Part 4 Final Thoughts

Smart financial management may seem complex, but the principles outlined above should start you thinking in the right direction. It’s not really that complex. Save and spend wisely. Think before you act. Do act—it is easy to ignore thinking about your finances when there always seem to be more pressing issues of work, fam­ily and fun. Set aside a reg­u­lar time to review your situation with your partner, if you have one, as well as your family and others who care about you (and understand the financial world). There are books going into the ideas we have discussed but in more detail on our list of suggested readings. Most of all, remember the advice of Mr. Micaw­ber, from Charles Dickens’ novel Dav­id Cop­per­field: “An­nu­al in­come twenty pounds, an­nu­al ex­pendit­ure nineteen and six, res­ult hap­pi­ness. An­nu­al in­come twenty pounds, an­nu­al ex­pendit­ure twenty pounds ought and six, res­ult misery.”