Customer Reviews

Debt-Free Forever: Take Control of Your Money and Your Life

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love Gail because she is no-nonsense but she is more than just a motivational speaker. She shows you how to get yourself in a position of financial freedom. I'm not much of an investment type so many of the financial gurus don't work for me. Gail speaks mainly to people in way over their heads and us "common folks" and tells us that it's not totally hopeless. We've paid off $10,000 of credit card debt in 2.5 years...thank you Gail!

After watching Gail's TV show "Till Debt Do Us Part" I wanted to get some of her books. I also watch Suze Orman's TV show and have several of her books so I have a good standard of comparison. In my opinion they are both "gold". Gail's approach is a little more personable and, perhaps, a little easier to understand for the inexperienced layperson. I am a 68 year old woman whose husband of 45 years has decided he wants a divorce with limited and minimal spousal support so I am definitely an inexperienced layperson. Gail's book has "girded my loins with strength". Thanks, Amazon.com; this was money well spent!

As a TV viewer turned reader, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gail's book. It showed me how to make percentages of the various categories of expenses and savings thereby allowing me to make a pie chart showing where the money is going. She uses a jar method for weekly expenditures, but you could also use envelopes. I found out my rent expense was within the percentage she allowed. I always thought I was paying way too much for this expense. I use a Vacation Club and Holiday Club. I am far behind in Retirement Savings and I am taking aggressive action; plus saving to pay cash for new/used car, and the emergency fund too. Using cash and using two credit cards by paying balances in full each month with no finance charge and the debit card seem to be working with the budget-a must! Still give to Church & Charity. Thank you Gail. Keep up the Great Work!! I highly recommend this book.

I'm a little surprised at how much the book sounds just like her. I watch her on TV, but often the stuff I've read by other people just sounds so complicated. Not this book. It sounds like the woman is talking directly to me. I've been in debt a lot longer than I imagined I would be. First it was just a little. Then my husband lost his job and it got to be more. But this is the year it'll be different. I'm not saying that what she's suggesting is easy. It was really hard getting all the paperwork together and figuring out what I've been spending. And it was a bit of a process working out the debt payoff plan. But now I have a number and a date. I will be debt-free in 27 months. It seems like a long time, but not too long. No debt fatigue for me. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and as she says it's not a train. LOL. If you want to get rid of debt, this book will show you how.

This is a decent book although I would not give a five star "exceptional" rating to it. I like the author's conversational "tell it like it is" style. This book is clearly written for the oblivious reader who somehow woke from a coma and declared, "I wonder how in debt I am" and is on a mission to find out. That's okay. There are people like that who must first see the magnitude of the problem before they can take the steps to acknowledging and working their way out. Vaz Oxlade pulls no punches in upfront telling the reader that the way out is not nearly as easy as the way into massive debt was. It's going to take hard work. I personally would have liked to see more money-saving advice on how to get out because I have figured out the debt that I have to the penny before getting a hold of this book. All in all, however, the book is good for those who need a push to take on the project of becoming debt-free. In this case you CAN judge a book by its cover... it's a "how to" book on acknowledging, getting out and staying out of debt forever! That is well worth the price of this book. Read the principles, apply them, and you can become and stay out of debt.

I was so happy to see that Gail has written another book! Her head is on totally straight, her sense of humor is marvelous, and what could be more timely than this topic??

The best part about it is that there are chapters that can help you save more money toward retirement even if you're already debt free and think you are doing just fine. It's aimed at people in debt, though, and has marvelous ideas for how to get rid of those credit cards and dig yourself out of debt. She says it's not easy and of course that's true, but it's easier with Gail as your teacher. Some of her ideas are so simple that you can't help but wonder why you didn't think of them yourself. But you didn't. But she did!

I also recommend her TV show, Til Debt Do Us Part.

Watch and love her show on the week ends on tv, and recommend her as she has workable, proven ideas that if followed will help anyone become and stay debt free. Her book is for those who have NO idea what living on a budget and keeping track of what one is spending is all about.

In fact I think this is a book ALL families with money challenges can benefit from. Including children who can sometimes think that money grows on trees, and parents who for whatever reason, allow their children to believe. I love her money jar ideas where one puts aside money for food, gifts, entertainment, car upkeep etc etc etc. And one only spends what is in the given jar and when its gone, its gone.

Love that she gets people back into keep track of every bit of money spent, which in these ATM times is important because the $1 here and $3 there on a daily basis, adds up over a months time. Love that she gets people thinking about why they buy stuff they can neither afford or arent paying for in full. And how she gets people seriously looking at the 15%, 20%, 28% and higher interest rates one is paying using credit cards. Which means that $2000 flat screen BIG tv didnt actually cost $2000 but is costing an additional 28% when interest is added on.

Like how she gets people planning long term, and thinking about the unexpected issues that life can throw at you. This is a book every teen ager should have, every couple thinking of getting married, and everyone who thinks they will never be debt free.

Awesome, loved it. Everyone should own a copy. It has changed my life for the better. I felt like she was face to face speaking to me. A ood graduation, wedding or girlfriend gift.

I'm slightly addicted to "Til Debt Do Us Part." I decided to buy this after I bought my Kindle. I'm glad I did.

I currently have one credit card paid off and a plan to get everything (sans $60k of student loans) paid off in the next three years.

I recommend this book to everyone. Seriously. Everyone. Even if you don't have mega financial issues like me. There's something here for everyone.

I just wish I would have read it sooner.

Having read a lot of other personal finance books and blogs over the years, I picked this one up for cheap (Kindle sale!) having not heard of Gail or her TV show. (The reviews were good, and I was searching for stuff on envelope budgeting, which Gail talks about here... she uses "Magic Jars" instead of envelopes, but the concept's the same.)

The book contains a lot of basic stuff you've heard before, but there are several sections that talk about saving and investing too. She insists that you must be saving some money NOW, not waiting until your debt is paid off.

She does differ with Dave Ramsey on a couple of items (such as paying your high-interest debts first, rather than Ramsey's advice to pay your smallest debts first) and she doesn't really say to never ever ever use credit cards again, but takes a more balanced approach of pay it off monthly & only buy stuff with a card if you know you have the cash in the bank to pay it off immediately.

The book is a fun read. Plenty of attitude, common sense, and a voice that implores you to be prepared for some really hard work.

If you haven't read many personal finance / budgeting books, then this would be a good one to get. If you have, you still may pick up some good tips which might be worth the Kindle Sale price to you.