With a new year comes the opportunity for setting new goals. While dieting is seemingly the quintessential New Year’s resolution, those looking to gain financial independence may choose to diet in a different way, focusing on the width of their wallets over their waistbands.
The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money by Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage, adds a new meaning to the goal of dieting for the new year.
At a time when “twentysomethings carry an average of 45k in debt,” according to Business Insider, The Financial Diet works to give millennials the tools to change that.
Chelsea Fagan, the author of I’m Only Here for the WiFi, partnered with former Nickelodeon freelance designer Lauren Ver Hage to found the popular Financial Diet blog.
Since its founding in 2014, the website has grown to include a broader social media presence, including a YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers.
The blog offers advice on topics ranging anywhere from budgeting, finding a career, cooking on a budget, to handling finances while living abroad. It features articles from a wide range of authors, most speaking from personal experience, with articles such as “Exactly How We Stick To A $50 Weekly Grocery Budget In A 2-Person Household,” “The Advice I Wish I’d Been Given As A First-Generation College Student,” and “5 Unique Jobs That Paid My Rent In College.”
The book, a companion to the website, is divided into seven chapters: budget, investing, career, food, home, love, and action. Each section tackles a different aspect of life which would benefit from financial planning.
This planning takes place in the form of budget worksheets and digital checklist downloads which accompany the book, making it a brief, hands-on guide for getting one’s finances in order.
The book also features interviews from popular digital creators and writers such as Teen Vogue editor Ella Cerón, Money Harmony founder Olivia Mellan, and author and video blogger Hank Green. These interviews feature personal anecdotes and financial advice for the budget-conscious millennial.
While some sections of the book cater specifically to American audiences, referencing American investments such as a 401(k) or FHA loans, the advice included in The Financial Diet remains relevant for anyone who is beginning to tackle the task of organizing their finances.
Cooking good food on a budget, talking about money with friends or romantic partners, and avoiding scams are basic skills every university student could use. This book is an excellent way for students to learn these skills in a fun, engaging and accessible way.
No matter how much money a student has, or how much experience they have managing finances, there is still something that can be learned, or at least affirmed, by The Financial Diet.
Fagan and Ver Hage give their two cents in The Financial Diet, affording the opportunity to make lasting change to those striving for financial independence. If that sparks any interest for you, The Financial Diet is definitely worth a read.
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