In the book, The Ms Spent Money Guide, Deborah Knuckey attempts to "get the word out" about having financial health without consumption deprivation. She asserts that the key to financial happiness at any level of income begins with being a "conscious spender" and then learning to apply the leftover money to prioritized areas of his/her life, which are summarized into seven “spending categories.”

The material in the book is presented in a systematic and logical order, beginning with an extensive exploration of Knuckey’s concept of conscious spending and continuing with in-depth discussions of each of seven conscious spending categories. The book concludes with four chapters designed to help the reader start down the path towards becoming a conscious spender, and stay the course when the going gets tough. Illustrations and case studies provided in the book are relevant and helpful for converting the author’s concepts into concrete examples.

In general, the book does not introduce a brand new theory of financial success, as I suspect the author would like the reader to believe. Rather it dresses up the age-old principle that the secret to having financial happiness is (1) to understand and monitor where money is spent and (2) to work to apply as much of one’s money as possible to one’s prioritized areas of life.

For those who know and practice these financial principles, this book will probably not offer benefits. However, for those who have difficulty reaching their financial goals and can’t seem to understand where their money goes each month, this book may help them begin down the road of financial happiness.


Recommended: Yes