You might recall that I had a radio show on personal finance from 2019‒2021. That show failed, but I got another one a few months ago. I’m now on once a week, on the weekends, on USA Networks.
I was really busy with that radio show. I was working like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, publishing The Daily Dirtnap and all of my newsletters, prepping for a 2-hour radio show every night, going to school and everything else. I was pretty stressed out. But something good came out of it—all those nights alone in the radio station, talking into the void about money, resulted in some pretty groundbreaking ideas about people’s relationships with their finances.
I found that I kept coming back to the same points over and over again—reduce your debt, because it will eliminate your stress. Cut back on your market risk, because it will eliminate your stress. Most of the existing personal finance literature is focused on getting people the most money, and therefore doing things that increase their stress. It causes them to be thinking about money all the time. You definitely don’t want to be thinking about money all the time. I think we should all aspire to get to the point where we don’t think about it at all.
So the ideas that I developed while sitting in front of a microphone for two hours a night turned into a book—the first book of its kind, with an emphasis on minimizing one’s financial stress. I wrote about two-thirds of it over Christmas break in 2021, sitting on the couch, and then I finished the rest of it at a RealVision event in the Cayman Islands last year. It was the easiest book I have ever written, because I had spent so much time thinking and talking about these issues. And this book is going to be published on January 23, 2024.
It's called NO WORRIES: How to Live a Stress-Free Financial Life. And I would like you to pre-order a copy immediately.
What’s Inside
The book starts off with a treatment of attitudes towards money, because it is important to get the mindset right first. Here we learn that the two sources of stress—the only two sources of stress are debt and risk.
So then I get into debt and risk. I get into the weeds on credit cards, car loans, student loans, and mortgages.
With regard to risk, there is a chapter about the philosophy of risk, there is a chapter about investing basics, and then there is a chapter on the solution: the Awesome Portfolio.
Then I tie it all together.
It’s the great writing you’ve come to expect from me, with a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments, too. I have to tell you, out of all the books I’ve written, this one is the smoothest. It is smooth like butter. It is silk. Partially due to the efforts of my editor at Harriman House.
The takeaway is as follows: You don’t have to live like this. We don’t have to live like this. You can structure your affairs in such a way that you never have to feel financial stress. You can feel other kinds of stress, instead. But the financial stress is avoidable, and completely unnecessary.
How to Order
I have to tell you, this book has a realistic shot at ending up as a New York Times bestseller. Let’s make it happen.
So here is the link to order:
BuyNoWorries
You’ll see there are a number of buttons for different book retailers. It’s good to spread it around a little bit, but honestly, order from whomever is most convenient for you. It’s $27, but the price will probably go down closer to the release date. A nice hardcover for your shelf.
If every 10th Man reader bought a copy—holy cats. Here’s the kicker: This book is a book for your kids. I’ve had several people read an early version of the manuscript. They all say the same thing: “I wish I had read this book in college!” I’d say this book is suitable for people 16 and up. Unlike my other books, there’s no swearing, so you don’t have to worry about that. If your kids read this book, they will be set for life. It is the best possible gift.
So pick up one up for yourself, and a few for your kids. You will have No Worries.
It’s a powerful idea, the idea that you can minimize your financial stress by doing a few simple things. You don’t have to turn your life upside down. You just have to change the way you think about money.
Do me a solid. Get the book. You’ll read it in one sitting, and it will change your life forever. Order here.
Jared Dillian, MFA
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