Debt-Proof Your Marriage: How to Manage Your Money Together by Mary Hunt

 

 Mary Hunt is the founder and publisher of Debt Proof Living.  In this book she gives several steps that spouses can take to became debt free and to strengthen their marriage.  She gives examples of real life experiences, including her own, and adds a little bit of humor in with it.  Some of the main concepts she covers is (1) how to reconcile different money behaviors and beliefs;  (2) where to find money you didn't know you had; and (3) her 10-10-80 solution.  She teaches you how to take care of yourself now, how to clean up what has happened in the past and how to prepare yourself for your future and anything that could come.  She teaches you how you can become debt free which will bring you peace of mind and help to strengthen your marriage.

While I am not married (and at this time don't feel as if it's the Lord's will for me to marry) I felt like I could still learn a lot from this book.  While the first section in the book does deal entirely with marriage and did not apply to me, the rest of the book did.  I took away several good ideas she gave.  The first being her 10-10-80 principal - give away 10%, save 10% and use the remaining 80% for what you need.  Her ideas of the contingency fund, the freedom account and the rapid debt-repayment plan were all something anyone can apply.  Whether single or married.  I myself am all ready using the rapid debt-repayment plan.  I do want to try setting up a freedom account next.  An account where you set aside money for those irregular expenses (like insurance or tax payments) so that when they time comes to pay them, they money is there and you aren't trying to pull it from something else to pay it.  

I found this book to be very helpful.  The only things I found not helpful to me is the fact that she is American and almost every resource she gives for places and websites are entirely US based and doesn't apply her in Canada.  It does want me to research for similar sites and places here though!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.