Review of Larry Winget’s You’re Broke Because You Want to Be

I received a pre-release copy (autographed) of Larry Winget's You're Broke Because You Want to Be. Mr. Winget is the star of A&E's reality series Big Spender, a show that delves into the lives of people who appear to be well-off, but actually are very strapped financially. (I've watched clips from the website but not the whole show; I don't get A&E.) I also have not read any of Mr. Winget's other books.

Mr. Winget's style is no-nonsense and in-your-face on the show, and You're Broke Because You Want to Be is no different. He wrote the book for people who are “circling the drain” (page 6) and need serious help because they're broke. Not poor, but broke; he makes that distinction in the first two pages of the introduction. (His harsh advice is not directed at poor people.)

Some other bloggers have gotten down on gurus and “finance personalities” because they come off as saying they know what your problems are and how to fix them, usually in an insulting, scolding, abrasive, and demeaning manner. It's easy to say the same thing about Mr. Winget's style. He doesn't give a rat's behind if you get mad. He wants you to get mad (page 19. But for people who are in trouble, this is probably the first time that someone's confronted them about their problems, told them it's all their doing, and told them to grow up and fix it, and it's about time. There are any number of sources that people can draw on to get justification for their choices and postpone or even avoid responsibility, and it's tiring to hear about people that are being enabled to live beyond their means. Mr. Winget's take on consumer debt help is a breath of fresh air.

This kind of advice is not for everyone. I'm not circling the drain in my finances so I really don't need Mr. Winget's “it's going to get ugly” full-body-armor assault on the innards of my financial life. Nonetheless, there was plenty in the book that spoke to me:

• I'm not going to be able to look myself in the mirror with any excuses about where I am in life or how I look anymore. (I'm fat because I want to be, too.)
• I'm not going to believe anything I say unless I write it down and take action and do it.
• I'm not going to able to complain about where I am in life because in many areas I lack personal discipline. (Just because the stuff hasn't hit the fan yet doesn't mean that the fan isn't running.)
• I don't read nearly enough.

A couple of small misgivings about this excellent book, though. There are a few expletives, so be warned. Secondly, from a Christian perspective, he makes some glib statements about tithing, saying that there's “too much religion associated with it” and that he doesn't want me to “ever think about or use the word tithe again,” which is something I will not do.

Again. these were small misgivings. You're Broke Because You Want to Be will really help those who really want to improve their financial situation. It's not rocket science. The key is to own up to your mistakes and commit to not making them again. And if it takes some crying and anger to get to that point, which is almost always does if it's a serious problem, then Larry Winget is the guy that you want to make you cry, get angry, and own up to the financial problems that you've gotten yourself into so that you can fix them.