You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Don't start in on me because of the title..." (more)
Key Phrases: Larry Winget, Broke Because You Want, Big Spender (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Larry Winget is a great guy—he’s tough, talks straight, and has a big heart. Read this book if you need a good kick in the butt!”
—Robert T. Kiyosaki, investor, entrepreneur, teacher, and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad

“Go Winget, go! Larry tells it like it is (in his trademark style), and gets in your face to make you FACE your financial reality (or lack thereof). Stop thinking and acting broke, and get with his program. It can change your life.”
—David Bach, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers The Automatic Millionaire and Start Late, Finish Rich

Product Description

Now in paperback: The New York Times bestselling author and star of A&E’s reality series Big Spender, Larry Winget, cleans up America’s personal finance crisis

More than 40 percent of families today are feeling financial pressure: spending more than they earn, and worrying about retiring and being dependent on the government, family, or charity. Larry Winget knows. He grew up poor, then made and lost a fortune when a business in which he’d invested went bankrupt. But he worked his way back from rock bottom to become a multimillionaire.

In You’re Broke Because You Want to Be, Winget expands on the ideas that have made his popular television show Big Spender a hit and offers straightforward talk about coming to grips with your finances, such as:

· Feel bad. Have remorse. You need to feel deep emotion to take action. So start crying and take responsibility.
· Figure out who you owe and how much you owe. It’ll be a scary number to face, but you need to know where you are and what you have.
· “People are stupid, lazy, or they don’t give a damn.” You already know you need to do something; Larry will help you finally do something.
· Are you more interested in looking cool and being cute or providing a financially secure future for your family? How you spend your money will tell you that. With a boot-camp regimen that is steeped in personal accountability, Winget cuts through the double-talk contained in most finance books and presents a simple, guided program that is sure to motivate anyone out of their money problems.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; Reprint edition (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592404294
• ISBN-13: 978-1592404292
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #151,263 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Great Material, Great Writer!, January 9, 2008

By	Robert L. Stinnett (Boonville, MO) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead (Hardcover)

When is the last time you sat down and read a book cover-to-cover without stopping? That is just what I did the other day when I got home and found Larry Winget's book waiting for me from Amazon. In "You're Broke Because You Want To Be..." Larry Winget uses this in your face style of self-help coaching to let you know that there is a way out of this debt hole you are in. Given the current state of the economy, this book couldn't have come out at a better time.

Larry puts it on the line and basically says that all of us have the power to make our lives better and stop the financial bleeding if we want to -- and you know what he is right. He states, for example, to get off your rear end and stop watching television and take a class or learn something new to help advance your career which helps you earn more money. He's dead on in that regard -- I personally stopped watching the idiot box over 2 years ago and started taking night classes towards an MBA. It has helped me more than I could ever have imagined.

The problem with this book is that most people, just as Larry says, won't want to do what he tells you to. They don't want to give up their cable TV, they don't want to get a 2nd job to pay off the bills, they don't want to stop eating out every other day. They just want a magic bag of money to drop into their lives. Well wake up folks, it isn't going to happen. The theme of this book can best be describes as "It's All About You!" -- YOU have to sacrifice to get out of the hole and if you aren't willing to or don't want to make tough choices then save your money and don't buy the book and continue living in your financial nightmare.

After reading this book I got the extra "boost" I needed to continue working my 2nd job (my own small business) to help it grow even more. My goal is to be debt free by the beginning of 2009 and I know I can do it -- I got my shot of reality from reading this book. Now I'm ready to hunker down and make it happen!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book on Managing Money!, January 2, 2008

By	William Jenkins - See all my reviews

This review is from: You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead (Hardcover)

Why is this book different? First, it gives you a proven, simple step-by-step process to dramatically improve your financial situation. None of those fancy, complicated theories are included. Instead, the techniques in the book are very specific and you can begin applying them immediately. Second, this book will actually inspire you to start taking action right away.

Don't just "skim over" the book hoping for that one-sentence "magic pill" that will make you rich and famous without any effort. That "magic pill" doesn't exist. The simple fact is this book WILL work for you if you READ IT and DO IT.

Of course, there are always those people who will never take personal responsibility for their financial problems. They'll complain about their physical problems or say how their husband was raked over the coals by his ex-wife's lawyer. Their excuses are endless.

Larry confronts ALL excuses head on. It's fairly easy to find people who have experienced extreme hardships and yet still able to become financially successful. He even gives some very inspiring and detailed examples in this book.

Here are the three steps to follow if you want to improve your financial situation:

1. BUY the book.
2. READ the book.
3. DO what the book recommends.

Another reviewer mentioned the excellent video download you'll receive without cost when you buy the book. I totally agree with her. The download video is an extremely valuable supplement. You might even feel the download video is worth many times the price of the book.

36 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars (Kind of) Strong in Personality , Very Weak in Content ., January 27, 2008

By	Tony Lin (Germantown, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead (Hardcover)

This book is for those people who wonder around in life but have no idea about their finance. The niche of this book is really about the author's personality, not much about the content. Regardless of Larry's real personal style, like an actor, he tried to project a strong personality in order to convince novice readers that he is a "tough mentor." Well, sort of acting tough.

If you look at first half of the book, it is all about those philosophical small talks. These areas are no different from many recent "re-packaging" material out there. They are about you-can-do-it all the way into what-you-want-in-life stuff. The real meat about "You Are Broke" book is to "reduce your expenses" which he spends all the rest of the book talking about it. Things like don't smoke, don't spend money on coffee, etc. Therefore you can find some money to cut debt or to save. They are useful advices but nothing new nowadays. In a couple sentences -- Spend less than you make. Stop using credit.

If you are those readers who frankly cannot take honest and conservative advice from people, and you are more likely to listen to people who ride a motorcycle and have a bull dog, this book may be for you. Otherwise, check out the "My Total Money Makeover" book or radio show by the real expert like Dave Ramsey or Larry Burkett. You will learn more from there and gain great benefits.