You're+Broke+Because+You+Want+to+Be

You're Broke Because You Want to Be

Why are you broke? Well, according to Larry Winget, it’s because you want to be. That’s right, you want to be broke, and that is why you are. Sounds a bit farfetched and ignorant right? That is exactly what I thought when I picked this book up. I wondered how in the world this man could defend such a bold statement as that. To my surprise, he actually did a great job defending it too! Not only does he do a great job defending that statement, he helps you fix your problem by offering sound advice. Although he offers some great advice, he is very “in your face” about things. He tells it like it is, and disregards the reader’s feelings. If you are easily offended, or believe that some words are “bad”, then do not read this book. If you can handle a little bit of insult without apology, and are in need of financial advice, pick this book up and read it! Larry Winget starts off the book with some clarifying ideas. One major one that made a sense of relief rush through me was when he gave his definition of the word “poor”, and the word “broke”. He explains that broke is very different from poor, and that poor is a condition that is not so easily fixed. He even goes so far as to show some pity for those who are poor. This is quite surprising because of how harsh he seems through the rest of the book. It isn’t that he is only harsh, he actually seems angry that the reader is broke. There is a lot of emotion in Winget’s writing as he tells the reader to stop being lazy and do something about their situation. You might say that’s just his way of convincing people he cares when he really doesn’t. That may not seem like much, but knowing someone cares how you turn out can affect what you do quite a bit. Some of Larry Winget’s tactics might be a bit hard to comprehend at first, but as he explains them, they start to make more sense. He also tries to get the reader to fill out lists and charts that are in the book. I personally think this is a great way to keep track of things and motivate oneself. For example, Winget asks the reader to write down everything they spend money on, from rent to a quarter spent in a candy machine. Once the reader writes these down, they will see what they are spending their money on, and most of the time they realize how ridiculous it is. That is just one of the steps Winget suggests in the path from getting by to getting ahead. One point Winget tries to get across to the reader is that they do not have a money problem. You may think, “What are you talking about? Of course they have a money problem if they don’t have any money!” While this may seem understandable, Winget explains that they don’t have money because of their other problems. One of the main problems that people have is spending their money on things that they don’t need. When you are lacking in funds, why do you need that extra shirt, or that new pair of shoes? Wouldn’t it make much more sense to buy some groceries instead of going out for a nice dinner? You could get probably three times as much food from the grocery store than you would at that nice restaurant. Those are a few of the points that Winget tries to get through to the reader. He doesn’t hold back and he asks the questions that you should be asking yourself if you are broke. Larry Winget is a very mean man. Yeah, he is, and he looks funny too, but oh well. His advice is pretty sound and according to this book he has been broke also. He gives a little background of himself (that I am a bit skeptical about, actually) He claims to have grown up poor, not broke, and decided to become rich. He says he did become rich, but then spent all that money and became broke. Oh, what a coincidence, he is telling broke people how to get out of debt and he had this exact same problem! Now the reader can relate to him, even if it is true or not. Well, even if this is just a sob story made up to help the reader relate to the author, it works, and his advice is still good either way. This review probably seems a bit unstructured and unorganized, but that is just to get you used to this book. Yes it does have chapters and sections, but he jumps around… a lot. He will start off a chapter telling you about how it’s all the reader’s fault they are in debt and making the reader feel like a terrible person. He will say it will take a long time to get out of debt, and then on the back of that same page give you steps to get out of debt. The strange part is not that he gives you those steps, but the fact that he words it as if those steps will only take a few days or months. Do you think clipping coupons is a great way to save money? Larry Winget doesn’t! In fact, he believes it causes people to spend more money than they normally would. He justifies this claim by saying, if you clip coupons, you are more likely to go to that store and buy something you don’t need. If you had never looked for coupons, you wouldn’t have known of a sale and wouldn’t have been tempted to even visit that store. Now that you have your “discount” coupon for the store, you will go there and buy things that you don’t even need, just because you have a coupon. See? This guy actually has some sound advice to give, and even if you are not broke it is a good idea to listen to it. Winget doesn’t only offer advice on what to do if you are broke, he also wants to tell you how to spend your money while you are rich. Some of his advice includes: go out and buy the best watch you can afford, buy the nicest clothes you can afford, and go to the nicest restaurants you can afford. “But Larry, you just told us to spend our money wisely and not waste it on stupid things such as these.” It is true that he does say that, and his reasoning is, once you have the money, spend it. He says if you are rich, live like you are rich. Spend your money and enjoy it, but still keep an eye out to make sure you are saving money too. One thing he mentions a lot is saving money for your kid’s education. He mentions that in almost every chapter. Overall __You’re Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead__ is a great book if you are having money problems. Larry Winget offers sound advice on how to pay off your bills and get out of debt, and then he offers some advice on keeping that surplus of money once you have come out of debt. There isn’t much more to say about this book other than it’s harsh and straight forward, but if you follow it word for word, chances are you will end up out of debt.