Michelle Singletary

The best financial planner Michelle Singletary ever knew was Big Mama, her grandmother. Big Mama raised Michelle and her four brothers and sisters on a salary that never reached more than $13,000 a year. Yet at her death, Big Mama owned her own home, had paid off a car loan, and had a beautiful collection of Sunday-go-to-meeting church hats and a savings account that supplemented her Social Security check and small pension. Most important, she had taught Michelle "7 Money Mantras for a Richer Life." Those mantras serve as the inspiration for this straight-talking book of practical personal financial advice that really works.

The 7 Money Mantras are:

1. If it' s on your ass, it's not an asset!
2. Is this a need or is it a want?
3. Sweat the small stuff.
4. Cash is better than credit.
5. Keep it simple.
6. Priorities lead to prosperity.
7. Enough is enough.

Michelle Singletary is a syndicated columnist for The Washington Post whose popular personal finance column appears in more than 120 newspapers. She's also a mother of three children who understands what it's like to live on a budget. In a plainspoken, sassy, no-nonsense voice, Michelle provides answers to the financial issues that confront almost every household: how to teach children the value of money; how to address money issues in a relationship or marriage; household saving tips; getting the best loans; and much more.
"This book is about saving enough money to have choices," she writes. "It's about feeling free to be cheap if you can't afford to buy a ton of gifts at Christmas. It's about eliminating wasteful spend-ing so you can begin to save and invest. It's full of uncommon commonsense lessons and guidance on the way people should use their money."
With humor and down-home financial wisdom, Michelle Singletary offers practical and realistic advice that will help you live well with the money you have.

Michelle Singletary on . . .

Romance and Money
"It's okay to say: 'Honey, I love you and everything, but if you need money, ask your mama.'"

Credit Cards
"We are minimizing our financial potential by making minimum credit-card payments."

Car Buying
"If you want to save money, keep your car until you're on a first-name basis with the local tow-truck drivers."

Leasing a Car
"You, too, can drive a car you can't afford and then have to give it back. It's crazy."

Gift Giving
"Generosity isn't about how much you spend. It's about how much thought you put into the gift."

Penny Pinching
"I once bought a stick-shift car because it was $1,000 cheaper than the automatic in the same model. There was just one little problem. I couldn't drive a stick-shift. But at least I saved $1,000!"

A direct, incisive guide for consumers to know how to protect and handle their money in the face of a financial crisis

There are always going to be unexpected financial crises in our lives. Whether we're facing an economic recession, a pandemic, a bear market, or energy worries, we have to immediately know what to do with our money. We start to ask: What bills need to be paid first? Should we dip into our savings? Are there better methods to protect a nest egg?

Michelle Singletary provides a hands-on guide to all of your debt concerns, credit card issues, cash-flow problems, medical coverage questions, and the dozens of other common financial issues that crop up with all of us when money suddenly becomes tight.

“Money may not be able to buy you love, but conflicts about it can certainly bankrupt your relationship.”
–Michelle Singletary

Here at last is the lowdown on how to manage your finances with the man in your life. Money is the #1 problem couples fight about, says beloved Washington Post financial columnist Michelle Singletary. Acknowledging that most fights about money are usually about something else–like feelings of fear or resentment–Singletary stresses the value of open dialogue. In her trademark no-holds-barred style, she shows us how to handle the entire range of financial issues couples face–from splitting the dinner bill when dating to planning for retirement together after years of marriage.
Singletary speaks to the hearts of women as they try to successfully merge their money and future security with those of their man. Acknowledging the emotional weight of shared investments, she brings her own experience as a wife and mother to the table and doles out advice in a voice that, while encouraging and rational, is never less than frank on tough topics.
From sizing up a potential mate’s financial responsibility (or lack thereof) to figuring out how best to share bank accounts and expenses once you’ve made the leap, to determining how to teach your children about money, Your Money and Your Man focuses on the undeniable role that finance plays in every stage of a long-term relationship.
Including typical questions from readers of her syndicated column and advice from one of the savviest financial experts she has ever known–her grandmother–Singletary shows women that they can live happily ever after with Prince Charming, even if he doesn’t have a royal bank account!


From the Hardcover edition.

Whether you are living paycheck-to-paycheck or just trying to make smarter financial choices, discover the practical steps you need for the financial peace you long for.

In The 21-Day Financial Fast, award-winning writer and The Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary proposes a field-tested financial challenge. For twenty-one days, participants will put away their credit cards and buy only the barest essentials. With Michelle's guidance during this three-week financial fast, you will discover how to:

• Break bad spending habits
• Plot a course to become debt-free with the Debt Dash Plan
• Avoid the temptation of overspending for college
• Learn how to prepare elderly relatives and yourself for future long-term care expenses
• Be prepared for any contingency with a Life Happens Fund
• Stop worrying about money and find the priceless power of financial peace

As you discover practical ways to achieve financial freedom, you'll experience what it truly means to live a life of financial peace and prosperity.

Thousands of individuals have participated in the fast and as a result have gotten out of debt and become better managers of their money and finances . . . and you can too!