I entered a contest to win the book “A Million Bucks By Thirty” a few weeks ago. When I didn’t win (and had totally forgotten about it), the author of the book contacted me, asking if I’d like a copy to review. Free books? I’m down with that!
This is the second book I’ve been asked to review (the first one I’m still going through, heavier topic and thicker book). I recieved this book in the mail on Friday and began reading it Friday night. I was gone all day Saturday but woke up early this morning to finish it. Yup, it was that good.
At first, when I saw the cover with its catchy title and smooth looking dude on the front, I thought “Oh come on.” But when I started reading, it felt like I was sitting around talking to one of my best guy buddies and passively learning about money at the same time.
So it’s a quick read but you can learn a lot from Alan Corey (for starters, he lives off $15,000ish a year… in New York City. And he does this for multiple years without killing anyone.) The guy shows that being driven, flexible, and willing to learn will get you pretty far. He gets to a million dollar net worth well before his thirtieth birthday (not to spoil the end or anything) by saving, investing, working, and real estating.
A few things I learned (or in some cases relearned):
1) Keeping your money in an inaccessible spot makes it harder to spend.
2) You must reward yourself (though not necessarily extravagantly) every step of the way.
3) Real estate isn’t just for old people or rich people.
4) You have to take some calculated risks if you’re going to get anywhere.
The overall idea I had when I closed the book was not only does this book tell you how to save money but it gives you ideas for why you should. Yes there is this abstract concept of getting older but Alan’s want of his own bar (for example) was a much more powerful image for me. We all have our own “bar”, our own seemingly ridiculous dream. Sometimes I think in our attempts to save money for our emergency funds, our retirements, etc. we can lose sight of a fun, seemingly peripheral goal that would actually add to our net worth if we took the time to think about it and learn about it.
Also a complete side note, Alan has been on reality television. You may or may not know my secret dream of being on America’s Next Top Model but Alan has been Queer Eyed and Restauranted and even Change of Hearted. I must admit this somewhat fascinates me and, ok, makes me a little jealous. You can tell not only from his television appearances but from the way he writes that he’s a fun guy and a smart guy, a good combination for an author.
So this book is good in both the money knowledge sense and the getting to know an interesting person sense. A quick read for even a slow reader like me, it is definitely a good book to take on vacation or even to read if you feel like taking a mental vacation. Alan has inspired me to work my savings and he could probably inspire you, too.
You can learn more about the book and Alan Corey at www.alancorey.com.