Personal Finance
![Kumiko Love - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B096WDP7T5.jpg)
My Money My Way: Taking Back Control of Your Financial Life
Does fear and insecurity keep you from looking at your bank account? Is your financial anxiety holding you captive?
You don't have to stress about money anymore. YOU can take back control.
As a newly divorced single mom making $24,000 per year and facing down $77,000 in debt, Kumiko Love worried constantly about money. She saw what other moms had-vacations, birthday parties, a house full of furniture-and felt ashamed that she and her son lived in a small apartment and ate dinner on the floor. Worse, when her feelings began to exhaust her, she binge-shopped, reasoning that she'd feel better after a trip to the mall.
On the day she needed to pay for a McDonald's ice cream cone without her credit card, she had an epiphany: Money is not the problem. Self-Doubt is the problem. Shame is the problem. Guilt is the problem. Society's expectations for her are the problem. She is the solution.
Once she reversed the negative thinking patterns pushing her toward decisions that didn't serve her values or goals, her financial plan wrote itself. Now, she's not only living debt-free in her dream home, which she paid for in cash, but she has spread her teachings around the world and helped countless women envision better lives for themselves and their families.
Now, building on the lessons she's taught millions as the founder of The Budget Mom, she shares a step by step plan for taking control back over your financial life-regardless of your level of income or your credit card balance. Through stories from navigating divorce to helping clients thrive through recessions, depression, eviction, layoffs and so much more, you will learn foundational practices such as:
• How to use your emotions to your financial advantage, instead of letting them control you
• How to create a budget based on your real life, not a life of self-denial
• How to create a motivating debt pay-off plan that makes you excited about your future, instead of fearing it
My Money My Way will give you the tools to align your emotional health with your financial health-to let go of deprivation and embrace desire. Love's paradigm-shifting system will teach you how to honor your unique personal values, driving emotions, and particular needs so that you can stop worrying about money and start living a financially fulfilled life.
You don't have to stress about money anymore. YOU can take back control.
As a newly divorced single mom making $24,000 per year and facing down $77,000 in debt, Kumiko Love worried constantly about money. She saw what other moms had-vacations, birthday parties, a house full of furniture-and felt ashamed that she and her son lived in a small apartment and ate dinner on the floor. Worse, when her feelings began to exhaust her, she binge-shopped, reasoning that she'd feel better after a trip to the mall.
On the day she needed to pay for a McDonald's ice cream cone without her credit card, she had an epiphany: Money is not the problem. Self-Doubt is the problem. Shame is the problem. Guilt is the problem. Society's expectations for her are the problem. She is the solution.
Once she reversed the negative thinking patterns pushing her toward decisions that didn't serve her values or goals, her financial plan wrote itself. Now, she's not only living debt-free in her dream home, which she paid for in cash, but she has spread her teachings around the world and helped countless women envision better lives for themselves and their families.
Now, building on the lessons she's taught millions as the founder of The Budget Mom, she shares a step by step plan for taking control back over your financial life-regardless of your level of income or your credit card balance. Through stories from navigating divorce to helping clients thrive through recessions, depression, eviction, layoffs and so much more, you will learn foundational practices such as:
• How to use your emotions to your financial advantage, instead of letting them control you
• How to create a budget based on your real life, not a life of self-denial
• How to create a motivating debt pay-off plan that makes you excited about your future, instead of fearing it
My Money My Way will give you the tools to align your emotional health with your financial health-to let go of deprivation and embrace desire. Love's paradigm-shifting system will teach you how to honor your unique personal values, driving emotions, and particular needs so that you can stop worrying about money and start living a financially fulfilled life.
Editorial Reviews
"The Budget Mom is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to improve their relationship with money. Miko gives you the tools to actually change how you manage and understand your finances, and her work is consistently inspiring and motivating to follow. I'm a huge fan!"
--Chelsea Fagan, cofounder of The Financial Diet
"It's no surprise that millions of people flock to Kumiko Love for her financial advice. She's able to do the impossible: teach others about money in a non-judgemental, down-to-earth way while also making concepts like budgeting and debt-repayment exciting and fun. And Kumiko's new book My Money My Way will leave you feeling even more prepared to transform your financial life. I know what book just garnered a top spot on my book recommendations list!
--Jessica Moorhouse, speaker, money expert, and host of More Money Podcast
"No shame. No condescension. Just real, practical money talk from a woman who lives it. Kumiko reminds us that our money struggles and mistakes are not a reflection of who we are or what we can achieve. And her tools and strategies offer an easy-to-follow framework for using money to build a lifestyle you love."
--Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez, personal finance expert and host of Money Confidential
"My Money My Way is what every busy woman needs to move beyond shame, reconnect with their values, and transform their relationship with money forever. If you are struggling to achieve balance and peace in your financial life, read this book."--Tiffany Aliche, New York Times bestselling author of Get Good With Money
"If you're ready to break free from a dysfunctional relationship with money and build wealth from a place of strength, Kumiko's book is a must-read." --Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything is Figureoutable
"It's so wonderful to see more voices join the movement that money shouldn't be rigid or restrictive. Kumiko Love and her money management style will help you feel seen and capable instead of shamed and distressed- no matter the money mistakes in your past." --Erin Lowry, author of the Broke Millennial series
--Chelsea Fagan, cofounder of The Financial Diet
"It's no surprise that millions of people flock to Kumiko Love for her financial advice. She's able to do the impossible: teach others about money in a non-judgemental, down-to-earth way while also making concepts like budgeting and debt-repayment exciting and fun. And Kumiko's new book My Money My Way will leave you feeling even more prepared to transform your financial life. I know what book just garnered a top spot on my book recommendations list!
--Jessica Moorhouse, speaker, money expert, and host of More Money Podcast
"No shame. No condescension. Just real, practical money talk from a woman who lives it. Kumiko reminds us that our money struggles and mistakes are not a reflection of who we are or what we can achieve. And her tools and strategies offer an easy-to-follow framework for using money to build a lifestyle you love."
--Stefanie O'Connell Rodriguez, personal finance expert and host of Money Confidential
"My Money My Way is what every busy woman needs to move beyond shame, reconnect with their values, and transform their relationship with money forever. If you are struggling to achieve balance and peace in your financial life, read this book."--Tiffany Aliche, New York Times bestselling author of Get Good With Money
"If you're ready to break free from a dysfunctional relationship with money and build wealth from a place of strength, Kumiko's book is a must-read." --Marie Forleo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything is Figureoutable
"It's so wonderful to see more voices join the movement that money shouldn't be rigid or restrictive. Kumiko Love and her money management style will help you feel seen and capable instead of shamed and distressed- no matter the money mistakes in your past." --Erin Lowry, author of the Broke Millennial series
Readers Top Reviews
Alicia Shaundrea
Miko definitely did an ammmmaziiinnggg job ! Literally breaking down how to become a better person inside all while getting back your financial freedom! Absolute must read!
SaraSaraAlicia Sh
I have a ton of financial books on my bookshelf, and I don't think any of them that I have ever read has touched me or made my emotions stir as much as this book has. I know I would highly recommend this book to others because it's okay to be like me and make mistakes and fall off the bandwagon, because now I know where I'm starting at and can work towards my financial stability of where I want to be versus how I'm starting out as. I know my Why, but the question is do you? If not pick this book up today!
Teresa S KhonTere
I was introduced to The Budget Mom (TBM) in 2020 and didn’t realize how little I truly knew/understood about budgeting until I started following her method. This book is truly a must read to anyone starting out on their financial journey or for anyone wanting to improve their existing financial journey.
LeeTeresa S KhonT
Kumiko just writes how it is. In each example she tells you the good, the bad but eventually with hard word and dedication the better. Such practical examples and just all in all an easy but helpful read. Learning The Budget Mom techniques has helped my family get out of credit card and be able to live a life we love.
Lauren E.LeeTeres
I’ve been a longtime follower of The Budget Mom (TBM). I love to watch her on Instagram and YouTube. I pre-ordered the book and had access to an excerpt that I’ve already read. I’m eagerly anticipating my book arriving today so that I can implement more of Kumiko’s knowledge/methods into our budget! I’m also a Budget By Paycheck user and bought TBM’s BBP book for this year!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One
The Ice Cream Cone That Changed My Life
Some couples fight about money, but my ex-husband and I had an even bigger problem: we didn't talk about it at all.
He would give me his paycheck and I would pay the bills, and while that might sound like we were Adults of the Year, what we really were was clueless. Plans? What were those? We were winging it daily, neither one of us caring enough about our finances to even have a conversation.
The day I got pregnant, however, we were finally forced to take a harder look at things. How were we going to afford a baby? I told myself we would make it work; we would find ways to be thrifty. I painted the nursery walls myself, a light green color, with paint I found in the clearance section at Home Depot. I watched DIY videos on YouTube and tutorials on Pinterest. I made bookshelves from old rain gutters and made all of the artwork for the baby's bedroom out of construction paper and Crayola markers. I was determined to create special memories with the little money we had. It would be fine; we would just wing it like we always did.
But then I actually had the baby.
If you've ever looked into the eyes of a newborn, you know it upends everything you thought about what matters. For the first time, "day by day" was not good enough. "Seat of my pants" was not good enough. My son, James, made me long for an all-new sense of stability, a life that was beautiful, intentional, safe, and designed.
Enter the moment I decided I needed a budget. A real one. Not the flimsy, just-for-decoration kind, but the kind that would actually help us strategically move forward as a family.
This sounded like a reasonable idea-you know, financial goals and all-until I realized my husband and I were on totally different teams. We had finally started talking about money, but every time we did, it would result in a fight. We never had any clear purpose or bigger ambitions. There I was, cycling through various types of budgeting methods, looking for one that would actually make us better with our money-from percentage based to monthly based and beyond-but by the end of each month, we would pay our bills on time but have nothing left over. It was a constant, never-ending struggle.
Soon, our debt became unmanageable. We had one or two credit cards totaling $6,000, and I had ballooning student loans, and medical bills from a severe motorcycle accident. But I still managed to make what little progress I could, taking advantage of balance transfers, filing for financial hardship with the hospital, and getting on an income-based repayment plan for my student loans. Eventually-with enough focus and discipline-I was able to pay it all off and was so incredibly proud. I hadn't achieved everything I wanted, but I was getting by. I was making it work.
But then the divorce happened.
As a kid, I lived through my parents' separation, and it was one of the most defining moments of my youth. I remember the suffering it caused my mom. I watched as fear took over her life. The hurt I felt had ripple effects straight through to adulthood.
So when I found myself in the position of initiating my own divorce, all I felt was heart-clenching failure. To complicate matters, the logistics of it all were herculean: it was near impossible to find a place of my own with an annual income of only $30,000 from my job as an assistant in the finance industry. With a little luck, I did finally find an eight-hundred-square-foot apartment. For several months, it was mostly empty. I left my marriage with only a few bags of belongings, so we didn't have any furniture. I managed to buy a TV from Walmart with one of my paychecks, and we watched that TV nightly, eating our dinner on the living room floor. Divorce is complicated and difficult for many obvious reasons, but for me, the loneliness hit hard. When I was married, there was togetherness. Finances together, struggles together, stories together, dinners together. But then it was just me. It felt lonely, scary, and dark.
More than the loneliness, however, was the guilt. Even though I knew that this decision was best for our family, I also knew I had stripped away everything my son had known: a backyard, his own bedroom, his toys, the swing set. I was in a constant panic about how he was handling the new changes, and because of that panic, the problem compounded: I kept trying to live a life that wasn't mine. I wanted to pretend like everything was normal. I wanted to pretend like I still had it together, that nothing had changed. I wanted to give my son the life he deserved...
The Ice Cream Cone That Changed My Life
Some couples fight about money, but my ex-husband and I had an even bigger problem: we didn't talk about it at all.
He would give me his paycheck and I would pay the bills, and while that might sound like we were Adults of the Year, what we really were was clueless. Plans? What were those? We were winging it daily, neither one of us caring enough about our finances to even have a conversation.
The day I got pregnant, however, we were finally forced to take a harder look at things. How were we going to afford a baby? I told myself we would make it work; we would find ways to be thrifty. I painted the nursery walls myself, a light green color, with paint I found in the clearance section at Home Depot. I watched DIY videos on YouTube and tutorials on Pinterest. I made bookshelves from old rain gutters and made all of the artwork for the baby's bedroom out of construction paper and Crayola markers. I was determined to create special memories with the little money we had. It would be fine; we would just wing it like we always did.
But then I actually had the baby.
If you've ever looked into the eyes of a newborn, you know it upends everything you thought about what matters. For the first time, "day by day" was not good enough. "Seat of my pants" was not good enough. My son, James, made me long for an all-new sense of stability, a life that was beautiful, intentional, safe, and designed.
Enter the moment I decided I needed a budget. A real one. Not the flimsy, just-for-decoration kind, but the kind that would actually help us strategically move forward as a family.
This sounded like a reasonable idea-you know, financial goals and all-until I realized my husband and I were on totally different teams. We had finally started talking about money, but every time we did, it would result in a fight. We never had any clear purpose or bigger ambitions. There I was, cycling through various types of budgeting methods, looking for one that would actually make us better with our money-from percentage based to monthly based and beyond-but by the end of each month, we would pay our bills on time but have nothing left over. It was a constant, never-ending struggle.
Soon, our debt became unmanageable. We had one or two credit cards totaling $6,000, and I had ballooning student loans, and medical bills from a severe motorcycle accident. But I still managed to make what little progress I could, taking advantage of balance transfers, filing for financial hardship with the hospital, and getting on an income-based repayment plan for my student loans. Eventually-with enough focus and discipline-I was able to pay it all off and was so incredibly proud. I hadn't achieved everything I wanted, but I was getting by. I was making it work.
But then the divorce happened.
As a kid, I lived through my parents' separation, and it was one of the most defining moments of my youth. I remember the suffering it caused my mom. I watched as fear took over her life. The hurt I felt had ripple effects straight through to adulthood.
So when I found myself in the position of initiating my own divorce, all I felt was heart-clenching failure. To complicate matters, the logistics of it all were herculean: it was near impossible to find a place of my own with an annual income of only $30,000 from my job as an assistant in the finance industry. With a little luck, I did finally find an eight-hundred-square-foot apartment. For several months, it was mostly empty. I left my marriage with only a few bags of belongings, so we didn't have any furniture. I managed to buy a TV from Walmart with one of my paychecks, and we watched that TV nightly, eating our dinner on the living room floor. Divorce is complicated and difficult for many obvious reasons, but for me, the loneliness hit hard. When I was married, there was togetherness. Finances together, struggles together, stories together, dinners together. But then it was just me. It felt lonely, scary, and dark.
More than the loneliness, however, was the guilt. Even though I knew that this decision was best for our family, I also knew I had stripped away everything my son had known: a backyard, his own bedroom, his toys, the swing set. I was in a constant panic about how he was handling the new changes, and because of that panic, the problem compounded: I kept trying to live a life that wasn't mine. I wanted to pretend like everything was normal. I wanted to pretend like I still had it together, that nothing had changed. I wanted to give my son the life he deserved...
