In today’s society, young people leaving educational institutions will be more informed about Pythagoras' theorem and algebra than planning for their financial future, budgeting their income and ensuring they do not fall into debt. This guide will turn the financial headache of banking, pensions, and taxes into something that can be easily managed. Discover how to budget for the short and long term, so you can live within your means but also afford those luxuries. Why is it wise to have a savings and checking account? How do you use credit cards to your advantage? You will also understand the basics of credit and debt management and how to make a passive income. Once you follow the five basic concepts in this book, you will be a financial whiz kid and not plunged into the depths of financial 'strugglehood.'

Strugglehood: A Practical Guide to Financial Situations No One Bothered Teaching Us by Brandon Brumage is a very well researched, but lighthearted guide to everything you need to know about financial planning. Whether you are just about to start university or planning retirement, this guide will have all the information you need to make the financial jungle very easy to maneuver. I thought the Pro Tip section in each chapter was invaluable and also the blueprint for planning a budget. There are also great websites that you could refer to for even more information. This is not a financial book full of difficult to understand terms; everything is explained in very simple language. This would make an absolutely perfect guide for anyone who has money left over after every payday. Highly recommended also as a gift for a young adult leaving school and stepping out into the big bad financial world.

Strugglehood: A Practical Guide to Financial Situations No One Bothered Teaching Us is a nonfiction business/finance book written by Brandon Brumage. Finishing school and getting that all-important first job is a rite of passage looked forward to by most young people, but the transcendence of that moment is often obscured by the reality of finances. Unlike many other countries, the author argues, in the United States most of us are financially illiterate when we step out into the world on our own. Suddenly, we’ve got to balance rent, occupational costs, food, insurance and, that albatross around most grads’ necks, student loans. To make matters even more confounding, we’re told we should be saving up money for our retirement. So how does one earning a relatively modest paycheck fulfill such lofty and seemingly unrealistic goals?

Brumage begins with the magic of budgeting and shows how an initial period of close scrutiny of every single purchase will help you get a feel for your purchase power and limits. He differentiates between checking and savings accounts, and explains how each of these tools can help you manage your money efficiently. Brumage tackles credit and explains how to pay down that credit card you got as a student in college, and he shows how you can actually use your credit cards to build a good credit profile. He discusses student loans and offers prospective borrowers advice on the types of student loans to look for and those to avoid if possible, as well as giving advice, and warnings about debt consolidation. Then he shares strategies for paying student loans off with the minimum amount of pain possible. Retirement may seem far off in the distance to someone just starting out, but a relatively small amount of money put aside on a monthly basis can yield remarkable dividends in your retirement years, and Brumage illustrates how to make changes in even the tightest budget plan to allow for some savings.

Brandon Brumage offers a comprehensive and well-presented introduction to personal finances geared towards young and new adults. Brumage presents even the driest and most tedious financial tool, the budget, in such a way as to get the most jaded and profligate spendthrifts to sit up and actually consider giving budgeting a try. He presents his subject matter in an easy and conversational style, and openly confesses to the fact that he too didn’t have a clue about finances after attaining his two undergrad degrees and a master’s degree. He’d like to see that change in our culture, and I think his book will go a long way towards addressing that issue. While I’m not in the targeted age group of the newly graduated, I found much of interest in this book, including that section on budgets, but particularly found his insights on retirement planning to be a useful and practical springboard for people of any age. Strugglehood: A Practical Guide to Financial Situations No One Bothered Teaching Us is most highly recommended.