Simple Dollar, The: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams
- By Trent A. Hamm
- Published Jun 9, 2010 by FT Press.
- Copyright 2010
- Dimensions: 5-3/8 X 8
- Pages: 272
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-13-705425-4
- ISBN-13: 978-0-13-705425-1
Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.
Product Author Bios
Trent Hamm transformed his life, escaping both massive consumer debt and work he couldn’t stand. He began sharing the lessons he learned through his website, The Simple Dollar (www.thesimpledollar.com), which has quickly grown into one of the nation’s most popular personal finance sites, attracting more than 600,000 visitors every month.
He is the author of 365 Ways to Live Cheap: Your Everyday Guide to Saving Money, and writes articles that are regularly syndicated to hundreds of small newspapers and newsletters.
Struggling with debt?
Frustrated about work?
Just not satisfied with life?
“Trent Hamm set out to boost his happiness by freeing himself from debt. This account of how he succeeded, and how he was able to construct the life he’d always wanted, will inspire readers to put his ideas to work in their own lives.”
–Gretchen Rubin, author of the #1 New York Times best seller, THE HAPPINESS PROJECT
“The Simple Dollar paves the way to an uncluttered financial and richly rewarding life. Trent’s experiential advice prepares readers for the expected–and most importantly the unexpected–complexities of the modern economic world. Live debt free, mind the gap, and find a framework to get the secure and happy life you desire.”
–Erin Rooney Doland, author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week and Editor-in-Chief, Unclutterer.com
“If you feel like your finances are out of control, read The Simple Dollar. Trent Hamm burns with the unforgettable fire of someone who has gone from debt to wealth, and this book can inspire you to do the same.”
–J.D. Roth, author of Your Money: The Missing Manual and editor of GetRichSlowly.org
The Simple Dollar can change your life.
Trent Hamm found himself drowning in consumer debt, working in a job he couldn’t stand… and figured out how to escape that debt and build the fulfilling career he’d always dreamt about, all at the same time.
Hamm shared his experiences at TheSimpleDollar.com—and built it into one of America’s top personal finance websites. Now, The Simple Dollar is a book: packed with practical tips, tools, and lessons you can use to transform your life, too.
This isn’t just “another” personal finance book: it’s profoundly motivating, empowering, practical, and 100% grounded in today’s American realities. Trent Hamm will show you how to rewrite the rules, creating healthier relationships with money… and with your loved ones, too. With his help, you can get out of debt, start moving forward, and build the strong personal community that offers true happiness—no matter what happens to the economy.
· Escape the plastic prison, and stop running to stand still
5 simple steps to eliminate credit card debt… and 5 more to start moving forward
· Shift your life’s balance towards more positive, stronger relationships
Learn how to put the golden rule to work for you
· Discover the power of goals in a random world
Then, learn how to overcome inertia, and transform goals into reality
· Navigate the treacherous boundaries between love and money
Move towards deeper communication, greater honesty, and more courage
|
133 of 140 people found the following review helpful
...and it averages out at three stars, By
This review is from: The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams (Paperback)
Three stars -- right in the middle -- isn't a rating I "award" very often; usually my views tip one way or the other.In this case, I think the book might be worth five stars to those who: * are fairly young and unknowledgeable about personal finances; * find inspiration in personal stories related by a peer (or age cohort); * prefer to have a hard copy of text instead of reading information readily accessed on the Web; * or those who do not use the Internet at all. But there are others for whom the book would not rate more than a single star, such as those who: * have some background in managing their money and have read other books on debt reduction; * read personal finance blogs such as this author's and the blog of one of his endorsers and do not feel the need for a hard copy of the material; * might have trouble relating to a young man who has, so far, faced only a young man's problems. "Over the years" is, in... Read more
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Financial health and quality of life are intertwined, By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams (Paperback)
When I picked this up on my Kindle, I assumed I was getting a book loaded with financial guidance. Long a believer in debt-free living, I still enjoy picking up these types of books - they are very reinforcing when swimming upstream from the way most American families operate and I often get tidbits of wisdom that come in very handy. I wasn't aware of the author's blog until after reading this book, but it appears to be very interesting and I have added to my "Favorites" on my computer.Regarding this book -- take a moment before purchasing to look at the table of contents. The first chapter is about reducing debt (or ideally becoming debt free) and while fairly basic, is helpful. Good, solid financial advice. The remainder of the book really leans more toward life improvement, knowing yourself, following your dreams, etc. but the tie-in is that most of these things can't be accomplished if you are drowning in debt. For example: You can't take that new job with a... Read more
47 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Great advice for Getting to the Root of Our Relationship with Money, By
This review is from: The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams (Paperback)
First off, let me just say this: I'm a huge fan of Trent Hamm and his blog The Simple Dollar.His commonsense advice on every possible area of personal finance has served as an inspiration for me as we make our frugal journey. Trent Hamm's latest book, The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams, is just as inspiring as his blog. In the book, Hamm shares his own personal story with debt and how he escaped the shackles of it. The book is loaded with great ideas to help you get rid of your own debt. Each chapter has an easy to follow punch list of 5 things you can do to work on your finances. Yet, this book is much more than a how-to guide. It also delves into the psychology of how you spend your money, questions what things you value and why they're important to you, and encourages you to set realistic, achievable goals for your future. Written in simple, easy-to-to-understand terms... Read more |
Table of Contents
Introduction xiii
Chapter 1 Prison Made of Plastic 1
Get Everyone on Board 3
Reduce Your Interest Rates 5
A Plan for Debt Repayment 7
Get a Rope 8
Snowflaking 10
Five Steps for Today 12
Chapter 2 What’s Missing?
What Do We Really Need? 17
Five Steps Toward Happiness 19
Chapter 3 A Visit from the Black Swan 23
Our Lives Are More Random Than We Think 24
Unprepared for the Good 26
Unprepared for the Bad 27
Sources of Personal Risk 29
Maximizing Luck 32
The Need for Reliability 33
Preparing Yourself 34
Chapter 4 The Power of Goals in a Random World 37
The Changing Value of Long-Term Goals 39
The Power of Self-Reliance 42
The Key: Short-Term Goals 44
Five Steps Toward Your Dreams 46
Chapter 5 Running to Stand Still 49
The Changing Nature of Income 50
Your True Hourly Wage 52
The Things We Sacrifice 53
Your Future Self Isn’t Reliable 54
The Power of Today 55
Five Steps for Breaking Out 56
Chapter 6 With or Without You 59
The Broadening of Community 61
The “Tragedy of the Commons” 63
The Value of a Relationship 65
Social Intelligence 67
Getting Started 70
Chapter 7 Minding the Gap 73
Spending Less Than You Earn 74
Mind the Gap 75
Wants and Needs 76
The Frugalist and the Capitalist 78
Budgeting 79
Five Steps Toward Minding the Gap 80
Chapter 8 Frugality as Framework 83
The Difference Between Frugal and Cheap 84
Frugality as a Framework for Freedom 85
What’s Essential? 87
The Peak-End Rule and Life Experiences 90
Overvaluing Routine Experiences 91
Frugality and Food 94
Trimming Your Utility Bills 101
Housing and Transportation 102
Get Clever with Your Entertainment 105
The Five Fundamental Rules of Frugality 107
Chapter 9 Cultivating People and Opportunities 111
Negative Relationships 112
Positive Relationships 115
From a Negative to a Positive: Cultivating Opportunities 117
Five Ways to Maximize Your Positive
Relationships 119
Chapter 10 The New Career Rules 123
Where Is Your Loyalty? 124
A Community of Peers 125
The Power Shift 127
Learning, Growing, and Synthesizing 128
Passion 129
Deliberate Practice 130
Transferable Skills 131
Finding (and Being) a Mentor 134
Five Steps on a Journey of a Thousand Miles 135
Chapter 11 Life Design–Building Something New 139
Building a Solid Foundation 141
The Rules of Your Life 144
Rules Are Made to Be Broken 146
Shoot the Moon 147
Five Steps to Designing a New Life 151
Chapter 12 Managing the Gap 155
Avoiding Lifestyle Inflation 156
The Crossover Point 159
Protecting What You Have 162
Five Methods for Maintaining the Gap 164
Chapter 13 The Personal-Financial Boundary 167
Communication 169
Honesty 172
Time 174
Friends, Family, and Lending Money 175
Five Steps to Getting Your Relationships on Track 177
Chapter 14 Recasting Retirement 179
Retirement Rarely Equates to Idleness 180
What’s Your Next Act? 181
Recasting Retirement Savings 182
Retirement Savings Versus College Savings 184
Revisiting the Crossover Point 186
Five New Steps Toward “Retirement” 187
Chapter 15 The New Path to Adulthood 189
Setting Your Child Apart–Money Lessons 190
Setting Your Child Apart–A Growth Mindset 192
Setting Your Child Apart–Self-Reliance 195
Setting Your Child Apart–Self-Learning 197
Setting Your Child Apart–Unique Experiences 198
Setting Your Child Apart–Educational Priorities 200
Five Little Steps 201
Chapter 16 The Power of Giving 203
Giving Is Part of Participating in a Community 206
Doing It Different 207
Five Ways to Get Started 211
Chapter 17 Holding You Back 213
What We Say Versus What We Do 214
Passive Barriers 215
Clutter 218
Focus 220
Choosing to Be Happy 221
Five Ways to Overcome Your Barriers 222
Chapter 18 Original of the Species 225
Experiences Trump Things 226
Insanity: Doing the Same Thing and Expecting
Different Results 227
Success Is About Differentiation 228
Stop Caring What Other People Think 229
“Live Like No One Else So You Can Live Like No One Else” 231
Five Steps for Going Your Own Way 232
Chapter 19 11 O’Clock Tick Tock 235
The Single Most Important Part of Personal Finance Is Truly Knowing Yourself 236
The Second Most Important Part of Personal Finance Is Setting Clear, Concrete Goals 236
The World Is More Random Than You Think It Is 237
The Most Valuable Resource in the World Isn’t Money, It’s Time 237
The More Supportive People You Have in Your Life, the Better Off You Are 238
The Fewer Unsupportive People You Have in Your Life, the Better Off You Are 239
Blaming Others for Your Problems Is a Dead-End Road 239
The More Time You Spend Improving and Educating Yourself, the Better Your Personal and Financial Life Will Be 240
Karma Always Comes Around 241
There Are Very Few Aspects of Your Life That Cannot Be Changed 241
Index 243
Sample Pages
Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 1 and Index)
This book includes free shipping!
This book includes free shipping!
eBook (Watermarked)
$19.99
$15.99
Includes EPUB, MOBI, and PDF
About eBook Formats
This eBook includes the following formats, accessible from your Account page after purchase:
EPUBThe open industry format known for its reflowable content and usability on supported mobile devices.
MOBIThe eBook format compatible with the Amazon Kindle and Amazon Kindle applications.
PDFThe popular standard, used most often with the free Adobe® Reader® software.
This eBook requires no passwords or activation to read. We customize your eBook by discretely watermarking it with your name, making it uniquely yours.
- Request an Instructor or Media review copy.
- Corporate, Academic, and Employee Purchases
- International Buying Options
Get access to thousands of books and training videos about technology, professional development and digital media from more than 40 leading publishers, including Addison-Wesley, Prentice Hall, Cisco Press, IBM Press, O'Reilly Media, Wrox, Apress, and many more. If you continue your subscription after your 30-day trial, you can receive 30% off a monthly subscription to the Safari Library for up to 12 months. That's a total savings of $199.
