Money Mastery: How to Control Spending, Eliminate Your Debt, and Maximize Your Savings [Paperback]

Alan M. Williams (Author), Peter R. Jeppson (Author), Sanford C. Botkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

Based on a people-tested and time-tested system, this book gives you detailed strategies to show you how to master your money by budgeting effectively, reducing debt, and investing wisely. It examines the reasons why we struggle with spending, borrowing, and saving, and how to get these habits under control. The book is based on 10 step-by-step principles that build upon each other, culminating in an entire system that gets to the heart of: why we spend, and how to track and control spending; the factors that keep people perpetually in debt, and how you can eliminate debt completely (including mortgage) in nine years or less; why you may not be saving as much as you'd like, and how you can velocitize your money for future wealth. Also included is a section on tax reduction which dispels the myths surrounding taxation that keep people paying more than the law actually requires.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Career Press; 1st edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564146103
• ISBN-13: 978-1564146106
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,034,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but the authors want to sell you more than the book., August 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Money Mastery: How to Control Spending, Eliminate Your Debt, and Maximize Your Savings (Paperback)

This book is full of valuable financial information, but then, so are many books. What sets this one apart from others is that, in addition to the standard good advice, it approaches money from the point of view of emotion.

The book starts out by having the reader examine how s/he feels when spending money. E.g., does it give one a bit of a thrill, or does it leave one feeling guilty? It then proceeds to a more traditional exposition of the lessons of finance, but the "emotional" approach permeates the book and allows one to see money issues in a new light.

The downside to this book, and the primary reason that I'm giving it four stars and not five, is that the authors use it, at times, as a catalog for their financial and estate-planning products. If you can ignore having overpriced "estate planning kits" marketed to you by those who are otherwise trying to help your finances, then it's worthwhile to read this book... even for those who have read more than their fair share of personal-finance books. It felt a little unseemly (to me anyway) to be reading how important it is not to spend money unnecessarily, and then in the next chapter read about how one needed their estate-planning kit that almost certainly provides, but at a much higher cost, no more information than the Dummies book on the same topic.

All things considered though--taken with a grain of salt--the book is very good.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Kept Financial Secret In America., April 23, 2002

By 

"jonnietax" (N.Y. N.Y) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money Mastery: How to Control Spending, Eliminate Your Debt, and Maximize Your Savings (Paperback)

WOW: As a working mom, I like to read finsncial books to help my family. This is clearly the best financial and tax planning book that I have ever read, as the other reviewers have also noted. It is clear, concise, simply written, and chuck full of financial and tax planning strategies. There is an especially good tax section by an IRS attorney that was immensely helpful for my small business and for people who are thinking of starting a small business. For example, I didn't know that I could deduct all my dry cleaning and laundry expenses after a business trip. The discussion on deducting my entertainment and golf was particularly interesting.

I have read many financial books including the Rich Dad/ Poor Dad series and "The Millionaire Next Door" by Stanley, and this book blows them all out of the water.

Trust me: This book is one of the better kept financial secrets. Its too bad these authors don't promote it more because it is fabulous. If there is any one financial book that you should read and give to your children, this one is it!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unlike any other Money book, February 9, 2006

By 

Scott Emery "Writer / Analyst" (Kaysvile, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Money Mastery: How to Control Spending, Eliminate Your Debt, and Maximize Your Savings (Paperback)

This is an amazing book. No other book has made a deep and lasting difference on my finances because they all missed something. This book teaches both principles and practical steps, and uses real-world examples (from people they have worked with) to drive the points home. I understand more, and as a result, I'm actually living better. My money can no longer kick me around.
The authors have told me how (and why) to control my money, and it's fun! No budgeting, because budgets are negative and don't work in the real world. Instead, they have shown me how to spend my money well. Their preferred spending method has a nice side-effect of also tax-proofing me along the way. It's very rewarding.
The further I get in the book, the more exciting it gets. Their taxinformation is ethical, easy, audit-proof, and will save me a ton of money (and effort) on my taxes.
The authors are passionate about helping people control their money instead of being slaves to it. As I have read and used their methods, money has become a tool instead of a slave master. I haven't "arrived" yet, but my power to control money growing, and it's a good feeling.