Money can't make you happy, but it can make you miserable, explains money maven Jean Chatzky in You Don't Have to Be Rich: Comfort, Happiness, and Financial Security on Your Own Terms. Her premise is provocative: the financial habits of people who believe that money equals happiness will stand in the way of achieving that happiness. Chatzey, a financial editor for the Today show and a columnist for Money magazine, leverages money smart habits of mind from her research with 1,500 Americans and their wallets.

She begins with short and savvy history of how Americans turned from market observers to "in the game all the time participants." Then, she focuses on how to use market down turns as an opportunity "to take back our money by living within our means." Chatzky's down to earth advice is practical and confronts the reader head-on with a non-nonsense approach: "five steps to wanting less," "Feng Shui finance to simplify," "advice for the organizationally dyslexic," "non-gaseous goal setting," or "how to stop digging a financial hole and spotting unconscious spending."

Chatzky illustrates with clear examples and includes survey questions so readers can assess their own money matters. Although some of the advice will sound familiar, (pay your bills when they come in), this is a priceless blueprint for balancing your checkbook along with your outlook. --Barbara Mackoff


From Publishers Weekly
Chatzky, a Today show contributor and columnist for Money, Time and USA Weekend, acknowledges that the combined impact of the declining stock market, war and continuing unemployment have led people to worry about money more than in the recent past. However, Chatzky says, they don't know what to do with their concerns. The solution: "It's time to take back our lives. And in order to do that we need to take back our money.... We need to regain our financial power if we feel we've ceded it. Or to grab hold of that power, even if we've never paid much attention before." To find out what steps people should take, Chatzky and the Roper Center surveyed 1,505 people about the impact of money on their happiness, and how prepared they feel with their financial plans for the future. Chatzky uses the survey responses as chapter openers and then goes on to offer anecdotes and advice. She discusses finding the right job, saving, setting realistic goals, planning for emergencies and more. Chatzky's style is friendly and her counsel sound, though less extensive than some readers may need. Those struggling with basic money woes, like debt or trying to put away savings for their children's college education, will find this book helpful, but people wanting more in-depth or sophisticated information would do better with other investment guides.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Can money buy happiness? In a landmark study of 1,500 Americans, journalist-author Chatzky (Talking Money [2001]) reveals that, while a certain amount of dollars can ensure comfort, it can't guarantee much else. In fact, if money isn't used appropriately, stress is the likely result of spending. Like financial advisor Suze Orman, the author talks about all the usual budgeting subjects, including goal setting, living within one's means, and protecting oneself with insurance. What's different? Quizzes--and answers from the study. Specific details help readers get organized, the first step in controlling finances. And Chatzky has good advice on maximizing relationships, time, and "going with the flow." Lastly, she gives 10 commandments of financial happiness, from "thou shalt get pretty well organized" to "thou shalt communicate." Money talks humanely. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Do you have to be rich to be happy?
Would being richer make you happier?
Does money buy happiness?

Not the sort of questions you usually hear from a personal finance expert, especially one as popular and respected as Jean Chatzky, of Money magazine and The Today Show. But in these difficult times, when many of her fans are struggling with job insecurity, declining investments, and fear of the future, Chatzky decided to write a different kind of personal finance book. Instead of just explaining what to do with your 401(k), she set out to explore the big picture: what makes a happy, successful life and how much money you really need to have one.

Chatzky's research led her to some astounding results. Her groundbreaking survey of thousands of Americans, conducted with the help of the Roper Organization, revealed that more often than not, the amount of money people make-whether it's $50,000 or $5,000, 000 a year-- has little bearing on how happy they are. In fact, Chatzky found that unless you're desperately poor, money can't make you happy. But it can-if you're handling it wrong -make you miserable.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH reveals what the happiest people in America have in common when it comes to managing their money, and what the rest of us can learn from them. For instance, they have distinctly different habits and behaviors about things you might consider minor, such as how often you pay your bills, and what you do with your bank statement when it arrives in the mail (hint: shoving it unopened into the desk drawer isn't a good idea.)

As Chatzky explains, just because your investments have slumped doesn't mean you should give up on saving, investing, and financial planning. A comfortable, secure life is still well within your reach.

Guided by the research, Chatzky offers clear-cut strategies that you can implement to help you feel more in control of your money. They will help you spend smartly, eliminate your debts and both set and reach your financial goals, Be prepared to take a good hard look at your money habits. A questionnaire in every chapter will show you where your money management tactics are serving you well, and where they fall short. Then you'll be able to use the answers to improve your financial habits and ratchet up your happiness a notch or two.

Written in Chatzky's popular, down-to-earth style and filled with fresh insights, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH proves that your money doesn't have to be a source of stress, but can instead be the path to comfort and financial freedom it was always meant to be.


About the Author
Jean Chatzky is the editor-at-large of Money Magazine, where her "Money Talk" column appears on the back page of every issue, and the financial editor of NBC's Today Show, where she appears weekly as the show's top expert on personal finance. She is also a regular contributor to USA Weekend and Time Magazine. Her previous books are Talking Money and The Rich and Famous Money Book. Chatzky lives with her husband and children in Westchester County, NY.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Do you have to be rich to be happy?
Would being richer make you happier?
Does money buy happiness?

Not the sort of questions you usually hear from a personal finance expert, especially one as popular and respected as Jean Chatzky, of Money magazine and The Today Show. But in these difficult times, when many of her fans are struggling with job insecurity, declining investments, and fear of the future, Chatzky decided to write a different kind of personal finance book. Instead of just explaining what to do with your 401(k), she set out to explore the big picture: what makes a happy, successful life and how much money you really need to have one.

Chatzky's research led her to some astounding results. Her groundbreaking survey of thousands of Americans, conducted with the help of the Roper Organization, revealed that more often than not, the amount of money people make-whether it's $50,000 or $5,000, 000 a year-- has little bearing on how happy they are. In fact, Chatzky found that unless you're desperately poor, money can't make you happy. But it can-if you're handling it wrong -make you miserable.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH reveals what the happiest people in America have in common when it comes to managing their money, and what the rest of us can learn from them. For instance, they have distinctly different habits and behaviors about things you might consider minor, such as how often you pay your bills, and what you do with your bank statement when it arrives in the mail (hint: shoving it unopened into the desk drawer isn't a good idea.)

As Chatzky explains, just because your investments have slumped doesn't mean you should give up on saving, investing, and financial planning. A comfortable, secure life is still well within your reach.

Guided by the research, Chatzky offers clear-cut strategies that you can implement to help you feel more in control of your money. They will help you spend smartly, eliminate your debts and both set and reach your financial goals, Be prepared to take a good hard look at your money habits. A questionnaire in every chapter will show you where your money management tactics are serving you well, and where they fall short. Then you'll be able to use the answers to improve your financial habits and ratchet up your happiness a notch or two.

Written in Chatzky's popular, down-to-earth style and filled with fresh insights, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH proves that your money doesn't have to be a source of stress, but can instead be the path to comfort and financial freedom it was always meant to be.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Chatzky, a Today show contributor and columnist for Money, Time and USA Weekend, acknowledges that the combined impact of the declining stock market, war and continuing unemployment have led people to worry about money more than in the recent past. However, Chatzky says, they don't know what to do with their concerns. The solution: "It's time to take back our lives. And in order to do that we need to take back our money.... We need to regain our financial power if we feel we've ceded it. Or to grab hold of that power, even if we've never paid much attention before." To find out what steps people should take, Chatzky and the Roper Center surveyed 1,505 people about the impact of money on their happiness, and how prepared they feel with their financial plans for the future. Chatzky uses the survey responses as chapter openers and then goes on to offer anecdotes and advice. She discusses finding the right job, saving, setting realistic goals, planning for emergencies and more. Chatzky's style is friendly and her counsel sound, though less extensive than some readers may need. Those struggling with basic money woes, like debt or trying to put away savings for their children's college education, will find this book helpful, but people wanting more in-depth or sophisticated information would do better with other investment guides. (Oct.) Forecast: Given Chatzky's national platforms on television and in print, this one will likely generate strong sales. But whether this book will have the long-term success of works by Suze Orman remains to be seen. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal