Book Review: You're So Money by Farnoosh Torabi

Filed in archive Book Reviews on April 16, 2008

Farnoosh Torabi, whose current claim to fame is getting that crazy Jim Cramer to sit down every day for a video interview on stocks to watch at TheStreet.com, is the author of a new book You're So Money, which offers a wealth of personal finance advice to those in her generation, i.e., 30 and younger. Sort of a Personal Finance for Young Dummies, the book is an enjoyable read, and I learned a few things, even though I'm slightly too old to be the target market.

The best thing about You're So Money is that it's so conversational, meaning it tries to actually engage you and make the money issues a bit more enjoyable to consider. As a too-regular reader of personal Finance Books, I found Torabi's style made it much easier to want to keep turning the pages, even when the talk turned to credit scores and vision insurance.

Torabi covers both the conventional personal finance advice-401Ks, college debt, investing basics, home buying-and the less conventional, such as which type of makeup you can afford to cheap out on and making the most of your student ID even when you're no longer a student. She uses many, many personal examples as well as profiles of other twenty-somethings and their money trials and successes. Even if these examples don't always pertain to your situation, it's a good way to see what others in your age bracket are facing and how they're tackling their financial challenges.

You're So Money carries the tag line "Live Rich, Even When You're Not." While Torabi does offer some interesting examples (she lived in Manhattan for $500 a month by moving into the extra bedroom of a married couple), by and large there aren't big secrets here that show you how to look richer than you are. Other than the obvious advice to splurge on the things that matter to you most, and a few ideas on how to get expensive clothing or whatever at a cheaper price, this is really not a handbook to living large on a small budget. And that's fine. Because what the book is-a smart, fun take on a rather boring topic, targeting an age group unlikely to sit still for 200 pages of IRAs and APRs and COBRAs-is plenty.

If you're past 35, You're So Money might make you feel a bit old (or maybe that's just me). But if you're out of school and still getting your act together financially, this one's for you.