Debt-Free by 30: Practical Advice for the Young, Broke, and Upwardly Mobile

by Karl Cluck and Jason Anthony

If you're young, educated, and owe more than it feels like you can earn or save, Debt-Free by 30 offers a practical, step-by-step plan to help get you out from under that staggering mountain of debt.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452282136
• ISBN13: 9780452282131
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Worth Going Into Debt For

Charge it if you have to, this book is a must for anyone who makes and spends money. Even if you're not "young," "broke" or even in debt, the book is an entertaining and useful guide. I stood in the aisle of a bookstore with a friend of mine who is in debt -- $20,000 in school loans, $6,000 in credit card debt, a car lease -- all on a first-year teacher's salary. We read the book nearly cover to cover, laughing to the point of turning heads. I didn't buy it myself, as I'm not in debt. But I found myself wanting to refer to it so often -- for subjects such as car purchasing information (that's car PURCHASING, not leasing; for why, refer to the book) -- that I went ahead and bought it to add to the "personal finance" section of my bookcase. I'm now reading the whole thing all over again -- get this -- for fun. That's how funny the book is, and how pertinent to just about everybody's financial life. Buy it, charge it, borrow it, steal it. Just get it.

Practical, easy to read and down right funny

My chances of becoming debt-free by 30 have passed. However, as I perused the aisles of my local bookstore in search of a common sense book about getting out of debt, this one was clearly the winner. The book is filled with common sense advice on how to cut expenses and prepare for the future. It's all outlined in an easy-to-read fashion and delivered with a witty sense of humor. The authors offer a variety of on-line resources which I promptly accessed as I read through the chapters.Prior to reading the book I was sure I had analyzed my budget completely and was paying off as much of my debt as possible. However, after reading some of the stories and examples in the book, I reworked my figures and discovered an extra $200 a month I can contribute to debt-reduction. Anthony and Cluck have a "come on, you can do it" attitude that makes debt reduction seem a little less painful. I sure wish I had this book when I was twenty-something. However, with a little motivation I was able to establish my own debt-free day which will be well before I'm 40. Some of us take longer to learn. Wherever you are on your debt reduction efforts, this book can help.

Excellent Advice, Easy to Read

Hey, these guys sounded even worse than me when it came to spending money they didn't have. As a twentysomething working in New York, this book offered sound advice with a style and tone I could relate to. I especially liked the "real world" examples and information on buying a car (I wish I read that before buying my paycheck-eater).It also had excellent information on where your paychecks go, understanding the ATM and credit card schemes and how to read your monthly bank statements instead of just shoving them into a drawer. I also liked the randomly placed pop culture references "If capitalism is a religion, then Costco is its church"Or "Unlike spandex or KISS reunion concert tour T-Shirts, checking accounts are not one-size-fits-all products"You won't read that in some blah 12-steps to financial freedom guide. If you remember Cherry Coke, ALF and Joanie and Chachi, this book could be the one for you.

The stuff you wish they had taught you in college...

For a subject that can potentially be as taboo as it is lethally boring... this book rocks. Q: What 24-year-old that has a social life would actually enjoy reading a finance book on a Saturday night? A: The one that has this one on their coffee table. I am a twentysomething who isn't in horrible debt, but I find myself mysteriously living paycheck to paycheck. Debt-Free By 30 doesn't talk down to me in the least to get a clue about some basic and not-so-basic money strategies, so that someday I may graduate to scary "adult" money (stocks, Roths, etc.) that celeb financial people are always writing boring books about. I'd recommend this book to anyone in my age bracket who is in debt or just needs to find ways to hold on to more of their hard-earned money. And even if you're not in debt, this book's still a trip to read.

Not just for twenty-somethings...

Mr. Anthony's engaging writing style offers straightforward "I've been there" financial advice along with an inviting dose of humor to help the medicine go down. As a thirty-something who experienced many financial pitfalls and learned how to handle them the hard way, I only wish a book like this was around ten years ago. Excellent advice on handling bank fees, insurance issues, credit card debt, cutting down on entertainment expenses, etc. apply to all ages. A great inspiration to get your finances and your life back in order.