Customer Reviews

Where Does the Money Go?: Introducing a simple method for real-time, adaptable management of cash flow, expenses, savings, and debt

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This book is making me think twice about my purchases, and is allowing me to set aside money for saving. Better method than typical budgeting sheets.

Very timely approach to decide how to manage your money. Categorizes expenses in a simple way to understand and implement. The One Number Mindset will protect against unexpected expenses and solidify your spending. Take your current budget or create a new one, and apply this method and your money management will improve significantly. Great book for personal money management !!!!!

The book offers and innovative approach to daily money management, that makes you re-think how you manage your money. The prioritization process is unique and great! An example of the entire process with the forms filled out may have helped, but then again, you can sort of customize it to your needs. Its nice to have a unique approach to managing money.

When I was first read this book, I didn't get the uniqueness of the method and was looking for something more precise. But then I got it - it can't be that precise because everyone's money situation is different, even if you make the same income, in the same city, with the same size family, etc.

This method does require you to think ahead and track your spending to get in under control. You have to make changes to get out of debt if you are living above your means unless you get a windfall. But after you have a better view of where you are spending (and charging), you see the impact of all spending beyond "must" purchases. This helps you balance your lifestyle with your income.

By the way, this is not an entirely mental method as mentioned in a another review, but the mental part (the one number mindset) gives you a sense of how much flexible money you have at any time that is discretionary. The key is to prioritize spending and track it. Getting ahead financially is all in the way you manage your money.

I've done extensive searches for reading material in the area of personal financial budgeting and tracking "where the money goes". The description of this "book" by the author (self-published) leads you to beleive the 'Primary Number' method is inovative and the one solution you'll ever need to managing your way through allocating and managing your inflow.
Instead this is an explanation of some vague concept that's based on EXACTLY what a traditional buget will do for you. He says it's not a budget because they are inflexible and can't be adjused whereas this method can. What?
It's all about Must, Need and Can expense catagories and keeping track of a decrimenting number for Musts "forecasted" against inflows each month. You can keep track of it in your head! Give me a break. I don't imagine this would be practical for someone starting out with a first job and minimal real-world expenses, let alone responsibility for a full-blown couple-spending modern day family.
The further falicy in this is the chapter that's supposed to explain monthly maintenance of the method. Nothing comes through about the grind we all know is the number one reason a budget (same as One Number Mindset in the case of this "paper") fails. That's exactly where there a critical need for inovation. This author doesn't explain any method for tracking.
This is a 45 minute read; a paper rather than a book. Don't get duped into this one!

The book presents a change in the mindset to how we typically think about managing our money. The key is the adaptability that the method allows vs. how typical budgeting is presented. Four steps are presented - forecasting expenses, prioritizing expenses, daily management, and montly maintenance. The prioritization step is fantastic! - will make you think twice about all purchases and their levels.

The book is concise, but the thought process described can be used readily. It does take some thought as all of our finances are different, and change is required. The book borders on being a little too brief, as some further examples of the concept would have been helpful. Nonetheless, further exploration of this concept is definitely warranted.