Comments on: An Interview With Vicki Robin, Author of “Your Money or Your Life”

By: Deborah

Deborah — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:37:21 +0000

I read YMOYL in 1996 when I was attending community college on the GI Bill. The take-away message for me was the idea of tracking monthly income, expenses, and the FI point at which expenses are met by non-wage sources. The chart on the back of my bathroom door now contains 13 years worth of monthly tracking. Most exciting is that every month – with occasional exceptions – I can see the income and expense lines getting further apart and the expense line getting ever closer to the FI line. That chart is a powerful way to keep my goal in mind on a daily basis. I recommend it!

By: Weston

Weston — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:27:59 +0000

By far one of the two or three most influential books I have ever read. For me there were two big take aways that I will always carry with me.

1. Money = life energy that Vicki speaks about.

2. The concept of determining what is “enough” for me, coupled with the idea that those who can not determine what is “enough” are condemning themselves to eternal poverty since they will always want more than they have

By: Omorinsola

Omorinsola — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:15:01 +0000

This book has been life changing for me and I am reading it for the second time!

In December 2007 I had six weeks to decide if I would return to a job I HATED when I was lead to YMOYL. March 6 will mark one year that I quit my job. I have been working PT with full medical benfits since June 2008. I realize that God is my infinite supply, not a JOB (Just Over Broke)!

Continued Blessings

By: brooke

brooke — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:58:48 +0000

thank you trent and thank you vicki!

By: Trent

Trent — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:41:07 +0000

I fixed the link to the New Road Map Foundation. Thanks to those who pointed out the broken link!

By: Happiness Is Better

Happiness Is Better — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:56:46 +0000

Very cool interview. This book is what started it all for me. It not only got me interested in personal finance, but also got me more interested in making the most out of life in general.
Great post!

By: conny

conny — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:55:51 +0000

this really rang with my own views of stuff for time ( instead of amount of money for time) I made my biggest mistake in this case during the 80:s…
(and is still paying for it)

Wisdom comes at a cost of the mistakes we made.

By: Lou

Lou — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:24:30 +0000

So where can we ” find them at…”???

Please include this info in your next post!

In my e-mail version, the next line was an ad for you-really-need-a-budget, which I don’t think is the site Vickie was talking about.

Thanks for interviewing her. That book changed my life and is the reason sudden disability didn’t leave me homeless and helpless.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:23:12 +0000

I read YMOYL in my early twenties and it also changed my life. I’m now in my late thirties and I work a part-time job I love, my husband stays home with our child and devotes a lot of time to political and community organiziing, our only debt is a small mortgage and we live simply and very happily – all choices we made based on the wisdom I gleaned from YMOYL. I was so happy to see this interview – thanks for sharing!

By: Curt

Curt — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:40:32 +0000

Interesting interview. I just got a copy of the new book and am excited to read.

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:08:06 +0000

Hi Robyn,

I thought I’d try to respond to your question.

The most important lessons I learned from this book was to see the cost of material goods as my time (i.e money = time) and to align my expenses with my morals/desires/what’s important to me.

That lesson can be learned by anyone no matter how much money they make. And that lesson will show you how little you actually need to spend to “get” the things that you really want.

Although coming from a different philosophy, Jacob over at earlyretirementextreme.com is trying to accomplish the same thing, but by drastically reducing his expenses. The end goal is the same; the means is definitely more drastic.

Another perspective is from Chris at chrisguillebeau.com. The Art of Nonconformity focuses “on three areas: Life, Work, and Travel.” I guess it doesn’t truly fit into my post, but I wanted to… Anyway, Chris has some very interesting ideas how to live your life in a different fashion that the standard cookie cutter life.

In the end, it comes done to what you truly want and how you can accomplish that while minimizing the side distractions that all tend to get bogged down in.

What do you truly want?

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:01:23 +0000

Interesting interview, with plenty of good points discussed. Yet another reason for me to find ‘Your Money of Your Life’ and read it soon.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:58:02 +0000

I too loved this book and the philosophy and tangible steps it provided. I’ve always had one issue with it though and I wonder if it could be addressed here – it’s been awhile, but it seems to me that when Joe began this project, he had been a Wall Street banker in the ’60s and was able to save up $100,000 to become financially independent following the steps outlined in the book. I got the impression he was a single person too at that time. These factors are big head starts for someone embarking on FI and could be a bit daunting to someone not coming from a high paying job already. I wonder how have others with average incomes been able to relate to this? Granted the steps are still applicable to anyone, but much easier for someone with a high salary.
(My apologies if I have the circumstances incorrect).

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:05:28 +0000

I read this book 10 years ago and the money=life energy struck a chord with me. Now, 10 years later, I am working part time (by choice), and have everyting I need with no debt. I am also looking forward to paying my last mortgage payment (this month!). Thank you Trent for the interview, and thank you Vicki for your words of wisdom.

By: Pennie

Pennie — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:34:30 +0000

Loved your discussion about YMOYL!

This book set my life on a powerfully different course back when it first came out–I singularly give credit to Vicki and Joe for my ability to create a immensely rewarding and productive life, retiring from paid work “outwardly simple, inwardly rich” (and F13) in 2007 at 47 years old.

The investment chapter had become a bit dated, so I was pleased to hear that an updated version of the book has recently been released!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

By: KJ

KJ — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:40:00 +0000

Vicki, thanks for giving an interview to Trent so that I got a chance to read your responses! Your book’s changed my life profoundly. : )

By: J Brown

J Brown — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:56:22 +0000

Great idea on the interview. It is another method of getting this terrific book’s message heard. I will be looking forward to some more “10 Books that Changed my life” author interviews.

By: Keivn

Keivn — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:04:32 +0000

I read the original version of this book (obtained thru a used bookstore) about three years ago. I was facing some serious financial challenges at the time and the message Joe and Vicki passed on through the book absolutely floored me. I absolutely cannot understand why their approach hasn’t taken over financial management.

Like any good book, even if you are familiar with it, it bears re-reading from time to time to refresh yourself on the ideas and bring you back to the basics. That Vicki has updated it gives even more reason for re-reading.

Thanks to you for sharing this this interview, Vickie (and Joe, wherever your are) for developing and promoting this concept.

By: Valerie

Valerie — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:43:36 +0000

Thanks for posting about this book again – I need to locate and re-read it. Time for a little recharging!

By: Simon

Simon — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:00:57 +0000

Thanks for the great interview. Like you Trent this is singularly the most powerful book I have read to date as part of my financial transformation. Calculating my true hourly wage has been a real eye opener and has shown me that one isn’t necessarily better off with a high income if there are excessive costs associated with it. That’s very empowering in terms of the freedom it can bring to try new, different things.