Hot (Broke) Messes: How to Have Your Latte and Drink It Too

by Nancy Trejos

Book Overview

31-year-old Nancy Trejos was supposed to be an expert on handling her money - after all, she's the personal finance columnist for one of the nation's leading newspapers, The Washington Post. But a few months ago, she found herself in her own dire financial straits. Faced with a mountain of bills, debt, and no way to pay her rent, she was forced to call her parents to ask them for a loan. That night was a wake-up call - she vowed to get herself...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446555428
• ISBN13: 9780446555425
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: Business Plus
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Informative & Fun to read

This is a great book that is informational on how to be a bit more financial savvy but also has some great funny stories about the author and her past.

Is "financial fun" an oxymoron?

Not anymore. This memoir/financial advice book made me gasp and giggle. I'm past the age group targeted by this book (20 to 30-somethings), but I still enjoyed it cover to cover. I was astounded at how frank the author was about her own mistakes and weaknesses, and amused by how long it took for her to identify her own pitfalls. I even learned a thing or two along the way. This is an easy, short read that can help any of us stay on a path to financial security. I can recommend this one without reservation.

Helps Fix Your Mess

I enjoyed this book a lot, and I feel that it will help me if not make better decisions so that I dont end up in some of her situations, at least really think about everything before making emotional decisions. While I'm not near the age of buying a home, and hopefully my car lasts another 5 years, I recived good insite into how to save money, budget, plan. I feel like I'm armed with a better perspective on living now.

Information woven into a personal story

I read this book over the past weekend and must say that it sounds familiar. I see so many young adults who have gotten into debt during college and then made it worse just after college. The problem with most money books is that they all give the same technical information and ignore the emotional issues that drive difficult money behaviors and attitudes.Nancy Trejos writes her personal narrative and at the same time weaves into it money management information and research, making it more interesting and more personal for the reader. You can read the book slowly and do the program that Nancy does as she does it, working on a spending plan and looking at how emotional spending operates in your life. She illustrates the dilemma of having a social life that can depend on going out to bars or restaurants and what a challenge that can be to the budget. Many tips and internet resources related to living well but less expensively are presented in the book. I am sure that a number of young women will see themselves portrayed in the story she tells and her path to financial health can work for them as well.

Don McNay Review of Hot (Broke) Messes on Huffington Post

Sex Money and Hot (Broke) Messes Don McNay Huffington Post Contributor Throw open the shade that covers my mind I'm going to touch I've got to believe The bell tolls for me I, I want to testify -Melissa Etheridge Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? -Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and the City Sometime in the 1980s, Alan Abelson, the editor of Money Magazine, said that money was "the new sex." There is one distinct difference. Many people talk about sex. There are hundreds of television shows, chat rooms, and web sites devoted to sex. Americans still have a hard time talking about money. Especially their own money. Sometimes I think I've read almost every financial "self-help" book that has ever been written. Most say the say thing: Have a budget, live within your means and invest for the long term. Great advice, but it's like telling people they need to lose weight. Knowing it and doing it are two different things. One of my irritations is that many financial writers have a holier-than-thou attitude. People looking to solve financial problems are also looking for empathy. Instead, the message they often receive from books about money is "I'm OK and you're an idiot." Even commentators such as Dave Ramsey, who talks about his bankruptcy and how it got him to live the "no debt" philosophy of Christian financial writer Larry Burkett, sometimes comes off as preachy and condescending. What struck me about the book, Hot (Broke) Messes, is that the author, Nancy Trejos, is incredibly candid and allows us to learn from expensive lessons given to her by life. It's hard for the average person to admit mistakes. Imagine Trejos' situation. She made her mistakes while working as a personal finance columnist for the Washington Post. The mantra in Washington and the financial world is to always act like you're 10 feet tall and bulletproof. Never admit your mistakes, even if those mistakes cost billions of dollars or thousands of lives. Trejos went in the opposite direction. She put her problems on the street and let her readers view her financial rebuilding process. Nancy is a 33 year-old graduate of Georgetown University. She grew up in Queens, after her family immigrated from Columbia. Her financial situation two years ago seemed typical of many in her age group. Lots of student loans, lots of credit card debt, an upside down car payment and a mortgage that she couldn't afford. She was at absolute rock bottom and in total denial. The mortgage was on a townhouse bought with a live-in boyfriend. After racking up a financial hit and some legal bills, she learned a lesson that all singles should know. Never mix business transactions and love, unless you are completely and legally married. She hit bottom and found a financial counselor who helped her set goals and stick to a strict budget. It was the financial equivalent of a personal trainer. Along with her individual saga, Trejos r