One Year to an Organized Financial Life: From Your Bills to Your Bank Account, Your Home to Your Retirement, the Week-by-Week Guide to Achieving Financial Peace of Mind

I am a few months into this book and I have to say that I am slightly disappointed. I started off with high hopes. The book had some good tips in the introduction and the author sounded powered up about getting my financial life in shape and organized. I had a few gripes early on, but kept pushing through thinking that it would get better as it went, but it hasn't. I have found the book to be a mixture of irrelevance and surface-level information. For example, the budgeting week tells the reader to set up a budget. It explains a little bit of why a budget is important and sort of gives one example, but if the reader has never created a budget before they may not even know what categories are appropriate to budget for or how much they should be contributing to each area. Another example, one week she says to organize your office area, but she doesn't cover what is important to include in your desk or office area.As I get further into the book I am continually frustrated by the fact that the author just tells the reader to do something instead of explaining how to do something or what the best way to do it might be. After reading I usually can't even recall what I am supposed to be doing, or I have to look-up information to fill in the blanks, which is frustrating--I feel like the book should be a comprehensive guide (or at least that's what I expected it to be).Additionally, you may want to consider that you will have to make further investments to go along with the changes that the author suggests. I had to buy pouches to organize my purse, files to create a filing system, drawer organizers to organize my desk, and so on (and I didn't buy many of the items that she suggested). She even suggests buying new furniture for your office if it is not suitable. Mine is not suitable, but I am on a tight budget (the reason why I am reading books about finances) and I cannot afford to replace furniture.On the bright side, I did find the chapter about creating a filing system helpful. The author explained exactly what the reader needed and what exactly to make files for. If only all of the weeks were as detailed.The book may be helpful for someone who needs a sort of coach to tell them to do something and when. I find myself skipping through it, because when I get interested in something I want to learn everything about it, fast. (Maybe that's why I've been frustrated with the fact that it seems incomplete).

This book, and all of Regina's books, are game changers. Since January, I have been reading three of her ONE YEAR TO AN ORGANIZED LIFE books: LIFE, FINANCIAL LIFE, and WORK LIFE. Following these books has been surprisingly relaxing because all three tell the same things in different ways (with lots of funny anecdotes and advocacy for LABEL MAKERS). Seeing each week/month plotted out fills me with instant calm; she has alloted time and systems for holiday planning, tax preparation, and the top of my desk.The difference between her books and other advice books is that she understands human behavior. Never have I felt that she was yelling at me or criticizing my times of procrastination. (She admits to her own issues.) Instead, I have been able to look at my habits in an honest way and feel that I am not alone, both in having them and in wanting to change. Also, she is not a dictator. She provides several ways of filing and invites readers to develop their own systems based on what works. For example, some readers are visual people and can't focus unless they can see what is filed deep in their cabinets. For them, she offers neat binders that categorize everything stored in drawers. In essence, she helps people let go of literal and metaphorical clutter.Since I started the ORGANIZED LIFE, I have been able to attack email and piles of paper with confidence. My bed is always made, and my sinks are dish-free. When a girlfriend came over to visit with me -- we were making homemade cards to save money on a Saturday night -- she asked, "Is your place always so clean?" Funny, it took me just a few minutes to tidy before her arrival. Not only that, I'm drinking more water and feel a sense of flow in all areas of my life.

I had high expectations of this book.Written by 'Zen Organizer', I have expected a different type of financial guide book, the one that is different in its concepts & messages.I liked the first 4 chapters - it tell you to carry a smaller wallet, carry cash, and put all the bills in order, the same side - because you need to be organized in order to fill powerful & able. I liked this fresh approach the author brings - she sure is the 'zen organizer'.Then after chapter 4, the books becomes somewhat of 'little bit of this' & 'little bit of that'.It greatly talks about investing and retirement account, such as 401k.I'm a CPA and can understand & verify all the information is correct, but if the readers have wanted to get a deeper insight into investing, there are plenty other choices available that goes in depth.the book shuffles from investments to teaching kids the value of money, donating your goods to charity, and creating a holiday shopping budget.I don't think people buy this book thinking to learn about the investments or getting tax deductions - while it's great to touch on the concept, this books goes somewhat unnecessarily detailed in those areas but not in-depth enough to show all the options available.As a result, you get the book that tells you little bit of everything, nothing seriously light or in-depth.For that, my final conclusion of this books is that 'it is a bit of a mixed bag'.

I like the zen organizing approach of this book and that it is a year-long project, not an overnight fix. I got some great practical information on what kind of paperwork I need to save vs toss, how to create a good organization system for important documents, and how to correct errors on credit reports, etc. There is also information on investing, mortgages, insurance, saving for college, so something for everyone. :)

I'm two months in and the ideas discussed so far have been useful. The book helps you to examine your thought processes behind your spending. The book is split so that you take a week at a time. You can go as fast or slow as you like though - it really is up to you. The writers are not prescriptive in their advice, they explain what your options are and the pros and cons of each. As with any book of this kind you take what you want from it. So far I've found it helpful as it's made me do the things I've been putting off for too long.The language and terms used all assume you live in the U.S.A. which means certain sections can be irrelevant for the average PAYE worker in the U.K.

Very Good Read !!!