Customer Reviews

Complete Financial Guide for Young Couples (Christianity Today Series)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This book is not easy to swallow, but neither is medicine, and both will make you feel better down the road!

Burkett lays out the basics for financial planning and budgeting so that anyone can do it. The information is easy to understand. You'll learn to add things in your budget that most people forget. For instance, he'll teach to you cover those expenses which show up randomly throughout the year (car inspections, insurance, medical deductibles, etc.)

We bought this book over a year ago, and revised our budget at that time to reflect the suggestions in the book. We never have any surprise expenses anymore. No matter what it it, we have it covered. We have cash savings, college funds for the kids, retirment savings, and every other area of life is budgeted. My husband and I do not fight over money!! When every expense is worked into your budget, there is no reason to argue, because you have a plan!

Because of the concepts we have used from this book, we will be paying off our car and my student loan in the next six months (two years early!!). At that point, our only debt will be our home, and we will then begin paying extra on our mortgage. Our plan is to pay it off in 15 years instead of 30! Hopefully sooner!!

Making a budget is the most difficult thing to do ... in the beginning. No one likes to face the fact that they are spending more than they bring in. But this book makes it possible to fix your problems, and with each passing month, that difficulty turns to joy! You'll start to see your debt go down and your savings go up! It doesn't happen over night, but then again, you didn't pile up that debt overnight either!

Many young couples are starting to realize the danger in not agreeing on their finances. Why? It's the #1 reason for divorce, and they sure don't want that! Start off smart, start of solid, and choose to do the best you can from the start of the marriage. With this book, your best can be better than you may think. Don't get into the danger zone by not communicating proir to the problem. Following Larry's guidelines will give you the information you need to make smart financial decisions from the very beginning. If you are not married yet, just married, or have been just long enough to get the two of you into a little danger, this book is definitly for you. Whatever your excuses are for not getting started and making yourself take on the headache, please start now. Realize that the headache could be devastating later!

This has been a very helpful book for my husband and I. We are a couple in our mid twenties, and not in financial trouble, but wanted to learn better money skills. the information in this book is easy to understand, and realistic. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the suggested ways to budget. Thanks Larry Burkett!

It is a scary thought that most marriages that end up in divorce do so over financial concerns. Larry Burkett's book shows the clear value of managing your money in your marriage. He sites many examples from consulting where families were unprepared for financial situations that arose in their lives (for example, purchasing a home based upon on two incomes and then one of them becomes pregnant ...). Other examples include communication breakdown and unrealistic expenditure patterns. Most importantly, Mr. Burkett emphasizes the use of a budget in order to avoid these pitfalls and take teh stress out of your marriage.

I found the book to be a simple and interesting read. There are many practical guidelines about establishing a budget. The percentages in the proposed budget are backed up with numbers and consultation experience. You can modify the budget to fit your own needs. There is also a lot of discussion about debt reduction.

My wife and I read this book about 6 months prior to our wedding; it allowed us time to put into practice the very principles of good money management that Mr. Burkett teaches. Now these ideas are second nature and easily implimented into our marriage. Our finances are under control and do not control us!

Before reading this book and setting up a budget, our biggest marital problem was money. This was stupid, because we both had great, high paying jobs. After setting up a budget using this book as a guide, we stopped arguing about money.

It is true that this book feeds the readers with scripture and Biblical principle for almost any financial situation. However, that is the most sound financial advice anyone can receive, Christian or not. My husband and I have been married for 11 months. Neither of us had financial problems prior to marriage and we are doing fine now. This book is an excellent guide for us to manage the little money we have and keep out of potential trouble in the future. It's an excellent wedding gift (that's how we were introduced to it).

I noticed the reviews are either 5 stars or 1 star! This book definitely deserves more than 1 star as it does contain some very sound advice and is great for those who need good solid financial training.

I am a Christian, but found many of his principles to be outdated and just a little too conservative. This book was first published in 1989 and SERIOUSLY needs a updated version. He implies throughout the book that the woman should not work and if she does her income should only be used for "extra purchases" not for basing a budget on. Why? Because she might get preganant, some terrible ill befall her, and no longer work to support the family. (I am a nurse and have found that this is the exception, not the rule)

I also have a problem with the fact that he continually refers to the husband as the "wage-earner". I know plenty of families where the wife earns more money than the husband and they both share duties and expenses within the household. He also says that you should not spend your money on buying life insurance for the wife just to cover "funeral expenses" because of course all budget expenses should be based on the "wage-earner's" (the man's) salary. Therefore, life insurance is only truly necessary for the husband.

I don't want to sound like I'm bashing the book because the sections on training children to use money wisely and how to save for your future and get out of debt include some really excellent advice.

However, his theology and principles behind a lot of his advice are quite "old-school".

This book is great for anyone (married or single) who is either struggling to make ends meet or wants to make sure they don't get to that point. He offers not only spectacular advice on handling money, but also great advice for spiritual development, communication and cooperation in marriage. This book can help you save a relationship in trouble.

It shows you HOW you can live a better life on less money and break the choking chains of indebtedness. It is an excellant companion to Burkett's "Debt-Free Living," which can effectively scare you into wondering why you wouldn't follow the advice he presents.

My gilfriend bought me this book because we are planning to get engaged soon and be married by next summer. This book taught me everything that I did not learn at college. Society teaches to use other people's money to make survive. Mr. Burkett will put everything perspective by showing the biblical principles when it comes to money. The interesting thing is that this book will contradict everything society teaches about using credit. You will learn how to orgainize your finances and realize that everyone should be living on a budget. Two things I learned from this book: 1. Spend less than you make. 2. It's better to make interest than to pay it. Great advice! I know that this book will change your view on how God calls you to stewardship.

I like some of what Larry has to say, but I find much has changed since the book was first written. Some of the principles don't change, like developing a budget, but many things are difficult to work in a modern age. Most young couples are problably fall into the 'Dual Incomes No Kids' category. You generally don't go to the grocery store with your grocery envelope, or take the family check book and write them a check.

My favorite quote from the book is 'Arthur Andersen and Company could not have balanced that checkbook'. In light of events at Enron, it seems they probably could have 'balanced' the checkbook.

He makes many broad generalizations which may offend either the husband or the wife. For example: 'I find with most couples I counsel that the wife, given training, is usually the better bookkeeper. Normally she has more time and is a little more diligent.'

The book has many stories of finances gone bad, which should at least make you feel that your finances are in a lot better shape than some peoples.