapt.

3 out of 5
Profile Image for Rebecca.
120 reviews11 followers
January 15, 2018
The most important thing to highlight is that the author is recounting his experience and therefore it is not a guide to follow religiously. It will not necessarily solve your problems. What it will tell you, however, is that very often following a serious kick up the backside, an attitude change is required. With a lot of hard work, you CAN dig yourself out of the bottom of the trench.

Naturally, the book begins with our author in his childhood. I think it true that as children, we are taught very little about money. He argues a distinct lack of support in the education system in teaching finances or planning for the future, and I totally agree! There is no education about completing your tax form, for example, and one) it isn’t always straightforward; two) there can be serious consequences for doing this incorrectly. I genuinely think this is one of the fundamental areas in which “life skills” are not taught in school. I’m glad the author highlighted this.

Moving away from childhood, the author gets his first salary and spends it all. Having money is exciting, no? I’ll hold my hands up and admit I did this too. It was fun. Mum and Dad still got paid rent, but this is not something that can be done viably every month, as the author does. Instead, he continues to live beyond his means, perhaps succumbing to social pressures including marriage and ends up with several loans and stacks of debt.

I am fortunate that I was taught how to manage money, as my parents, in their own circumstances, scrimped through much as the author did. I think they could have had help, but they didn’t want it. They wanted to go their way whatever the cost. As they have travelled the long road, they would not hesitate to tell me if they thought I was being irresponsible. They wouldn’t let me fall into that trap.

Sometimes though, things happen beyond our control. I moved away from home and left my first job (after a few years experience) about six months into living alone, to earn more than a junior’s limited wage packet. Things were tight. Less than a year later, the Company my Company were subcontracted to provide admin for decided to sell our part of the business, so the admin was no longer required. Suddenly, the threat of redundancy was on my head and being responsible financially for my home, I was worried sick. My parents had the facility to help me if I needed it (though thankfully I didn’t), but not everyone has this available to them.

Neeraj correctly points out that it is for these unexpected circumstances we should prepare ourselves. It would take me a long time to get to the stage of being debt free and having two years wages in cash savings, but I put by at least a little bit every month. That’s both a start and one of the most important things, I feel. Other than having set up a pension, I have thus far made very few plans for the future. I am only in my twenties after all, and I don’t have the means to do this yet. Neeraj discusses investment choices he made when it came to forward planning, which is fine, but I am nowhere near a position to even consider yet.

A lot of the points made in the book are identifiable with, such as the reliance on credit, even if you are yet to experience them. It is written in a very conversational tone and as I said above, it is “advice” that should be taken with a pinch of salt. We all have our own differing circumstances, but there is plenty here to consider.

It must be difficult to recount some of the most stressful times in your life. Thank you to the author for doing so, in order that we may learn from his mistakes and not have to learn the hard way too. His aim of the book is not to profit from it, but to educate people. That is reflected in his book being copyright free.
October 23, 2017
Today in the world of EMI, credit cards and the desire to posses various luxuries, the possiblity of an individual staying debt free is slim. The author in his book ‘Zero Debt: Break the Debt Cycle and Reclaim Your Life’ shares his personal experience of getting into a heavy debt cycle over the years and eventually breaking free from it.

The author starts by highlighting the fact that how families and schools fail to teach kids about managing finances since they are provided for and never have to do so until they start earning. Likewise, the author himself started to manage finances once he started his career. He took various loans to afford a lifestyle and got neck deep into debt.

In the latter half of the book he discusses various ways and methods he adopted to overcome the debt crisis. The methods are very practical and can be adopted by most of the individuals who want to break the debt cycle.

A person with a limited knowledge of finance will be able to read and understand this book. This book is written in a simple language which can be understood by any individual who is struggling with finances and is looking for good advice.
Profile Image for Shruti Sud.
1 review1 follower
Read
August 17, 2017
This book is written by a friend cum colleague, all the more reasons for me to download on kindle & read it. Also, the topic intrigued me, every time we discussed it.
I have read it once and am sure of reading it once more.
It doesn't matter how much money you make or if you’re poor. It’s all about taking that step & doing yourself a favour by getting out of debt.
I got hooked to the way each chapter is approached, those quotes at beginning of each chapter got my mind tickling. I admit it, got teary eyed as well, while reading few sections too.
One should buy & read this book, not only for those who have enormous debts to clear but also to get a perspective in life. We are brought-up that ways, we need some (real) stories to learn & un-learn. Even if you are not in debt think of what this book could do for families with college students and teenagers.
If they learn before going into debt they will thank the author.
I will just say in the end - You have to own up to your debts and figure out what works for you.
Profile Image for Adarsh Rathour.
46 reviews1 follower
October 30, 2017
The author pen down the real life experiences in this book. I just liked the way idea was narrated in the book. Language of the book is very easy. I will recommend this book is for Youth. The quotes of the book is also very impressive.

This is the story of man who was crushed under endless EMIs. The Book revolves around disscussing protoganist life and how he started his career.

The Book is wonderful guide to manage personal finance and lead a stress free life on account of financial outcomes.
Finally, I loved this book, well written and Kudos for author who take such a intiative for pen down the real experiences in book.
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