There’s a new finance book out called “The One-Page Financial Plan” by Carl Richards, and I was pleased to see three copies of it sitting in my P.O. Box when I checked it this week. (Shout out to Penguin Random House and the XY Planning Network! Y’all rock!)
If that name Carl Richards sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve read his first book, The Behavior Gap, or you follow his famous “Sketch Guy” column over at the New York Times. A column where yours truly was, *ahem*, once featured when he randomly came up with the critically acclaimed (I can say that now!) Lifetime Wealth Ratio™.
Here’s what my new favorite journalist said ;)
One useful number in figuring out how well we’re saving is something called the Lifetime Wealth Ratio. This concept was introduced by the budget blogger J. Money on his website, Budgets Are Sexy. To start, take your total net worth and divide it by the total amount of income you’ve earned over your entire life. You can get your total income from your Social Security statement. By adding up the value of your current assets (including all investments and retirement and other savings plus equity in your home), minus your debt, you’ll have your total net worth…
This number represents one of the best ways I’ve seen to close the gap between our past and future selves.
If that doesn’t make you like him I don’t know what will!
Except for his new kick-ass book that just dropped (see what I did there?).
As much as I’d love this post to be about me, it’s not… It’s about Carl and how I’m giving two of you a free copy of The One-Page Financial Plan, of which one comes with his autograph! :) (I’m keeping the 3rd book for my own nerdy PF library, naturally).
And let me tell you this – this ain’t your daddy’s financial book.
The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money
The inside flap sums up the book perfectly:
The fact is, in a single page you can prioritize what you really want in life and figure out how to get there. That’s because a great financial plan has nothing to do with what the markets are doing, what your real estate agent is pitching, or the hot stock your brother-in-law told you about. It has everything to do with what’s most important to you.
I agree 100%, which is why I’m actually going to read it from front to back – making it the first book in years I’ve done so with! I’m hoping it’s on par with Ramit’s I Will Teach You To Be Rich, one of my all-time favorites.
Because Carl knows we all have A.D.D., and any $$ book must be entertaining as well as jam packed with informational nuggets for us to care.
So not only does he tell you what you need to pay attention to (he’s spent the last 20 years and over 39,500 hours helping people with their money!!), but he also SHOWS you. In the form of 25-50 doodles included within to make sure you’re still paying attention, haha…
And my favorite of these doodles look like this:
Here is what Seth Godin says about the book:
“This isn’t a money book, it’s a life book. And you’ll remember reading it for the rest of your life.”
Whether you win it or not, you should definitely check it out!
More about Carl Richards…
Carl Richards is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and the director of investor education for the BAM ALLIANCE, a community of over 130 independent wealth management firms throughout the United States. He is the creator of the weekly Sketch Guy column in the The New York Times, and is a columnist for Morningstar Advisor. Carl has also become a frequent keynote speaker at financial planning conferences and visual learning events around the world.
(He’ll be headlining our Financial Blogger Conference this year too – woot!)
Through his simple sketches, Carl makes complex financial concepts easy to understand. His sketches also serve as the foundation for his first book, The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money (Portfolio/Penguin). His commissioned work is on display in businesses and educational institutions across the country. He lives with his family in Park City, Utah.
Like what you see? Want a free copy?
Answer this question below in the comments and I’ll randomly select two of you to win one:
Who would you give this book to, and why? (You can say yourself)
I’ll keep this open until Sunday night (Easter, the 5th) @ midnight and then update this post with the two winners. Good luck! And U.S. only, I’m afraid… Can’t go over my shipping budget now can I? ;)
You can learn more about this new book here: The One-Page Financial Plan
Or follow Carl on his site here: BehaviorGap.com
***Giveaway now over***
The two lucky winners are… Samantha (commenter #57) and Mary (commenter #162). Thanks for participating y’all! Highly recommend you picking this up for a few bucks on Amazon or hitting up your local library! It’s a good one! :)
—–
Big thanks again to the XY Planning Network for hooking us up with the autographed copies. If you’re looking for a (fee-only) financial advisor who is focused on Gen X and Gen Y clients, you’ll want to check them out. I’ve met a lot of the advisors in this network – they’re awesome.
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Looks like a great book! I’d obviously read this first, and then give it to my wife to read so that we can *finally* be on the same page about our finances. Thanks!
I would give this to the financial planner who sold us our variable annuity, and which we’ve just dug ourselves out of!
I would give this book to my 22 year old daughter. She has worked tirelessly (3 jobs and a labor intensive major) for the last 4 years to put her self through college and in 6 weeks will be graduating with honors. She has secured a job for herself in her field and is very excited. She is, however, anxiety ridden over making money decisions and being a “full fledged adult”. I think this would probably help her get over her fears and figure out her new financial goals and achieving what she really wants.
First your daughter is freaking awesome!! Please let her know that she is already way ahead of most of her generation. All she has to do is get financially savvy and keep doing whatever she has been doing to be so awesome. 3 jobs!! I am beyond impressed. I had 2 jobs through college myself. Also, she has anxiety because she is a overachiever! LOL She is going to be wonderful and you are a great parent for giving her books to ease her transition. I remember being 24 entering the job market and I was so scared! Good luck to her and tell her to enjoy being young! It goes so fast.
What Sukina said!!! :)
I would give this book to myself because I am a sucker for personal finance books and Dave Ramsey is getting on my nerves.
My son would be the recipient, if I got the book, as he and his wife have been struggling to get out of a couple of bad financial decisions; they have been paying off the debt they accrued, and I have not been asked for penny one; rather makes me proud. I think something like this as they start their life together and before they seriously start a family would be of immense help – only so much Mama can say, right? :D
My brother started a business flipping houses and hes making good money. He doesn’t know what to do with the money and just wastes it or worse. He has 2 kids and i want him to learn about compound interest and retirement plus just regular savings. I think it would be good for him as a business owner and father. Just to help point him in the right direction.
Wow – good for him in figuring out how to successfully flip like that! Not easy to do!
I’d give this book to myself! I’m a few years out of college, still have student loans, and feel like there’s no intention behind what I do with my money. I could use some help developing a solid plan (and financial goal) to help keep me motivated to make smart money decisions.
I would read thru the book for myself and then give it to my brother inlaw who is finally moving out of his parents house. Hopefully, he would read thru the book and start his independent life on a good, solid footing.
I’d definitely give it to me! Any book that caters to my ADHD by breaking things up with sketches is already awesome in my book :-). And I love financial books, I always appreciate hearing different perspectives on money!
I would give it to Warren Buffett. He needs to sharpen up his money skills.
Happy April Fools Day.
I would give this book to my colleague Kristen. Between medical bills from her daughter’s birth, trying to finish her undergraduate degree, and working through trying to move to obtain full custody of her stepdaughter, she and her husband are living paycheck to paycheck and are very stressed about their future financial security. A book that can help them handle current and future financial stability plans would be an amazing gift!
I would love to give this to my sister in law. She worries about money a lot, but she hates math and spreadsheets. Pictures would be the perfect mechanism to help her realize that she can control her financial future.
Also, way to go on having a world famous metric!
I’d give this book to myself — I was hopeless about personal finance until this year when I started getting serious about my life. That’s why I’m here!
My sister (after I’ve read it myself) . She’s recovering from a bankruptcy and needs flash cards to get her mindset right about handling money.
I’d keep it for myself. And then probably share it with my brother (in college) and parents after that.
That picture with the Time and Money spent is priceless. Really reminds me of Your Money or Your Life. Once I actually calculated how much money I was spending just to continue working, the appeal was lowered a bit. I’m gonna get Behavior Gap from the library!
There you go ;)
I would definitely read this first, then give it to the next couple who invites me to their wedding. Someone gave us a financial book for our wedding with a personal note about how it affected their lives. I love passing that knowledge on.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
I would give it to my daughter who is a 20 year old in college. She has a steady boyfriend and would like to make sure they start things off on the right financial footing. She has some understanding of money, but needs some help making sure she stays pointed in the right direction.
HEY! That guy works for my company as a national thought leader!! I know he’s the real deal if YOU featured him!
Oh…I would give this book to a buddy who has been sleeping on a couch for two years because he’s so far in debt. After I read it of course.
HAH! Really? Bad ass :)
I’d gift this to a couple I’m friends with that are getting married this fall. One is 10 years older than the other, and I can tell that their views on money, because they are in different stages in their lives, have the potential for disaster. I think something like this would put them on the same page.
I would def keep it for myself and then pass along to my husband. We’re starting to look at making some big “life” decisions soon….and can probably use some guidance!
I would give this book to myself, because I’ll be buying the e-book, but still prefer hard copies.
After reading the book myself, I’d give it to my roommate… he could use a little financial advice from an expert ;-)
Nice J$, a shoutout in old school print is how you know you’ve made it!
I would give it to my brother in law…he just got out of the Navy and could use some legit financial advice to get back/stay on his civilian feet.
This seems like a great book for newlyweds. I would gift this book (after reading it myself) to one of my best friends who gets married next month.
As a financial adviser, I think his work and books are very effective. Unfortunately, it is a common practice in the industry for many advisers and firms to make their financial plans far to complicated in an attempt to impress consumers and imply that you need their expensive service to figure all of this out.
I would give it to my cousin who just graduated from college. It will be great for her as it is easy to understand and not overwhelming.
I’d give it to my brother and his wife, they have a 1 yr old and for the most part his wife decided to be a stay at home mom, she’s since started a part time business (much easier to do when your husband runs a construction business and have contacts)
then of course i would ask to borrow it from them as soon as they are done reading it.
I would definitely read it first and then pass it on. I know so many people who work but will never get out of debt and don’t even know where to start.
I would read it first and then share it with my husband and his daughter, who will be heading off to college this fall. I’m sure it would get passed around and recommended to other family and friends as well. We’re in the process of estate planning and are really starting to think about what life after retirement might look like, so any advice would be appreciated!
He makes a solid point – you have to figure out what you value and once you do that, you can get ahead financially. Too many times we allow advertisers and marketers to tell us what we should value. We then spend our money and wonder why we are broke all of the time.
If Seth Godin AND J. Money think this is a good read then I am totally in! I would of course read it myself first and then pass it along to some friends who could benefit from better understanding how to optimize your finances. I love the diagrams…can’t wait to get this one!
:)
For several years I have been building my own financial library of books related to investment, dividend, real estate and overal financial hapiness … or sometimes not so happy financial times.
I am trying to build my FI and share my knowledge on my blog and foremost to my son !
This book will become another part of my son inheritance
I’d read it with my life-partner and then give it to the college students I work with to kick-off a conversation about money. Now on the graduated side of higher ed, I wish someone had talked to me about savings, student debt, retirement, and dollar bills in general.
Yep, I’d give the book to myself first, then pass it on to my sister.
This book looks great. I would read it, and then try to convince my wife. I keep nudging her to read more stuff I have read. The kid keeps us too busy most of the time though. I tried giving my sister “I Will Teach You to Be Rich” but I think it is still unread since Christmas. I wish she would read it since she actually is a speed reader, so it is lack of wanting to more than not having time. Maybe if I wrote a novel “Game of Thrones: The Debt Cycle” Now a major motion picture written on it, with a cool fantasy cover, she would read it.
HAH! I would def. read that one :)
I would read it then give it to anyone who is interested in reading it with the stipulation that he/she passes it to another who is also motivated and so on.
That’s a good idea :)
I would (after I read it) give it to my turning-21-in-May daughter, who will graduate in 2016 with only ~$2K in college debt! On her way, but still very much learning about money and prioritizing what she wants in this life.
I’d give it to my boyfriend who is about to pay off his credit card debt and needs to know what to do next.
Ideally I’d give it to myself, about fifteen years ago, when I got my first “real” job.
In reality I’d give it to my spouse, both to ensure we’re on the same page, and to help raise our children with better understanding & appreciation of the good, the bad & the ugly of money.
I would keep the book, read it and then pass it along. I am spreading financial peace (info) along to all my friends and family like wildfire. In less than 4 years we will be completely debt free from the student loans and house! WATCH OUT THE TRAIN IS COMING!
When I got married I gave all my groomsmen audio-books lessons from Dave Ramsey so they can be as prosperous as we shall soon be because of the actions we are taking now!
I always enjoy learning and spreading the knowledge as it truly is power!
Thanks again for all you do and the chance for cool giveaways.
Best gift ever!! I hope they actually listened to it!!!!
My sister and I share a lot of books to save money so I would probably read it first (because I’m the oldest) and the I would share it with her. She just took a significant pay cut to follow her dream career. I’m very proud of her and I think this book will help her understand her new financial situation.
I bought the book, so don’t pick me. I’ve read Carl Richard’s blog and agree it is one of the best. In fact, that’s how I discovered your blog, per his article on the LWR. I was psyched to discover that mine was over 60%.
Hey, very cool!!!
And yes – 60% is no joke!
I would keep it for myself. I am in Chapter 13 (Repayment Plan) Bankruptcy which is giving me a fresh start to get this finance thing right.
I have become obsessed with personal finance.
I would give this to my wife( and also read myself, of course). She is one of the most astute people I know but has recently started learning about personal finance. The ideas she come up with, regarding budgeting and money management, on her own are already on par with most blogs I follow on the topic, I am very interested in seeing what she will do once she goes through books like this.
I will give this book to my wife. I’m a personal finance nerd and been trying to get my wife on the same page. Most personal finance books often bore her. Maybe the simplicity of this book might convince her to read it…especially with the drawings (she loves visual aids!). I would have achieved something great if I can get her to read one personal finance book…
After *I* read it, I would give it to a good friend who is just starting to rebuild her life after a foreclosure. She needs a simple plan and this seems like a wonderful place to begin.
I would give it to myself because I love money and now that I’m nearing the end of my student loan payments ($2600 to go!) I want to do more with what I have left.
I’d read it and then share with family members. Between saving for retirement and taking care of parents, we can use all the guidance we can get!
I would read it to my husband. which is kind of like giving it to him right?. then i’d give it to me. selfish, i know, but i need a plan. I read quite a few PF blogs with lots of great info but maybe this book will actually help me put them into practice.
i would give this book to myself because it looks interesting to read and i would enjoy the doodles and cartoons!
I would read then I would give it to my 7year old daughter. Since I have started budgeting she has been right there, waiting to budget her $$ too.
I love it when she asks me if XYZ is in the budget- LOL!
I’d read it myself and then give it to my HelloDebt Sister. She really struggles to see beyond what her money can do today (buy stuff) and can’t see the long term impact of her decision. Hopefully a book like this will save my breath.
So I would give it read….maybe but in classic thrift/frugal style I would give it away on Evenstevenmoney.com as I’m coming up on my 1 year anniversary, if that’s allowed.
After reading the book, I would circulate it through my employees who are fresh out of college. I’d love for them to have more information, or at least a bigger focus, on money issues much younger than I.
I would give this to my husband. He’s not terrible with money, but he can be wasteful. Also he doesn’t want to work over the summer while he’s off from school and I want to show him that latte vs. 1,000 earned on the side doodle!
I’d keep the book for myself and my own newly formed “nerdy PF library”. I’d of course lend it out to like-minded friends.
I’d give this book to my husband after reading it first myself – as we slog through our debt snowball, it seems like a great values resource! Thanks for sharing the Review, J$!
Me because I think I’ll never be able to retire.
I’d read it and then pass it along to my mom. While I’ve been budgeting for years, I rarely stick to it (though I’ve definitely gotten better with each passing year). I find that if I go for a certain period of time only spending money on the absolute necessities, I then binge-spend. I need to read something that will REALLY resonate with me to get me to stop throwing money away. After I’m done, I’d give it to my mom who handles the finances for herself and my dad. I think I learned my financial habits from them!
I would indulge myself with this book. I have had the whole financial gig going since the early 80’s, living below my means, funding an IRA with automatic checking withdrawals, paying off the house at age 36, taking advantage of the company match 401k, avoiding debt, etc. My wife calls me Depression Man, as in “The Great Depression”. My conundrum is getting over my fiscal conservatism to pull the trigger on retiring right now at age 54. I need life advice, not money advice. My accountant wife reads it next. Help, please!
Interesting position you’re in indeed! Easy for any of us to just tell you to pull the trigger but it’ll take more than that for sure. I think a better prescription is reading any of these Early Retirement blogs :)
MrMoneyMustache.com
GoCurryCracker.com
EarlyRetirementExtreme.com
I would give this book to my mother. She struggles with sticking to budgets. I strongly believe while reading the book it would help her stay on track and keep to her budgets. The time spent / money spent formula describes her to the point.
I’d give it to my son!! He’s only 10 now, but it’s never too early to start building good financial habits :)
I would give this book to…my husband and I so we can pull our heads out and get our act together!
Good Morning J$,
I would keep this book for myself and share it with my husband. Why? To help us to continue our financial quest of saving money and increasing our knowledge of investing. Please J$ choose me!
Thank you and Be Blessed,
Mrs. Fleming-Dabney
I would give this book to my soon to be 21 y/o daughter. She is in college right now and has a bright future ahead, and actually DOES listen to the advice I give her (yeah, I know I am one of the lucky ones)
And after that she can pass it on to her younger sister to read… if I am lucky she might look at the cover, lol.
Then I can read it and randomly recite facts & discuss it endlessly with (at) my whole family while I have them trapped in the car with me on a road trip (have to take advantage of a captive audience)
I’d want this book for myself today, but more importantly to hand it down to my son as a teaching tool down the road.
I’d give the book to myself and my fiancé. We’re getting married in a few months and I think reading this book would help us start off on the right page.
First, I would read it, then give it to my kids to read it, they are 22 and 21. The 22 year old recently graduated and has her first job.
Huh, I hadn’t realized he did those NYT index card sketches. I love those.
Will definitely have to check it out! Thanks for the recommendation, J Mo.
I’d give it to myself, baby!
Looks like a very interesting book. I would give it to my little brother, who just started working at his first real job out of college. Then I’d make him give it back to me. Ramit’s book was one of my favs too.
I would read it & then promptly pass it to other members of my family. It’s time to change this generation, in order to change the next.
Thanks for your work.
I’d give it to my sister in law – due with her first in June, bought a house and paid for a wedding (with cc!) in the past 3 years. Plus a hefty student loan debt hanging over her head, and we’ve been talking a lot about budgeting and financial planning. This sounds perfect for her!!
After I read it, of course!
I would give this to myself, because I’m absolutely a visual learner and this would probably help clarify some ideas for me, and be able to better explain them to my better half rather than her putting up with my incoherent ramblings of trying pull many thoughts from many great blogs together.
I would read this book myself first, then give it to my dad who I got my limited financial wisdom from, and then pass it along to my friends who have no clue about money. It would look so pretty sitting on my shelf after all the reading!
It sounds like a fun read to me! After I read it, I’d pass it along to my siblings (and my husband’s siblings) starting with the next one that asks to borrow money :)
I would give this book to a close friend of mine who I just had to convince not to buy a 3rd vehicle as a summer joy-ride car (Jeep Wrangler). He’s a very smart guy, but just likes the “finer” things in life. Like nice cars, boats, and houses. So I would definitely give it to him (after I read it first of course – real quick though).
I have a copy of the book sitting on my desk. It’s legit!
Since your question doesn’t apply to me, I’ll just say I like your computer speakers. I have the same ones. :p
Haha…
I would give the book to myself in hopes that it will kick start my finances in the right direction.
I would give this book to myself. I feel like I need some motivation right now!
I would give this to my 18 yo nephew who uses the phrase “let’s go waste some money” every time I see him.
oh wow.
I got my own copy and can’t wait to read it but if I won I would give it to my sister who won’t take my advice, but would take the advice of a stranger. :-)
I would give it to myself because I am a personal finance/FIRE nut and need more books to read :)
yeah. that book sounds really good! i’d love to have one! pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease pick meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! thanx. =)
Myself, and then I would lend it to my sibling.
I’d give the book to my wife, and I’d read it too (of course). I think our family has a good financial plan, but it is stock full of MY priorities. I try to engage her in the process, but I can tell that my knowledge ends up dominating outcomes. This book looks like it would be great for her to take a look at what she wants. I’d hate for the discovery to occur in 5 years that we aren’t meeting her priorities, too.
I would give it to myself – i’ve been working 2 jobs for 3 years trying to knock down my debt. I always need some encouragement.
First, I’d read it. Then I’d be tempted to give it to some good friends, but that always seems like it would come off a bit awkward… If I couldn’t figure out how to do that I probably would just keep it on the bookshelf.
I’d give this book to my first (soon to be born) child as their first personal finance book and make sure they get started off right with great money habits. –> and, yes, I might just read it for myself next to the crib… : )…nothing like setting a good example!
I would give it to my son. He has become obsessed with money and earning it. I need to teach him how to spend wisely.
I would give the book to myself and my wife to help us dig out of $450,000 in student loans.
wow that’s a lot of education! hopefully you guys more than make up for it with rewarding (and higher paying) careers :)
I’d give this book to my boy-friend so we could read it together. We’re both saving now because we know it’s what we’re supposed to do, but we don’t have an end goal other than the fuzzy idea of “retirement” that’s still 40 years away. I love the idea of combining our ideas of the future into a one-page financial plan so that we can work toward concrete financial goals together!
My son Kyle who is finishing college so he can get a great start.
My first choice would be myself and that is just because I enjoy this stuff. But my final answer would have to be my boyfriend! He has great intentions and is a great ‘talker’ about future plans about saving BUT he never follows through. Spending money on stuff always takes precedence. We have separate accounts because I can’t deal with it. I am not perfect but I have been saving. I want to do better though but it is extremely hard when you live with someone who doesn’t have those same priorities about money.
I’d read it myself, then give it to my best friend. We always talk about finances and planning.
My daughter for sure…..
I would give it to myself and my boyfriend. We have many plans for the future that we would like to achieve and although we talk about them often, somewhat of a plan to get there is necessary! The more information and advice for us the better!
I’d give this book to my husband so that we start working towards financial independence together!
I want to read this book myself! I think it would help me figure out finances.
Sounds like a great book! I would give it to myself, and then to my husband. We have been making wrong decisions for years & finally decided we need to get our $h!t together!
Not only would I love to win this book but I desperately need it. I have been faced with one hardship after another over the last couple of years. My husband deserted me and filed for divorce in another State. I lost my job, ran out of savings to pay my bills, my credit cards went into collections and my house was foreclosed and taken back to the bank. I am now starting life over from scratch, without a financial plan or savings. I can’t even afford to buy this book… so I’m praying to win it and put it to good use!
I am so sorry to hear :( So good of you to be on blogs though and searching or info!!! Don’t forget the library is a great place to pick up even more goodies!!! :)
I recently graduated college and am pilled up with student loans so I will read it and then pass it along to my sister who is graduating this year!
I would definitely gift this to myself, learn everything I could from it and then pass it along to some classmates who definitely could use some Personal Finance help.
After I read it myself, it’s going on to my friend, who has an MBA but can’t figure out her own personal money issues!
I’d read the book first, and then I’d pass it to all three of my brothers who are in various stages of college.
Looks awesome – I would read this with my 9yo daughter and 7yo son to get them on the right track in life and living. Hopefully this book and I can teach them some of the things that I learned a little later in life that could have been useful many years ago.
I would give it to myself (and my husband). This year has been eye-opening for us and we have successfully paid down 1/2 of our credit card debt and are moving toward paying off the student loans too. We totally want to retire early and every bit of help we can get is much appreciated. Thanks J$ for the opportunity!
Definitely myself, because I am really working hard on my finances these days after (unfortunately) years of making mistakes/not really paying attention to them. This book seems like an interesting read, which isn’t always the case for personal finance material. (Not everyone is as informative yet entertaining as J$!)
*tips hat*
I would give this book to myself (first) and likely share it with someone else later. From an outsider’s perspective, it would appear that I’m on a great path. I have a good job, and I make it a priority to save a large sum of my take-home pay. However, I have anxiety about money that doesn’t seem to go away. I’m naturally a planner and feel most comfortable with things are in order, so uncertainty and life’s “what ifs” are on my mind constantly. From this article, and from the Forbes article that was posted on Rockstar Finance, it seems like this book would help me prioritize the things that are important to me financially, and doing so will likely lead to a more relaxed state about finance, with the piece of mind of knowing that I have a plan to take care of all the things that truely matter.
Thanks for reading both of my sites! Sucks about the anxiety though :( I’ve already seen others in this comment thread share similar predicaments – you’re not alone!
I would give this book to myself. After reading it I would pass it on to my brother.
Love the doodles!
I would first read the book myself (obviously), let me husband read the highlights and then gift it to my younger brother. He is working manual labor full time while going to community college and books like this are great to read when you are young to see your current and future options and to make your life plan. Thanks so much for the giveaway!
I would give it to myself! I am reading all I can to fix money problems, yes, but I know many of my past spending problems are link to behaviors and emotions.
If I could give The One-Page Financial Plan away to anybody, I could quite literally just open my calendar and select any client that I had an appointment with that day. I am a bankruptcy attorney, and most of the clients that I work with find themselves in the current financial difficulties because they try to make things too complicated. If I could point them to a few simple strategies, it would do wonders for their financial fitness.
Oh man, I bet.
I’d give this book to a gal who just turned 19, whom I would like to see have wild success in becoming independently wealthy and learning a value system that leads to a happy life – and the earlier she can retire from obligatory employment, the better!
I am all over this book! I would definitely be purchasing copies for friends and family too. I have paid off most of my consumer debt. I just have 4 mortgages and all are covered by tenants with extra money left over. I just want to make smart money decisions so I can relax in another 10 years and keep my current Akuna Matata state of being!
holy crap – you are killing it!
I’d give that book to my wife so we can plan to have a better financial life together.
I would love to give this book to myself! I am trying to learn to love the lifestyle of being smart with your money! It starts with budgeting and saving – one step at a time. Like Seth Godin said, “This isn’t a money book, it’s a life book. And you’ll remember reading it for the rest of your life.”
I would give the book to myself, read The Behavior Gap a while ago and loved that book. That’s why I would love to read this new book.
I’d definitely read it myself but would love to share with my nieces and nephews in their 20s. Thanks for entering me in the giveaway!
I’d read it first — and then give it to my 21 year old son, who keeps making financial blunders. He should be learning from his mistakes – but seems to prefer repeating them for emphasis instead.
I would give it to my oldest daughter, and hopefully she can get some financial lessons from those sketches. She is a teenager, so all this financial stuff, might be over her head. LOL. But that’s who I’d pick to give this book as a gift.
My wife and I have tried so many budgeting strategies from apps to excel sheets and it’s always difficult for us to get on the same page. We value so many things (travel, family, going out, dates, gifts, generosity) that our $ gets diluted and it’s hard to track where it’s really going. I’d love the opportunity to make things simpler and I believe it would help us in the long run. This would be for myself and my wife to read together every night. Thanks!
It would be pretty cool to have just signed up yesterday to receive your emails and win a free book the next day, so I think you should pick me.
If I got the book, I would read it myself. If it is as good as you say, I would have my newly wedded son and his bride (who are listening to their mama and are taking full advantage of workplace matching 401K’s and are contributing to Roths as well as seriously living simply…I wish my husband and I had been so wise at 23!!!) to read it next. Then I would have some of their friends (young twenty things) read it. Depending on the level of complexity in the book, I might read it with my young teenager. I also have a slew of nieces and nephews who I harass on a regular basis (about investing/compounding interest/retirement/etc) who could also be exposed to the book. Then, I might suggest reading it to my book club friends… So, it would have the potential to go far.
That woulda been cool – but the random generator didn’t go in your favor, sorry!
I would give this book to me because not only would I read it, but would put aspects into action as part of my action plan. Please pick me!
Have to say, myself! The doodles look awesome. I may have a slight addiction to personal finance books and this one looks like a nice change from the rest! And then I’d loan it to all of my friends!
Hey J Money, I would have to read this one myself before giving it to anyone. However, once I finished this book, it would immediately go to my 22 year daughter who is just starting off in her life with her new husband. Although I feel like I demonstrated some really good money habits with my children, their just seems to be too many distractions out there. So by feeding my daughter books written by others and not just her DAD preaching to her, she might just stick to her good choices.
Thanks for sharing.
Altruistic Don
Myself! First at least, then my husband, my sister, my sister-in-law and so on and so forth until the print runs out.
I’d read it myself and then give it to my brother who just graduated from college.
That book comes right here to me, Ms ADHD. I’ve loved that first sketch since I laid eyes on it. So very true! Currently, I’m standing right in the middle of the anxiety/options one, with a leaky roof, and a likely totaled car (thanks Mr. Semi Driver).
After reading it myself, I’d give it to a friend of mine that I’ve been trying to help with her budget. Chemotherapy and a period of unemployment have put her behind the 8-ball, but she still is having trouble grasping why she might need to stop eating out with her friends twice a week (among other things). Maybe Carl’s magic marker can do the trick.
I would give it to me – I am 606 days away from 55 and hoping to retire. After 40 years I am sick of work and hoping to start a real life. I have been in the corporate rat race way too long. I think I am in good shape but am hoping this book can help me see the light. Help a tired old man retire – PLEASE
I would give it to a young friend just out of college, and interested in investing. I recommended Carl’s first book as a good start.
I’d give the book to myself, because I tend to over think my finances and having a simple, one page item to review and keep me on track would help me not nuke it.
I would read it with my wife most likely. If it’s a good book, we typically pass them along (strange that we only have the books we don’t really like sitting on our shelves).
I would give this book as a gift to my husband and I. It seems to me that if we really want to live the life of our dreams, which it is our birthright to create, we should probably talk about money all the time. But we don’t want it to feel like a chore, or another to do list item. This book looks likeso much fun! We could look at it together, discuss the drawings and the concepts, and be all the richer for it, in every sense of the word.
Thanks for considering us for your giveaway!
Myself! I am determined to understand my finances and change my trajectory but want it simple and straightforward!
i would give it to my mom!
she’s starting to plan her retirement.
I would give the book to my brother. This sounds like just what he needs to get inspired!
I have three sons in their mid 20s that would share this book. Knowledge is power! Of course I’ll read it too so I can encourage them by example. ;)
Myself and my husband. We are both serious about retiring early and I’m sure we would learn a lot.
I would read it myself, then read it to my husband, then have my 13 year old daughter and 9 year old son read it, then save it for the 2 year old!
i would give it to my daughter?
Why? It fits in my budget (free) and I believe it would bring clarity to her evolving financial awareness!
As with most books, I read it and then if it is good I pass it on to one of my kids. Fitting the book to their interests. All four are interested in building wealth–so it might get mailed around a few times!
I would give this book to me! I need it
I would give it to myself and read it. I could really use the advice. If it’s good I would pass it on to my younger brother or sister.
I would share it with my mom and aunts who desperately need a new perspective on finances as they approach retirement, and my friends and younger brothers who are just graduating college and have the opportunity to do many things better than the rest of our family from the get-go!
Great post! I would definitely give this book to myself – after reading a ton of complicated, text heavy financial books, I could use one with sketches. I heart drawings.
I would give this book to me! The more I learn, the more I can share. Since its autographed, I would keep and buy another to loan!
I would selflessly give the book to my hubby. But then I would steal it back and read it first, because he reads so slowly…
I would read it and then give it to my cousin who I think would benefit from this tremendously.
I’d give this book to my husband. I’m still trying to get him on board with cutting back and saving so we can be financially independent when he retires from the military. I know that if I keep throwing reading material at him he’ll eventually join me in frugality.
I would love to share this book with some younger co-workers (after reading it myself!). I’m quite a bit older than they are and so I’m a little more established. Sometimes, they just want to “make enough to pay their bills,” but they don’t foresee that they’ll need a little extra for a rainy day fund. I’m hoping that a book that’s more visual would get their attention and inspire them to put money into their 401K. No one did that for me, but I’ve always wished that someone had pushed to me save more earlier in life.
I would definitely read the book first, and then I would give it to my best friend. She struggles with money and even though she doesn’t make much, she makes enough that she could be saving something, but is instead taking money OUT of her retirement. Yikes!
I would give it to my daughter. She is working her first job out of college (financial analyst) and has been diligent about using her company’s 401k and doing some side investing on her own with spare $’s here and there. But she also has lots of questions and some anxiety about investing and managing money for the future. Would love to give her a way to learn more and take action on it.
I would give it to myself first, my goal is early retirement and I need all the help I can get. Then I would lend it to my husband. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway.
I would keep the book! I recently retired at 52 and am in the process of deciding what to do with the next chapter of my life. I surely don’t want to get in to my retirement fund yet, and I’m learning how to live a more simple life, but I could certainly use a little $$$ advice!
Hi:
I would use this book in book circle fashion at work. I would give it to my colleague to read then have her pass it on to another colleague at work, etc until it makes it way back to me. The one necessary item is that each person who reads it must make a comment about the book on the attached notepad on the back inside cover. After it makes it full turn, the book will then be passed on to my sister.
Love that!!
I would give it to myself first because I want to read it :) Then I would probably give it to one of my siblings to spread the goodness!
I’d give this book to my brother. He’s graduating college this May with a lot of student debt, even with scholarships he was able to get, and plans to move to where his industry is; NYC or LA. If anyone would need it, he would!
I would love to read this book! I find myself worrying a lot about things that I can’t control…it looks like it would be good to put me in my place.
I’m also very passionate about personal finance and have gotten involved with helping friends create budgets. This would be another great resources to help me do this better!
I would give this book to my wife-it might get her to jump onboard and join me in planning for our retirement. She’s not too keen on Dave either!
I’d give it to myself because I’m always looking for new ways to improve my personal finances. Then I’d share it with a couple of friends who could maybe benefit.
I would give this to myself because that would allow me to let multiple people borrow and read it. I would try to get my parents to read it first as I think they would get the most benefit (they have been struggling with cc debt for years and (with the help of Mr. FI and I of course) they are starting to rethink what they want in life and how they plan to achieve their end goals. My little sister would be next, as she’s graduating college this spring and if she’s anything like me (which she is ;)) she’ll be trying to figure out where she wants to go in life and how to factor in paying off those student loans!
I would read it myself first, then pass it along. Definitely balance is where I struggle.
After reading it, the first recipient would be my 13 yr-old sister, Kristin. I’ve seen her curiosity grow in drawing connections between things she wants and the process it takes to earn them. In an age where instant gratification is seen as a right, I believe she will take the time to draw real, applicable knowledge from this book. I believe it is never too early or late to learn about money and its usage as a tool to freedom. My parents learned their lessons the hard way. I would rather my sister not travel that same path.
I would give the book to myself. ;)
I would give this book to myself, and then when I’m done to my local library, where it could hopefully be enjoyed and spread the knowledge to many others.
I would give the book to MYSELF! I am absolutely horrible with money. I am a young professional making a good paycheck, but I can’t tell you where my money goes every month. After automatic 401K deduction, a small amount to savings, everything else is spent! I need help.
Carl has always seemed like a bright guy to me. His sketch concept is great.
I’d read it myself to ensure I’m doing what is important to me and be able to keep on doing what is important to me. I’d also lend it out to my 10 nieces & nephews who are in their teens and twentys to help them figure it out themselves!
I would totally give this book to my sister-in-law, she is graduating college in May. I would, of course, read it myself first. :)
I’d give the book to myself in order to realize that saving for certain items and splurging on them once enough has been saved is quite alright!
I would read it myself first because I always do so much when it comes to figuring out a plan! Simplifying is better. Then I would pass it around to anyone who wants it!
I would give the book to my wife…first, because then I’d get to read it (and likely before she did) and second because she is often saying how we need to get a better handle on our finances, and she specifically needs to be more involved, and yet we never find the time (and with our second child coming when will we ever?) It does need to get done though. Having something sitting next to us on the bed-side stand reminding us every night would probably help with that.
I would give this book to my girlfriend. She doesn’t have the same interest in personal finance that I do, so something that is as accessible as these doodles would be a great way for us to have a conversation about these topics.
Who: Jaymin Stirling’s School Library
Why: For many young learners to benefit from.
Thanks for the opportunity.
I like that idea :) Hopefully they already get a copy at some point! Not sure how that stuff works w/ new books really?
I would give this book to myself. I still need it LOL!
This looks like a great read!
I would give it to myself an 18 year old with a whole wealth of decisions who wastes her income NEEDS help
My three soon to be graduating high school triplet. :)
I would give this book to my sister, Karen. She’s 48, divorced, probably making $40,000 / year and has not saved much for her retirement. Being her older sister, she doesn’t like to take advice from me. The book could help her create a finacial plan and open her eyes to saving for retirement.
After reading, I could add it to the list of books I’ll pass to my son J, daughter E and daughter S so hopefully they learn what I have a lot sooner.
If I was honored to receive the book, I would read it. But, as soon as I was finished with it, I would give it to my local public library so that the information could be shared with as many people as possible. If the book is as good as you think it is, I would want as many people as possible to gain financial insight from it and not have it sit on my own shelf.
I’d give it to my sister Aimee because she sometimes asks me financial questions and I know she’s working hard to save for her own retirement. But of course I’d read it first before I sent to her!
I would give one to my college student son. They teach everything else except how to handle your personal finances. I wish I had more financial knowledge when I was starting out.
myself. It sounds really interesting.
After reading it myself I would give it to my wife to read and then my son.
A concise guide to financial planning! Hell ya.. n if it’s free :)
I would read it first, then pass it along to my sister who is a junior in college. would like to get her off on the right step when she graduates.
Myself, because our family already has guy that hands out self-help books, and people resent him for it. I think I’d enjoy it :)
I would first read this book for myself. Possibly twice. Then I would send it to a dear friend in South Carolina struggling to decide whether staying home with her babies is the right thing to do. I got to help her once get her budget started – I’d love to see her embrace the control she has over her family’s finances and be free!!
I’d read the book first, then decide which of my friends needed to read it next. I like to share good books with my friends and family.
Give it to someone!? How about I read it, my wife reads it and it’s available to borrow to any of my friends, family, neighbors, etc that ever ask about Finances :).
My twin sister.
She just got married and her husband is about to finish school. I so want then to start out their careers on the right path!
HI there–I’d like to enter my rationale for winning the book:
I’d give this book as a gift to my whole family! I’d read it, as would my husband, and two teens. My two girls are 15 & 16 years old. They already feel the power of working and earning, and I REALLY want them to feel the power of saving, and of living below their means. They have a good babysitting biz going, they are booked for summer nannying, and the older one, just today, set off for her first after-school hourly job at Dairy Queen! (I think that it’s a good idea for kids to try a job in food service to learn patience, tact with customers, and working hard up the ladder. In addition, it may make them better patrons and customers as adults!)
I’d like the kids to set goals, perhaps like the goals I wish I’d made when I was young: Save $1,000,000 by the time I was 40 so that I could change jobs and have the freedom to look around for the “next thing.” This did not happen for me. I think they could make it happen for them, but they have to learn to start early, and realize that ‘keeping up with others” and ‘impressing others” is expensive, and in the end, counter to goal.
I like the Sketch Guy a lot, and I find your info to be superb. I believe that introducing my kids to this book and your blog will be an engaging way to help my kids in the long term. IN the end, I think that most parents want their kids to be better off than they are in some respect–that’s my goal anyway. This book, coupled with your blog, will help me help my kids!
Thanks!
Such a great comment – thank you!! I don’t have a say in the winners here (doing it random) but this was a pleasure to read regardless :)
I would have to give it to my youngest son who just graduated college….he needs it! BUT…I would probably read it first before giving it to him!
First I would read it, maybe once or twice, then let my wife read it. Recently, I have reached a major milestone with my wife and budgeting. She is totally on the same page with me as far as saving for our future goals (owing a home, saving for our kid’s education) and I am confident to say that by us reading this, we would be unstoppable as we progress to reach our goals.
Myself! I’m currently a college student who works park time as an accounting intern. I did not manage my finances well in the past; however, I have turned things around with the help of personal finance books and this blog! I feel that this book would greatly enhance my understanding/outlook on finances.
I would give this to my spouse considering she is about to start school and her money is going to very tight. She is trying to chase her dreams and I don’t want it to crush her financial dreams as well.
My finances have improved exponentially since YNAB and all the reading he recommends. I still need help and this book sounds perfect! Hope I win.
I would read it and then give it to my husband! He’s open to learning about finances but we still have a long way to go to reach our goals.
I would give it to my 2 dd who just got married and my 19 yo ds who just opened up his
brokerage acct and is beginning to buy shares
I would read this first and then give it to my sister. We are both just starting to make financial plans for our future. Thanks!
I would read this book with my boyfriend so we could begin our lives on the same financial page. I’ve already encouraged him to start a savings account, my next goal is an IRA. I’d love for us to grow financially. After we are done with the book, I will share with my mom as she is always in need of financial guidance especially since she’s nearing retirement without much of a plan. Thanks! Love your blog!!!!!
I would absolutely keep this book for myself. If this book is as good as advertised, I will go back to reference it throughout my life.
I would totally keep this for myself, because doodles are awesome!
Concepts make sense to me in illustration. What a brilliant medium for a sometimes dry topic. I’m just beginning to make a dent in my debt and take financial control and I could use some doodles to guide me.
First I would read it myself then I would pass it along to a friend
I’m just starting my first full-time job so I’d want to read it myself before I pass it on
This looks like a great book. I love to read personal finance books, and would read it myself. Thanks for the chance.
I would give the book to myself, then once I’m done I’d give it to my children. I’m constantly teaching my children about the value of money because no one really taught me. I was always told to save save save, but I wasn’t taught to keep expenses low and avoid getting into debt. Those two things are the reason why I am now struggling (but improving) with my own finances.
***Giveaway now over ***
The two lucky winners are…
1) Samantha (commenter #57)
2) Mary (commenter #162)
Thanks for participating y’all! Highly recommend you picking this up for a few bucks on Amazon or hitting up your local library! It’s a good one! :)
I would give this book to all those who attend my Budgeting financial wellness workshop to help them clarify their Needs v. Wants and to get in tune to their personal relationship with money.
Who would you give this book to, and why? (You can say yourself)
Me! I’m horrible at figuring out my finances and I’d like to get a jump start and turn around my incompetency!
I’m excited – just bought it on Amazon. It’s cheaper coming from the UK(?). Can’t wait.
Well that’s pretty cool! Let me know what you think of it when you’re done :)