Matt Bell's Money Strategies for Tough Times

Ditch the Debt, Get Past the Crisis, Find Some Breathing Space, Position Yourself for Lasting Success

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Matt Bell's Money Strategies for Tough Times by Matt Bell

Matt Bell's MONEY STRATEGIES FOR TOUGH TIMES can help you successfully navigate personal financial challenges and position yourself for lasting success.

Description: Matt Bell’s Money Strategies for Tough Times is specially prepared to help you handle (and prevent) the tough times. No guilt trips—just practical, proven, sound money strategies, built on the timeless foundation of God’s Word, that you can put in motion today to weather any financial storm and take charge of your financial life.

Learn how to:

• Get out of consumer debt—for good
• Free up money through smarter spending
• Survive unemployment
• Deal with debt collectors and prevent foreclosure
• Choose the best options to pay off debts

Helpful

Money Strategies for Tough Times, is written by Matt Bell, an author and speaker who also serves as director of Willow Creek Associations Good $ense financial ministry. Having experienced times of financial distress in his own life, his passion for leading others to discover freedom in personal finance stems from the lessons he learned along the way, and of the joy that being debt-free has brought to his life, family and ministry. I found the concepts he presents to be sound and realistic. He gives brief overviews of financial struggles he has helped with through his ministry, and used them to springboard topics of financial interest and concern - whether it be student loans, emergency reserve, credit card debt, medical debt, bankruptcy, etc. He challenges the reader to view their personal responsibility for the incurring financial trouble, gives points and encouragement to overcoming, and then recommendations to protect against repeating the painful journey. However, this book wouldn’t be on the top of my list of personal-finance recommendations. During this time of economic downturn and turmoil, it seems that everyone who can spell is writing a book on finances, and even though what they say may be true – there are, in my opinion, better resources already available. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Posted by Elizabeth Bailey on 9/28/2010 8:53:15 AM

Money Strategies for Tough Times {Review}

I would like to say that I received this book by accident. That it came to me because I signed up for the NavPress Book Bloggers program without specifying what type of books I would like to receive. But after reading what this book is about I know that God knew better. If you have been following my blog for any amount of time you know that last year the Enginerd was laid off while I was about seven months pregnant and we were five months into being home owners. All that said and done, life has settled a bit with a great new job, a great move, the house finally sold and now we're living pretty in a rental. Although, money is still an huge issue. Just getting groceries is sometimes an issue. And that one year old birthday coming up for our baby girl, well I keep trying to convince myself she's too young to remember that she will not be getting any presents or a big presentation. At least there is that. This book is timely with it's advice and it's message. Every chapter is filled with great strategies and helpful tidbits for rough and tough situations. The best part that I feel I get with this book is the feeling that someone understands. That situations like unemployment do get you down and it takes time to get past it, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, you just gotta keep trekking.
Posted by Margaret Chind on 7/16/2010 4:06:44 PM

Not just another financial self-help

I’ve read enough financial help books to know what I was in for, but having one written so recently, I knew it’s relevance to current economic conditions would be valuable. What made this one different was the way Matt Bell truly encouraged the reader that it is possible to be successful and to think big. What will life look like when you are free from the current troubles? What will you be able to do for God? It really set the stage to dig in and do the work. The chart referenced throughout the book is daunting at first, but Bell applies it’s uses in stages. He also doesn’t load the book up with easily referenced resources, choosing to direct the reader to internet sites of reputable organizations and ministries. He wraps up all the practical advice with a healthy dose of matters of the heart and that the way out of your troubles must be intentional. As you reach your goals, Bell has you be conscious of community. 2 Tim 2:2 tells us as we are entrusted with these truths so we can “teach others also.” I truly enjoyed this book and will read other titles by Matt Bell.
Posted by Jean Amico on 9/23/2009 9:24:38 PM

Money Does Matter

Money Strategies for Tough Times is an easy-to-understand but challenging read for anyone wanting a Biblical perspective on money. Not considering myself to be in a financial "tough time" right now, I didn't think I would get much out of this book. But, even for me, it contained helpful reminders of not only how to handle money practically, but how the handling of money reflects our values, not just our behaviors. While using a combination of scripture and scripture-inspired principals, Bell sets up not a recipe for financial success, but a recipe for God-honoring financial stewardship. He steers away from the twistedness of the Prosperity Gospel for the truth of realizing only the Kingdom of God is what will last. Bell gives age-old financial advice about budgeting and saving, but with the redeemed perspective of Kingdom values. From simple tips (which websites to go to calculate your social security benefits) to totally retooling the way we think about money, I found Bell casual, but alert to the seriousness of the matter. I loved his simple approach to re-prioritize our handling of money from most people's default of spend, save, and then give to a God-honoring discipline of give, save, and then spend. Simple changes in thinking like this can make all the difference in the lives of families struggling to make ends meet. My only major critique of the book was Bell not mentioning the importance of understanding interest when deciding when to save and when to pay down debt. He advocated saving, yes, but when he gave instructions on which debt to pay down first, he recommended simply paying off the lowest-balance accounts first. But it seems to me that this might not be the best approach if the interest rates on your higher-balance accounts are higher than the lower-balance accounts. I understand that this system might help to boost people's morale as they pay off their debt, but that doesn't seem enough of a reason to recommend it if it simply costs more money. That silly critique aside, I sped through Money Strategies for Tough Times in a day (although I skipped all the homework) and would recommend it to others.
Posted by Laura Z on 7/5/2009 7:06:13 PM

Money Strategies for Tough Times

Money Strategies for Tough Times is Matt Bell’s newest book and it could not have come at a more perfect time. As our economy continues to heal, we need to learn how to weather this financial storm. Many Americans are facing job loss or drastic pay cuts and this book will help the reader to see how they can survive. Written with the same Godly compass as Money, Purpose, Joy, this book puts things in easy to understand terms. I especially like the worksheet pages that are in this book. It really helps to write things down and see exactly what you have and what you owe in order to get things under control. Matt Bell writes in a very easy to understand way, even topics such as taxes and investing are written about in a clear way so anyone can understand the basics. I highly recommend this book if this economic crisis is starting to affect your finances. Matt Bell helps us get things in order God’s way.
Posted by Carly Kendall on 6/14/2009 11:41:59 AM

Great Book for tough times and beyond

This is a great book for tough times. Matt has extensive research and links to support the reader. His sharing of personal financial experiences and struggle and those of other's identify opportunities and provide hope that anyone can live financially free. I appreciated Matt getting real and answering difficult questions in dealing with tough times. The book is an easy read. It took just a few hours to read. Way to go Matt!
Posted by Mark Cosby on 6/4/2009 11:24:05 AM

Review by Allura Walsh

Money Strategies for Tough Times by Matt Bell did not help me at all. It was a fast read but I didn’t get much out of it. Yes, we are going through some very tough times economically wise but it still didn’t help me personally. Seeing as how I am living with my boyfriend in his parents’ house I am not yet experiencing the tough times this book is talking about. I am sure that to the right reader this book would come as an excellent source of knowledge and wisdom and would help out immensely. Because of the economy, neither my boyfriend nor I have a job so when it starts talking about retirement funds and planning for the future we can’t exactly do that right now. The student loans section was helpful because I would like to go to college soon and I don’t want to go into debt because of it. All in all I think Money Strategies for Tough Times by Matt Bell would have been a lot better without all the scripture because it just made me lose focus since I was trying to digest both the scripture and the actual reading all at once.
Posted by Allura Walsh on 5/31/2009 9:24:58 PM

Excellent & practical financial advice

Matt's new book is a breath of fresh air in a world cluttered with financial self-help books. He brings an air of authenticity and gracefulness that provides common-sense solutions for every person who needs some financial help. And that would be most of us! The strength of the book is the foundation on which Matt provides his practical advice. And that is the fact WE DON'T OWN anything we have. We're all managers of stuff and unless we approach money management from that premise, stuff will always manage us. If you're in trouble financially, or just want to improve your money management skills then don't delay - get this book! It will help you take control of your money, rather than the other way around.
Posted by C. DeGraff on 5/28/2009 2:15:12 PM

Simple Money Strategies - But Requires High Commitment

Matt Bell’s Money Strategies for Tough Times is an excellent resource for all of us. Both personally and professionally, many of us find ourselves having to buckle down as jobs are lost and bills are due. With an excellent combination of biblical reflection, market insight and practical helps such as charts and assignments, Bell provides the reader a framework by which to think Christianly and then to act diligently with the money God provides. Throughout the book, Bell asks simple, but piercing, questions. “Are you in a financial crisis or a financial crunch?” (p. 30). “How did you get here?” (p. 33). These questions set the stage for the reader to honestly reflect on his/her own financial situation and then to heed Bell’s clear plans for getting out of debt and for saving. If your wallet is being crunched, read Bell’s book. If you feel inadequate to talk about money, you will find Bell’s consistent habit of defining his terms helpful (“secured” vs. “unsecured” debt, etc). Additionally, the book contains several sidebars where he lays looks at some specific issues, offering warnings on payday loans, 0% percent loans and other potential pitfalls that offer more hope than they are likely to deliver. If you are looking to cut back some bills, turn off your lights. If you are looking to get radical with your finances to get out of debt and to give generously, read Matt Bell’s Money Strategies for Tough Times
Posted by Steve Jeantet on 5/18/2009 2:33:08 PM

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Matt Bell's Money Strategies for Tough Times

Ditch the Debt, Get Past the Crisis, Find Some Breathing Space, Position Yourself for Lasting Success

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Money Strategies for Tough Times {Review}

Not just another financial self-help

Money Does Matter

Money Strategies for Tough Times

Great Book for tough times and beyond

Review by Allura Walsh

Excellent & practical financial advice

Simple Money Strategies - But Requires High Commitment

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