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Jonathan Chevreau

Author of Findependence Day

4 Works 14 Members 2 Reviews

Works by Jonathan Chevreau

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This book covered the basics of achieving financial independence. However, the editing was sloppy and the story was contrived. I also found it rather difficult to believe that the two protagonists were able to live in a 3000 square foot house in the burbs with 2 cars on a teacher's & electronics salesman's salary, and still be able to put aside enough money to retire early.
 
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Spudd | Sep 3, 2013 |
About half-way through this book, I was thinking "this is either going to be the worst book I've ever read or I'm not going to manage to finish it" but it either got better or I got more accepting. This is supposed to be a financial planning and personal finance book written as a "novel" so that we follow the same guy (and his wife and two kids, to an extent) through 25 years to see how he manages to achieve financial independence after starting off from a position laden with consumer debt. One of the weirdest things is the passage of time and how little changes over the course of 25 years (same TV show is on the air, website the protagonist founds early on is not only still around but populated by the same posters in the chat room, same financial adviser, who was already semi-retired when the book started, is present, etc.). The weirdest is trying to situate oneself in time in the real world -- at the beginning of the book, there is already reference to the aging boomer population and it doesn't take long for the young couple to start contributing to TFSAs and start a website -- indicators that this is going on in present-day (or at least on the not too distant past). Meanwhile, however, Mr. Protagonist doesn't really want to be present at the birth of his children and hospital staff are just too pleased to leave him in the waiting room -- an indicator that this is not present-day. (Note: the sexism throughout the book is yet another aspect contributing to its lack of quality.) Assuming nonetheless that the book starts out in the present (or near the present), there is nothing futuristic about the passage of time over the course of the next 25 years. It's just weird. The characters are completely one-dimensional composites of "average Canadians," mere vehicles for the author's giving of his financial advice. The couple early on decides to adopt principles of "guerilla frugality" to pay off their debt and forgo future consumer debt. At first there is mention of certain lifestyle changes like more cooking at home and less playing poker with the boys. But while the couple still refers to being frugal as time goes on, there is no more mention of how they are applying this (other than perhaps the mention of not having a swimming pool added to the house they purchase). Whatever difficulties or inconveniences financial choices might bring about are mentioned but not applied: for example, by purchasing a house in the suburbs, commutes are longer. The couple have a discussion about this when they are deciding where to live (and having different preferences on the matter) and they do go ahead and move to the big house in the suburbs. And then there is no mention of how the commuting is going. Or of ever buying cars again (just one mention later on that one of the cars is in really rough shape after many years of use). And when the twins are born, it seems difficult to save for their education, but the couple does fund their RESPs. There is no mention of *how* the money is found to do this. There is actually no mention of budgeting anywhere in this book, now that I think of it. Paying for day care is mentioned as an afterthought once the twins are already in school (doesn't seem to have had an impact on paying down the mortgage quickly, contributing to RRSPs, RESPs and TFSAs and avoiding more consumer debt) and there is no mention of possible conflicts with the kids about purchases (for example, kids wanting designer clothing). There are many more things wrong with this book, but I will leave it at that.
To sum up: not realistic at all.
… (more)
 
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Deesirings | Jun 15, 2011 |

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