A good solid book by an author I follow already through their substack. I found a lot of this information to be repeated from other authors/books/advice, but that didn’t necessarily take away from the overall content of the book or my enjoyment of the material. 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Dana Miranda’s You Don’t Need a Budget is a refreshing and revolutionary take on personal finance that challenges the conventional wisdom of budgeting and debt management. This book is a breath of fresh air for anyone who has felt overwhelmed or shamed by traditional financial advice.

Miranda’s book is structured to guide readers through a journey of financial self-discovery and empowerment. It begins by debunking common myths about budgeting and debt, offering a more compassionate and realistic approach to managing money. Each chapter is filled with practical advice, personal anecdotes, and actionable steps that encourage readers to rethink their relationship with money.

Rejecting Budget Culture: Miranda argues that traditional budgeting methods often lead to stress and shame, rather than financial freedom. 

Spending Without Shame: One of the standout messages of the book is the idea that spending money should not be a source of guilt. 

Managing Money with Ease: The book provides practical tools and strategies for managing money without the rigidity of a strict budget.

Miranda’s writing is engaging and relatable, with a tone that is both reassuring and empowering. She uses her own experiences and those of others to illustrate her points, creating a narrative that is both informative and inspiring. Her approach is holistic, considering the emotional and psychological aspects of financial management as much as the practical ones.

You Don’t Need a Budget is a game-changer in the world of personal finance. Dana Miranda offers a compassionate and realistic alternative to traditional budgeting, making financial management accessible and stress-free. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their financial well-being without the guilt and anxiety often associated with money management.

Highly recommended for those who are tired of rigid financial rules and are looking for a more balanced and humane approach to managing their finances.

I understand what Miranda is trying to do with this book and I think it is a good addition to the personal finance space, but I'm not quite sure it worked for me personally. A lot of her advice is similar to the common financial advice you see from the "experts" that she rallies against, but she packages it differently and changing the meaning of it just enough to make it sound revolutionary. It's not that revolutionary BUT I think that the book is helpful for people looking for a true mindset shift about money. For me, I don't feel like I really needed that, but I can appreciate what she is doing with this book.

I come from a past with episodes of financial and food insecurity and I’ll be honest, more than a few of the suggestions just made me feel stressed. I didn’t personally find much that I would choose to start doing, but I appreciated the completely different mindset than what I possess.

Offering a lot of alternative suggestions to what you’re likely used to seeing, this might work better for others than it did for me, but I would say it’s definitely a book of pick what you like, and leave the rest.



THank you to Little Brown Spark and NetGalley for the DRC

Books about money can cause a lot of feelings and I'll admit to having a wide range reading this. If you're looking to challenge traditional ideas about how to manage your money - referred to by Miranda as "budget culture" - you'll find that here and more, like the history of budgeting and why a capitalist system transfers responsibility and shame to people who can't quite make ends meet.

This was a mixed read for me. I learned some things. I liked learning how to reframe some concepts (like labeling an emergency fund as a comfort fund). I had a hard time with the premise that you don't need a budget only to be offered alternative ways to manage money. I think I was expecting only theory and history of budgeting but got personal opinions, random anecdotes, and flat out contradictory information. The book also loses some credibility for mentioning investing and peer lending products that have been sued by the federal government. It's one thing to mention it as alternative ways to think about getting money, and another to completely ignore how they've negatively impacted people.

Overall, this might be something to skim and flip through, ignoring whatever doesn't work for you.

Thank you to Little. Brown and Company for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I will admit that I was skeptical going into this book, because everything I've ever learned about finances revolves around the need for a budget. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book and it's tips for breaking free from budget culture. The author's advice and explanations reflected a lot of my own personal thoughts about money management and made me feel like there are solid reasons for why budgets don't seem to stick, etc. I think this book could be very helpful for many people who want an alternative way to build wealth and think about money.

I like this title. I'm always told I need a budget, so this was a refreshing book to read. I enjoyed how the author used her personal history to set the book up for the reader. I walked away learning important information for my financial future. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.