Debt-Proof Living: The Complete Guide to Living Financially Free

While Hunt's previous books have echoed some consistent themes--debt bad, saving good--they've addressed a hodgepodge of different areas: building financial confidence in women and kids, doing Christmas without a stack of credit cards, tips for gourmet cooking at low cost. In Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living, Hunt finally puts together a financial primer for all--whether retirees trying to decide when to start drawing Social Security or teenagers ready to sign for their first college loans. Security, according to Hunt, is built with simple tools: tithing, saving, paying off debt, creating a contingency fund for emergencies, driving used cars, owning a home, having insurance.

Although Hunt's "been there, spent that" zeal and warmth have turned her into the Ann Landers of personal finance, she's not just an agony aunt for spendthrifts--business experts will find her a savvy marketer who's using her name and story to build, somewhat ironically, a very effective brand. That doesn't negate her sincerity, however, or the fact that her advice is sound, her formulas work, and her Rapid Debt Repayment Plan has kept increasing numbers of families out of bankruptcy. And finally, Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living is just a joy to read--its clarity and lack of condescension make it a perfect gift for anyone just starting to understand the basics of money. --Barrie Trinkle

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Debt Proof Living, 2008-04-03
Fantastic book! If everyone in the country read it and did what Mary recommends, this country would not be in the situation it is!


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Everyone should read this book!, 2008-01-08
After reading this book and implementing Mary's plan, my husband and I were able to organize our credit and shorten our payments from 15 years down to 5! We are two years into it, and only have three more to go before we are debt free. I cannot express how great this book is. Mary addresses how to live without using credit, how to pay off the credit you do have, and how to make sure you don't need to fall back on credit in the future. She suggests in the book to use her website to plan your payments on current debt. It costs $20 to enroll, and I would highly reccomend it. It allows you to plug all your debt into the worksheet, and it tells you which bills to pay first, second, etc to get the debt payed off the fastest. Well worth the $20!


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Debt proof living, 2007-08-24
Everyone should read this book and follow her steps. This is a great way to get out of debt.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Best Budget and Money book out!, 2007-07-16
I first checked this out of the Library but after the third time decieded I needed my own copy. Positive and not degrading like some of the other budget cash only spokes persons.




18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

This book will change your financial life!, 2007-02-24
Pros: Common sense advice that anyone can follow! It WILL help you get your finances in order and help you change your perspective about the monetary side of life. They should make this a mandatory class for high school and/or college students. The website is extremely useful, as well.

Cons: For me, it was disheartening that I could not put the spending plan into immediate action. For someone who is in serious trouble, the advice she suggests may seem too daunting and too difficult to follow. I do not think this is a flaw on Hunt's behalf, but is more an indicator that people with high debt who are spending beyond their means truly need to make more serious and drastic changes to their way of living.

I have posted my personal experience with Hunt's Debt-Proof Living for you if you'd like to read about the positive possibilities that following Hunt's plan offers.

I read Debt-Proof Living two years ago. At that time, we had about $30,000 in credit card debt, we were paying nearly $3000/month on our mortgage, and my husband and I were both driving around in gas-guzzling shiny vehicles. The financial strain was beginning to take it's toll, putting strain on our relationship, our health, and on every aspect of our life. We were living beyond our means, sinking fast, and I reached for this book in desperation.

We were unable to start the spending plan right away because we did not have money to start it with. Every paycheck that came in went right out to keep bills paid just barely on time. As Mary suggested, this was a warning sign that we were living beyond our means and would need to make more drastic changes in order to get to a financially secure place.

First, we traded in my gas-guzzler for about $9000 and I bought a more economical $4000 used car. I still have it, and other than routine maintenance, we have incurred no other cost with it. It also cut our gas expenses significantly. We used the money to make some home improvements so we could put our house on the market. Unfortunately, it took almost a year for our house to sell. All the while we were now falling behind on our mortgage payments and incurring even more credit card debt maxing them all out at $50,000 before it was all said and done.

We finally sold our 3 acre, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom home last August, we sold a lot our stuff, or just got rid of it, and we moved to a much more modest 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home, with a small back yard. (I LOVE it!) That cut our mortgage payment by more than half, not to mention cutting my cleaning time by half, too. I took on a part-time job and my husband picked up some extra hours.

This year, we finally got to the place where we could use our tax return to fuel the spending plan suggested by Hunt. It is working like a dream! No more credit cards. We pay cash. If we can't pay cash for something, then we don't get it. We have a savings cushion for unexpected and expected emergencies. This is how it should be. Everyone in my family is happier!

While we are not out of the woods yet with the debt we have accumulated, we can see the light! Even better, if we stick with the spending plan, we will have our home and all of our debt paid off in just 9 years, saving over $100,000 in interest. It will take discipline, but it will leave us with about $40,000 a YEAR just burning a hole in our savings account!

While a total of eleven years, including the two years it took us to get this far, might seem like a long time to get out of debt, had we taken no action, we would have lost our home, and eventually would die of old age and still have the debt! It makes eleven years seem easy!

By following the plan, I have learned just how materialistic and foolish I had been with money. I learned that my family is just as happy, if not happier, with much less "stuff" and space than we had. I have learned to view society in a whole new light, realizing that we are over indulgent and need so much less than we think we need.

What is most important to remember when reading this book is that it is simple, common sense advice for a long term plan. The results that may or may not be seen instantly depending on your individual situation. But ANYONE can improve their financial outlook by following the suggestions in this book.

Ultimately, this book does not give you a band-aid to fix the boo-boos. It gives you a cure!

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