Calling all gals looking to take control of their money: Well-Heeled: The Smart Girl's Guide to Getting Rich is a must-read, chock full of tips for making more money, living debt-free and building a retirement nest egg, all aimed at financially independent young women.
Brought to bookshelves by author Lesley-Anne Scorgie, author of previous bestsellers Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult's Guide to Financial Success and Rich by Forty: A Young Couple’s Guide to Building Net Worth, this book is far from being another boring, stuffy personal finance tome. In fact, you'll totally forget you're reading about money management at all; Scorgie writes in a friendly, casual tone as if you’re chatting with a friend. Rather than lecture you, she provides practical advice on how you can increase your savings and stay out of debt. While she does bust out some numbers, her examples are straightforward and practical - no need to be a math whiz to get a grasp on her personal finance tips.
Lessons Learned from Wall Street
To explain the missteps of today's generation, Scorgie starts at the source with a frank retelling of the global financial crisis. In addition to the role played by Wall Street, she also doesn’t shy away from pointing the finger squarely at shopaholics for their part. Before Wall Street fell off a cliff, consumers (young ladies included) lived in a fantasy world, believing that their job was secure and real estate prices would continue to appreciate forever (we all know how that turned out). Although hindsight is 20/20, Scorgie helps motivate bright, young women to take an active role in their financial well-being and choose a smarter path to financial success.
Frugal is the New Sexy
News flash: it’s hip to be frugal. You don’t have to deprive yourself of the finer things in life to save money – you just have to spend wisely. Scorgie proves that you don’t have to go into debt to furnish your apartment – she shares her story of how through garage sales, eBay and Craigslist she managed to furnish her entire home for under $3,500.
Being frugal also doesn't mean being cheap. To drive the point home, Scorgie provides a few examples of the differences between the two. For example, while a cheapskate shows up at a dinner party empty-handed, frugal young ladies host potlucks where everybody brings their own dish.
A Refreshing Take on Real Life Advice
Readers of Scorgie's first two books are sure to adore her latest addition. Not only is it eye-catching – you can’t miss it, it’s hot pink – it’s full of relatable advice from real-life people. It even includes some amusing illustrations to help deliver the book’s messages home. In all, it packs the financial tools that young women - or anyone - require to be a financial success.
Read: More book reviews:
Stop Over-thinking Your Money by Preet Bannerjee
Moolala Guide to Rockin' Your RRSP by Bruce Sellery
Best of Finance 2013: The Best Personal Finance Books