Take a deep breath and pick up the phone': a former union organizer on how to negotiate your debts down

Online shame tactics and quick-fix “crash diet” financial advice are criticized as ineffective. Economic conditions have become harder to navigate, but underused tools and programs can help people save money and reduce debt. A shame-free approach is presented as an important first step toward taking control of finances. No single app or program can counteract prices and broader economic forces, but budgeting guidance and information about programs that cut everyday expenses can help. Advice includes calculating retirement needs, using a buy-versus-rent worksheet, lowering credit card payments, and negotiating with banks. The guidance also ends with a call for working people to organize for a more functional economy.

"Carrie Joy Grimes wants you to know you're not going to get rich or even out of debt just by practicing latte celibacy. She decries the online shame gurus who promote the financial equivalent of crash diets, and believes the economy's just become harder and harder for everyone to navigate. Still, she argues, there are tools and tricks that can help many people save money and secure a slice of the American dream. But you have to know where to find them and that's where she comes in."

"She says putting aside that shame can be a powerful first step to taking control of your finances. There's no magic app or program that can fix everything happening with prices and the economy, says Grimes, who in 2020 founded WorkMoney, a nonprofit that offers budgeting tips and information on programs that cut everyday expenses. But there are some underutilized tools and programs that can keep dollars in our pockets."

"Her book offers hard-boiled advice like how to calculate what you'll need to retire, a worksheet on whether you should buy vs rent (buying is not for everyone, she emphasizes), and tips on lowering credit card payments. But unlike many personal finance books, hers ends with a call for working people to organize for an economy that works for us a stronger, more functional capitalism."

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