Drawing on the groundbreaking U.S. Financial Diaries project (http://www.usfinancialdiaries.org/), which follows the lives of 235 low- and middle-income families as they navigate through a year, the authors challenge popular assumptions about how Americans earn, spend, borrow, and save-- and they identify the true causes of distress and inequality for many working Americans.

What the financial diaries of working-class families reveal about economic stresses, why they happen, and what policies might reduce them Deep within the American Dream lies the belief that hard work and steady saving will ensure a comfortable retirement and a better life for one's children. But in a nation experiencing unprecedented prosperity, even for many families who seem to be doing everything right, this ideal is still out of reach. In The Financial Diaries, Jonathan Morduch and Rachel Schneider draw on the groundbreaking U.S. Financial Diaries, which follow the lives of 235 low- and middle-income families as they navigate through a year. Through the Diaries, Morduch and Schneider challenge popular assumptions about how Americans earn, spend, borrow, and save—and they identify the true causes of distress and inequality for many working Americans. We meet real people, ranging from a casino dealer to a street vendor to a tax preparer, who open up their lives and illustrate a world of financial uncertainty in which even limited financial success requires imaginative—and often costly—coping strategies. Morduch and Schneider detail what families are doing to help themselves and describe new policies and technologies that will improve stability for those who need it most. Combining hard facts with personal stories, The Financial Diaries presents an unparalleled inside look at the economic stresses of today's families and offers powerful, fresh ideas for solving them.

Living on Little illuminates the many deep and overlooked ways that scarcity shapes the lives of ordinary Kenyans. Drawing on four years of systematic research with nearly 300 low-income families, this book tells a holistic story about how low-income Kenyans optimistically pursue life-long missions to build richer lives--literally and figuratively.

Drawing on the groundbreaking U.S. Financial Diaries project (http://www.usfinancialdiaries.org/), which follows the lives of 235 low- and middle-income families as they navigate through a year, the authors challenge popular assumptions about how Americans earn, spend, borrow, and save-- and they identify the true causes of distress and inequality for many working Americans.

Does it feel like you’re NEVER going to finish paying back your student loans? Do you spend more on coffee per month than you put into your 401(k)? Do you avoid looking at your bank balance because it’s easier to live in denial? The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend. Money Diaries, the breakout series from Refinery29, offers readers a revealing and often surprising look at the personal finances of others: what they spend, how they save, and even the purchases they hide from their partners and friends. Featuring all-new Money Diaries, valuable advice on how to get rich (and afford life in the meantime) from a handpicked team of female financial advisers, and money challenges that will save you up to $500, Refinery29 Money Diaries will empower you to take immediate control of your own money, including: • Why budgets are bulls&!t and what to do instead • How to make repaying your loans as painless as possible • How to start an emergency fund even if you’re living paycheck to paycheck • How to effectively ask for a raise and make sure you’re being paid fairly • How to have fun without going broke • The joy of saving for future you With a vision of what your dream bank account balance looks like, some expert advice to help you achieve it, and the support of a powerful community with the same goal, you’ll be a step closer to taking control of not just your wallet, but your life.

Have you the read the one about the ?unemployed social media editor? who tries (not so successfully) to stay in on a Saturday night? Or the diary of the ?junior doctor from Stoke-on-Trent? who’s saving to buy a house and packing lunch every day? Maybe your favourite is the ?28-year-old police officer making £33,000? a year and working some very long hours. Money Diaries? is Refinery29’s most popular and beloved franchise to date. The concept is simple: they offer readers an up-close-and-personal look at the financial lives of millennial women, who share every detail of their spending over seven days—even the purchases they hide from partners and friends. This peek into their daily lives is fascinating, educational, and fun. ?Since the series launched in January 2016, over 2.8 million people have spent more than 17.5 million minutes reading Money Diaries. That’s almost three-and-a-half years. Now Refinery29 is turning this series into an actionable book women can use to take their financial education offline—and make their dreams come true IRL. For MANY WOMEN, discussing money just isn’t something they willingly do with friends or romantic partners – as a result, women lag behind men in how much they’re investing and, in the long run, how much money they’re making on those investments. This disparity has huge long-term impact: hundreds of thousands of pounds over the course of a woman’s career. Add to that: university loans…a new relationship…saving for IVF… saving for a house…living in an expensive city…asking for a pay rise—where can women go for actionable advice? The Money Diaries Workbook will combine the best of Refinery29’s Work & Money content: the fun voyeurism of the diaries with high-quality advice from some of the best female financial advisors around. With ten thematic chapters, dozens of new, never-before-published money diaries, and a workbook full of weekly challenges (plus space for readers’ own diaries!) this is the book every woman needs to arm themselves for success.