The No Spend Year by Michelle McGagh (Coronet, 2018)
Synopsis Michelle McGagh has been writing about money for over a decade. You'd think that would make her a whizz with her own cash, right? Wrong! Spending with abandon and ignoring bank statements were her modus operandi. Just because she wasn't in serious debt, apart from her massive London mortgage, she thought she was in control. She wasn't. Something needed to be done but rather than cut back here and there, Michelle's approach was more radical. She set herself a challenge to not spend anything for an entire year. The No Spend Year is Michelle's honestly written and personal account of her challenge. But it is more than that, it is also a tool for life that will help you get to grips with your own financial situation. She talks about money in an accessible, unintimidating and often entertaining way and interspersed throughout are really brilliant personal finance tips and life hacks about interest, mortgages, savings , pensions and spending less to help you live a more financially secure life too. (Goodreads)
She doesn't really go to specifics on her entire year, so if you're expecting a step-by-step procedure, this is not it. She does give advice that is useful, especially if you're not well versed at finance and are prone to headaches when you see the words 'loans' 'mortgages', 'pensions' - money related words. Some of her advice here are also plain common sense, especially on things we tend to overlook. Specifics wise, I have to point out that this is not a general finance book. It depends on your situation and your location whether any of her tips and advice are applicable to you. She lives in London, which is a vibrant city and is in good ranking, so people who live in active cities with good economic standing can relate to her situation.
Rating 3 stars
