In Money Messages: Get Out of the Red and Into the Green, Emotional and Financial Freedom to Transform Your Life, Jody Robinson and Karen Putz team up to create a powerful book that teaches people how to look at their relationships with money and then transform them. . towards emotional and financial freedom. Robinson is a wealth manager who has been involved in all aspects of financial planning, from wealth management and portfolio construction to tax and insurance planning. When Jody put out the call for co-authors, Karen Putz approached her to co-write this book because Karen’s mission to help people find their personal passion complemented Jody’s desire to help people live better financial lives. quality. Putz is a deaf water skier and the author of several books, including Unwrapping Your Passion. Together, they’ve created this insightful and thought-provoking look at how we can all improve our relationships with money.
Weaving interviews and personal stories with practical exercises and insights, the book is divided into three sections: Understanding Money Messages, Rewriting Your Money Messages, and Investing in You. Robinson makes clear that before we can have a positive relationship with money, we need to understand what messages we received about money growing up, such as “Money doesn’t grow on trees,” as well as the spending or saving habits we saw others emulate. . and that we can now be practicing, consciously or not.
In the first section of the book, Robinson takes readers on a journey to understand money. She discusses the true purpose of money, but more importantly, she asks readers to ask themselves to examine their belief systems about wealth and lifestyle. She provides advice on how to take charge of her own destiny and how to determine what financial decisions she needs to make to make her dreams come true.
Once the reader is clear about what they want and what Money Messages are holding them back, Robinson dives into section two, where he provides information and exercises for rewriting Money Messages. These messages relate to all aspects of our lives, including love. It encourages us to be brave and take a leap if we realize that we have to do something different. He then explains to us how to “flip the script” to change our money messages.
The final section of the book is the most practical. Here, now aware of what we want, we learn the tools to determine how to make that happen. With a new understanding of money, we are now ready to make our money work for us. Robinson addresses different investment behaviors and helps us discover healthy behaviors to move forward. Important behaviors include spending and saving with a purpose and figuring out how to get out of debt. He then discusses various investment strategies, how to create a Plan B if our Plan A doesn’t work out, and finally, how to prepare for our golden years, be prepared for any health care needs we may have, and perhaps even leave a legacy for our children. or the community.
An additional section includes helpful information from great books and TED Talks to learn more about money, investing, and personal transformation, to guidelines for finding a financial advisor, and even money-saving food tips. I love how Robinson likens a first interview with a financial advisor to going on a first date because she wants to find the right person to lean on for financial advice for years to come.
Overall, Money Messages is a practical, insightful, yet fun book. Yes, fun, because what’s more fun than finding yourself in the groove of moving toward what will make your life better? In addition, Robinson shares interviews with fascinating people from many different backgrounds, including a reality TV star, a financial journalist, and an herbalist who makes a living by bartering and trading. You’ll even find yourself laughing with her at some of her past mistakes. All of these stories serve as excellent examples of how we can take charge of our own financial lives.
If you’re in debt, feeling stuck in your career, or just want to improve your financial literacy, then Money Messages: Get Out of the Red and Into the Green, Emotional and Financial Freedom to Transform Your Life should be the book in your hands right now.
