Remember book reports when we were in school? For some they were a dreaded terrible thing, for others they were fun ways to recall your favorite book and an easy format to tell someone what the book was about. I've decided to post some reports of books I've read recently; let's jump right in.
I don't know where I got this book. Trying to think about it makes my mind go blank. I feel like maybe I got it from the program I'm in but I'm not so sure. For it to be the last book I read for 2025 it was definitely educational.
Author: Suzie Orman
Title: The Money Class
Main Characters: Suzie Orman and the reader
Setting: In my mind this class takes place in a in person or online classroom. In reality the setting is wherever the reader is reading. Also it was written in 2011 so one should set their minds in that year.
Plot: This class was literally about money and how to set yourself up realistically for your financial future. She even breaks down how everyone can work together as a family and secure freedom.
Personal Endorsement: This book spoke to me in many ways. She was keeping it real the whole time and her mindset on the things she taught about were easy to understand and sometimes relatable. I want to share some things that stood out to me.
- To other countries outside the USA our own economy now relies on our ability to consume, not produce. ( I found this statement to be profound)
- The American Dream asks you to fashion a dream that suits you-not one based on false promises and the expectations of others. (If I thought to do only did what suits me I feel like my life would've been way better for me.)
- I also can feel that lurking just beneath your fear and frustration is an even more powerful resolve not to resign yourself to a life of less. ( In the future I will not.)
- Transformation becomes not just possible, but imperative. (How I feel about my life now)
- The pendulum has swung out to an extreme and we now must ease it back to a more stable and sustainable sense of equilibrium. (Again a great metaphor for my life.)
- A Home is not a stock, Renting may work best for many Americans and financing is cheap, but not easy. (Just some information I thought was important because it may be relatable for someone)
- Be realistic about what your home is worth today. A $300,000 home in 2006 that in 2011 is worth $200,000 might "get back" to $300,000 in about 12 years, assuming and average price gain of 3.5%. Even at a very strong 6% rate it would take more than six years to get back to 2006 levels. (I just put this here for anyone good with math. I'm sure you can figure out the 2025 difference.)
- Listen only to yourself. This is your dream, and so it must be rooted in what makes since for you. (Again stuck right out to me and as I was reading I'm like yeah, what she said lol)
- Sometimes when we feel stuck, we must change our perspective! (This is a work in progress for me!)
- As discussed in "Stand in Your Truth" the way to save for capital purchases is to create an automated savings account so you can add to your dream funds each month. (Dream funds, sounds like an account I should set up.)
- The bottom line is that you want to start working with your lender as soon as you have any inkling you are headed for trouble. (Agreed, as with anything waiting until the last minute when you know there might be a problem is crazy work!)
- Please understand that just because you "walk away" from the home through a foreclosure, you could indeed still be on the hook for at least a portion of the unpaid balance of the loan. ( Just thought this might be good information for someone.)
- If you have what is called a recourse loan, that means the lender, in certain circumstances and in certain states, may have the right to sue you for the unpaid portion of the mortgage. If your mortgage is non recourse that means the lender doesn't have the right to seek payment for the unpaid balance. (More useful info)
- How to ask for a Raise: Start by preparing a one-page presentation that documents all your accomplishments-exactly how you contributed and continue to contribute to moving your employers business forward. (Useful Info)
- Once you get the raise SAVE YOUR RAISE as if you never got it. (Useful Info)
- You probably cannot afford to walk away from any job today without having another job lined up! (Useful Info)
- Let's say at age 25 you start saving $416 a month for retirement and Roth IRA. That works out to $5,000 over the course of a year. Let's assume you keep saving that $416 a month all the way until age 67 you would have about $950,000 saved! ( After reading this book, I found myself wishing my family talked more about money like this because I feel my future would be different but it's not to late for me to talk to my knuckle heads.)
- If your asking yourself if you can afford to stay in your house, please stand in your truth here: Even if you pay off the mortgage, will your retirement income be enough to cover property tax, insurance, and maintenance cost? (Useful Info)
- Crisis management/how to move forward once the worst of the crisis was past. (I feel like that's where I am in my life, moving forward after the crisis has passed and not creating anymore crisis.)
- Once you make it out of the ER and ICU, the next phase is often long-term rehabilitation, which takes a more holistic approach to how to live the best-most healthy-life going forward. (I feel like I'm just coming out of the ICU so now it's time to live.)
- But what slowed me down was that I was well aware of how incredibly difficult it was going to be for many of you to get from here old broken dream to there new, realistic dream. (That's exactly where I am in my life I am now creating a new realistic dream)
- To help you be the best you can be. To help you live the life that you not only want to live but the life you deserve to live. Am I direct and honest? Guilty. Do I react passionately? I sure do. But I think you appreciate that it is done with the best intentions: to help you fix what isn't working, quit habits, that aren't empowering and gain the confidence to know how to move forward toward a better life. (I felt close to Suzie O at this moment because I am direct and honest people don't usually like it, and I react passionately but am told to check my tones a lot. I also agree with everything stated here)
- Your thoughts, your words, your actions-all must be in harmony. (That's the advice most people give.)
- Optimism, courage, hopefulness, clarity should be in your mind. (Again agreed)
- Will the transition be difficult, will it test your strength and commitment? Yes (She was talking about walking away and having to sell your home. I just equated it to my current life transition.)
- The road ahead no doubt has it's bumps, potholes, and pitfalls. But navigate it you will. (I took this as if she was talking directly to me.)
- What is the alternative? Do nothing, change nothing, and you will get nowhere! Commit to making change and you have the power to get it right once and for all. ( I am living proof of this!)
- Train your perspective on what you are moving toward. Take your eyes off the rearview mirror. I ask you to let go-surrender what is no longer relevant to your well-being, so that you can step into that better future. (This is exactly what I'm doing now.)
- Train your perspective on what you are moving toward. Take your eyes off the rearview mirror. I ask you to let go-surrender what is no longer relevant to your well-being, so that you can step into that better future. (I have to stop looking in the rearview mirror I know for a fact that keeps me stagnant sometimes.)
- "Stand In Your Truth" is my clarion call that you have faith in yourself. To have faith that what you choose to do with your life-the conscious choices you decide to make-is what brings abundance and allows you to control your destiny. (This is learned behavior that I'm constantly learning)
- What we collectively experienced over the past two decades had ultimately been a hard lesson learned. (Agreed)
- We now understand that change is necessary. ( I know in my life it is.)
Also check out the 4 books I wrote and published here: https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=Jodie+Spartz&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00
-Photo by Jodie Spartz
Last book read for 2025
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