Book Reviews
Beyond Getting By by Holly Trantham Book Review
Despite moving to a house right across the street from a library branch last year, it’s been a while since I took the opportunity to browse the New Release shelves for recent personal finance titles. When I finally did, I came across the book Beyond Getting By: The Financial Diet’s Guide to Abundant and Intentional Living by Holly Trantham. Actually, in addition to Trantham, Financial Diet founder Chelsea Fagan pens the intro and pops up from time to time. But, as you’ll see, that’s not the only element that makes this a unique and enjoyable read.
First, these days, it’s not very often that I get to read a physical print book — but that’s without a doubt the medium I would recommend for Beyond Getting By. Throughout, you’ll find colorful and enjoyable artwork that adds to the message and aesthetic of the book. On top of that, there are several workbook pages you’ll surely want to make use of. By the way, these aren’t just your regular “answer this question” prompts (although there are several of those) as there are also interesting charts, checklists, and more. Alas, with mine being a library copy, I didn’t have the opportunity to actually fill in my responses.
It should be noted that Beyond Getting By is a sequel of sorts to The Financial Diet: A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money. While that book (based mostly on the title and the way it’s described in this follow-up) covered the basics of personal finance, this one goes ‘beyond’ that. The result is a book that doesn’t feel like your typical financial fare. Instead, I would describe it more as a series of essays that happen to contain various lessons. That may not be the best description, but I think it at least describes the vibe. For example, I can’t think of many other personal finance books with a chapter dedicated to Gwyneth Paltrow and “nepo babies” — but that’s exactly what you get here.
As for what some of those lessons are on, Beyond Getting By covers such topics as the happiness threshold, student debt, imposter syndrome, “being cheap,” and much more. Throughout the book, you’ll also learn about why the 40-hour workweek is a myth, why the “girl boss” era wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and how to advocate not only for yourself but for others as well. In each of these cases, Trantham writes with experience, understanding, and relatability. The result is inspiration as opposed to the guilt, overwhelm, or boredom you might get from some other personal finance books.
What’s also nice about the book is it occasionally hands things over to other experts (including the aforementioned cameos from Fagan). Fitting the art style, these interviews are often distinguished visually with their own colorful text boxes. I felt as though this format worked and appreciated these additional insights.
Perhaps the most relevant chapter for me personally was the last one: “Ditching Internet Self-Care and Embracing Inconvenience.” Funny enough, Trantham starts the chapter acknowledging many of the contradictions explored in the book (something I had noticed, so this line immediately got a laugh from me). But, I found that I completely agreed with the conclusion she came to, which is that personal finance is all about striking the right balance.
Alas, she also acknowledges that this realistic, down-to-Earth approach also means getting fewer clicks than the sensationalized generalized content — which I can, unfortunately, also identify with. Yet, this section wasn’t actually blogger commiseration, so I suspect it will resonate with many others as well. I also appreciated the “embracing inconvenience” element as I’m definitely guilty of trying to keep things too comfortable for myself at times.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed Beyond Getting By: The Financial Diet’s Guide to Abundant and Intentional Living. Between the art, the exercises, and the messages themselves, reading the book felt like an experience — which is why I’d definitely recommend picking up the physical version. At the same time, if you are new to the world of money, it’s probably a good idea to check out the previous book as a primer. But, even if you do choose to start here instead, you’ll still be able to learn a lot and be on your way to being better off.
Beyond Getting By by Holly Trantham Book Review
Beyond Getting By: An Inspiring and Insightful Read That’s Not Your Typical Financial How-to
4.5
Foreword by
Chelsea Fagan
Available Formats
Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
Page Count
304 pages (print)
Beyond Getting By is a follow-up of sorts to the previous Financial Diet book by Chelsea Fagan (who also shows up from time to time in this title). So, rather than focus on the basics, this book covers a number of topics all in the name of taking you to the next level. Perhaps best described as a series of essays, interviews, and worksheets, Beyond Getting By is a unique and enjoyable personal finance book that you’ll surely take something useful away from.
Pros
- Focuses on money topics beyond the core basics
- Includes beautiful art and design by Lauren Ver Hage
Cons
- Print edition is recommended
- Not a typical financial how-to book
Author
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