I saw a hedge fund manager recommend this book on Twitter, but accidentally grabbed the newer version instead of the recommended original. Nonetheless, here is my review. This short and easy-to-read book which is a compliment contains some common sense regarding personal finance. If you just begin to dip into the personal finance space, this book can be a good place to start, though I am sure there are better books. If you want to enrich your personal finance knowledge, there may be some ideas from the book that can be interesting. If you live in Canada, this book may even be more interesting as the author spent a significant part of the book discussing matters specific to the Canadian systems only.
The two main take-away points from this book, if that’s all you will leave it with, are this: 1/ live below your means and 2/ save early.
There is no surer way to approach financial independence than keeping your expenses below your income. In fact, the lower your expense is than your income, the better. It’s quite common to see folks who spend most or all of their income every month. Those are the paycheck-to-paycheck folks. When life throws them a twist as it very often goes, there will be no saving for a rainy day. If you look at the current pandemic (as it is still going on), not only is it not a rainy day, it is a freaking storm. People lose jobs and health insurance. Income is gone, but bills are still there to pay. In fact, 40% of Americans are reported not to have $400 for an emergency. That’s so crazy to think about. Even though the idea of living below your means is so laughably obvious, the reality clearly shows that it is a foreign concept to many.
The book emphasizes a key trick in making sure that you save money every month: save before you spend the rest, not spend and save the rest. Say, if you earn $3,000 a month, put 10-20% somewhere as savings and spend the rest. That approach allows you to save at least $300 a month. After two months, at least you can say that you are NOT among people who don’t have $400 in cash for an emergency. On the other hand, if you decide to save whatever is left after the first 28-29 days of the month, you likely won’t save much. As human beings, we are terrible in self-control.
“You don’t have to become a miser and live a life of austerity. You just have to exercise a little discipline and a little common sense. You’re probably wondering, “If that’s the case, why aren’t there more successful savers? Why haven’t we all been able to slightly reduce our spending?” The blunt answer? A little discipline and a little common sense are a little more than most of us can muster.”
Excerpt From: David Chilton. “The Wealthy Barber Returns.” Apple Books.
The second key take-away is that you should start saving early. The earlier and more consistent you save, the better. Instead of typing out why you should, I’ll let these charts from JP Morgan demonstrate the power of compounding interest, which is usually called “the 8th wonder of the world”
As you can see, the earlier and longer you save, the more compounding interest works in your favor. To reach $1 million at retirement, you can either save $361 monthly, starting at the age of 20, or save $1,400+ a month at the age of 40. Which one do you feel is more daunting? Especially given the more responsibilities and expenses that come with being older? Exactly!
There are other topics addressed in the book such as:
- If someone asks you to do something that involves spending, practice saying “I can’t afford it”
- When you should take out a line of credit
- What is good debt and what is bad debt?
- A basic primer on index funds and why you should strongly consider them as an investment vehicle
Overall, I think the book does offer value. I can see that it’s even more helpful to teenagers who are interested in building wealth and strategizing their life to financial independence and happier life. To those who may argue that saving fir the future will come at the expense of today’s sacrifice and the enjoyment of life, here is what the book argues, which I agree with
One of the most damaging misconceptions in personal finance is that saving for the future requires sacrifices today that lessen people’s enjoyment of life. Surprisingly, it’s quite the opposite! People who live within their means tend to be happier and less stressed. That’s true not only for the obvious reason — they know their financial futures look bright — but also because they’re not consumed with consumption. They’re not in the emotionally and financially draining race to acquire the most stuff they possibly can. A race that, it should be noted, has no finish line and thus no winner.
Excerpt From: David Chilton. “The Wealthy Barber Returns.” Apple Books.
Minh Quang Duong 