I’m going to share a random bit of information with you. When I was in high school I wanted to take a double course called “Law and Accounting”. So I did! And I was really looking forward to Law, thinking it would be exciting, and I was dreading Accounting, assuming that because it deals with numbers and I would rather remove my own leg hair one by one with tweezers than deal with numbers. Much to my shock, it was actually Business Law and was so deathly boring to me that I had to tape my eyelids open. To my greater shock, not only did I enjoy Accounting, I ended up getting grades in the mid- to upper 90s throughout the year. Who knew?

So between the end of high school and about six years ago, I bought a total of five accounting ledgers. I did this with the intentions of tracking my income, spending, and creating livable budgets. Each of those books has about three pages max filled in and a couple of pages ripped out where I had gotten frustrated. I am not that great with figuring out budgets and how to deal with money.

Which is why I was so happy to take part in the Mother Talk Blog Book Tour for The Big Payoff by Sharon Epperson. I was sent a complimentary copy of the book and I read it to see what I could learn. I admit that I wasn’t really sure it would have anything useful – for me. I think I always assumed that people who wrote books like this did it geared towards people who had a ton of money and wanted to know how to invest it. I was happy to have to stand corrected.

First off, this book is American so not everything applied. Certain types of savings and certain bits of advice weren’t applicable to me. However, it’s mostly logic and it can apply to me just as easily as someone South of the border – or to someone overseas or down under. The best thing about the book is that Ms. Epperson doesn’t write it like she’s holding a conference for financial advisors with a bunch of terminology that floats over your head. It’s written in a very concise and clear-cut way that you can follow and understand.

There are chapters on how to create – and use! – a budget, how to create a savings cushion for emergencies, how to plan for your retirement years, as well as ways to save for your child’s college education, what to do before buying (or selling) your house, and things to think about for your loved ones when you create a will.

It breaks down everything you need to know about your money and how to work it all to your best possible advantage. It uses realistic examples, and includes a lot of charts and worksheets. I’m already looking forward to trying my hand at the budget again but this time I’ll be armed with proper information instead of just my grade 11 Accounting lessons.

Everyone needs a book like this. Whether you’re a single parent, a married couple thinking about kids, or a family that is constantly trying to stretch that last twenty bucks to cover just one more day of groceries plus gas, there is something in there that will speak to you and help you on a path to financial stability. This book won’t make you rich but it will help keep you sane and it will teach you how to tackle it with whomever else your personal finances touch.

Definitely highly recommended and it will get a lot of use here – I may even break my cardinal book rule and bust out a highlighter and pencil to use right there on the pages.