Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents [Paperback]

Ann Douglas (Author), Elizabeth Lewin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

Packed with both nitty gritty financial how-to as well as anecdotal insights from real parents encountering these money issues every day, Family Finance offers a unique perspective to the challenges of running household finances. Covering both short-term issues (paying off debt, living on one income) and long-term goals (insurance, college education, retirement), the book offers a wealth of practical solutions in good-humored style from parents who have been down the path already.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Because most books on personal finance give only a passing nod to families by including general information on budgeting, saving for college, and estate planning, Douglas and Lewin have targeted their advice specifically to parents with young children. Douglas has written more than a dozen books on various aspects of parenting, and Lewin is the author of the Financial Fitness Program series of personal finance guides. They augment their own expertise with tips gleaned from a panel of 75 parents, who provided firsthand accounts of the challenges they faced as new or growing families. Douglas and Lewin cover the costs of raising children, debt, credit, homeownership, educational expenses, wills, estate planning, taxes, insurance, and retirement. They include such practical considerations as deciding how big a car one needs, how to shop for secondhand goods, and how to decorate a nursery inexpensively. They discuss, as well, the question of whether both parents should work or whether one should stay at home, and they offer guidance on teaching children about managing money. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Ann Douglas -- Ann Douglas, a popular author based in Canada, has four children and has written 15 books, including The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby and The Unofficial Guide to Childcare. Elizabeth Lewin -- Elizabeth Lewin, CFP, is the founder and director of Financial Fitness Unlimited. A popular workshop presenter, her clients include Chase Manhattan Bank, Deluxe Checking and Duracell Battery. She has written for Bride's, Redbook, and McCalls, and has been quoted in The New York Times, USA Today, and Money.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 079314356X
• ISBN-13: 978-0793143566
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,424,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of numerous books on pregnancy and parenting, including Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler (2006); Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler (2006); The Mother of All Pregnancy Books (2002); The Mother of All Baby Books (2002); The Mother of All Toddler Books (2004); The Mother of All Parenting Books (2004); The Mother of All Pregnancy Organizers (2004); Choosing Childcare for Dummies (2003); The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby (2nd edition -- 2004); Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Loss (2000); and The Unofficial Guide to Childcare.

My husband and I have four children (ages 10-19). I have also experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and infertility.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to raise money-smart, finance-wise children, November 11, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents (Paperback)

In Family Finance, Ann Douglas and Elizabeth Lewin have capably collaborated to offer n essential, practical, "reader friendly" instructional manual on all aspects of managing personal finances. Readers will learn how to keep their spending under control, how to start a fund to secure their family's future; how to plan for a child's educational expenses; how to maximize retirement investments; even how to raise money-smart, finance-wise children. The authors draw upon their own extensive experience and expertise in addition to the input and experiences of fifty parents to show even the most novice financial manager how to take control of their money, their credit, their future plans and their present lives.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Response to Unreliable Information, January 14, 2003

By 

Elizabeth Lewin (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents (Paperback)

Family Finance was published in 2001. The provisions of The Tax Relief Act of 2001 did not become effective until 2002. Starting in 2002, qualified tuition programs were made federal tax-free through 2010. The book has a lot of excellent advice that is not affected by changes in tax law. The book is meant to be a guide.

It is important to note when books were published. There are still many excellent financial books sold that predate changes in tax law. Internet users should also be aware of articles they read on many web sites. Many have been written years ago and never updated. Beware of those that have no date at all.

Elizabeth Lewin, Co-author of Family Finance

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ok basics, but somewhat dated, October 18, 2009

By 

D. Brooks "Drew" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Parents (Paperback)

i haven't finished it yet, but it's a fair book on basics. For me the book was a little too basic; i already knew things like how to pay your mortgage early.
For the price, its a decent primer, but it is also somewhat dated... written in 2000/2001, some of the discussion seems behind.